eco tagging

8/7/2019 Eco Tagging

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CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION - 01

CURRENT STATUS - 02

CUSTOMERAWARENESS AND SENSITIVITY - 05

ECOTAG : TOOL FOR THE FASHION INDUSTRY - 05

ECOTAG : INDICATING SUSTAINABILITY - 09

ECOTAG : FOSTERING TRANSPERENCY FOR

SUSTAINABLE BUSINESS - 14

CONSUMERS PERSPECTIVE - 23

CASE STUDY-LEVIS - 27

FUTURE OF FASHION INDUSTRY-ECOUTERRE - 30

CONCLUSION 33

REFERENCES - 34


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NTRODUCTIONThe greening of the apparel industry is a significant and evolving trend that is likely toaffect every facet of this enormous global industry. Under both internal and external

pressure to reduce the environmental impact of growing, processing, treating and dyeing

fibers and to eliminate exploitation and inequities in labor practices, textile and apparelcompanies are eager to show consumers a new, sustainable approach to fashion without sacrificingstyle or profit. At the consumer and retail level, this trend is evident in a growing number of

designers, manufacturers and marketers making sustainable claims. 'Sustainable apparel' is anumbrella concept that includes some or all of these practices:

Use of certified organic natural fibers (wool, cotton, linen)Use of highly renewable fibers (bamboo, soy)

Use of low-impact synthetic or recycled fibers

Use of non-toxic or reduced-toxicity fiber processes andtreatments

Use of low-impact or natural dyesDesign and color choices aimed at longevity rather than

planned obsolescenceFair trade, ethical labor practices, and elimination of child labor and other exploitation

Reduced energy use throughout the product life cycle

Minimal or environmentally appropriate packaging

Consumer awareness, grown through the organic foods movement (and more recently, the localfoods drive) and other health and environmental concerns, is creating a heightened sensitivity to all

dimensions of ethical production. As a result, companies must avoid 'green washing' and create

transparent, consistent and substantive sustainability and social-responsibility initiatives. However,

lack of standards and regulation, and a proliferation of claims and labels, leaves room for verybroad interpretations of sustainable apparel. In this environment, manufacturers and marketers of

all kinds -- tiny boutiques to huge mass-market chains, low-end to high-end pricing, brand identities

including yoga clothing, infant clothes, glamorous designer fashions, menswear, and outerwear - areseeking to identify themselves as sustainability minded and authentic. Wal-Mart is the largest

purchaser of certified organic cotton, but many emerging designers are also aiming in the same

direction. There is pressure on the supply chain, and pressure to quickly develop new technologiesand systems that will demonstrate an environmentally and socially conscious commitment.

Consumers now expect sustainability and ecological sensitivity to be factored into the cost ofmanufacturing and selling consumer goods. The EcoTag for apparel is designed to make

sustainability factors more transparent for purchasing decisions among consumers. The ultimate

goal of the EcoTag is to incent corporations to make their sustainability measures more accountableto their customers. Sustainability grading or other methods of ranking products would create new

ways for customers to evaluate the value of a product prior to making a purchasing decision, , whileforcing corporations that have since been uninterested in bringing sustainability practices to their

businesses to change their behavior.

Ecotagging is today in the cradle stage. With sensitivity towards point of sourcing northward bound;

ecotagging will soon become a factor of business advantage.

IThe ultimate goal of the EcoTag is

to incent corporations to make their

sustainability measures more

accountable to their customers.


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While Green product and Green Marketing are ways to create a new category of product forconsumption, Eco-tagging is willing surrendering the accountability to customers there by elevating

him from the citadel of a King to an Emperor. This helps the green concept come a full circle.

This project throws light on Eco-tagging and its benefit to producers - business advantage -and

consumers- choice and ecobution (ecology + contribution) advantage.

URRENT STATUS

The article from WWD (in the picture above) queried fashion industry insiders who were pondering

the current state of fashion at this very instant. The aforementioned called out the following as

possible reasons why all things fashion-related feel more than a little uncertain:

-the economy tanking (especially in the US, its beginning to look pretty dire)

-insane prices of designer wear (coupled with the aforementioned weak US economy and value ofthe dollar against other currencies like the pound and euro)

-the lack of color in the recently commenced fall shows: black is dominant. People want and connect

with color, but designers arent offering it (these dark colors for clothing seem almost funereal,and are, interestingly enough, an apt metaphor for the malaise and fear in the air culturally,

politically and economically. hmm!)

-an overhyped fashion industry machine: stuff is churned out so fast and slammed into our face somuch (via magazines, blogs, websites and the like), we lose sense of what season were in and whats

really significant at any given moment stylistically.

C


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So, what is the Consumers biggest complaint?

That, increasingly, clothes are not just blah in terms of style (non-committal, non-novel, bland

details), but are made cheaply of cheap materials. Why bother buying when the garment is garbage

even on the hanger?

Low, low prices are only convincing for a whilewhen money is tight (and tighter with each passing

day), buyers want to know that what they deign to buy is actually a deal, and not a dupe. somethingabout that piece, whatever it is, has to sell it, has to signify its special nature to the shopperand

in that arena, manufacturers are falling short. Perhaps the bottom hasnt been reached, but were

falling toward it.

Something has to give, eventually, doesnt it?

because after all, those manufacturers and marketers are feeling the pinch too. Cheap materials

and labor mean the potential for eking out more profitsvitally important in economically restrictive

days to come. Some might call it greed, indeed. and some might say, well, those mass-market makersare just trying to stay afloat, to brace themselves from the wave of uncertainty and possible hardtimes that feel as if they just might be rumbling toward us all.

and so, some questions to foster discussion:

-whats the answer, then? What do we do and buyin these times, if anything?

-in this dismal economic scene, where does fashion

go? where do we go as consumers? what DO we

choose to buy and do to express ourselves whenwhats on offer doesnt suit us anymore?

-Do we keep on with this movement of making our

own? Do we increasingly take fashion and style into our own hands? Could this mean even more

interest in sewing, restyling, and the needle arts?

-Will second-hand shopping become even more desirable for more people? What happens when we

turn to said sources, and only find them crammed with discards from those cheap-chic stores?

Then what?

-what will happen to these designers, to luxury fashion, if the customers stop lining up to buy, fromlack of funds, or lack of interest?

-if everything is in style, if everything is up for grabs, is there any way that we could, collectively,go back to accepting one main directive? Is there a potential for one overriding aesthetic anymore?

-how do we digest and make sense of the call for more ethical, more green ways of living, of

clothing and expressing ourselves, if at all? Do these factors weigh in any with this feeling of

Low prices are only convincingfor a whilewhen

money is tight, buyers want to know that what

they deign to buy is actually a deal, and not a

dupe. something about that piece, whatever it

is, has to sell it, has to signify its special nature to

the shopperand in that arena, manufacturers

are falling short. Perhaps the bottom hasnt been

reached, but were falling toward it.


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uncertainty with whats on offer in the shops, and what we choose, in the end, to put on our bodies?

if so, what do we need to do?

indeed

where is fashion going next?

USTOMER AWARENESS AND SENSITIVITY C

Emily says: I want more and more people to start consuming less of everything,including clothing, and using up the things they already have. Recycled is so much better than newbut organic. In that way, I dont think DIY fashion will see an end in this decade.

The market is saturated with details that are becoming ubiquitous: bows, pleats, volume, florals,

neons it has to turn back to basics at some point but I think that things are going to ride out atleast another year.

I also agree and think that the line between What Will Sell and What People are Wearing is goingto get muddier, which I think is related to people making their

own clothes and accessories more . Marketing is going to

have its hands full. There are so many idols born up by

magazines like NYLON that are becoming very incestuous and

same-old tired looks just to sell the same products over andover. I hope that people are catching on to the fact that you

should work on yourself and work on expressing who you are,

instead of fawning over designers.

That being said, I think that textile artists are going to see more recognition with people sewing athome and wanting a certain look. I think well see more sewing news mixed with fashion pieces.

