Current textile production is not ecologically sustainable. Experts estimate that textile
industry is responsible for 5 - 8 % of global greenhouse gas emissions. The majority of
these are produced at the production sites themselves, e.g. by using raw materials that are not ecologically sustainable. While further 10 % are caused by the supply chains of textile materials.
An innovative, interdisciplinary seminar was designed and implemented as part of the
Leuphana complementary studies programme, which deals with rethinking the textile
industry. Students from all disciplines can attend the seminar.
The first phase is to impart knowledge about textile materials, their properties, their
production processes and their environmental impact using the ‘flipped classroom’
approach. A material quiz is used to deepen knowledge, raise awareness and physically
feel the individual materials. In order to further address the environmental impact of
textile materials, a climate puzzle is carried out to demonstrate the interrelationships
involved in climate change. After an introduction to production simulation, the students develop innovative approaches to improve the sustainability of textile materials in group projects. The variety of developed approaches exceeded our expectations. Moreover, the teaching evaluation shows that the students are satisfied with the course and their increased knowledge. On a 5-point Likert scale (1= strongly disagree; 5= strongly agree), the students indicated that they were very satisfied with the course overall with a mean value of 4.1 (N=11). In addition, it was found that most students had very little knowledge about textile materials and their environmental impact or their influence on climate change. The innovative concepts illustrate the potential for sustainable textile materials and the need for sustainable developments in this area. The simulation models developed help to measure the sustainability of textile materials by focusing the production and supply chain. At least two further rounds of the seminar are planned in the future.