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Learning Outcomes

1.9 and 2.5

Learning Intentions

I will learn about consumer responsibilities

I will reflect on the impact of my shopping.

I will learn about the impact businesses have on the environment through the production of clothes.

How might you use this stimulus material in class?

This video provides a great introduction to Fast Fashion - defining the problem and outlining the role of social and financial organisations in the industry.

Support resources: the question quadrant provides open and closed questions to support student discussion.

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Learning Outcomes:
- 1.11 and 2.4
Learning Intentions:
- Calculate a wage slip and personal tax liability.
- Know the rights and responsibilities of employees and employers.
- Understand tights and responsibilities from different perspectives.
Learning Experience:
- Complete a payslip using the current minimum wage.
- Research the WRC website and list a number of rights and responsibilities of the employees and employers.

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Learning outcome 1.2 and 1.12

Learning Intentions
I will learn about income and Taxation
I will discuss wage inequalities that exist in Ireland and Globally
I will examine this may impact me or others in the future.

Stimulus material
-Stats, picographs.
- Also see video on female labour force in LDC

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LCommunities respond to power station closures one year on

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Learning outcomes
2.4 and 2.5

Learning Intentions -
Distinguish between the rights and responsibilities of employer and employee from a legal, social, ethical and environmental perspective
Identify the positive & negative impacts on a community organisation from an economic, social and environmental perspective

How might you use this stimulus material?

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Communities respond to power station closures one year on

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Learning Outcomes:
2.4
Learning Intentions:
-I will learn about the environmental rights of an employer and employee.
-I will learn about employment law.
Learning Experiences
-Group work- discuss and make a list of things that employees could do in a workplace to reduce waste and save energy.
- Watch the video - create a mind-map on the different acts.

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Learning Outcomes
*3.2 and 2.5

Learning Intentions
*I will identify the benefits for a company to reduce the environmental impact of food production.
*I will learn about food production and waste and it's effect on the environment.

Learning Experience
*Case Study - Read the article below and identify the Economical, Social and Environmental benefits that an individual and a business can make to Sustainability
Food waste facts 2022 (businesswaste.co.uk)

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From time to time, we're all guilty of leaving some leftovers on our plates- whether you are eating out at a restaurant and aren't enjoying your meal or try to avoid eating your vegetables as much as possible. While this issue may seem pretty minor, food waste is actually a global environmental issue that must be resolved sooner rather than later - here's why.

What is food waste?

To put it simply, food waste refers to any food products that are thrown away as opposed to being consumed. Typically, this waste can be split into four categories:

By-product food waste. This refers to solid and liquid food by-products created through the manufacturing or production process or agricultural practices. This could include peels and trimmings from fruits & veg.

Expired products. This refers to products that have surpassed their sell-by date in shops and supermarkets and cannot be consumed.

Leftovers. This could refer to leftovers created in your household or leftovers acquired within restaurants and food preparation.

Bakery and packaged food waste. This could refer to unsold food items that could spoil quickly or packaging waste.

Food waste facts.
While there are many provisions in place to reduce food waste, the UK produces the highest amount of food waste in Europe.

Over ⅓ of all food produced globally goes to waste.
The UK throws away around 9.5 million tonnes of food waste in a single year - even though 8.4 million people in the UK are in food poverty.
Billions of pounds are wasted each year when food is disposed of unnecessarily.

What are some examples of food waste?

Just about any item of food can be classified as 'food waste'. However, according to a recent study by River Cottage, the most commonly wasted items are:

Bread
Milk
Potatoes
Cheese
Apples

What are the main causes of food waste?

There are many different causes of food waste. However, the leading causes are:

Shops, supermarkets, or restaurants ordering too many products that will not sell.
Poor education regarding how we should dispose of food waste.
Lack of awareness of expiry dates, meaning that food is left to spoil instead of being used.

UK food waste statistics

Why is food waste a problem?

Food waste presents a significant problem due to the volume of waste that is produced each year. In fact, in the UK alone, it's estimated that we throw away around 9.5 million tonnes of food waste annually. The vast majority of food waste ends up in a landfill site - which are already overcrowded. While many people do not view this as an issue as food items degrade naturally over time, it contributes heavily to global warming and the erosion of the OZ layer.

This is because food waste releases a great deal of methane gas as it breaks down. According to a report by the EPA, methane is 25 times more harmful than carbon dioxide because it can trap heat within the atmosphere.

Furthermore, food wastage is problematic from both a moral and economic standpoint. To put it simply, we throw away millions of pounds worth of food each year - even though many people across the globe go without fresh produce and groceries.

