Development of training materials – new practices on eco-design
The European industry wants to increase the level of sustainability and innovation in the production and recycling processes. To achieve such purpose, it’s essential that designers create products that have in mind some principles of circular economy. Environmental concern begins with product design.
In order to help designers to reach this goal, the partners from the European project “Design4Circle”, co-founded by the European Commission, are working together on the development of training materials, in order to provide designers and SMEs with the necessary competences and skills to implement new practices on eco-design.
“Design4circle” aims at increasing the competitiveness of European SMEs through a circular economy approach.
After doing an analysis of the current best practices and skills needs on eco-design in different countries, partners met in Portugal, last week, to validate the work done and prepare for the next phases of the project implementation.
The consortium is created by research, training and business support organisations, universities and national associations from Latvia, Belgium, North Macedonia, Portugal, Romania, and Spain.
Through the development of innovative eco-design concepts and eco-processes, the project partners pretend to contribute for the creation of new green jobs, especially for designers that follow the new recycling routes and business models towards a circular economy.
During this 3rd meeting, partners also had the opportunity to know what the Portuguese footwear industry has already done in terms of sustainability.
In addition to contacting with materials and projects related to sustainability, they visited two companies (ISI Soles and Carité Footwear), that have already implemented product strategies and an eco-friendly approach, giving rise to a sustainable methodology.
ISI soles
Founded in 1999, I.S.I. – Indústria de Solas Injectadas, Lda., produces 2.8 million pairs of soles annually and has a productive capacity of 4 million pairs per year. It’s committed to assure assistance, development, service and quality for a competitive price.
Since the beginning of its activity, ISI adopts sustainable production principles and uses eco-efficiency as a reference for all operations carried out at the factory. Environmental concern begins with product design; it is at this development stage that the sole life cycle is defined, and its environmental impact is mitigated. Designers and technicians select the raw materials, calculate consumptions, define sole dimensions and, thus, they can influence the behavior and environmental performance in the following stages of production, transport, consumption and final deposition.
ISI Soles has acquired certification for its ISO 14001 and ISO 9001 integrated management system and was the first Portuguese footwear soles producer company to be recognized by the best international environmental practices.
During the visit, participants had the opportunity to see how soles are produced out of bio-based TPU – this type of production reduces the consumption of materials derived from fossil sources, as well as reducing CO2 emissions. They also produce soles out of Biodegradable TPU that meets European standards EN 13432 and EN14995 with soles decomposing at least 90% after 6 months. ISI also developed a Vegan soles line, this collection stands out, on one hand, for not containing any product of animal origin. On the other hand, it was conceived by recycled raw materials through the incorporation of 95% waste from the injection process in the production cycle creating a circular economy.
Carité Footwear
Carité is a footwear company, founded in 1986. Following a strategy that seeks to operate in a high-middle market segment, with high demands on the quality of the materials used and compliance with delivery times, the company has sought through continuous investment in new production, recruitment equipment and technical staff to overcome the main difficulties that arise.
This allowed it to maintain sustained growth in turnover, which exceeded 10 million euros in 2009 and 20 million euros in 2018.
The company has been continuously growing and it’s now divided in 5 different companies specialized in different types of productions. The Carité Group headquarters are in Felgueiras, together with Lança Raiz, both these companies are specialized in producing footwear. In São João da Madeira there is Brada, a company specialized in the development and production of high-end lady shoes. The other two companies are located in Celorico (Top Relevo) and Castelo de Paiva (Arka).
