Design
- How can you use intelligent design to reduce the social and environmental impact of a product’s lifecycle?
- Do you consider the environmental effects of the colours and prints you choose for your collection?
- Can you create a longer-lasting and better-functioning product, thereby reducing the need to replace it?
Raw Materials
- How much water does it take to produce your fabrics?
- Are you aware of the sustainable alternatives to the raw materials you are currently using?
- When selecting your fabric range, do you think about the end of life stage, such as the implications of disposal?
Production
- How well do you know your supply chain?
- What are the social costs of your production process?
- Have you ever considered using recycled pre-consumer/post-consumer waste in your collection?
Packaging & Transport
- Are you able to reduce the amount of solid and hazardous waste in your packaging?
- Have you considered a local supply chain to decrease mileage in the production process?
- Could you reduce the weight and volume of a product by using fewer or lighter materials to optimise transportation?
Consumer Use
- How durable are your products, is it possible to increase their longevity?
- How can you encourage the customer to form an emotional attachment to your product, thereby discouraging disposal?
- How does your product need to be cleaned and what impact will this have on the environment?
End of Live
- Can the product have a second life?
- Could you offer an upgrading and/or a repair service to your customer?
- Can you reduce the waste impact of disposing your product by making it recyclable or biodegradable?
If you wish to know more please download 'The Sustainable Thread of a Product Lifecycle'