B Corp Month – Dare to B Better

Mar 13, 2023 | News

March 2023: It’s B-Corp Month and a timely reminder that there are a great many businesses like ours delivering big impact in the world. We were delighted to see the QSA logo listed with honour next to a host of other women-led B Corps as part of International Womens Day 2023.

It’s also a good time to reflect on other organisations having a huge impact, whether they’re B Corps or not. Here are things that caught our eye over the last few weeks.

 

Textile waste – small volumes but a huge carbon impact

Zero Waste Scotland published research assessing the carbon impacts of typical household waste in Scotland. It’s latest report (available here) estimates that although textile waste only accounted for 4% of the weight of household waste in 2020, it makes up 32% of the carbon impact of what’s in the bin!

We’d like to see a comparative assessment of the bins across the rest of the UK, the previous data from WRAP for 2017 shows textiles at 4.7% of household waste – but things may have changed since the pandemic.

 

Green claims in the fashion sector

We’re also eager to see the outcome of the Competition & Markets Authority’s investigation into green claims in the fashion sector. With so many brands claiming sustainable clothing, recycled content, and lower-impact fibres it’s hard for consumers to work out whether the wool’s being pulled over their eyes (or, indeed, where the wool came from.)

The public is already calling out brands for sustainability claims that don’t seem to align with linear fast fashion business models, and brands must step up their game on switching to circular options quickly. If your brand needs some help, drop us a line at hello@qsapartners.co.uk. 

If you’re interested in circularity, see our other displacement work:
» One In Three Buy Used Clothes – Is Your Brand Missing Out?
» Understanding the environmental savings of buying pre-owned fashion

 

The fashion industry must act – the government is putting a pause on EPR

It’s also evident from recent news that the UK Government is focusing on sorting out Extended Producer Responsibility on packaging before it moves on to the textiles and fashion sector. While that might feel like a regulatory reprieve, it’s not going to help deliver the changes needed to tackle the sector’s climate impacts or meet the vision set out by the Institute of Positive Fashion in its Circular Fashion Ecosystem report.

We think that industry can play a major role in helping the Government develop EPR in a way that is fair, balanced and based on good evidence and data.

 

QSA coming to events near you soon!

If you want some advice on circular business models, you can catch up with us at the following events!

 

Jennifer Decker/

I enable businesses to reduce their business and product impacts from setting out a sustainability strategy to supporting the delivery of circular business models. Businesses I have supported include High Speed 1 Ltd, Cotton Incorporated, Argent, Heathrow Expansion, Northern Trust Bank, EDF New Nuclear Build, EY, Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Defence.

I specialise on working within an organisation which has included my tenure as sustainability specialist at EDF New Nuclear Build and at WRAP developing their Textiles 2030 agreement and produced their 2030 circular textiles pathway working with the major retailers, reuse & recycling businesses and charities.

Prior to QSA, I was an associate director at Mace Group where I enabled built environment clients to deliver their carbon reduction programmes and sustainable construction strategies by setting measurable KPIs and targets; creating tools to monitor; embed performance standards in procurement and communication.

Previously, I led the Sustainable Clothing Action Plan at WRAP setting the 2020 targets, strategy and implementation for the UK clothing industry.

Kristina Bull /

I led our project with Laudes Foundation and ReLondon on the Circular Fashion Fast Forward project that saw us develop circular models with adidas; FW and Farfetch as well as lay the foundations for Ted Baker’s work in this area.

I am leading the development of a fibre specific recycling programme within Europe which will be launched in early 2022.

I am an apparel durability expert with track record of change implementation at Whistles, ASOS, COS and worked with WRAP and John Lewis to produce a durability and quality guide for brands.

I have advised low carbon, resource efficiency and sustainability strategy development at Heathrow and High Speed 1 Ltd, and continue to lead the support work for HS1 through to their participation at COP26 in November 2021.

Before QSA at WRAP I delivered the market engagement and recruitment drive for the WRAP Halving Waste to Landfill agreement in the built environment sector.

Gerrard Fisher /

I have a strong track record in sustainability with a wide range of clients. My original background is in process and chemical engineering so I’ve been in to process and resource efficiency since graduating a long time ago!

I’ve supported circular business model transformation in companies such as adidas, Argos, ASOS, B&Q (Kingfisher), FARFETCH, FW, Samsung, MuJo Fitness and more: I led a team that created WRAP’s original circular business model project called REBus.

I have extensive experience working with electrical and electronic products, and I worked with many major global brands on improving design for durabiltiy and repairabilitly. Examples of projects I led include:

  • Groundbreaking research into the nature of mercury hazards in flat-panel TVs (leading to industry voluntary labelling)
  • Creation of design guides for retail buyers so they could improve the durability (and reduce warranty costs) of their own-brand products.
  • Delivery of communication campaigns that increased e-waste recycling collections by over 40% in target areas.

Through my past work at WRAP and beyond, I’ve also advised a range of governmental and NGO organisations on resource efficiency, ecodesign and circular economy including Defra, BEIS, Zero Waste Scotland, ReLondon and Oxfordshire County Council. I provide technical advisory and independent expert advice to UKRI, the European Commission, the US Government’s Department of Energy.

I get a kick out of helping businesses understand and meet their customers’ needs better - whether that’s through better business models, better product design or better communication and transparency.

This has also led me to take an interest in privacy and data management - which can be a big barrier to people reusing and recycling some of their old electrical stuff. As a result, I set up a business called Astrid to provide cost-effective privacy advice to small businesses so they can better protect their customer information.

Mark Hodgson /

I specialise on the innovation and proposition development of new customer orientated, commercially driven circular and sharing business model to market. I have a particular experience of working on circular models with sectors that are impacted by the change in lifestyles, consumption, digital mobility, electric infrastructure and NetZero, on place. Examples range from retail; IKEA, adidas, B&Q, ASOS, FarFetch, developers and OEM’s; Landsec & Samsung, mobility; Riversimple, HS1 & Co Cars and authorities; Oxford County Council and Exeter Velocities/Exeter City Council. Across all of these, I have helped deliver the propositions, services, operations and infrastructure to enable deployment. 

As a director of Co-cars, multi-modal shared e-mobility provider of EV cars, e-bikes and e-cargo bikes, I have first-hand experience of the impact and change this market can have on people and place, through working with local authorities and housing developers. 

I understand what processes and techniques to apply, how to encourage growth and change mindsets, and how to build a customer-focused, commercially viable business model that delivers circular and environmental benefits. My background is business development, technology and markets having worked for international companies to local SMEs. I've worked in a wide range of projects from global business propositions, sales as a service, sharing and circular business models, ‘low carbon’ LEP economic strategies, climate change adaptation, renewable energy, clean tech sector development and public sector partnerships to technical research, international development and project delivery management.

Being a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society and geographer at heart I've worked on sustainable development projects and film productions in locations in Africa, Asia and Europe.