Also, technology will become more a part of fashion try University - United-KingdomThe Eco-analysis tool for the Fashion Industry

co-Tag: The Eco-Analysis Tool for the Fashion

Industry

Over the past three decades a range of certification schemes have developed to enablemanufacturers and farmers to participate in improving either the conditions of their workforce or

improve the environmental impact of their product. The initial idea of the Eco Analysis Tool was to

enable SMEs to identify and prove to their customers how much they were already doing towardsbecoming more sustainable and how ethical their production already was without necessarily

applying to join one of the existing schemes - as this would represent a significant cost burden. As

research has progressed though it has become evident that what is required is a complex database

C

E

It is a cruel game played upon

us by fashion. Follow it and

am in. Failing to do so, and

I am a fashion pariah. It is a

seasonal pressure applied

upon us by designers and

manufacturers.


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(updated as new developments in technology and materials become available) which enablescompanies to identify which areas of the production chain use the most time, energy or resources.

Ella Sharp and experts in fashion research, energy management and software and database

development from Coventry University and UK Unplugged Technologies have been working to

develop a database and labeling system as well as a mechanism/software package for calculating

the ECO rating of individual garments. With this information companies could reduce costs andimprove their Corporate and Social Responsibility Code whilst maintaining their profit margins. The

Eco-Analysis tool will identify how well an individual product performs in both ethical production andsustainability; the customer can then make an informed choice and the designer can see how, but

more importantly where, their decisions can have the greatest impact on the final outcome. The

resultant Eco-label for clothing is intended to assist individuals in making an informed decisionabout their clothing purchases, enabling them to positively discriminate in favor of products, which

are environmentally and socially responsible. The online Eco-Analysis tool would also empower theSME to make decisions on material choice and production method, ethical

implications and to provide post user advice on most Eco-friendly cleaning

methods. This would thus inform the design process. The project has been

led by and involved working with British fashion companies to develop thelabels in a way that is relevant to them. How does the innovation solve aparticular problem?

To date eco-labeling has been developed for a variety of products including

white goods, such as freezers and irons, and food products - for example,

Marks and Spencer's has invested in ecolabelling its food. There is

however, no standard eco-label for clothing a number of schemes toaccredit garments exist but they are frequently extremely difficult to

comply with and can often limit the materials that a designer is able to use.This makes existing schemes limited in both their applicability and

accessibility, particularly for SMEs.

There are a variety of accreditation systems that enable the sustainability

of a product or the ethical aspects of its development to be rated. The fewsystems catering for both aspects do not allow for analysis during the

design process, they are retrospective. In addition, even when

accreditation schemes (for example Fair Trade and Made in Green) aredeveloped and made available to clothing and textile companies they are frequently too expensive

for SME's to engage with or purchase. To this end the Eco-Analysis tool is highly innovative and

applicable to SMEs within the fashion sector who frequently tend to be more green but can lack the

resources to promote this side of their business. The Eco-Analysis tool provides such SMEs with animmediate tool to showcase their green credentials and from which textile and manufacturing

methodology decisions can be influenced prior to production. This may help to ensure the longevityof SME textile and clothing companies that may otherwise suffer in the low carbon economy.Eco-Tag in practice Accessing up to date information on sustainability and ethics is difficult for

SMEs unless it is already a defined part of their business model and they are therefore in theEthics/Sustainability 'loop'. The innovation in this project lies in the fact that it enables businesses

to make ethically and ecologically sound design and production decisions without complying withexpensive and complicated certification.

The resultant Eco-

label for clothing isintended to assist

individuals in

making an

informed decision

about their

clothing

purchases,

enabling them to

positively

discriminate in

favour of products,

which

areenvironmentally

and socially

responsible.


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Data will be gathered on the following to produce a life cycle flow chart:

1) Sheep farming; including farm type and area, animal welfare, chemical usage, energy

consumption, methane production, fleece productivity, fleece quality.

2) Energy and chemicals used in fleece sheering, cleaning, transport.

3) Energy and chemicals used in carding, spinning and weaving.4) Chemicals and energy used in dyeing and other processing.

5) Energy used in garment fabrication.6) Environmental factors related to transport.

7) Consumer issues (i.e. washing).

8) Post consumer product.

To identify the environmental and ethical status of a specific garment, it would need to be trackedfrom raw material to point of sale and beyond after it reaches the customers hands. Information

needs to be collected regarding the energy consumption and waste emissions/materials for each

stage of the production chain; this would include measuring the energy required to power a machine.

The industrial links, which the University and Ella Sharp already possess, enable the project toaccess most of the processes required. The expertise within the Fashion Department would also beable to identify the areas of knowledge (and companies) which need to be accessed to complete as

far as possible the information required for the database. Once the fabric pathway has been

identified and researched, the design process would then be analyzed comparing both traditional

and more technically advanced pattern cutting systems.

What are the results?

A feasibility study, funded by the UK Governments Technology Strategy Board and involving British

fashion companies, has already been undertaken to develop the Eco-Analysis tool. In order to take

this project forward, further work researching and subsequently populating the database withinformation on a plethora of materials, spinning and weaving, dying and printing techniques will be

required. The feasibility study revealed some vital information on the environmental impact oftextile fibers: notably that all fibers (including wool, cotton and synthetics) have major

environmental impacts. Wool is associated with large amounts of greenhouse gasses and cotton with

the consumption of vast quantities of irrigation water. Synthetic fibers are sourced from finiteresources and consume large amounts of energy during production. The study also found significant

ethical issues in human and animal treatment for the production of fibers and textiles. Further

research will involve working with textile companies and those involved in the garment production

chain to ensure that the information required to compile the database is as accurate as possible.Wool has been chosen to launch the database as the wool chain has the most clarity when going

back to the source material.

International Interest

The label and system piloted as part of the Eco-Analysis Tool project was intended in the first

instance to support the UK fashion industry who rely on pockets of manufacturing expertise aroundthe country, often in London and the Midlands. However the benefits of the Eco-Analysis tool can

be applied to independent fashion companies in Europe and around the world, for example, small


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cooperatives manufacturing independently in Africa would be able to use the eco-credibility oftheir garments to compete on an ethical level with larger fashion companies who tend to mass

manufacture their garments in locations such as China and India. If smaller fashion companies are

able to promote their eco credentials via an Eco-label it would enhance their credibility and open up

new market opportunities whilst increasing wider market awareness of corporate social

responsibility, ethics policies etc. The Eco-Analysisproject will develop an on-line self assessment style

Eco-labeling facility for UK based fashion companies inthe short to medium term and in the long term will work

with other organizations to develop an affordable

standard that is relevant both to the UK fashionindustry and worldwide.

Using Eco-Tag in other countries

Clothing is an economic success story (globally worth over 500 billion) but has a significant

environmental impact. In the UK 2 million tonnes of clothing (value 23 billion) are produced perannum. Legislation is currently being developed to ensure that clothing producers take responsibilityfor their emissions however no easy- to- comply- with- standard currently exists for rating the

ethics and carbon footprint of a garment. To this end this project would be a market leader in this

area.

Furthermore current standards applicable to the fashion industry are beyond the realms of

affordability for most fashion SME's. Developing an affordable Eco Analysis Tool would thusprovide the industry with a much needed, affordable system for making informed decisions and

encouraging sales. The average for current standards in the textile area range from 300 pergarment to 18,000 per year - beyond what most companies can afford. The market for this

product would be wide spread; from fabric companies concerned with meeting the new REACH

directives from Europe to companies already designing and manufacturing within theethical/sustainable field as it will allow them to look at their ideas/products as a whole, not in

isolation. As a result it would be very useful to producers, manufacturers and designers; for SMEsthe production chain is very long and made of companies similar in size and target market - this

product would allow them to access information quickly and as the information became available

quite cheaply.

If smaller fashion companies are able to

promote their eco credentials via an Eco-label

it would enhance their credibility and open up

new market opportunities whilst increasing

wider market awareness of corporate social

responsibility, ethics policies etc


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HE ECOTAG: INDICATING SUSTAINABILITYThe fashion industry has been broadly criticized for its part in the excessive production

of increasingly disposable garments. In many places like North America and the UK,where extreme poverty is not a reality, items of clothing are tossed out after they have reached

their life expectancy usually around one or two seasons later. This textile waste adds to thesprawling landfills that are accumulating around the world. With a bit of foresight, it is obvious that

'fast fashion' cannot continue, or pretty soon we are going to be wading through our own refuse.

