Fast Fashion Turns to Fast Trash

Fast Fashion Turns to Fast Trash

April 10, 2020
Lisa M. Spencer

Ghana imports large amounts of secondhand clothing from the UK and other countries, but poor quality makes much of it unsaleable.  Over 50 tons a day, representing about forty percent of the items coming into Kantamanto, the main market, end up being thrown away.

Landfill sites in Ghana are overflowing with the debris.  Low quality fast fashion items, cheap single use t-shirts from marathons or other special events, and unclean items have little to no value in the resale market.  Vendors gamble, buying their bales of used clothing sight unseen, and hope for the best.  Sadly, much of what they purchase will be thrown away, making Ghana and other African countries a dumping ground for other countries’ unwanted textile waste.

Video Spotlight: How fast fashion choices in the the UK are causing an environmental catastrophe in Ghana (Feb 18, 2020, ITV News)

This post is based on the Daily Mail article, The fast fashion trash mountain: Shocking report reveals today’s cheap clothes are so badly made they often can’t be resold—and end up rotting into a toxic soup in Africa, by Barbara Davies, February 25, 2020, and the YouTube video featured in Continue reading →

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Bug butter in Belgium

Bug butter in Belgium

April 3, 2020
Anita Lee-Post, Ph.D.

Scientists at Ghent University in Belgium succeeded in replacing butter with Black soldier fly larva fat in waffles, cakes, and cookies.  Not only is the insect food higher in protein, vitamin, fiber and minerals, it is also more environmentally friendly and cheaper than animal products.

Video Spotlight: Scientists bake cake using insect ‘butter’ and folks can’t tell the difference (Feb 28, 2020, Breaking News)

This post is based on the Reuters article, Waiter, there’s a fly in my waffle: Belgian researchers try out insect butter, by Jakub Riha, February 28, 2020, and the YouTube video featured in the Video Spotlight. Image source: © 2/James Worrell/Ocean/Corbis.

Discussion Questions:

1. What operational issues are addressed by replacing butter with larva fat?

Guidance: It addresses economic and sustainability issues. Insect-based food is more environmentally friendly, and less expensive, than animal products.

2. In what ways is larva fat more sustainable than butter?

Guidance: Insects use less land and are more efficient at converting feed than cattle.  Additionally, less water is used to produce butter.

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Small Changes By Walmart Lead to Hundreds of Millions in Savings

Small Changes By Walmart Lead to Hundreds of Millions in Savings

March 11, 2020
David Little, Ph.D.

Walmart is leveraging small cost savings projects to save major dollars across the supply chain.  The company plans to save $60 million by changing the way it buys shopping bags. By using recycled materials, Walmart has reported 15% savings on the cost of vests worn by workers.

Additional savings: $100 million annually by centralizing how it maintains equipment in its stores thru energy efficiency, and a whopping $200 million by changing the light bulbs in stores and parking lots.

These are just a few of the savings Walmart has identified. The company is improving its bottom line by finding ways to be more efficient with a special emphasis on sustainability.

Video Spotlight:

This post is based on the CNBC article, Walmart changed the way it buys shopping bags and saved $60 million – and that’s just one way it cut costs, by Lauren Thomas, February 18, 2020, and the YouTube videos featured in the Video Spotlight. Image source: SEG – ALL.

Discussion Questions:

1. Walmart seems to be Continue reading →

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