Ethicality and Sustainability
- Natalie McComb
- Dec 1, 2015
- 2 min read
Coming to the end of my first year of my textiles degree gave me the opportunity to develop myself ready for my next level of study. A module which really allowed me to question textiles as a whole involved the study of contextual issues surrounding the industry. I have more of a flare for creative working, however, from skills gained in my A levels and previous degree course I am also very academically minded so when it came to undertake this module I was looking forward to creating that balance between the practical side of my working and the more academically focused side. The issue that I addressed in my research and final essay was ethicality and sustainability something which whilst I haven't done a lot of work on it I've always had a vested interest in looking deeper into the industry.
The first challenge came in the creation of my question. From presentations delivered by lecturers to my own further research into the topic I narrowed the perimeters of my question to create a very niche and specific area in which I would be exploring. Re worked and re worded questions with continual tweaks occurred throughout my investigation but I found I could not fully finalise it until I had completely concluded my essay. My question delved into looking at the industry from the first element of the supply chain and the impact it had on its workers and British Manufacturing- “To what benefit does the British off shored manufacture of the textile industry affect the ethical rights of the workforce overseas?"
Image: Rana Plaza Factory collapse. http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/news/world/asia/article3747431.ece Image: A young child working in a cotton field in India. http://labs.theguardian.com/unicef-child-labour/
This particular topic turned out to be one of the most interesting areas I have ever researched and quite frankly I could have easily written a 5,000 word essay rather than just a 2,000 word one. I did not realise it would make me so emotive and passionate- making me really question what is my impact doing to this area of the industry. Perceptions of companies completely changed and developed continually through the development of my research and essay. As textile designers it's our job to challenge and question such issues and to aid in some way or find ways around them.
How sustainable are the yarns we are using?
Reading, researching, analysing and trying to come up with a conclusion on this matter made me question the impact I personally have and the way I can incorporate these ethicality and sustainability issues into my own practice. Whilst it's not possible for me at the moment to make any significant impact on the ethicality issues at the beginning of the supply chain I will continue to support the development of the worldwide textiles industry to ensure that the risk of incidents such as the Rama Plaza collapse are minimised in the future. Sustainability on the other hand is something I really to incorporate into my working, anything from using waste weft yarns to finding alternatives for cotton and polyester that do not use as much water or energy could make an impact in the long run. Whilst this may not be possible continually throughout my working I will endeavour to make sure it is always kept in mind.