3rd Technical Meeting – Design4Circle
Design4Circle
Agenda of the 3rd Technical Meeting
Innovative design practices for achieving a new textile circular sector
Agenda
CENTRO TECNOLÓGICO DO CALÇADO DE PORTUGAL, CTCP
Rua de Fundões – Devesa Velha, 3700-121 S. João da Madeira, Portugal
Project Title Innovative design practices for achieving a new textile circular sector
Project Acronym Design4Circle
Reference Number 2018-1-LV01-KA202-046977
Project Duration 01.12.2018 – 30.11.2020
Project Partners P1 RIGA TECHNICAL UNIVERSITY – RTU (Latvia)
P2 TECHNICAL UNIVERSITY OF IASI – TUIASI (Romania)
P3 ECORES SPRL – ECORES (Belgium)
P4 AGRUPACION EMPRESARIAL INNOVADORA DE FABRICANTES DE MUEBLES Y AFINES DE LA REGION DE MURCIA– AMUEBLA (Spain)
P5 CENTRO TECNOLOGICO DE CALCADO DE PORTUGAL – CTCP (Portugal)
P6 TEXTILE TRADE ASSOCIATION – TEXTILE CLUSTER – TTA-TC (Macedonia)
3nd TECHNICAL MEETING
Design4Circle
21st – 22nd November 2019, S. João da Madeira
Meeting Venue: CENTRO TECNOLÓGICO DO CALÇADO DE PORTUGAL
Rua de Fundões -Devesa Velha, 3700-121
- João da Madeira, Portugal
AGENDA
| 21/11/2019 Thursday |
9:00 Pick-up at Porto and transport to CTCP (at hotels)
9:45 Welcome at CTCP
10:00 – 11:30 Round table meeting
9:45 – 10:00 Review of project – overview, administrative questions, timetable (RTU)
10:00 – 10:20 Related occupations matched with necessary skills – O1/A2 (AMUEBLA&CTCP)
10:20 – 10:40 Correspondence of main conclusions defined in O1/A3 to the new developed Curriculum (TUIASI)
10:40 – 11:00 Designed Curriculum O2 (RTU)
11:00 – 11:30 Harmonization of European Qualification Framework O2/A2 (TUIASI)
| 11:30 – 11:45 Coffee Break |
11:45 – 13:00 Round table meeting
11:45 – 12:10 Validation of the defined joint curriculum (TTA-TC)
12:10 – 12:35 Development of the guidelines for future curricula in other manufacturing sectors O2/A5 (CTCP)
12:35 – 12:45 Dissemination and exploitation (TTA-TC)
12:45 – 13:00 Quality assurance and risk monitoring (CTCP)
| 13:00 – 14:00 Lunch at CTCP |
14:00-14:30 Visit to the CTCP
14:30 -16.00 Round table meeting
14:30 – 15:00 Training materials and students guide development O3/A1, O3/A2 (TUIASI)
15:00 – 15:15 Translation and national considerations O3/A3 (all partners)
15:15 – 15:30 Ensure open licenses OER for training materials O3/A4 (CTCP)
15:30 – 16:00 E- learning platform and training test (AMUEBLA)
16:00 – 16:30 Structure of the pilot testing phase (CTCP)
Open Discussion
| 17.00 End of Meeting and transport to Porto |
20:00 Dinner in Porto (restaurant to be defined)
| 22/11/2019 Friday |
9:00 Pick-up at Porto (at hotels) and transport to Footwear company (to be defined)
10:00 Visit to companies
12:00 Closure of the meeting
12:30 Lunch
13:30 Return to Porto (Airport/hotels)
ZĪLE
ZĪLE is Latvian brand which production is based on concept of upcycling while trying to reflect it as symbol of identity, character and personality in the same time promoting green lifestyle.
We may describe 21st century as time of humankind returning to nature- demand and wish for eco-friendly products has increased widely therefore course of „upcycling” and green thinking is expierencing fast growth in different fields. Concept of „upcycling” is based on principle to restore existing materials and matter in order to create new, unique form that represents added value, identity and green lifestyle.
MISSION: Highlight personality and character through clothing in the same time creating green lifestyle promoting clothing collection using concept of upycling as well representing clothing as extensive and transformable materia in context of global environmental trend.
SC Cottontex SRL- Timisoara
SC CottonTex SRL is part of the TExmarket Company (Italy), a company which is specialized in the production of custom-made sportswear, owned by Widman family.
TExmarket is one of the leading producers of cycling apparel and also produces personalised apparel for running, winter sports, triathlon and various team sports such as soccer, basketball, handball etc. In 1993 they opened SC CottonTex in Timisoara, where they are sewing custom- made sportswear products. In 2017, Michael Widman and Andreas Godman shared a vision: Sustainability in the shape of upcycling and fair production conditions. They create Airpaq company, which produces trendy bag packs from airbags and old safety belts. These bag packs are sewn in Timisoara.
Airpaq works with the rejects of a major airbag manufacturer whilst the safety belt buckles are salvaged from scrapyards
Gnana Studio
Established in 2011 by former model Floriana Sandu, Gnana Studio, is an ethical and sustainable fashion label. Products are made with eco-friendly and recycled materials and locally woven textiles. Cotton and bamboo used in the collections came from antique shops or specialised warehouses and brought back to life via a transparent production process.
By recycling old materials, the designer says she saves huge amounts of water, and the carbon footprint of her brand is reduced. “In Romania, the fashion market is not mature enough because of economic reasons. The sustainable segment is underdeveloped, so it is hard to survive only on the local market,” Floriana Sandu says. Despite the difficulties, the brand increased its income by 107% during its second year of activity.
