Sustainable SAIC

03/12/2020

So what can we do about it ?
Synthetic clothing is the most affordable clothing, but for a solution it needs to accessible by everyone.
Therefore the solution can start with our washing machines, they can be designed to reduce waste. A front load machine also reduces the emissions rather than a top load machine.
Textile manufactures could design fabrics that shed less.
Mainly the two recommendations are to buy fewer clothes and wash only when necessary.

From the Article: Much of the microplastic problem is a plastic clothing problem
How much plastic is your washing machine sending out to sea?
https://www.vox.com/the-goods/2018/9/19/17800654/clothes-plastic-pollution-polyester-washing-machine

03/10/2020

Multiple studies have been taken place for the release of fibers, 2011 study found that 1,900 fibers could be released from a single synthetic garment in one wash. Overall 1 million fibers could be released from washing polyester. Top loading machines, release 7 times more than front.
There are multiple factor which also affect this-
-Water temperature
-Detergent type
-Fabric softener
-How full the machine is
Some of the plastic finds its way through the sewage system and start accumulating through the food chain.

From the Article : More than ever, our clothes are made of plastic. Just washing them can pollute the oceans.
How much plastic is your washing machine sending out to sea?

03/05/2020

Much of the microplastic problem is a plastic clothing problem
Synthetic fibers come off in the wash, the machines are not able to catch them. They further go into the sewage and end up being in the ocean. A test was carried out to identify how many fibers were shed in a wash, they tested a polyester cotton blend T-shirt, acrylic sweater and a polyester hoodie (Results are in the images below).

From the Article : More than ever, our clothes are made of plastic. Just washing them can pollute the oceans.
How much plastic is your washing machine sending out to sea?

03/03/2020

Did you know, one of the major source for plastic in our ocean is our clothes. Synthetic materials are the cause of this, the fabric leaches into the environment just by being washed. A single load of laundry can release hundreds of thousands of fibers into the water supply. We need to recognize that clothing is our major source of problem and find a solution for it.

From the Article : More than ever, our clothes are made of plastic. Just washing them can pollute the oceans.
How much plastic is your washing machine sending out to sea?

02/13/2020

STELLA MCCARTNEY
One of the very famous luxury fashion brand. Their aim is to prove that it is possible to create luxurious products without causing unnecessary harm to the planet. They are sustainable in many ways
1. Materials and innovation
2. Social sustainability
3. Measuring the environmental profit and loss

Sustainable materials they make use of
1. Reengineered cashmere
2. Fibres from forests
3. Fur free fur
4. Organic cotton
5. Recycled nylon and polyester

Although the one unsustainable material they use is Metal, which they are planning to change with sourcing recyclable options.

Go visit their website
https://www.stellamccartney.com/us?gclid=EAIaIQobChMI1piSmMnP5wIVkYbACh14mgPfEAAYASAAEgLUT_D_BwE&tp=62356

02/11/2020

OUTDOOR VOICES
Our third brand in the Sustainable brand series. Adult high quality activewear, with the motive to go outside and be active. They produce through the lens of longevity and circularity to reduce environmental impact.
Few things they do to be Sustainable:
1. Reducing use of conventional fabric
2. Packaging that is both recycled and recyclable
3. All there stores have a recycled rubber flooring
4. They run a car-less computer program
5. Events to eliminate single use plastics

List of their fabrics:
1. RecPoly
2. MegaFleece
3. CloudKnit
4. Cotton Terry

Packaging ideas:
1. Reusable totes
2. E-commerce deliveries
3. Replacing poly bags with paper alternatives

Visit their website for knowing their future goals
https://www.outdoorvoices.com

02/06/2020

PATAGONIA
Our second brand in the Sustainable brand series. Activewear, swimwear and apparel company. The main aim is for a positive impact on the society, and be sustainable in as many fields as possible.
Few things they do to be sustainable:
1. Use recycled materials and use organic cotton
2. Labor ethics and working with fair trade certificate

Few of the lists of their recycled materials:
1. H**p
2. Recycled down
3. Recycled nylon
4. Refibra lyocell
5. Tencel Lyocell

Go visit their website for more information
https://www.patagonia.com/home/

02/04/2020

PACT
Our first brand in the Sustainable clothing brand series, the goal is to make clothes that make the world a better place.
Few things which makes this brand sustainable:
1. Use Harvested and grown organic cotton, all clothes are 100% cotton
2. Zero harmful chemicals
3. Use less water than conventional cotton
4. Offer ways to recycle or reuse old clothing, towels and linens
And the best part is it’s affordable!

