A partnership between the School of Natural Sciences and planet friendly packaging supplier, Priory Direct, has successfully developed a science-backed tool to help the fashion and retail industry measure and minimise the environmental impact of their packaging and supply chains.
Dr Rob Barker’s expertise in chemistry and environmental science has been instrumental in the creation of a Life Cycle Assessment model that goes beyond traditional carbon footprint calculations. His contribution has ensured the model’s accuracy and effectiveness, reinforcing the University and Priory Direct’s shared commitment to a circular economy and a net-zero future.
The completed model incorporates crucial environmental factors such as microplastic generation and the excessive accumulation of nutrients in water (eutrophication), providing businesses with comprehensive, industry standards-compliant data to make informed, sustainable decisions.
The collaboration was supported by Innovate UK through their first Accelerated Knowledge Transfer (AKT) competition themed around ‘circular fashion’. Similar to the highly-regarded Knowledge Transfer Partnership programme, AKTs support innovative partnerships between businesses and universities but on a much shorter time scale of two to four months.
Dr Rob Barker said: ‘The project gave us the freedom to develop a full Life Cycle Assessment model for the packaging supply chain in the fashion and retail industry, enabling us to go beyond the commonly used approaches which are often limited in scope or make excessive assumptions which aren’t backed up by science in an attempt to ‘greenwash’ the environmental impact of a business.
‘The AKT scheme also created an opportunity for us to embed a Kent student directly within Priory Direct’s operations to deliver the project rapidly and effectively. This wouldn’t have been possible without the close partnership that developed as a result and Priory Direct’s vision to be truly transparent in their approach to measuring and reporting environmental impact.’
Josh Pitman, Managing Director at Priory Direct, said: ‘Through our partnership with the University of Kent, we have successfully developed a framework that empowers retailers with complete transparency over their packaging and supply chain impacts. The model we have developed is widening the lens so that we are not just limited to the simplistic parameters of most Life Cycle Assessments, which only look at greenhouse gas emissions. There are many other factors to consider. The LCA not only helps our clients make science-based, sustainable choices but has potential to drive industry-wide change’