PATZAIKIN-the hemp initiative
Patzaikin is a Romanian fashion and lifestyle creative Ecosystem founded in 2011 in Bucharest by architect Teodor Frolu and his partner, Olympian Ivan Patzaichin.
Romanian Ivan Patzaichin is, with no doubt, a true champion. His career saw him win seven Olympic and 22 world championship medals for canoeing in the 1970s and 1980s. Now aged 69, Patzaichin developed a new passion: promoting his native Danube Delta while campaigning for slow tourism and sustainable food and fashion in the region.In 2011 he founded Patzaikin, alongside business partner, Teodor Frolu, and fashion designer Olah Gyarfas. “Our fundamental idea was always to use authentic Romanian materials,” Ivan Patzaichin explains. “We want to promote and revive what Romania used to be 30 years ago. Our country was the biggest exporter of hemp with well-developed textile industry,” he recalls.
From plant to the thread, to fabric, to product, our clothing is designed to be worn into the future. Apart from the seasonal trends of fashion, they become your very personal layers for timeless expression — clothes not as protection, but as membrane and link between humans and their environment.Our artisanal products highlight the rural-urban connection and are made from materials that were traditionally used by the Romanian folk.
Revestia
Тextiles exert various environmental impacts in their life cycle. The increase in consumption has consequences both in terms of increased textile waste flows and in terms of the environmental impacts associated with production, use and end-of-life management of textiles. For this purpose, a company was created. We are processing textile waste, which would be used for future use. Produces 100% recycled pieces of fiber used in pillow production.Currently, the company has machines and capacity for processing textile waste only from textile intuitions that produce quilts, pillows and filled mattress protectors. We recycle their waste and create a new product.Revestia has developed an industrial upcycling method that involves complete lifecycle analysis of home textile field products.
In our company, a supplier of textile material plays a very important role, which guarantees the quality and quantity of the textile material. It is necessary that the amount of waste we procure as waste for processing, be clean, without any other kind of mat
Atelier Irina Tosheva
Macedonia has been ranked Europe’s most polluted country, according to the European Environment Agency (November 2018).
People from creative industries are those who can convey a different world view and hence the responsibility to change things around us, for better.
Irina Tosheva is a Macedonian fashion brand, since 2012. A label that binds latest trends, technologies and various ways of creative expression.
Producing collections twice a year (spring/summer, fall/winter) hinges from a central theme, which inspires the fundamental prints, shapes, sustainable fabrics and presentation. Considered garments are defined as fresh, fun and forward thinking , as the process behind their creation runs deeper than just clean lines and following trends.
For the collections Tosheva collaborates with many artists and designers, actively participating in various projects to raise some awareness and philanthropy, as an integral part of her work.
Astibo Fashion Group
AFG has wide range of making garments for men, women and children form all kinds of fabrics, natural, synthetic and mixed fabrics, by which most used are cotton, linen, viscose and polyester. By reuse of fabrics, the textile companies can dispose the waste of the landfill and prolong its life cycle by using it like raw material to get textile, insulation fabrics, construction materials etc. Textile waste can be used as resource for new production. For example, for opportunity to reuse the textile waste is making protective work wear from recycled textile. Otherwise, the unused waste of fabrics that are not biodegradable, can pollute our natural environment.
Repurpose of the waste is done in collaboration with our partners who send us orders for making specific pieces and the production is made in our confection VIT.
BAIBA LADIGA
Conceptual Latvian fashion brand. Sustainable demi-couture fashion design. Brand based and produced in Latvia, available worldwide. Mainly black and white, made of natural materials like.
Brand’s philosophy: Fashion meets architecture and art.
Baiba Ladiga – Kobayashi (brand BAIBA LADIGA) is a conceptual designer based in Riga, Latvia. Designer has worked as a fashion design lecturer in Shanghai as well freelancer as a stylist and fashion illustrator internationally.Baiba Ladiga – Kobayashi is constantly looking for new shapes, materials and construction methods, very often draped, minimalistic, architectonic. Her garments and accessories are a perfect match for busy travelers or simply active life lovers, thanks to its functionality. Her idea is: fashion should follow our needs and not the opposite. Deconstruction plays a big role in the BAIBA LADIGA design as well.Besides Baiba Ladiga – Kobayashi main brand BAIBA LADIGA, designer has created diffusion line KOBAYASHI.
At the moment her collections are sold in EU, Japan and China. Her Avantgarde pieces are worn by style icons like Lily Gatins.