Using the Ecotextyle online learning platform

Describing the application of this recent European project.

by John Hubbard

SATRA has been part of a European project team which has developed an online training platform for use by companies in the footwear and textile industries to provide a comprehensive background on environmental and sustainability issues.

The project was funded by the European Commission’s ERASMUS+ programme and involved collaboration between organisations in Bulgaria, Italy, Poland, Slovenia, Spain and the UK. It ran from October 2017 until October 2019.

The initial stages, involving thoughts and views of industry sectors in the participating countries, were conducted through workshops and interviews in January 2018. The first transnational meeting was then held in Spain to review the preliminary findings and determine the deliverables of the project.

In the subsequent development stage draft online content was produced which was reviewed at a second transnational meeting in the UK in June 2018. The content was then edited and translation began so that the text would be available in all languages common to the project. The edited content and online format were reviewed further at a meeting in Poland in October 2018. Work was then carried out on beta-testing the platform and seeking feedback from potential users, which SATRA did through workshops during the summer of 2019. After the final meeting in Slovenia, the Ecotextyle online learning platform was confirmed and launched at multiplier events held during September 2019.

The learning platform is free to use and contains a number of modules. It will remain accessible for five years. Users can link to the modules at www.satra.com/footwear/sustainability.php

The five modules included in the training package can either be completed as a whole training course or used individually to find specific information.

Each module has a series of questions designed to evaluate the learning. Anyone who completes all five modules can receive a certificate to support his or her ongoing professional development.

The modules

The five modules are as follows:

Product lifecycle analysis: This goes into detail on the process for assessing the sustainability and environmental impacts of products through the whole product life cycle, from raw materials to end-of-life and disposal.

Ecodesign: This module considers the materials and constructions used in the footwear and textile industries. It helps the reader to understand how to select materials for environmental benefit and examines other development techniques that can make the process more efficient and environmentally friendly. This module also includes a look at the impact and options for packaging and transport of products.

Carbon footprint: This module details the calculation of carbon footprint and highlights what contributes to the total carbon emissions during the manufacture and distribution of a product. It also advises how the results can be used to drive improvements.

Ecolabelling: This introduces the schemes that exist for publicising a product’s green credentials, while considering the limitations and the challenges involved in helping consumers to understand the meanings of the different labels.

Environmental product declaration and product environmental footprint: This final module examines other options for promoting products based on their environmental characteristics, and explores the developments which may be the focus of future labelling and consumer-facing information.

It is hoped that the principles discussed in these modules can be translated into active strategies to help brand owners and retailers tell their products’ environmental narratives in such a way to better establish credibility in a market that has developed a reputation for ‘greenwash’ (the presentation of environmental statements which have little scientific background or credibility).

Publishing Data

This article was originally published on page 22 of the March 2020 issue of SATRA Bulletin.

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