Go visit there website to know more
https://wearpact.com/about

12/12/2019

Sustainability was a dominating theme this year at the 17th edition of the Art Basel Miami!

Read the article below for more details!

https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2019/dec/10/art-basel-miami-climate-crisis?CMP=share_btn_link

Away from the $120,000 banana, artists have been using their work to comment on and bring awareness to the climate emergency

12/10/2019

REBORN is an initiative by Fashion for good, which include brands which reduce the need to use new resources to create apparel and footwear.

To know more about this read the article below!

https://fashionforgood.com/our_news/fashion-for-goods-new-shop-theme-explores-circular-fashion-brands/

Fashion for Good launched its new Good Shop theme REBORN yesterday. REBORN dives into the brands that are trying to close the loop in fashion, creating apparel and footwear that is circular and reduces the need to use new resources.

12/06/2019

Initiative for sustainable coffee: ThanksGiving coffee, a movement developing a unique style of craftsmanship-coffee roasting. Committed to ethical and sustainable ways of working.

Here’s a video, to know more about it!
https://youtu.be/DFwWQF6xtgc

Paul Katzeff, co-founder and CEO of Thanksgiving Coffee Company, discusses how the sustainable and fair trade coffee movements began in the 1980s. "When I go...

12/03/2019

Go have a look!!
Patriotic Act with Hasan Minhaj
Episode 2: The Ugly Truth of Fast Fashion.

Here are a Few points he covers in the episode:
1. Facts about Fast fashion with real time examples
2. Social media, how people “do it for the gram”
3. Child labour
4. How counterfeits are different from knockoffs
5. Also last but not the least truth bombs about the resources used in the industry.

https://www.netflix.com/title/80239931?s=i&trkid=13747225

Every Sunday, Hasan Minhaj brings an incisive and nuanced perspective to global news, politics and culture in his unique comedy series.

11/26/2019

Check this out!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p3Z8TodvNuM

Help me make more videos like this via Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/OurChangingClimate In this Our Changing Climate environmental video essay, I investig...

11/22/2019

Did you know SAIC is going carbon neutral ?
If you don’t know what carbon neutral is, here’s what it means!

https://www.facebook.com/CarbonNeutralAustralia/videos/10153529953783091/

11/19/2019

Come join us as we discuss about sustainability! Make sure to be there on Nov 21st at 12 pm

09/27/2019

“A new Chicago Council Survey of the US public shows that Democrats name climate change as the most critical foreign policy threat facing the country, also for the first time.”
How did last week’s Global Climate Strike turn out? There were over 2,500 events scheduled in over 163 countries all inspired by Swedish activist Greta Thunberg. Friday’s strike was most likely the largest climate strike in history, and it was formed by inspired youths all around the world.

https://eos.org/articles/surveys-say-climate-change-is-a-top-election-issue-for-democrats

As Democratic candidates debate in Miami, Fla., new surveys indicate that climate change and clean energy are among the top priorities for Democratic voters in 2020.

09/24/2019

Youths today are standing together for the urgency of climate change. Learn more about the powerful youth leaders of our time.
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/09/20/climate/climate-strikes-protests.html?module=inline

Around the globe, young people are demanding action on climate change in a day of protest. Meet eight of the local leaders.

09/19/2019

Join Chicago's Global Climate Strike tomorrow at 11:00am from Grant Park to Federal Plaza!