How can we reduce food waste?

Thankfully, there are various ways in which we can go about reducing food waste. Here are some great examples.

Food waste in the workplace. Whether you work within an office or factory, you will likely produce some form of food waste on-site. For example, this could include food that your employees bring for lunch or to snack on throughout the day. To reduce food waste in the workplace, you could:

Provide your employees with access to a freezer alongside a fridge to give any leftovers a longer shelf life.
Have a communal shelf - where employees can share food/drinks they no longer want.
Ensure fridges are cleaned out regularly, and employees dispose of any food that will pass its use-by date.
Offer to pay for lunches for your employees - giving them notice so they do not bring their lunch with them.

Food waste in restaurants. Restaurants, alongside bars, and pubs, are clear contributors to food waste. They can reduce the volume of waste they produce by:

Keeping track of their stock cupboards, ensuring they do not purchase excessive amounts of products.
Pay attention to consumer habits and buying stock accordingly. For example, some dishes may be more popular during a particular season.
Avoiding over buying stock.
Storing food safely and correctly.
Labelling all food clearly, with instructions on when it will need to be used.
Donating leftover food to local charities or organisations.

Food waste at home. Food waste also occurs every day within our homes. However, it can easily be reduced by:

Pre-planning your meals so that you know exactly what to buy from the supermarket and do not waste money on groceries that will not get eaten.
Cooking larger meals in bulk and freezing any leftovers to be enjoyed at a later date.
Setting up a compost heap in your garden.
Cleaning out your fridge regularly, ensuring that you are aware of all use-by dates.

Food waste at supermarkets. According to a report by The Grocer, supermarkets throw away 100,000 of edible food annually in the UK alone. In fact, it's estimated that the UK's total food waste could feed upwards of 30 million people a year. As a result, supermarkets have a responsibility to reduce food waste as much as possible. This can be achieved by:

Training employees to be more aware of food waste and how it can be combated.
Carefully monitoring stock to ensure that everything that is purchased is sold.
Selling 'damaged' produce or produce that may not be aesthetically pleasing instead of throwing it away.
Reducing products that may be close to their sell-by date.
Donate surplus waste to charities or organisations.

Food waste on farms. While food waste is a product of just about any industry, it often occurs at places where the food is grown or produced - such as on farms. Thankfully, there are various steps farmers can take to reduce food waste. Such as:

Investing in new technologies that make it easier to monitor and track crops' growth minimises the chances of them being spoiled.
Distributing goods to numerous facilities, whether that means local market stalls or chain supermarkets.
Scheduling the growth of different crops to ensure as few crops are wasted as possible.
Composting on-site.

Food waste in the fishing industry. The fishing industry is another key contributor to food waste - for numerous reasons. For example, sometimes seafood is not considered fit for sale if it is damaged due to poor fishing practices. Fishing industry food waste can be reduced by:

Refusing to discard fish at sea and finding alternative methods to dispose of surplus waste.
Ensuring all fishermen are well-versed in efficient fishing and processing methods.
Ensuring that all goods are labelled appropriately and stored by rigid health and safety guidelines.
Paying attention to consumer trends and ensuring that products can be sold and distributed easily.

Food waste in schools. As children can be notorious for throwing away the fruit you've packed into their lunchbox - it's no surprise that food waste is a growing problem within schools. Food waste can be tackled in a school environment by:

Introducing an ordering system - where students decide what they would like to eat for lunch earlier in the day and the dishes are made accordingly.
Handling stock carefully and ensuring products are used before they expire.
Monitoring portion control carefully, ensuring that excessive amounts of food are not being served.
Informing students and staff of the dangers of food waste.

Which countries produce the most food waste?

The severity of food waste issues varies from country to country, but the biggest culprits for food waste in relation to their general populations are:

The USA
Canada
Belgium
Australia
Austria
Denmark
Lithuania
France

How much food waste comes from the home/from businesses?

It's estimated that around 60% of food waste comes from the home within the UK - with the other 40% being divided out between business and the hospitality industry. Nevertheless, it is the business owner's responsibility to ensure that all food waste produced or created within their company is safely and securely disposed of.

What do the date labels on food packaging mean?

Sometimes, food waste accumulates because we aren't sure what the labels on our packaging mean. This means that we could be throwing away waste unnecessarily.

Sell-by date. The sell-by date is only relevant to the retailer selling the product - and it refers to the time when the product must be sold to the customer. However, this doesn't mean the food is close to expiring, as it typically has around ⅓ of its shelf life remaining when it reaches its sell-by date. As a result, you shouldn't be wary of picking up these products.

