Course Title: Implement and monitor environmentally sustainable work practices

Part B: Course Detail

Teaching Period: Term1 2011

Course Code: OHTH5461C

Course Title: Implement and monitor environmentally sustainable work practices

School: 350T Fashion & Textiles

Campus: Brunswick Campus

Program: C4219 - Certificate IV in Fashion and Textiles Merchandising

Course Contact : Carmen Pricone

Course Contact Phone: +61 3 99259138

Course Contact Email:carmen.pricone@rmit.edu.au


Name and Contact Details of All Other Relevant Staff

Patricia Brien - patricia.brien@rmit.edu.au

Nominal Hours: 40

Regardless of the mode of delivery, represent a guide to the relative teaching time and student effort required to successfully achieve a particular competency/module. This may include not only scheduled classes or workplace visits but also the amount of effort required to undertake, evaluate and complete all assessment requirements, including any non-classroom activities.

Pre-requisites and Co-requisites

None

Course Description

This unit covers the outcomes required to effectively analyse the workplace in relation to environmentally sustainable work practices and to implement improvements and monitor their effectiveness.


National Codes, Titles, Elements and Performance Criteria

National Element Code & Title:

MSAENV472A Implement and monitor environmentally sustainable work practices

Element:

Element: 1. Investigate current practices in relation to resource usage.
Performance Criteria: 1.1 Identify environmental regulations applying to the enterprise.
1.2 Assess procedures for assessing compliance with environmental regulations.
1.3 Collect information on environmental and resource efficiency systems and procedures, and provide to the work group where appropriate.
1.4 Measure and record current resource usage by members of the work group.
1.5 Analyse and record current purchasing strategies.
1.6 Analyse current work processes to access information and data and assist in identifying areas for improvement.
Element: 2. Set targets for improvements.
Performance Criteria: 2.1 Seek input from stakeholders, key personnel and specialist.
2.2 Access external sources of information and data as required.
2.3 Evaluate alternative solutions to workplace environmental and ethical issues.
2.4 Set efficiency targets.
Element: 3. Implement performance improvement strategies.
Performance Criteria: 3.1 Source techniques/tools to assist in achieving targets.
3.2 Apply continuous improvement strategies to own work area of responsibility and communicate ideas and possible solutions to the work group and management.
3.3 Integrate environmental and resource efficiency improvement plans for own work group and other operational activities and implement them.
3.4 Seek suggestions and ideas about environmental and resource efficiency management from stakeholders and act upon them where appropriate.
3.5 Implement costing strategies to fully value environmental assets.
Element: 4. Monitor performance.
Performance Criteria: 4.1 Document outcomes and communicate reports on targets to key personnel and stakeholders.
4.2 Evaluate strategies.
4.3 Set new targets and investigate and apply new tools and strategies.
4.4 Promote successful strategies and reward participants where possible.

Performance Criteria:

Element: 1. Investigate current practices in relation to resource usage.
Performance Criteria: 1.1 Identify environmental regulations applying to the enterprise.
1.2 Assess procedures for assessing compliance with environmental regulations.
1.3 Collect information on environmental and resource efficiency systems and procedures, and provide to the work group where appropriate.
1.4 Measure and record current resource usage by members of the work group.
1.5 Analyse and record current purchasing strategies.
1.6 Analyse current work processes to access information and data and assist in identifying areas for improvement.
Element: 2. Set targets for improvements.
Performance Criteria: 2.1 Seek input from stakeholders, key personnel and specialist.
2.2 Access external sources of information and data as required.
2.3 Evaluate alternative solutions to workplace environmental and ethical issues.
2.4 Set efficiency targets.
Element: 3. Implement performance improvement strategies.
Performance Criteria: 3.1 Source techniques/tools to assist in achieving targets.
3.2 Apply continuous improvement strategies to own work area of responsibility and communicate ideas and possible solutions to the work group and management.
3.3 Integrate environmental and resource efficiency improvement plans for own work group and other operational activities and implement them.
3.4 Seek suggestions and ideas about environmental and resource efficiency management from stakeholders and act upon them where appropriate.
3.5 Implement costing strategies to fully value environmental assets.
Element: 4. Monitor performance.
Performance Criteria: 4.1 Document outcomes and communicate reports on targets to key personnel and stakeholders.
4.2 Evaluate strategies.
4.3 Set new targets and investigate and apply new tools and strategies.
4.4 Promote successful strategies and reward participants where possible.