Not a pretty picture.

It has become apparent that we need to rethink the way we consume fashion, so that the industry

can re-engineer itself and go back to the drawing board, guided by ecological directives, and at thesame time remain profitable as a business model.

First of all, we need to ask ourselves: What is fashion?

Fashion is an idea, a vision: the selective adjectives of society's mood

that draw from the stories of past and write those of the future.In communist Berlin during the 1980s, a collective of fashion

designers and models were part of an edgy and thrilling underground

movement that operated on the fringes of state-sanctioned society.

The focus was on self-expression and exploration, and had little to do

with consumerism since the haute-couture pieces were all custommade by the creative individuals from found objects such as

discarded shower curtains, black plastic bags and strawberry foil.

Fashion, in that case, existed free from the shackles of profitabilityand expansion that are characteristic of a capitalistic system.

Fashion in communist Berlin expressed a mood, a feeling; and

captured the zeitgeist of an era. Items, otherwise seen as waste,

were recycled and re-invented, and given a whole new life in the formof haute-couture garments.

The movement, documented in Marco Wilms' "Comrade Couture", made do with very little, and thegroup was at one point almost arrested for advertising fashion pieces that could not be bought.

They maintained that their garments could be made by anyone and they began throwing patternsstraight off the ramp during their daring and dynamic shows in seedy, underground venues.

This was a radical departure from the common view of the fashion industry, an industry thatcunningly tempts us with the latest "it" bag or stunning pair of Manolo Blahniks, and lures us in to

spend our money and buy into a system that seeks ever-faster production of ever-more worthlessand wasted turnover.

Fashion does not have to be about buying, consuming, and needlessly depleting the earth's preciousresources on a seasonal whim. The pace of fashion consumption has fast outstripped the rate at

TIt has become apparent

that we need to rethink

the way we consume

fashion, so that the

industry can re-engineer

itself and go back to the

drawing board, guided by

ecological directives, and

at the same time remainprofitable as a business

model.


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which natural resources can be replaced, and time has come to ask some fundamentally important,and, at times difficult questions like "How can we be smarter about this?" and "What steps can we

take to reduce our wastefulness?"

Its important to realize that there is an alternative to the exhaustive model of mass-production.

Creative people are redesigning their businesses to foster amore sustainable, long-term approach. A host of clever little

startups are popping up to fill a widening niche that offersorganic and recycled products, and global corporate

companies are re-evaluating and redefining their practices

in terms of sustainability. An entire school of thought hasbeen born that questions the current model of consumption,

scrutinizing each and every step, and suggests morestreamlined and conservative approaches to consumption.

Self-proclaimed "fashion activist" Kate Pears recently

completed her PhD through the School of Management at the Royal Melbourne Institute ofTechnology. In her research, she proposed that young people were willing to adopt lifestyles basedon the idea of sustainable consumption. Pears facilitated clothing swaps, where people are "paid out"

for their contributions in buttons, which they then use to "pay for" their new items. People see

their old clothes getting a second lease on life, and leave with a bag full of new goodies. One man's

floor is another man's ceiling, or so it goes.

In San Francisco, designer Shannon South has started the company 'remade USA' which uses

second-hand leather goods to create original one-off designer handbags, clutches and purses. In aprocess similar to recycling, termed "upcycling", a previously used item of clothing is recycled into a

more stylish, more valuable object. These products also question our traditional ideas of value,

giving more credence to handcraft and bespoke items, as opposed to ubiquitous mass-luxury itemssuch as the Louis Vuitton handbag (80% of Japanese women under the age of 25 own a Louis Vuitton

handbag).

Whilst some companies look at up cycling old products, others

are conceptualizing entirely new and ingenious products thateducate the consumer about the importance of being

environmentally friendly. Take, for instance, the "Spud Raincoat".

The waterproof bio-plastic is derived from potato starch and

other all-natural products, therefore is 100% biodegradable andcompostable. Furthermore, seeds are embedded into the plastic,

so once the raincoat has reached the end of its life, it can be buried and will grow into a deliciousherb garden. This is an excellent example of closed-system design, where no part of the productgoes to waste at the end of the cycle.

Global fashion houses are also getting in on the trend. Yves Saint-Laurent recently launched an eco-

friendly capsule collection that will be sold exclusively at Barney's in New York. The "New Vintage"range uses leftover fabrics from previous seasons, employing the house's classic cuts and

silhouettes in the way of embroidered trench coats and bustier dresses: The appeal lies in the

In a process similar to recycling,

termed "upcycling", a previously

used item of clothing is recycled

into a more stylish, more

valuable object. These products

also question our traditional

ideas of value, giving more

credence to handcraft and

bespoke items, as opposed to

ubiquitous mass-luxury items.

Whilst some companies look at

up cycling old products, others

are conceptualizing entirely new

and ingenious products that

educate the consumer about the

importance of being


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uniqueness of each limited edition piece: the one-of-a-kind nature holding more value than just thelogo.

A trend exacerbated by the global recession, is a tendency towards "trading up" in terms of quality.

People are favoring better-made products that will last longer. In terms of design, we are seeing a

classic revival, with people opting for timeless designs thatresonate enduringly with them as individuals. Consumers,

surprisingly, are willing to spend more money on well-made,beautifully designed products that last, and gain value over time.

Economic thinkers and writers have speculated that longer therecession lasts, the more entrenched this new behavior will

become. If the figures are anything to go by, people will be a lotmore discerning in their purchases, and more aware of the

environmental impact of those purchases. I suspect that we are

nearing the end of the cycle of 'fast fashion' and moving into a

more thoughtful and expressive era of 'slow fashion' and responsible consumerism.

We are seeing is a large-scale paradigm shift that will influence every decision we make in the

future. It is no longer a case of "make-it-and they-will-buy it". Companies have to tune in to the

changes happening on an individual level if they want to remain relevant to an increasingly conscious

market guided by ethics and a changing sense of values. A new generation of active consumers is

coming of age, bringing with them an altruistic sense of ecological awareness, responsibleconsumption and sustainability.

And Mother Earth breathes a sigh of relief...

Consumers now expect sustainability and ecological sensitivity to be factoredinto the cost of manufacturing and selling consumer goods. The EcoTag for

apparel, shown below, was designed as a prototype to make sustainabilityfactors more transparent for purchasing decisions.

The ultimate goal of the EcoTag is to incent corporations to make theirsustainability measures more accountable to their customers.Sustainability

grading or other methods of ranking products would create new ways for

customers to evaluate the value of a product. Ideally, the tag would be

resized, printed, and affixed to goods in a way that had minimal impact on theproducts carbon footprint. The front panel of the tag displays the standard

SKUs for a product, as well as the costs of offsets and recycling that have

been factored into the product price. The back panel of the EcoTag gives aview into how a piece of apparel was sourced, produced, and shipped, as well asthe average carbon cost and whether the clothing is organic, recycled, and/or

biodegradable

A peculiar behavior was noticed during

recession. Top clothing Brands had to

discount their sales and in the bargain

noticed a new set of customers buying

their products. All of those who could

not afford the brand then could afford

it now. The divide between the

originalcustomers and

opportunisticcustomers was

marginalized.

A new

generation of

active consumers

is coming of age,

bringing with

them an

altruistic sense

of ecological

awareness,

responsible

consumption and

sustainability.


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Options for an environmentally sustainable fashion industry

Researchers have laid out a set of proposals outlining how consumers could satisfy their needs for

clothes and textiles with significantly reduced impact on the environment, while also offering newbusiness opportunities.

The new study, produced by academics at the University of Cambridge, sets out a vision of a

sustainable clothes industry which at the same time would offer new opportunities to retailers andmanufacturers.