'Even though it is slow, the pace is picking up and the debate is shifting,' Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg tells a rapturous audience at George Washington University

09/17/2019

!!Recommended read!!: David Wallace-Wells, editor of New York magazine and author of The Uninhabitable Earth says he grew up thinking “casually” about climate change, but in 2016, he noticed much more alarming reports about the threats of global warming. Climate change is happening much faster than you think, and in this book, he expands on the dramatic changes humanity will face not only environmentally but politically, culturally, technologically, and economically.
Check out Dave Chang’s podcast with David Wallace-Wells on Luminary:
https://luminarypodcasts.com/listen/the-ringer/the-dave-chang-show/combating-the-climate-catastrophe-with-david-wallace-wells-the-dave-chang-show/a644ddb9-337a-4aef-80af-4e9f3713c5da

09/16/2019

Research has shown that the global average temperature will rise to a catastrophic 4.3 degrees in our century. The Paris agreement declared to keep the average well below 2 degrees, but what would it look like if the world was only 1.5 degrees warmer?
Here’s a simple graphic provided by CarbonBrief to break down the difference between that 0.5 degree difference.
Visit https://interactive.carbonbrief.org/impacts-climate-change-one-point-five-degrees-two-degrees/?utm_source=web&utm_campaign=Redirect
for more

09/12/2019

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/08/28/books/review/inconspicuous-consumption-tatiana-schlossberg.html

In “Inconspicuous Consumption,” Tatiana Schlossberg looks at all the ways we have an effect on the environment — and the limits of consumer activism.

09/10/2019

Confused about which everyday items are recyclable? Check out Chicago's guide on RecycleByCity.com // https://www.recyclebycity.com/chicago/guide

08/27/2019

07/29/2019

https://www.instagram.com/p/Bz_VmT4HFfb/?igshid=1n5f8yhuhg2v0

07/22/2019

“The hotter it gets, the more the stuff in plastic can move into food or drinking water.”

07/20/2019

Three design students in Taiwan have created a pollution art project called Polluted Water Popsicles that has become a viral sensation.

07/19/2019

Bees are busiest in the summer months, when the hive needs to be at its maximum strength, but no one is productive without proper nutrition and hydration. Make sure to stay safe in this heat!

07/19/2019

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/07/01/climate/europe-heat-wave.html

Across Europe in June, heat records shattered. In years to come, researchers say, many more heat waves are likely to batter the Continent.

07/18/2019

Our single-use items aren't helping the fight against climate change but there are easy hacks to reduce and reuse. Climate Lab is produced by the University ...

07/18/2019

In the city of Chicago, the newly active C-PACE program will assist building owners by providing funding for energy efficiency, sustainability and renewable energy infrastructure deployed in new or existing buildings. The program will provide 100% of funding over 20+ years and will allow the building owners to spread out their payments during that length of time. For more information, please visit the following link: http://ow.ly/B9wG30p7a39

07/11/2019

Tons and tons of Chicago recycling isn't getting recycled. ... Under city rules, one plastic bag or food item improperly placed in a recycling bin could mean the whole bin is labeled “grossly contaminated” and its contents taken to a landfill. It’s important to make sure the right things find their ways to the right places and not the streets, water, or landfills.

07/11/2019

https://www.timeout.com/chicago/restaurants/farmers-markets-in-chicago-find-fresh-vegetables-and-fruits

Fins fresh vegetables and fruit in Logan Square, Pullman, Bronzeville and more with our guide to the best Chicago famers markets.

07/08/2019

What does the American Civil War have to do with oral hygiene? Find out in the first episode of "The Story of Plastic" where we investigate how everyday obje...

07/05/2019

| Try getting out to enjoy the local gardens & parks, even in the institute’s courtyards, while the rain is at bay.

07/01/2019

Gotham Greens is a local fresh produce company that grows leafy greens right here in Chicago, as well as NY, and is adding even more to their current initiative in Pullman.

06/29/2019

According to the Associated Press, Environmental activists guess that New Yorkers use about twenty-three billion plastic baggage every year. New York State lawmakers obligatory a statewide ban on most kinds of single-use plastic baggage from retail sales to check the upsetting supply of litter. This...

06/28/2019

Over the last 3 day’s we’ve been fortunate enough to not only participate in, but also assist in hosting the conference on sustainability for Common Ground

06/27/2019

Check out how students at UC Berkeley have found a way to recycle & reuse scraps from old 3D printing projects

UC Berkeley students have established an initiative to collect and recycle the plastic left behind from 3D printers on campus. Full story: http://news.berkel...

06/26/2019

https://sustainableamerica.org/blog/four-ways-to-help-bees/

Sustainable America helps foster sustainable solutions to long-term food and fuel needs by inspiring people to take action

06/26/2019

Our hive came last week just in time for and they’ve been busy bees through rain & shine ever since! 🐝☀️