Learning Outcomes


In this unit you will be required to develop the skills and knowledge to address processes and techniques necessary to implement and monitor environmentally sustainable work practices, including the development of processes and tools.
It includes:
• Identifying areas for improvement
• Developing plans to make improvements
• Implementing and monitoring improvements in environmental performance
• Monitor performance


Details of Learning Activities

• Environmental Assessment Audit,
• assessing ethical workplace criteria,
• current sustainability theories in relation to fashion industry and retail environment,
• review of Sustainability events/designers at LMFF.


Teaching Schedule

Week 1:
Introduction to unit.
Assessment Requirements.
Film: An Inconvenient Truth
What is sustainability anyway? Discussion

Week 2:
Lecture: Approaches to Sustainability
People, Planet, Profit (Triple Bottom Line)
Cradle to Cradle principles
Life Cycle Assessments
Product Stewardship
EMS: ISO 14001 (+ ISO 19011)

Assignment hand out: Individual Presentations

Week 3:
Fashion & Sustainable possibilities.
Sustainability and the consumer
Marketing sustainability: Green washing & transparency in relation to the Trade Practices Act
(Individual Presentations)

Week 4:
Ethics & Fashion Production
Film: The dollar a day dress
Guest speaker: Ethical Clothing Australia

Week 5:
Ethics & Fashion Production
Film: China Blue + Discussion
Auditing for Ethics – (Worldwide Responsible Apparel Production - W.R.A.P.)
Fairtrade principles, Corporate Social Responsibility models

(Individual Presentations)

Week 6:
No Class – Melbourne Fashion Week
Assignment: Review of LMFF & Sustainability via Blogsite

Week 7:
Lecture - Fibres & sustainability:
Manufactured fibres, Natural Fibres and Fibre ‘alternatives’.
New textiles and Fabric Technologies.

(Individual Presentations)

Week 8:
Guest Lecture: Testex

(Individual Presentations)

Week 9:
Lecture - Innovations in Production
Fashion on Demand & Mass customisation
Principles of Biomimicry in design.

(Individual Presentations)

Week 10:
Reduce, reuse and recycle (+ rethink):
Waste management strategies, waste disposal & resource efficiency issues.
The global textile recycling chain.
Precycling, packaging & Design strategies
Reducing the impact of use-phase

Assignment handout: Visual concepting with sustainable fashion

(Individual Presentations)

Week 11:
Reduce, reuse and recycle (+ rethink):
Assignment: Environmental Management Systems (Report)
ISO 14001 Audit research

(Individual Presentations)


MID-TERM BREAK

Week 12:
Presentations: Concepting with sustainable fashion

Week 13:
Rethinking Fast: Slow Fashion/Slow Design
Local and/or Global/ Bioregionalism
Traditional craftsmanship including drapery
User-Creator possibilities
Design-led alternatives, multifunctional clothes

(Individual Presentations)

Week 14:
EMS Assignment Research

(Individual Presentations)

Week 15:
EMS Assignment Research

(Individual Presentations)

Week 16:
Conclusions: Degrees of Sustainability?

Due in class: EMS Report


Learning Resources

Prescribed Texts


References


Other Resources

Recommended texts: Sustainable Fashion & Textiles Design Journeys, Kate Fletcher
Eco-chic the fashion paradox, Sandy Black
Recommended reading: Slow Living, Craig & Parkins
Cradle to Cradle, McDonough & Braungart
Sustainable Fashion: Why Now? Janet Hethorn & Connie Ulasewicz
Designers, visionaries & other stories, A collection of sustainable design essays, Jonathan Chapman & Nick Grant
Environmental Management Systems: A Step by Step Guide to Implementation and Maintenance, Christopher Sheldon & Mark Yoxon
Biomimicry, Janine M. Benyus
Bioregional Solutions: For living on one planet, Pooran Desai
Environmental Law (Nutshells), Brenda Short
Modern Environmentalism: An Intro, David Pepper

Sustainability by Design: A subversive strategy for transforming our consumer culture, John Ehrenfeld

Design Activism: Beautiful strangeness for a sustainable world, Alastair Fuad-Luke


Overview of Assessment

Detailed course and assessment requirements and information will be made available to you first week of class. Specific details will be explained to you during scheduled classes.

This course comprises both practical and theory components. You will be expected to attend and participate in class activities.

As well as class activities you will be required to undertake research and assessment practice outside of regular class times and participate in formal assessment tasks.

PLEASE NOTE: work that has not been authenticated during class as your own work will not be considered for assessment.
All assignments and tasks must be completed to be deemed competent.
Referencing must follow RMIT University regulations.


Assessment Tasks

1. Individual Presentation + class discussion (40%)
2. LMFF Blog Report (10%)
3. EMS audit presentation (Report) (30%)
4. Visual concepting with sustainable fashion (20%)


Assessment Matrix

Course Overview: Access Course Overview