Consumers in the UK are increasingly aware of concerns about the environmental impact of the

products they buy and the social conditions of the people working to make them. Specificenvironmental impacts associated with clothing and textiles can include the use of toxic chemicals

in cotton production and in manufacturing; carbon emissions from burning fossil fuels to create theenergy needed to run agricultural machinery and for heating air and water in laundry; the amount of

clothing and textiles sent to landfill each year (an average of 30kg per UK consumer).

The new report is written by researchers at the University's Institute for Manufacturing and was

funded by Biffaward as part of its Mass Balance Programme, as well as Marks & Spencer. EntitledWell Dressed, it considers what could be done differently to make the industry more sustainable.

Among other things, it recommends the use of more organic cotton, washing clothes at lower

temperatures and encouraging consumers to buy fewer, high quality, longer-lasting clothesas well

as more second-hand garments.

Some retailers have begun to address these issues but industry-wide change would require the

evolution of new business models. Suggestions such as a focus on durability in the fashion world, andbusiness models that would focus on extra services like repair and maintenance show that profit

and growth can be decoupled from increasing material flow.


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The aim is to help answer the question of what we should do to create significant change at the

sector level, Dr Julian Allwood, from the Institute for Manufacturing, said. We have focused on

what might happen if we could make major structural changes to the way our clothes are made and

used.

For example, what would happen if we used different fibres or farming practices? What would bethe consequence of washing our clothes in a different way, or keeping our carpets for longer?

Businesses and the industry as a whole have to remain economically viable - or any change will have

no benefit. The key to change is to ensure that government, industry and consumers work togetherto achieve a more sustainable clothes and textiles industry.

Among other things the report lays out a model for the ideal consumer, who would driveenvironmentally-beneficial changes in the clothing industry by, for example, buying fewer clothes,

washing them less and recycling them more. At the moment, consumers in the UK spend about 780

per head per year on textiles and clothes, purchasing about 2.15 million tonnes (35kg per person).

Of this, just one eighth is sent for re-use through charities and the rest is discarded.The report proposes a model of change for future sustainable businesspractice.To bring about change an ideal consumer would:

Buy second-hand clothing and textiles where possible.

Buy fewer and more durable clothes.

Choose clothes and textile products made with the lowest energy andtoxic emissions, and based on good information on labour standards.

Lease clothing that they wouldn't otherwise wear to the end of itsnatural life.

Wash clothes less often, at lower temperatures, use eco-detergents,

hang-dry clothes and avoid ironing where possible.Repair clothes where possible to extend their natural lives.

Dispose of garments through recycling businesses.

The report also proposes actions that government and businesses could take to

encourage better practice while remaining profitable. These could include:

More fact-based information for customers, funded by government, businessand campaigners. This could include eco-tagging of clothes so that shoppers could see where and

how they were made.More emphasis on durability in new fashions, to encourage fewer, higher-quality and longer-lasting

products. These could be sold for a higher price to offset reduced sales. This would reduce theflow of material through the sector and thus the impact on the environment.New business models for clothes retailers. By re-introducing once-common services like clothes-

repair and maintenance, retailers could develop new revenue streams. Garments that were designedfor repair could be actively promoted and shops could also offer fashion upgrades.

Overall rise in prices. Customers may have to pay more for products that last twice as long.Research into technological developments that would allow us to freshen clothes without washing,

sort clothes efficiently and recycle new fibres.

More fact-

based

information for

customers,

funded by

government,

business and

campaigner to

encourage

better practices.

This could

include eco-

tagging of

clothes so that

shoppers could

see where and

how they were

made


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Improved infrastructure for clothing collection. Domestic waste-sorting is growing in the UK, andused clothes and textiles could be collected in the same way that glass and paper are now picked up

on a weekly or fortnightly basis by local authorities.

Changes to government policy to promote the reduction of the environmental consequences of

clothes production, for example, through an eco-tax on product purchase.

New government-negotiated international agreements on trade to promote environmental and socialresponsibility in supplier countries.

EcoTagging: Does Your Sweater Have a Baacode?

Companies such as Timberland and Patagonia have been working to provide this level ofsustainability information online and on clothes labels. And now another company has joined their

ranks: they show you the source of their wool right down to the sheep farm.Check out Icebreaker, a New Zealand company that spins locally-sourced merino wool into technical

outerwear. They've developed what they call the "Baacode,"

which is a unique number associated with each piece of

clothing they sell. You go onto their Web site and enter thecode to see the exact farm where the wool came from, whoruns it, etc. The company also provides information on their

general guidelines for manufacturing ethics and animal

welfare. This is definitely a step in the right direction. While

they don't reveal the carbon cost of their distribution from

New Zealand to France to Germany to Shanghai and then outto retailers, it's great to see a clothing company showing in

detail the impact of each phase of their product manufacture.The only red flag was how they couched their manufacturing

ethics. More specifically, they encourage good working conditions, 3 meals a day, free lodging if

necessary, but with regards to pay, they only mandate minimum wage for their workers. Theirproducts are premium and affordable -- a rare combination -- so an incremental increase in the cost

of their product lines in return for paying premium wages in the actual manufacturing process wouldbe a worthwhile tradeoff.

cotagging: Fostering Transparency for SustainableBusinessConsumers now expect sustainability and ecological sensitivity to be factored into the

cost of manufacturing and selling consumer goods. Corporations such as Patagonia, through their

Footprint Chronicles, and Timberland, with their nutrition label for social responsibility, havestarted a major trend that pulls back the veil on the apparel industry, making us aware of the major

demands that the textile industry put on our world. It's not enough to just offset your purchases.

Through our purchasing decisions, we can alter how the industry operates.E

Icebreaker, a New Zealand

company that spins locally-sourced merino wool into

technical outerwear. They've

developed what they call the

"Baacode," which is a unique

number associated with each

piece of clothing they sell. You go

onto their Web site and enter the

code to see the exact farm where

the wool came from, who runs it


16/35

The EcoTag for apparel, shown below in a draft format, was designed as a prototype to makesustainability factors more transparent for purchasing decisions across all brands -- not just these

brave few who are striving to lead the industry. The ultimate goal of the EcoTag is to incentcorporations to make their sustainability measures accountable to their customers. Sustainability

grading or other methods of ranking products, derived from ecotagging, would create new ways for

customers to evaluate the value of a product, while forcing corporations that have since beenuninterested in bringing sustainability practices to their businesses to change their behavior.

The front panel of the tag displays the standard SKUs for a product, as well as the costs of

offsets and recycling that have been factored into the product

price.

The back panel of the EcoTag gives a view into how a piece ofapparel was sourced, produced, and shipped, as well as the

average carbon cost and whether the clothing is organic,

recycled, and/or biodegradable.

Ideally, the tag would be resized, printed, and affixed to goods in a way that had minimal impact onthe products carbon footprint.

Without an industry-wide standard for this type of information, it will continue to be difficult for

consumers to make educated decisions about what they purchase and how their purchases will

influence the world. With proper education of the consumer at point of purchase, the latent waste

of the textiles industry may be reduced and ideally replaced with more sustainable options.

World of Dilemmas

Sustainability defines a new citizenry

As personal health becomes increasingly linked to community health, a new sustainable citizen will

replace the so-called green consumer. Eco-friendly, low-impact, local and organic will be seen as partof a healthy lifestyle. Sustainable citizens will participate in community-improvement efforts to

secure their own health and make their values heard through their purchases, daily behavior, online

activity and involvement in local community issues. Tools and practices will emerge to supportsustainability lifestylescarbon footprint calculators, sustainability coaches, personal carbon

credits and online forums for personal sustainability strategies. Real-time monitoring of

environmental goods and services flows at the household, community and regional level is anticipatedwithin the decade.

Extreme longevity shifts perceptions of risk and opportunity

Breakthrough bioscience holds out the possibility of much longer lifespans in the next few decades.

In the meantime, many cultural analysts note that populations are effectively growing younger, associal and economic aspects of midlife are extended and even childhood lasts longer: young adult s

are getting married later, having children later and adopting the material symbols of adulthood,such as purchasing homes, later. While the social and political effects of engineered longevity may

not show up for decades, the expectation of longer lifespans may fundamentally change the waypeople view the future and, in particular, risk.

