Why is H&M burning new clothes? Journalists in Denmark have revealed that H&M are burning new clothes. Since 2013, 12 tonnes of clothing has been burned per year in Denmark alone. You might remember that H&M has been heavily promoting its recycling scheme. Whenever Greenpeace campaigned on the need to limit their immense use of resources, H&M responded with grand promises that soon everything will be "kept in the loop" and that technical innovations will make their manufacturing chain more sustainable. But can we still trust a company that publishes lengthy sustainability reports which fail to mention anything about burning tonnes of clothing? At our request, H&M has now finally admitted that this is not an isolated case, but the incineration of reject clothes is a common practice worldwide. Shouldn’t any company that has committed to recycling find a way to remove contaminated labels from their jeans and recycle the rest? Every single t-shirt that they make pollutes the environment.
Five Trends Influencing the Future of Our Cities When the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency removed its climate change hub from public view earlier this year, 17 cities had a response: Each posted the information on city government sites. The move was symbolic of a quiet revolution: Environmental, social, and economic change is increasingly centered at the city level. Innovation in cities was on display at a recent Greenbuild, an event devoted to green building and sustainable development that draws a diverse roster of attendees, from architects and engineers to school and hospital administrators. Some solutions were novel: A unit in the Boston mayor’s office called New Urban Mechanics that specializes in using low-cost hacks and technology to improve urban living highlighted city hall’s Stairs of Fabulousness. Created with simple rainbow-hued tape, the design—purported by its author to make the Brutalist building 400 percent more fabulous—was the result of a public space invitational to temporarily transform spots around the city.
Eleven hazardous chemicals which should be eliminated Clothing and the global toxic cycle Alkylphenols Commonly used alkylphenol compounds include nonylphenols (NPs) and octylphenols and their ethoxylates, particularly nonylphenol ethoxylates. NPs are widely used in the textiles industry in cleaning and dyeing processes. They are toxic to aquatic life, persist in the environment and can accumulate in body tissue and biomagnify (increase in concentration through the food chain).[1] Their similarity to natural oestrogen hormones can disrupt sexual development in some organisms, most notably causing the feminisation of fish.[2,3] NPs are heavily regulated in Europe and since 2005 there has been an EU-wide ban on major applications.[4] Phthalates Phthalates are a group of chemicals most commonly used to soften PVC (the plastic polyvinyl chloride). The phthalates DEHP and DBP (Dibutyl phthalate) are classed as ‘toxic to reproduction’ in Europe[6] and their use restricted. Brominated and chlorinated flame retardants Azo dyes Organotin compounds 2. 3.
Options for keeping the food system within environmental limits Smith, P. et al. in Climate Change 2014: Mitigation of Climate Change (eds Edenhofer, O. et al.) 811–922 (Cambridge Univ. Press, 2014).Vermeulen, S. J., Campbell, B. M. & Ingram, J. When environmentalism and minimalism converge - WWF UK Blog Thursday 16 November was Use Less Stuff Day, an attempt to target the highest consumer period in the US. A big part of what we do at WWF is helping people to reduce their consumption because of the devastating effect unsustainable consumption is having on our natural world. We’re all becoming more aware of how our love of disposable fast fashion, single-use plastics, and the latest devices is contributing to damage and pollution in the environment. Plastic debris washed ashore Over the last year, I’ve been working on finding out more about minimalism: a growing movement of people who start off by decluttering their homes, but then take it further by seeking to reduce and eliminate all unnecessary things from their lives so that they can focus on what’s really important to them. People driving a motor truck with plastic bags for recycling near Xian city, northern China I started small when I was trying to find quiet ways to spend my newborn’s nap times at home. Start with the benefits!
Global risks in the face of social, environmental and technological change Global risks related to key social, environmental and technological trends are creating an interconnected web that continues to sow considerable uncertainty for humanity going forward. Migration, climate change and weapons of mass destruction are expected to leave the riskiest mark on governments and businesses globally. The world faces considerable uncertainties in the face of rapidly developing technologies, increasing income inequality, social polarisation and environmental degradation. In a new report from the World Economic Forum, in strategic partnership with Marsh & McLennan Companies and the Zurich Insurance Group, the current largest scale risks facing the world are explored. The 12th edition of the ‘Global Risk Report’ involved 745 ‘world leaders’ from, among others, business, academia, and NGOs. The respondents note some shift in their perceived risk likelihood going into 2017. The likelihood of interstate conflicts has decreased slightly, falling from fourth spot to ninth.
Ethical and fashionable? No wonder slow fashion is popular | Varsity Last week, The Cambridge Charity Fashion Show announced the first of its featured brands – Luna Del Pinal. The team explained that “Luna del Pinal revolves around the concept of slow fashion and aims to support the indigenous and historical art of Guatemala by employing local artists and craftspeople of Guatemala to create ethical, hand-made garments. The brand’s aim is to create contemporary and fashion-forward designs, whilst supporting native artists and contributing to a positive change in the local communities.” “Creativity is at the forefront of the slow fashion aesthetic” The brand’s encouragement and support of ‘slow’ fashion is an attractive one. This niche area of the industry, however, is focused on an increasing drive to make fashion more ethical, sustainable, and environmentally friendly without losing sight of creativity. Advertisement In fact, there’s a growing movement to make the industry as a whole more environmentally friendly.