Use-by date. The use-by date is designed to help the consumer know when the food items should be consumed by. However, it's important to remember that you can still consume food on its use-by date (but not afterwards). If you have any food approaching its use-by date and you don't think you'll use it in time, pop it in your freezer. The packaging will usually detail how long the items can be frozen for.

How should you store food to minimise food waste?

Knowing how to store food properly will reduce the amount of food waste you produce significantly. Here are some tips to get you started!
Store raw meats on one of the lower shelves on your fridge to stop cross-contamination of products if there are any leaks.
Keep goods that expire quickly at the front of your fridge so that you don't forget about them.
Clean out your fridge once a week and your freezer once a month.
If you are meal-prepping or batch cooking, label each dish so that you can remember exactly when you cooked it.
Ensure that you know how each food item should be stored - be that within the fridge or at room temperature. If you are unsure, check the packaging.

Why should you portion plan?

Portion planning is a great way to keep track of the food you are eating, meaning that it is often used by those trying to adapt to a healthier lifestyle. However, it's also a great way to reduce food waste - as it gives you the insight you need to shop smarter. For example, instead of buying random ingredients, you might not need or a handful of potatoes when you only need one - you'll know exactly what you need to purchase ahead of time. This saves you money and stops food from going to waste!

What are some great food waste organisations and what do they do?

The Real Junk Food Project is a UK-based charity that redistributes surplus food from various hospitality and retail industries. They donate their goods to schools, organisations and charities and even offer bespoke catering services.

Too Good To Go works with various restaurants and bars to ensure that none of their delicious food goes to waste. Users can download an app that lets them know what restaurants in their area offer a 'magic bag' of food - which often includes customer favourite items for a highly reduced price.

Fare share aims to combat this issue of food waste by redistributing goods to over 10,500 different charities in the UK.

The Felix Project collects fresh produce from supermarkets and hospitality venues that cannot be sold and donates them to charities, food banks or local schools.

How should I dispose of my food waste?

There are various ways in which you could dispose of food waste - such as through composting. However, if you run a business and produce large amounts of food waste regularly - you'll need to organise for it to be safely and securely disposed of by a licensed waste carrier.

At BusinessWaste, we've got decades of industry experience that make us your number 1 choice for business waste disposal, and our services extend across a wide variety of waste types - including food waste. From putting together a waste management plan to providing you with free bins and scheduling waste collection - we've got you covered. Get in touch today to find out more!

Waste Collections Nationwide:

Call us on 0800 211 8390 - or complete our Free Quote Form opposite.
Learn more about our Waste Management Services.

Read more News, Recycling

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Service is really good, had many problems in the past with previous suppliers however since been with Business Waste I have not had any problems what so ever. From the start of the agreement the sales team was really helpful and helped with my requirements. I am in a very tricky location with not much room to store a container however I was provided with many options from the sales rep to accommodate my requirements. Customer Service from the staff is outstanding. Definitely recommend 100%.

T Richardson

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Rihanon Hopwood

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From time to time, we're all guilty of leaving some leftovers on our plates- whether you are eating out at a restaurant and aren't enjoying your meal or try to avoid eating your vegetables as much as possible.

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Learning Outcomes

1.9 and 2.5

Learning Intentions

Measure the impact of consumption of godds and services.

The role of young people as ethical and sustainable consumers.

Positive and negatives impacts.

Evaluation under the three different persepctives (economic, social and environmental).

Stimulus Material

Group discussions

Watch a video on sustainable packaging.

Research sustainable packaging initiatives that companies and supermarkets have implemented.

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Learning Outcomes

2.3 and 2.4

Learning Intentions

To understand the difference between work and employment.

To know the rights and responsibilities of employee and employer.

To understand some of the Laws associated with employment.

Stimulus Material

Info graphs

Video about workers rights

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Workers Of The World Unite And Fight - May Day Explained - Video | VK

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What is May Day? Workers around the world have, for over a century, fought to ensure the bare minimum of labor rights. And May Day is just one day ...

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Access To Education

Stimulus Material

https://www.rte.ie/news/world/2021/1208/1265645-afghanistan-girls-education/

24 statements of learning

5. has an awareness of personal values and an understanding of the process of moral decision making

6. appreciates and respects how diverse values, beliefs and traditions have contributed to the communities and culture in which she/he lives

7. values what it means to be an active citizen, with rights and responsibilities in local and wider contexts

Learning Outcomes

1.1, 1.9, 2.5, 3.6, 3.10

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Learning Outcome 1.9 -
Learning Intention
- Understanding the changing consumer behaviour in both a  positive and negative manner
Learning Experience
Investigate a product and its label, paying attention to how much packaging it has, if the packaging is recyclable/biodegradable, if it has any logos such as Fairtrade, Buy Irish, etc.