Links between environment and health grow

With proper education of the

consumer at point of purchase,

the latent waste of the textiles

industry may be reduced and

ideally replaced with more

sustainable options


17/35

Public views of health are moving away from the disease centered biomedical model toward a moreecological view. This evolving perspective is supported by scientific evidence that where and how

people live their lives can have as great an impact on health as genetics, health maintenance and

medical interventions. A language of eco-health literacy will emerge over the next decade to frame

health concerns in these new terms.

Polarizing extremesThough many will rally around common causes and decide to collaborate, anxieties about pollution,

climate change and health will solidify strongly-advocated opinions. In both the developed anddeveloping world, communities will use economic, social and political arsenals to protect their

positions and resources. Potential results range from obstructionism, to counter-activism to out-

and-out violence.

Self-interest is aligned with collective good

A fundamental principle of cooperative strategy is to link personal self-interest to the good of thelarger community. As new technologies and a new sociability make this link more obvious across many

domains from health and environment to wealth generation, security and even entertainment,

expect a proliferation of new commons experiments and innovative

solutions to old commons problems. As understanding of theseresources matures, people will realize that different kinds ofresources will require different management and protectionstrategies. In Capitalism 3.0: A Guide to Reclaiming the Commons,

economist Peter Barnes argues for the creation of a commons

sector of the economy to make up for the limits of the private and

government (public) sector when it comes to preserving naturalcapital and the rights of future generations. His proposed twin

engines of growth-corporate profit maximization and commonswealth creation-would allow for a more prosperous, secure and

sustainable future.

Eco-markets face challengesUsing the marketplace to manage ecosystem disturbances, many

states, regions and countries will experiment with eco-trading exchanges for carbon, water pollutionand air pollution. These exchanges will be plagued by uncertainties in how to value ecosystem

serviceshow much is one acre of carbon-sequestering forest really worth?as well as backlash

from emerging economies who question the exchange rates and the limits on their own development.The result? Eco-markets may be a short-lived phenomenon. Nonetheless, valuation efforts will

exert pressure on companies and commerce to acknowledge environmental services, and insurance

and reinsurance industries may force the issue.

Eco-management practices and regulations proliferate

As the effects of climate change mount, both communities and corporations will step up efforts to

manage the ecosystem more effectively, focusing on ecosystem services such as carbonsequestration and water quality management to more intangible services, such as the value of view-scapes. They will look to science to provide precise measures and targets, but they will also conform

to topdown regulation as states set standards for everything from renewable fuels to personalcarbon emission limits.

Fragmented state practices

Tools and practices will emerge

to support sustainability

lifestylescarbon footprint

calculators, sustainability

coaches, personal carbon credits

and online forums for personal

sustainability strategies. Real-

time monitoring of

environmental goods and

services flows at the household,

community and regional level is

anticipated within the decade.


18/35

As climate change continues to alter ecosystems and spur changes in economic and political

practices, some states will find resistance more profitable and attractive. Some

might benefit from climate change: growing seasons may lengthen, conditions may enable more

productive practices and formerly inaccessible regions may open. Some, especially in the developing

world, will simply disregard pressure for green development, preferring rapid industrialization inthe race to strengthen economies and infrastructure, even engaging in greenmailoffering to

trade compliance for massive subsidies or economic favors. Meanwhile, many states will also pilotgreen development tools and practices. Some may display a disregard for international IP rights,

pitting them against major companies and other countries, while others find themselves used as

testing grounds for new treatment and clean-up processes.

Collaborative science and open-source environmentalism

Participatory digital media tools and

connectivity will enable bottomup mapping,

monitoring and sharing of data, activities

and conditions related to the environment.The emergence of universal protocols forfield research will facilitate and accelerate

these efforts. These networks will

integrate local knowledge and expertise

with professional insight, creating webs of

population based science and innovation and informed activism. As local self-interests align withbroader issues, these efforts will contribute to open-source environmental strategies and policy

making.

Nature becomes the guide to design

Nature-based models are becoming important in the design of products and control systems. Bio-mimetic practices allow designers to take advantage of millions of years of evolution towards

optimized structures, and will appear with greater frequency in the shapes of cars, buildings, eveninfrastructure. Biological models will take on increased importance in the management of resources,

ecosystems and traffic flow. The changing global climate may also force construction and oversight

of designer ecosystems in order to maintain important services despite a changing environment.

Decentralized authorities compete for voice and influence

A maelstrom of voices will vie for influence, control and power, under conditions where knowledge

and technologies are constantly changing. Surveillance and detection tools can force transparencyand accountability but can also enable fabricated evidence and spread misinformation. Communities

and consumers will challenge the notion of externalities and companies will need to rethink theirrelationships with their stakeholders. Many will look to state authorities to adjudicate theseissueswhether through command-and-control legislation, new market and tax incentives or

overseeing natural resource damage claims even as the state struggles to find its role in thisvolatile climate.

Geo-politics adopts eco-politics

Anxieties about climate change, vulnerable natural resources, and protected private resources will

carve out a new landscape of geo-eco-politics. Environmental impacts ignore national borders, which

Nature-based models are becoming important in the

design of products and control systems. Bio- mimeticpractices allow designers to take advantage of millions

of years of evolution towards optimized structures,

and will appear with greater frequency in the shapes

of cars, buildings, even infrastructure.


19/35

will encourage collaborative approaches but will also fuel tensions. Perpetrators of environmentalabuse do not necessarily feel the effects of their actions, as airstreams carry air pollution miles

away, disrupted eco-systems cripple neighboring eco-systems and IP theft and non-cooperation

undermine certain strategies. Environmental justice will acquire a global character, and international

diplomacy will be forced to manage reparations and environmental damage lawsuits. It is possible

that some countries will feel threatened enough to protect resources and enforce measuresviolently.

Eco-tools build on bottomup context awareness

New scientific and social practicesusing sensor networks, bottomup environmental monitoring,

collaborative pollution mapping and nested environmental modelswill create a rapidly growingawareness of our environment. This green panoptic on may lead to a kind of planetary mark-up

language not unlike the Webs XML, which will facilitate global communication about the state of

the planet. Scrutiny of products, chemicals and corporate behavior will come from the top down and

the bottom up, as centralized and distributed parties take advantage of surveillance tools.

Think local, act globalThe interconnections between global climate change and local ecological instability, between overalleconomic sustainability and community economic health will spur increased localism. Some

communities will bear the brunt of economic and environmental fluctuationspollution hot-zones

created by cap-and-trade markets, disrupted agricultural seasons, non-potable waterand these

communities will protect themselves in surprising ways. Meanwhile, efforts to secure the stability

of local and regional ecologies and to integrate these systems with each other and with macro-climates, will be increasingly important.

Higher (by)product standards

Augmented detection capabilities and pressure for

monitoring and regulation will combine to intensifyrestrictions on production, manufacturing and servicing.

As more links between environment and DNA arediscovered, chemicals will receive greater institutional

scrutiny and higher individual expectations. The entire

life-cycle of products will be examined, from inception toeventual degradationfrom cradle to graveyard.

However, outputs that cannot be used or reusedi.e.those in the graveyardwill incur penalties, and

companies will be asked by regulators and consumersalike to find valuable uses for all products and by-

products. Cradle-to-cradle will be a commonplacedemand.

Rise of the eco-driven city-states

As urban and regional political leaders seek

decentralized approaches to sustainability, look for mega-cities and collections of leading-edge eco-cities populated by the creative class to join climate change abatement efforts as semi-autonomous

units. Their size and complexity may demand customized and locally-overseen strategies. Some will

New scientific and social practicesusing

sensor networks, bottomup

environmental monitoring, collaborative

pollution mapping and nested

environmental modelswill create a

rapidly growing awareness of our

environment. This green panoptic on

may lead to a kind of planetary mark-up

language not unlike the Webs XML,

which will facilitate global

communication about the state of the

planet. Scrutiny of products, chemicals

and corporate behavior will come fromthe top down and the bottom up, as

centralized and distributed parties take

advantage of surveillance tools.


