Green Flock: navigating sustainability challenges in the flock industry
Published Date
Beatrice Casati holds a Bachelor Degree in Economics and Management at Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore in Milan and a Master in Entrepreneurship and Innovation at Solvay University in Bruxelles. She is currently the CEO and Sales Director of Casati Flock, the third generation of the family busi-ness established in 1952. Committed to the future, she guides the company in producing textile powder from natural and synthetic fibers with a strong emphasis on sustainability and innovation, with a vision of revolutionizing the flock market. This ambitious goal is not just about transforming the industry but also making flock something universally recognized, spreading its potential transcending its current niche status. Her recent academic achievements include a Master Degree in sustainable fashion management and also a standard course in sustainability management, enriching her expertise with her commitment to becoming a sustainability manager within her company to not miss the opportunity to keep Casati Flock aligned with the goals of Agenda 2030.
• GREEN FLOCK: NAVIGATING SUSTAINABILITY CHALLENGES IN THE FLOCK INDUSTRY
This lecture explores the transformative impact of sustainability within the flock industry, addressing misconceptions and urging a reevaluation of choices. The lecture sheds light on the industry‘s chal- lenges in the context of broader textile developments.
Here below we have a quick overview of the topics we will face during this first “green lecture”:
• Sustainability, ESG and Agenda 2030: a general overview of what sustainability is and its KPIs and global guidelines
• Flock Essence: examines the common misconception surrounding flock as an unsustainable element and its challenges amidst global climate changes
• Informed Decision-Making:fosters awareness for making informed choices, emphasizing the importance of understanding and reevaluating materials used in flock production
• Ecodesign Principles:embrace the principles of ecodesign and assess material compatibility as crucial factors for sustainable evolution
• Material Exploration:delve into recycled and alternative materials, challenging preconceived notions about their viability compared to traditional options
• Certifications: investigate the significance of certifications as essential benchmarks for ensuring sustainable practices in material management
• Innovative Approaches: engage with the latest developments in sustainable fibers or dyes, and how flock should approach them
• Collective Vision: a collective effort to pave the way for a greener and more sustainable future for the flock industry
The overall goal of this lecture is to raise awareness that the planet is facing major problems such as climate change and resource depletion and that our flock sector is also responsible for all of this and therefore we need to gain more knowledge about it.
This lecture aims to give a general overview of what sustai-nability is, what indicators are used to measure it, what is currently being asked at a global level by the 2030 agenda and starting from this general topic, to come up with the first concepts and reflections on how this topic is impacting and will impact the flock world. We need to be aware that the world of flock deals with many critical issues related to sustainability in general, for example:
• textile raw materials and their environmental impact
• chemical products used in the raw materials themsel- ves and in the manufacturing processes both during flock production but also in flocking
• the flocking technique with the related problems during the application phase
• recyclability of flocked products
There are many other topics that concern sustainability issues of our sector, but as already mentioned, this lecture aims to be a starting point to give an overall vision and a beginning to subsequently set up a road map of how to improve the various critical points.
So, it‘s up to us to figure out how to make things better.
• WHAT IS SUSTAINABILITY?
“If you really think the economy is more important than the environment,
try holding your breath whilst you countyour money. ” --Dr Guy McPherson
First off, let‘s talk about what sustainability means. It‘s about finding ways to use resources wisely so that we don‘t harm the environment or future generations. We want to balance making money with taking care of the planet and treating people fairly.
• HOW ESG DRIVES THE 2030 AGENDA
The ESG (Environment, Social and Governance) criteria and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the 2030 Agenda are two essential levers for evaluating and promoting sustainability in different sectors.
The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) represent a set of 17 global goals adopted by the United Nations in 2015 as part of the 2030 Agenda, approved during the United Nations Summit on Sustainable Develop- ment, which was held from 25 to 27 September 2015, in New York. During this summit, world leaders formally adopted the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, which includes 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and 169 specific objectives. These goals cover a wide range of issues, including poverty, hunger, health, education, gender equality, clean water, sustainable energy, biodiversity, decent work, innovation industry and climate action.
ESG criteria, which concern environmental, social and governance aspects, are the three pillars used by investors and organizations to evaluate the sustainable performance and social responsibility of companies.
In summary, ESG and SDGs are complementary tools used to evaluate and promote sustainability. The SDGs provide global guidance to address broader sustainability challenges, while the ESGs offer specific criteria for evaluating corporate environmental, social and governance performance.
• FLOCK IS ONLY SYINTHETIC AND IS NOT SUSTAINABLE: A BIG MISCONCEPTION
The first big problem is that few people outside our sector know what flock is, those few who know it often only associate it with synthetic fibers and therefore reflexively think that it is all unsustainable. Imagine, starting from such a base of little knowledge, how difficult it can be to connect the flock to sustainability. But there is this possibility: to educate and make known.
Now, when it comes to the flock industry, we have some challenges concerning sustainability. For a long time, people thought flock wasn‘t very good for the environment. Of course on one side we have critical aspects, but on the other one we still have big opportunities to do things better and offer more environmentally friendly products and services.
One big idea is to use different materials that are better for the planet. Instead of always using new stuff, we can recycle things like textile or plastic materials or use natural materials like linen or hemp. These changes can help us make flock in a way which is kinder to the Earth.
• ECODESIGN – FLOCK CON BE ECODESIGNED?
But it‘s not just about what we use; it‘s also about how we make things. We can design products to last longer and to be easily recycled. Moreover, we can find ways to reuse materials instead of throwing them away.
What is Ecodesign? Ecodesign involves designing or redesigning products, services, processes or systems to avoid or repair damage to the environment, society and the economy. Ecodesign is present all around us - in sustainable flooring, green energy heating systems, eco-friendly packaging and even recyclable products. The main goal of eco design is to anticipate and minimize negative environmental impacts.
Certainly an important aspect is to question ecodesign and the compatibility of materials. A simple example is packaging or fabric: beyond the visual or tactile aspect or the technical characteristics of a synthetic flock compared to a natural flock, let‘s think of a flocked packaging or any flocked base. If the base is made of cellulose and therefore paper, we should ask ourselves whether applying a nylon flock is the best choice for the end of life of that packaging.
• TRANSPARENCY AND COLLABORATION
It‘s also important to be honest about how we make flock. We should tell people where we get our materials from and make sure workers are treated fairly. Being open about these things helps build trust with customers and makes sure everyone is doing their part to protect the planet.
• IMPROVEMENTS - A FIRST STEP
Now, let‘s talk about where we need to improve. Sometimes, making flock can use too many chemicals or water and also raw material that have an impact too. And we can create a lot of waste too that ends up in landfills. We need to find ways to fix these problems.
As a group, we can take some steps to make things better:
1. Research better ways to make flock that are kinder to the planet.
2. Teach people in the industry about eco-friendly practices.
3. Ask lawmakers to make rules that help the environment.
4. Work together and share ideas to make progress faster.
5. Reward companies that are doing a great job at making eco-friendly flock.
In the end, making the flock industry more sustainable is something we all need to work on together. Let‘s not just talk about it; let‘s take action and make a real difference.
This article is reprinted with permission from the European Flocking Association. Unauthorized secondary distribution is prohibited