7 key trends all sustainability execs should watch It is 2018, and it arguably never has been a more difficult, unpredictable, yet exciting time to run an international business. No doubt overcoming the Great Depression ahead of the outbreak of World War II in the 1930s was more than a little trying, of course. But fast forward 80 to 90 years and the global economy is an ever more complex and fast-evolving place, exposed to a widening variety of risks and shocks — a fact only underlined by last week's stock market volatility. Today, data is the world's most valuable commodity, oil companies are investing in renewables, vacuum cleaner companies are building electric cars and car manufacturers are leasing out bicycles. All in all, climate change, new disruptive technologies and associated political and social upheaval make building a sustainable company that is fit and robust for the present, let alone the long-term future, a significant challenge for executives. So what are these main emerging trends? 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7.
Sustainable Fashion Trends AW 2018/19 - Luxiders Magazine Classic cuts with unique detailing such as lacing, flowing silhouettes with refined details like trumpet sleeves, light- hearted patterns and romantic or op-art all-over prints, sporty touches and plenty of the sustainable appeal coming up next Fall Winter 2018-19. Calming contrasts experiment with structures and purified colour palettes… Contemporary fashion is perfectly reflecting this trend for naturalness. Timelessness is becoming the epitome of luxury and is expressed in multifaceted knitwear and leather designs, produced in artisan workshops. Whether combined with sophisticated tailoring and knitting patterns or innovative high-tech materials, the collections for Autumn Winter 2018/19 strike the balance between modern and traditional, space age and idyllic nature. Modern homages to these contrasts will be showcased at the two tradeshows Greenshowroom & Ethical Fashion Show Berlin during the upcoming Berlin Fashion Week. More than just looking good, being good Graciela Huam.
Ecological And Social Trends Affecting Business In 2018 | Vistage In this final post in our four-part series, we highlight ecological and social trends affecting business in 2018 and beyond. Social trends affecting business Recent sexual misconduct allegations will lead to needed reforms in the workplace. In 2018, companies will take a more aggressive stance towards workplace harassment. Look for policies that include more expansive training, less consumption of alcohol at company events and new workplace practices that protect employees. (See the articles 7 Actions that Actually Help Stop Sexual Harassment and Sexual harassment accusations changing office policies.) Misconduct claims only amplify a more transformative issue. Movement towards urban centers is magnifying a massive housing and job imbalance. American workers are finally seeing modest increases in wages. Underemployment spurs the “gig economy.” Employers are utilizing new payroll technologies. Health care will radically change in the years ahead. Ecommerce is expected to grow 20% in 2018.
The Environmental Impact of the Fashion Industry The recycling of textiles is a crucially important topic, but a root cause analysis of fashion and environmental impact would suggest that we explore the entire life cycle of clothing in search of solutions. That inexpensive clothing in your shopping cart can have catastrophic climatic implications. This is the message from fashion retailer Zady, which has launched a new research project labelled The New Standard, a platform designed to expose critical information about the ramifications of the $1.7 trillion global fashion and textile industry - one which directly employs 75 million people. The goal of The New Standard is to aid consumers in making more responsible decisions. This, according to Zady, is an industry first in providing such visibility into the range of environmental and social impacts created by fashion production. residences. Further up the supply chain, there is considerable waste in the production process as well. Three Not-So-Easy Pieces Water Forests under Attack
Environmental Trends for 2018 - What's coming up? We reached out to our followers on social media as well as our ECO Research Community to learn about their predictions for environmental trends in 2018. Before we talk about the new year, let’s take a quick look at 2017. Energy storage technologies 2017 In September, the World Economic Forum published an article that suggests the future is battery-powered. China, Britain, France, India and Norway announced plans to move away from diesel cars and start focusing on producing electric vehicles. These batteries are used in medical devices, cell phones, computers, drones as well as hybrid and electric cars. Another issue to address is how ‘green’ electric cars really are. This topic will continue to bring more discussion and analysis in 2018 as there’s need for new technologies and sustainability. Greatest environmental challenge 2018 Our community mentions climate change is one of the most challenging issues to face. The first letter was issued in 1992. A policy of investing in conservation.
Justine Greening tells Tories hard Brexit could prove unsustainable - as it happened | Politics Jeremy Corbyn has accused the government of “negligence” over Carillion as he urged Theresa May to end the “costly racket” of private companies running services for the public. The Labour leader said the “ruins” of the collapsed construction giant lie around the prime minister and he called for private firms to be “shown the door”. May said a third of government contracts with Carillion were let by the previous Labour administration, adding she wants to provide “good quality public services, delivered at best value to the taxpayer”. The fate of Carillion dominated the pair’s exchanges at Prime Minister’s Questions. Concluding his attacks on the government, Mr Corbyn said: “This isn’t one isolated case of government negligence and corporate failure - it’s a broken system. “Under this Government, Virgin and Stagecoach can spectacularly mismanage the East Coast Main Line and be let off a 2 billion payment.
Environmental Risk Factors for Developing Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: A Systematic Review