20/35

distinguish themselves as leading eco-cities, pioneering green strategies, boasting cleaner water andair and accumulating the social and intellectual capital that sustainability innovation attract.

Extreme urbanization

For the first time in history, the majority of the population will be urban, not rural, and most of

these urban environments will be in developing countries. Slums and squatter communities will growin number and size. Lacking traditional resource-and care-delivery infrastructures, these urban

wildernesses will foster innovation. Mobile phones will enable new forms of collaboration.Distributed urban users will pioneer sustainable-out-of-necessity business, development and living

strategies. Look for new market opportunities in marginalized and bottom-of-the-pyramid

populations.

Increasing vulnerability will drive climate refugees and reshape

migration

Close to 40% of the human population lives near coasts, and rises

in sea levels could devastate local and global economies. Natural

disasters could cause mass migrations, disrupting neighboringcountries, who could respond aggressively and violently. Many ofthe vulnerable areas have disadvantaged communities, which lack

the resources to properly safeguard against these hazards.

Digital natives define the next generation of civic engagement

As youth media literacy emerges, watch for young people to applymedia skills to social, political and environmental issues. They will

podcast, blog, tag, rate and review companies, share information and connect online to collaborate.Their evolving literacy could catalyze new forms of civic action as networked publics, commons-

based property regimes and emergent self-organization bypass traditional government with ad-hoc

interventions and distributed solutions.

Open-source practices help diffuse sustainable building

The energy required to maintain commercial and residential buildings accounts for more greenhouse

gas output than the global transportation network. Building and urban development practices are set

to experience innovation around energy efficiency, water use, information transparency and healtheffects. Biomimicry, micro-energy production and zero footprint designs will become watchwords.

Watch for do-it-yourself (DIY) home improvement mobs and architectural design knowledge

commons to change home building.

Built environments get smart

RFID, tags, embedded sensors and ubiquitous communication computing will help animate andempower built environments. Products and places will bear user-generated information, which will beaccessible through sensing devices and be capable of gathering information. Embedded micro- and

nano-electronics make it possible for previously dumb materials to sense usage and activity

patterns, and communicate this information to other systems. The environmental uses are

significant, ranging from finer control of energy consumption to measurement and potentialmitigation of sick building syndrome.

The entire life-cycle of products

will be examined, from inception

to eventual degradationfrom

cradle to graveyard. However,

outputs that cannot be used or

reusedi.e. those in the

graveyardwill incurpenalties, and companies will be

asked by regulators and

consumers alike to find valuable

uses for all products and by-

products. Cradle-to-cradle will be

a commonplace demand.


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The intersection of economics and ecoscience creates chaos before clarity

The intersection of ecoscience and economics manifests in the growing market presence of

environmental products and services, but also as a new way of understanding value. Ecosystem

valuation describes the importance of the natural world using the language of costs and benefits,

forcing governments and businesses to look at the broader ecological picture.These valuations are

controversial: they are often ambiguous, with conflicting metrics, and environmentalists andeconomists alike have raised important questions about their ethics and efficacy. For example,

critics of cap-and-trade schemes charge that these carbon indulgences create pollution hotzones

and invite market corruption. Moreover, this is a field in fluxnew scientific discoveries could

rapidly change the rules for up-and coming services like carbon offsets and sequestration.

Eco-brands and offerings expand markets

As consumers express eco-friendly preferences through their purchases, companies will findincreasing opportunities to create eco-brands, identify market niches and build their eco-friendly

reputations. Some companies already label their products with the environmental impact of their

production. Consumers, to maintain freedom to manage their own environmental footprints, will value

information over promises. However, companies will face the dilemma of identifying the mostrelevant information (carbon footprint, local-community impact, equitable practices), calculatingthis information (using what methods?) and finding palatable ways to present it. Meanwhile, thesustainability and zero-impact craze may fuel a backlash, as some people see environmentally

damaging products and practices as elite, luxurious or just downright more comfortable.

Smart networking enables new activism

Smart networking practices, personal empowerment and abundant connectivity will stir a whirlwind

of new activism,often challenging traditional roles, responsibilities and realms of influence.Increasing lightweight venture funding and social entrepreneurship will produce creative synergies,

especially in urban slums. Some shareholders will pressure companies to incorporate sustainable

practices, and some parties will become shareholders for the precise purpose of doing so. Amplifiedby social networking technologies, the voices of stakeholders will louden and, connected together,

theyll be able to champion their own causes. Among these

evolving efforts lies regenerative commerce, which sits at the

intersection of intangibles and cooperative strategies. Coined

by Jon Ramer, the term regenerative commerce refers tovalues- based commerce that integrates social networks and

their values with transactional networks to retain and grow

local wealth. In this mix, expect labor to enter the forefront

of sustainability debates.

Design-based manufacturing foments a factory revolution

As rapid fabrication technologies like 3D inkjet printers and laser sintering move from prototyping

to production, they will likely trigger a transformation in manufacturing. They will make factoriesmore flexible, short-run and responsive to rapidly shifting markets. More important, they may well

unleash a vast wave of design innovation and ultimately move some forms of manufacturing to thedesktop, where peer-to-peer exchanges of design are as common as music swapping is today. New

Some companies already label

their products with the

environmental impact of their

production. Consumers, to

maintain freedom to manage

their own environmental

footprints, will value information

over promises.


22/35

production technologies and processes may drive demand for various wastes as base productionmaterial, which will open new markets and change the rules of waste regulation.

Financial reform will tackle intangibles

The next decade is likely to see a host of financial reforms in response to natural and social crises

that will create volatility in the financial community. Some will be innovations that extend existingfinancial practice such as microfinance or Islamic finance, but more will use multiple capitals

intellectual, social and naturalto reduce the risk associated with uncertainty in the environment.These will be linked to growing corporate social responsibility requirements and increasing demands

for transparency across both corporations and communities.

A score of scorecards

External scrutiny and evaluation will take diverse forms and functions, but one thing most methodswill do is become public.The field of corporate responsibility ratings will range from self-organized,

bottom-up ratings by networks of consumers and small business (such as the World Index for

Social and Environmental Responsibility and BuyBlue.org) to topdown, designed evaluation schemes

by formal institutions like GEMI, Dow Jones and the Financial Times. Metrics for intangibles andalternative indicators like employee wellness, civic participation and carbon footprint per worker willfind their way into rating schemes.

Green is green, toward value-creation

As companies navigate the storm of pressure from various voicesconsumers, regulators, partner

and rival companies, empowered communities, employees, advocacy groupsthey must balance theirresponsibility to their shareholders and pursue profits. Successful companies will discover points of

synergy, where sustainable, eco-friendly and equitable practices create tangible value. Simplerevisions in operations to improve energy efficiency can yield immense energy savings in the long

run. Protecting and investing in employees can increase productivity and reduce turnover rate.

These strategies will become more sophisticated, measurable and mainstream. Companies who takeinitiative to adopt and innovate these reforms will earn respect and quiet criticism as long as

companies remain honest and ransparent.

Employees as a driver of corporate sustainability

As health care continues to be a major cost to employers,it will be treated as a commonsa sharedresource that is susceptible to depletion. While health and wellness become more directly linked to

physical environment, work and the physical workplace will become a focus for sustainable systems,

conditions and practices. Watch for business services based on FairSource practices and European

models of work shaping those in the United States.

Consumer collectives organize around low-impact commerceCollective purchasing by groups of Chinese consumers online provides lessons for establishing newrelationships between consumers, retailers and manufacturers. Collectives will include community-

and neighborhood-based buying groups, as well as formally organized corporate employee buyingclubs. As personal sustainability practices and values permeate households and the workplace, look

for these groups to drive market growth for low-impact, green products and services.


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Natural systems redesign business interactions

In addition to serving as inspiration for designing new products and functional services, natural

systems offer important lessons in organizational processes ranging from team process to collective

intelligence and collaborative problem solving. Beginning with experiments in bioteaming, companies

will use natural models, from cellular communication to swarms and flocking, to understand more

emergent forms of collaboration.

