How Much CO2 is Emitted into the Environment by the Supply Chain of Producing and Transporting the ISF Academy School Uniform?

Abstract:

The fashion industry contributes 8-10% of global carbon dioxide emissions every year (Niinimäki, K (2020)) as a result of pollution from the supply chain, wasteful consumption habits, and the use of unsustainable and hard to recycle materials. The ISF Academy invests in sustainability practices, and aims to become one of the most sustainable schools in Hong Kong. Sustainability encompasses the whole school environment including what we consume. Uniforms are an essential item that the 1,953 ISF students consume, and in turn, should be considered for their environmental impact. By researching the school uniforms journey from raw material to the final product, I will be able to give recommendations as to how ISF could potentially lower their impact on the environment. In this project, I aim to investigate the quantity of carbon emissions created through the supply chain of producing and transporting the ISF school uniform to campus, ready to wear. Data will be collected by creating an ISF uniform inventory to inform on the extent of items and fabrics used and by conducting interviews with the uniform supplier, Klover, and surveying PTA representatives to gather uniform information to inform a uniform’s journey prior to purchase. Analysis and extrapolation of the collated quantitative and qualitative data to the whole student community should allow a snapshot of the carbon emissions associated with the production and transportation supply chain for the school uniform. This will allow consideration of alternative supply chain options, such as different fabrics, local sourcing, transportation types or change in required uniform items to decrease carbon emissions produced.