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The ISM-Open team led by Professor Sally Dibb, Dr Fiona Harris and Dr Helen Roby in partnership Dr Christine Thomas of Maths Computing and Technology ran a stimulating and lively seminar and workshop session on the 8th May to explore new business models for the clothing industry.
The session was for an invited audience of around 25 practitioners and academics interested in exploring the challenges in developing new business models that could make a real step change in improving sustainability and the environmental impacts within the clothing industry. This whole workshop stemmed from the realisation that the biggest challenge to be addressed is that current business models encourage over consumption.
The morning consisted of three stimulating presentations from Catherine Watkins, the Ethical and Sustainability Manager for George at Asda. Catherine talked about the issues surrounding cotton production and the impacts of fluctuating prices and supply for retailers. This was followed by Martin Buttle from Made-By, who presented the findings of a report he had worked on with WRAP to explore the viability of new business models, which led into a discussion about how different business models such as renting or repairing clothes could be differentially appropriate to different segments of the market, for example the high end designer brands compared to the high street market. This was followed by Professor Tim Cooper from Nottingham Trent University talking about the impacts of hoarding clothes that we do not wear.
Needless to say such a diverse and stimulating set of presentations inspired a lively debate. This was then followed by Dr Fiona Harris of ISM-Open, who presented the findings of research with key informants undertaken Dr Harris, Dr Helen Roby and Professor Sally Dibb. This further spurred an animated discussion about the options, barriers and viability of new business models, with a representative from WRAP asking the thought provoking question, ‘How would you use £1m to help implement these new models?’ The workshop certainly achieved its aim of exploring the issues, but also of starting to build new networks and explore ways of collaborating and debating the topics further.
Below are copies of the presentations from the speakers and a summary of the workshop discussion.
WRAP report to evaluate new business models
Summary of workshop discussion
Defra Public Understanding of Sustainable Clothing Report
Wrap Valuing Our Clothes Report
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