Reinsurers as regulators

Reinsurance companies, which provide insurance to traditional insurance companies, pay extremely

close attention to emerging risks that might end up causing catastrophic events. The top two global

reinsurance companiesMunich Re and Swiss Restarted taking climate change seriously over adecade ago, and have begun to charge higher rates to insurance companies that cover areas most at

risk of global warming-related disasters, such as coastal developments in hurricane-prone regions.These higher rates get passed along to consumers, or sometimes even force insurance companies to

leave certain areas.

Do-it-yourself infrastructures create opportunities and gapsAs lightweight infrastructure components for communications,water, power and transportationdiffuse in the developing world, a variety of strategies will emerge for local, small-scale

implementationfrom regenerative commerce strategies that emphasize new commons, to private

investment that looks more like traditional chambers of commerce. Both will create opportunities

for local and global entrepreneurs, but will also leave gaps that will not only deny access to some but

also require adaptable strategies by those who want to use the infrastructures for their ownenterprises.

Energy infrastructure (in)security

Energy will be reframed in a variety of ways, as different parties recognize their inevitable

dependence (and interdependence) on the functioning of numerous overlaid energy systemsfuelpipelines, electric grids, etc. Some states will see energy as an economic and political weapon of

coercion,domestically and internationally. However, insurgent groups and other non-state actorscalled global guerillas in JohnRobb's book Brave New Warwill see energy disruption as aneffective strategy for crippling states. Using technologies, innovations in weaponry, IEDs, online

networks, crime and eco-terrorism, they will target centralized energy grids, which,when they fail,fail catastrophically. Many will find that maintaining energy as a commonssanctioned from the top

down,monitored from the bottom up and distributed in a network fashionwill render systems more

resilient to these shocks. The strength of these networks as opposed to hierarchies may inspire

other restructuring of crucial economic, social,environmental and business resources.

Immersive media helps reframe of energy strategiesUnderstanding the long-term impacts and day-to-day realities of energy choices will play a key rolein developing successful strategies. Immersive experiences can provide consumers and business

decision-makers with concrete experiences in living the future consequences of present day energydecisions.


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Alternative energy up, demand down

Renewable, non-fossil fuel energy sources are beginning to see a renaissance, and are likely to

become a much greater part of the global energy footprint in the near future. Familiar power

technologies like wind and solar will see increased cost benefits from material and manufacturing

technology advances, such as lightweight composites and organic-polymer electronics. Less-well-

known alternative technologies, such as Hydrokinetic energy and solar-thermal energy, will alsoattract increasing attention from investors and governments looking for wild-card breakthroughs.

Meanwhile, ongoing innovation in energy efficiency has radical benefits over time. With small annualboosts in efficiency, by 2100 ten billion can live as well as the top billion today, while using less

power.

ANNEXURE 01

nvironmentally Friendly Apparel: The ConsumersPerspectiveAs environmentally friendly claims and products have increased in the marketplace,

consumers have become more aware of eco-friendly apparel. However, the increase in awareness

does not translate into increased importance or changed purchase intent among consumers. BothCotton Incorporateds research and industry studies indicate that when deciding to buy apparel,

consumers continue to consider other factors, such as price, more important than environmentalimpact.

Cotton Incorporateds Lifestyle Monitor in 2006 surveyed 4,000 U.S. consumers aged 16 to 70;

the survey was conducted via telephone by Bellomy Research. In addition, 2,800 U.S. consumersaged 18 to 54 were surveyed on specific issues in March and December 2006; the survey wasconducted via the Internet by Bellomy Research.

E


25/35

Awareness Increases as Action Declines

Consumers awareness of environmentally friendly products has increased in the past few years, asmore products are labeled with green terminology. In a December 2006 survey, one third of

consumers said they were more aware of organic apparel and home textiles today than a year

ago. However, the choice to actively seek out environmentally friendly clothing remains restrictedto a small niche group of consumers. When asked how much effort they put into finding

environmentally friendly clothing, only 5% of consumers said they put a lot of effort into looking,statistically the same share as in a March 2006 survey. In addition, half as many consumers (15%,

down 16 percentage points in nine months) said they would be bothered if they purchased an item

they believed to be environmentally friendly and later discovered that the claim was incorrect.

Ironically, as environmental claims have become more common and shoppers have become moreaware, consumer concern about environmental issues in their purchase decisions has declined. The

majority of consumers are concerned about some environmental issues, such as child labor (67%)

and water quality (64%); however, from March to December 2006, consumer concern about issues

such as food additives and fabric treated with dyes declined. Significantly more consumers saidthey were concerned about rising prices at retail than the environmental friendliness of their foodor clothing.

Relative Importance Remains Low

National research conducted by Frank About Women indicates thatwhen women are deciding to buy apparel, the most importantfactors they consider are price, quality, and style. Most women say

they dont want to change their lives, sacrifice quality, or pay more

for green products.

Consistently, the majority of consumers are most concerned about price when shopping for clothing,while only a small share consider environmental issues to be important. According to Cotton

Ironically, as environmental

claims have become more

common and shoppers have

become more aware, consumer

concern about environmental

issues in their purchase decisions

has declined.


26/35

Incorporateds Lifestyle Monitor, environmental friendliness has remained the least important

factor in consumers apparel purchase decisions for over a decade. When purchasing appar el, 87%

of consumers consider price to be the most important factor, followed by fabric content (51%), and

laundering instructions (50%). Fewer than a third (30%) consider environmental friendliness to be

important, down significantly from 1995 (by 6 percentage points). Separate research by the NPD

Group confirms the importance of factors such as price among apparel shoppers, finding that priceis a key purchase motivator (43%), following style (62%) and comfort (44%).

Consumer Confusion

"All other components of the value equation being equal, price is often the deciding factor,particularly in consumer electronics, household appliances, sporting goods, outdoor grills, and of

course trendy apparel."Marshal Cohen, Why Consumers Do What They Do (2006)

Perhaps the decline in importance of environmental friendliness to consumers is due to their

confusion over the profusion of eco-friendly claims being made at retail. For example, only onethird of consumers correctly understand the terms renewable and sustainable. However,

consumers do relate to natural products, including natural fibers. According to the Lifestyle

Monitor, whether or not consumers consider environmental friendliness as a purchase driver, cotton

is their preferred fiber. Additional research shows that consumers consider cotton to be thesafest fiber for the environment, with 66% calling it extremely safe. Consumers even say they are

willing to pay more for natural fibers such as cotton, and this willingness to pay more is significantlyhigher among consumers who consider the environment when shopping for clothing (72%) than

among shoppers overall (62%).

Conclusion

Although consumers are more aware of environmentally friendly

apparel, those who consider it important to look for and buy such

products remain a niche market. Factors such as price continue to be the driving force in mostconsumers apparel purchases. However, whether or not they care about environmental friendliness,

consumers continue to prefer natural fibers such as cotton.

Perhaps the decline in

importance of environmental

friendliness to consumers isdue to their confusion over the

profusion of eco-friendly

claims being made at retail.

For example, only one third of

consumers correctly

understand the terms

renewable and

sustainable. However,

consumers do relate to

natural products, including

natural fibers. According to

the Lifestyle Monitor, whether

or not consumers consider

environmental friendliness as

a purchase driver, cotton is

their preferred fiber.


27/35

Honda: plant this letter.

Green is the new Ad. As part of its new drive to raise the green-creed on its lawn and garden

vehicles, Honda sent out a direct mail letter that literally grows. Once soaked in water and planted

in soil, the seeds inside the paper itself grow into wildflowers. Though one could fairly easily argue

the environmental implications of a direct mail letter (the creation of more paper, regardless of itsbiodegradability or green purpose, uses chemicals and expends energy Im just saying the romantic

in me loves the beautiful idea of this letter:

Brain-stormed by London, UK agency Inferno and copywritten by Jaime Diskin, they really seem to

have walked their talk on this one: the envelope and paper were 100% recycled and acid free andthe inks were green-friendly as well.

