Course Title: Implement and monitor environmentally sustainable work practices

Part B: Course Detail

Teaching Period: Term2 2010

Course Code: OHTH5461C

Course Title: Implement and monitor environmentally sustainable work practices

School: 350T Fashion & Textiles

Campus: Brunswick Campus

Program: C6086 - Advanced Diploma of Fashion and Textiles Merchandising

Course Contact : Carmen Pricone

Course Contact Phone: +61 3 9925 9138

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

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:

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
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.
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.
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:
• Indentifying areas for improvement
• Developing plans to make improvements
• Implementing and monitoring improvements in environmental performance


Details of Learning Activities

  • Environmental Assessment Audit,
  • assessing ethical workplace criteria,
  • current sustainability theories in relation to fashion industry and retail environment,
  • hands-on workshop in creative design & recycling.


Teaching Schedule

Week 1:
Introduction to unit.
Assessment Requirements.
Film: An Inconvenient Truth

Week 2:
Lecture: Approaches to Sustainability
People, Planet, Profit (Triple Bottom Line)
Cradle to Cradle principles
Life Cycle Assessments
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:
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 hand out: Workshop – Lifeline & RMIT

(Individual Presentations)

Week 5:
Re-Design: Reduce, reuse, & recycle
Workshop: Creative design possibilities.

Week 6:
Ethics & Fashion Production
Film: China Blue + Discussion

(Individual Presentations)

Week 7:
Ethics & Fashion Production
Human Rights and Workers Rights Issues in the industry
Auditing for Ethics – (Worldwide Responsible Apparel Production - W.R.A.P.)
Fairtrade principles, Corporate Social Responsibility models
Ethical Fashion organizations & crediting organisations
Outworkers and fair wages & conditions

(Individual Presentations)

Week 8:
Ethics & Fashion Production
Film: The dollar a day dress
Guest speaker: Ethical Clothing Australia

Week 9:
Lecture - Fibres & sustainability:
Manufactured fibres, Natural Fibres and Fibre ‘alternatives’.
New textiles and Fabric Technologies.

(Individual Presentations)

Week 10:
Lecture - Innovations in Production
Fashion on Demand & Mass customisation
Principles of Biomimicry in design.

(Individual Presentations)

Environmental Management Systems (Group Research)
Standardising Environmental Factors in Fashion manufacturing
ISO 14001 (+ ISO 19011)

Assignment: Environmental Management Systems Audit Presentation

Week 11:
Environmental Management Systems (Group Research)
ISO 14001 Audit research

(Individual Presentations)


MID-TERM BREAK


Week 12:
Environmental Management Systems
ISO 14001: Presentation of Audit Findings (Group Research).

Week 13:
Retail Environment & Sustainability
Assignment: Bardot (Group Research)

(Individual Presentations)

Week 14:
Assignment Research: Bardot (Group Research)

Week 15:
Rethinking Fast: Slow Fashion/Slow Design
Local and/or Global/ Bioregionalism
Traditional craftsmanship including drapery
User-Creator possibilities
Design-led alternatives, multifunctional clothes
Degrees of Sustainability?

(Individual Presentations)

Due: Bardot Assignment Report

Week 16:
NO CLASS (MAJOR BARDOT PRESENTATIONS)


Learning Resources

Prescribed Texts


References

Recommended texts: Sustainable Fashion & Textiles Design Journeys, Kate Fletcher
Eco-chic the fashion paradox, Sandy Black Cradle to Cradle, McDonough & Braungart


Other Resources

Recommended reading:

Slow Living, Perkins
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
Modern Environmentalism: An Intro, David Pepper
Sustainability by Design: A subversive strategy for transforming our consumer culture, John Ehrenfeld


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.




Assessment Tasks

  • 1. Individual Presentation (40%)
    2. EMS audit presentation (Group work) (20%) 3. Participation in Creative Design & Recycling workshop (Lifeline & RMIT Re-Design logo & poster – in pairs) (20%) 
  • 4. Bardot Project Report (Group work) (20%)  


Assessment Matrix

  Workshop:
Creative Design (20%)
EMS audit presentation (group) (20%) Bardot project Report (20%) Individual Presentation
(40%)
Investigate current practices in relation to resource usage.     X X
Set targets for improvements X   X  
Implement performance improvement strategies.       X
Monitor performance.   X    


Course Overview: Access Course Overview