Course Title: Implement and monitor environmentally sustainable work practices

Part B: Course Detail

Teaching Period: Term2 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

Eloise Bishop
eloise.bishop@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:	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:
• 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 Fashion Exposed.

Teaching Schedule

(Weekly schedule may vary)
Week 1: (week commencing Monday July 4)
Introduction to unit.
Assessment Requirements.
Film: An Inconvenient Truth
What is sustainability anyway? Discussion

Week 2: (w/c July 11)
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 1 hand out: Individual Presentations (40%)

Week 3: (w/c July 18)
Fashion & Sustainable possibilities.
Sustainability and the consumer
Marketing sustainability: Green washing & transparency in relation to the Trade Practices Act
(Assignment 1 presentations)

Week 4: (w/c July 25)
Ethics & Fashion Production
Film: The dollar a day dress
Guest speaker: Ethical Clothing Australia
(Assignment 1 presentations)

Week 5: (w/c August 1)
Ethics & Fashion Production
Film: China Blue + Discussion
Auditing for Ethics – (Worldwide Responsible Apparel Production - W.R.A.P.)
Fairtrade principles, Corporate Social Responsibility models
(Assignment 1 presentations)

Week 6: (w/c August 8)
Lecture - Fibres & sustainability:
Manufactured fibres, Natural Fibres and Fibre ‘alternatives’.
New textiles and Fabric Technologies.
(Assignment 1 presentations)

Week 7: (w/c August 15)
Guest Lecture: Testex
(Assignment 1 presentations)

Week 8: (w/c August 22)
Lecture - Innovations in Production
Fashion on Demand & Mass customisation
Principles of Biomimicry in design.
Assignment 2 handout: Review of Fashion Exposed & Sustainability (10%)
(Assignment 1 presentations)

Week 9: (w/c August 29)
No Class – class visit to Fashion Exposed on Sunday August 28

Week 10: (w/c September 5)
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 3 handout: Visual marketing with sustainable fashion (20%)
(Assignment 1 presentations)

Week 11: (w/c September 12)
Reduce, reuse and recycle (+ rethink):
ISO 14001 Audit research
Assignment 4 handout: Environmental Management Systems Report (30%)
(Assignment 1 presentations)

Week 12: (w/c September 19)
Assignment 2 due in class
(Assignment 3 presentations)

MID-TERM BREAK

Week 13: (w/c October 10)
Rethinking Fast: Slow Fashion/Slow Design
Local and/or Global/ Bioregionalism
Traditional craftsmanship including drapery
User-Creator possibilities
Design-led alternatives, multifunctional clothes
(Assignment 3 presentations)

Week 14: (w/c October 17)
EMS Assignment Research
(Assignment 3 presentations)

Week 15: (w/c October 24)
EMS Assignment Research
(Assignment 3 presentations)

Week 16: (w/c October 31)
EMS Assignment Research
(Assignment 3 presentations)

Week 17 (w/c November 7)
Conclusions: Degrees of Sustainability
(Assignment 4 due in class)

Week 18 (w/c November 14)
Feedback

Learning Resources

Prescribed Texts

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

References

Other Resources

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. Fashion Exposed Blog Report (10%)
3. Visual marketing with sustainable fashion (20%)
4. EMS audit presentation (Report) (30%)

Assessment Matrix

                                                                                                                         Visual concepting with sustainable fashion (20%)                                                  EMS Report (30%)                                          Individual Presentation (40%)                                              Fashion Exposed Blog Report  (10%)
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