Theres a certain green simplicity going on here. Keep in mind this isnt the first time something like

this had been done; earlier this year Bogle Bartle Hegarty Asia created plantable tags for Levis

Eco Jeans (made from 100% organic cotton) that had the whole paper-with-wildflower-seeds thinggoing on. Still, an idea this deserves to be re-envisioned. Plus, the concept of viable seeds embedded

in paper existed before either of these campaigns and neither of these agencies invented it.


28/35

ase study - LevisBest Practices for the Planet.

Our Restricted Substance List set a new standard for how the apparel industry manages the use of

chemicals.

Clean Water.

Our Global Effluent Requirements established the highest industry wastewater standards across

our factories.

C


29/35

Global Supplier Compliance.

Our Social and Environmental Sustainability (SES) Guidebook lets our suppliers know how to meet

our high standards.

Our commitment to sustainability goes far beyond regulatory compliance or minimizing theenvironmental impact of our business practices. We build sustainability into everything we do, so

that our profitable growth helps restore the planet.

Levi Strauss & Co has been embarking on a pioneering path to make sustainability an integral part of

everything we do to create clothing all over the world. Our inspiration came from our ownexperience promoting ethical labor standards around the globe. Just as our groundbreaking Terms

of Engagement changed the supply chain landscape for our suppliers worldwide, we wanted ourenvironmental sustainability efforts to raise the bar for every company.

Responsibility for sustainability goes far beyond mere regulatory compliance or sound business

practices. While we are proud that our environmental policies are some of the most comprehensivein the industry, we aspire to something larger. We have a vision of sustainability that ambitiouslyaims to restore environmental health to the planet.

Sustainability from cradle to grave

Our vision stems from a deep understanding of the entire product lifecycle of our products from

time our cotton is first planted until the worn-out clothes are placed in a landfill. Our study of theimpact of a pair of Levis 501 jeans and Dockers Original Khakis provides the touchstone for our

sustainability practices in the years ahead. Understanding our own impact has allowed us to focus ontwo key phases cotton and consumer use and reduce the impact in four areas critical to apparel

manufacturing: energy, water, chemicals and materials.

Making sustainability a global responsibility

The next level of responsibility for sustainability isnt easy. It requires a long-term plan with

measurable, targeted milestones, honest self- and third-party assessment, thoughtful productdevelopment and innovative public policy. Were working with partners and competitors to develop

the next generation of global standards and goals. Our leadership involvement with organizations

like the Better Cotton Initiative and Business for Social Responsibility allows us to share ideas and

affect critical change while learning from our peers. View a list of all of our partnerships.

Energy

We are committed to achieving carbon neutrality and moving to the use of 100% renewable energyin our operations and our supply chain.Water

We are decreasing water usage and improving water quality in significant, measurable ways.

Chemicals


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We are minimizing the environmental impact from chemicals used in all stages of our productlifecycle.

Materials

We are committed to becoming a zero-waste company offering consumers more sustainable

products.

Re-UseOne of our biggest opportunities for reducing the environmental impact of a pair of Levis or

Dockers Khakis occurs after we have turned it over to the consumer.

Our lifecycle assessment revealed that 58% of the energy and 45% of the water used during the

lifetime of a pair of Levis jeans occurs during the consumer use phase. We also learned that how

our consumers care for their clothes can greatly reduce the climate change impact of our products:Consumers can decrease the climate change impact of their Levis by about 32% if they wash their

jeans once every two weeks. They can further decrease the environmental impact by 48% by

washing their jeans once a month.They can also make a difference if they wash their clothes in cold water.

This is huge and we know it. So weve initiated a global dialogue with consumers about how to care

for their clothing.

We recently launched A Care Tag for our Planet to educate consumers

about how caring for their clothes affects the environment. The newgarment care tags encourage consumers to Machine wash cold; line dry

when possible; donate to Goodwill.Weve partnered with Goodwill in an effort to encourage consumers to

increase the lifecycle of a pair of jeans by donating them instead of

contributing to the 23.8 billion pounds of clothing that end up in landfillseach year.Weve partnered with the Alliance to Save Energy and Procter & Gamble,

makers of Tide Coldwater, to encourage consumers to save energy and

money by washing their jeans in cold water.

And we are following our own advice. In 2008, for example, we donated

more than 200,000 pairs of recycled jeans to insulate the newly reopened

California Academy of Sciences in San Francisco, helping the building earn

the highest possible environmental rating.

Our lifecycle

assessment

revealed that 58%

of the energy and

45% of the water

used during the

lifetime of a pair of

Levis jeansoccurs during the

consumer use

phase. We also

learned that how

our consumers care

for their clothes

can greatly reduce

the climate change

impact of our

products


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The Future Fashion Industry ecouterre

Predicting the future, like spotting trends, is a tricky proposition, but that hasnt stopped people

including usfrom attempting to squint beyond the veil. The latest sartorial crystal-ball slingers,Levi Strauss & Co. and the U.K. nonprofit Forum for the Future, have jointly released a report

painting four possible scenarios of what the trillion-dollar global apparel, accessories, and luxurygoods market will look like in 2025. You dont have to wade through reams of dull statistics to get

the gist of Fashion Futures call to action for the industry, however. A quartet of digestible

animated videos make envisioning these futures a cinch, from a world where slow fashion reignssupreme to one where production is localized to the point of xenophobia.


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SLOW IS BEAUTIFUL

The first possible future presents a world of political collaboration and global trade, marred only bya gray economy that exists for people who refuse to conform to the new, slower ideal. People own

fewer but higher-quality clothing, clothes are cared for sans chemicals, and vintage or secondhand

pieces are well-circulated.

People own fewer but higher-quality clothing and vintage pieces are well-circulated.

Most workers are paid a living wage, used clothes are shipped and remanufactured in Japan, anddigital tagging helps us keep track on where our clothes come from and the impact theyve had.

People also don smart clothes, which monitor health and wellness.

COMMUNITY COUTURE


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Although the world in the second scenario is struggling to cope with climate change and the ensuing

resource shortages, community bonds remain strong and geared toward self-sufficiency. Because of

the high costs of raw materials and disrupted supply chains, the production of new clothing has

plummeted dramatically.

Make do and mend becomes our mantra once again and nothing is disposed of.

The clothes we wear are now either secondhand, handmade, on the black market, or from clothing

libraries that rent sought-after looks. Make do and mend becomes our mantra once again and

nothing is disposed ofwhen were done with our clothes, we sell them back for reuse.

SCENARIO 3: TECHNO -CHIC

TECHNO-CHIC

In this prosperous, high-tech utopia, fashion is fast, lightweight, and inexpensive. Our clothes are

just as technologically savvy, comprising advanced yet low-impact materials that incorporatenanotechnology and lab-grown components. Three-dimensional body scanners allow us to try onclothes in interactive mirrors, while tour operators arrange holiday wardrobe packages that

include a selection of local fashion on your arrivalall pre-selected virtually, of course.

Our clothes comprise advanced yet low-impact materials that incorporate

nanotechnology.

Clothing is now made by machines, rather than people, which poses the downside of

underemployment in the manufacturing industry. Modular clothing, produced in China, is delivered tostores, where you can customize them as you wish. (Likewise, crowd-sourced fashion, which is voted

upon online before it goes into production, reduces overproduction and wastage.) When our clothesno longer suit our needs, they are composted, disassembled, or remanufactured.
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PATCHWORK PLANET

Divided into economic and cultural blocs with Asia at the fore, this future faces strong nationalist

tendencies, along with conflict over dwindling resources. On the upside, material scarcity hasspurred innovations such as clothes grown from bacteria cellulose and coatings that render

garments self-cleaning.Fabrics become exclusive to their locale: bamboo in Asia, flax in India, and

wool in Australia. The way we care for our clothes also differs according to regionsome blocs havedeveloped waterless washing machines, while others use coatings that limit the need for cleaning.

Because clothes are now made in regional factories, they reach us more quickly. Xenophobia is

rampant, however, and in most of the Middle East, Western clothing is verboten.

onclusionThe c

eco tagging

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