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How can how we solve the planet's food waste problem? - BBC News

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Zero-hour contracts and wrong wages - the reality of being an Amazon agency worker | ITV 

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Workers' Rights - Contracts/ Working hours  

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Workers' Rights - Contracts/ Working hours  

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AG8ICLNmwAI&ab_channel=BBCNews

Learning Outcomes:
-  2.4, 3.10
Learning Intentions:
- Be able to discuss the pros and cons of zero hour contracts
- Be able to distinguish between a healthy working environment and one that doesn't consider employee rights.
- Become familiar with companies that uphold employee rights.

Learning Activities:
- Split the class in half and debate the pros of zero hour and the cons
- Work in pairs to identify what is important for people at work
- Individually, using this list, research different companies' websites and glass door and come up with a list of employers that have good industrial relations
- Create their own individual list of what they would value in a future place of employment

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Zero-hour contracts and wrong wages - the reality of being an Amazon agency worker | ITV News

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Learning Outcomes
1.9
Debate the ethical and sustainability issues that arise from their consumption of goods and services and evaluate how they can contribute to sustainable development through consumer behaviour.

Learning Intentions
- be able to name 3 alternative energy sources to fossil fuels.
- know the pros and costs of using these alternatives for society, enterprises, the environment and the economy

Learning Experience
- read the information on this and complete worksheet about the different methods of clean energy available to consumers and the impact consumer choice can have.
How Ireland is leading the way to a clean energy future (independent.ie)
- research and then create a poster or PP presentation on uses of clean energy in business.

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The consumer becomes the "prosumer"

Already, we're adopting new ways to generate and consume energy, including the way we drive our cars and heat our homes. The power of supply is now in our hands.

In the home, we can harness the power of the sun with the introduction of solar panels to provide electricity and to heat our water. Solar Photovoltaic (PV) panels are fast becoming a common sight on Irish rooftops, providing clean energy from the sun. Well-installed systems can produce up to 60pc of hot water demand per household over 12 months or 50pc of a household's annual electricity.

Consumers are now becoming "prosumers," which means they're simultaneously consuming and producing a product. In this case, that product is energy. By producing our own energy, we're also saving money on our utilities.

A typical three-bed, semi-detached house would save approximately €220 per year on electricity bills by investing €1,800 on a solar panel system. Heat pump technology, which is more than 30pc cheaper to run than a gas or oil boiler, is another energy-efficient way that Irish homeowners are adapting to heat their homes.

Heat pumps are powered by electricity and work by extracting heat from the air or ground outside the house and transfer it indoors at warmer temperature. Homes have to be well insulated and relatively airtight for heat pumps to work effectively.

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How Ireland is leading the way to a clean energy future

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Already, we're adopting new ways to generate and consume energy, including the way we drive our cars and heat our homes. The power of supply is now in our hands. In the home, we can harness the power of the sun with the introduction of solar panels to provide electricity and to heat our water.

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1.9 and 2.5
learning intentions
-define sustainibility
-Positive/negative  impacts of transport companies e.g. DPD
-positive/negative impacts of shopping online
https://www.rte.ie/news/business/2020/1204/1182411-dpd-green-last-mile/
discuss both articles with debates on both sides

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Parcel delivery company DPD Ireland has announced plans to expand its operations nationwide and will create 700 jobs before the end of the year.

DPD said that up to 150 positions will be based in the company's headquarters in Athlone and the remaining 550 jobs for drivers and operational personnel will be based at its 36 regional depots nationwide.

DPD Ireland, the country's largest parcel delivery company, is also investing €1m in its automation and routing systems in its central hub and sorting facility in Athlone.

The company is also investing another €1m in additional driver scanner technology to support the expected increase in parcel volumes over the Christmas period.

It has already spent €500,000 this year doubling the size of its depots in Cork, Kildare and Meath, with two more facilities opening in Dublin this month.

Today's new jobs are in addition to 100 new driver roles announced in April of this year amid a surge in parcel demand due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Parcel delivery firm @dpdireland is to create 700 new permanent roles to deal with soaring demand from online shopping - 150 in Athlone and 550 at 36 hubs across the country. Will bring the number it employs here to 2,000.🎥 by @colmwhatyalike pic.twitter.com/L5JOxzb8YJ
- Will Goodbody (@willgoodbody) October 16, 2020

During the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, the company reported an 800% surge in deliveries of electrical goods, while pet food deliveries soared by 300% and sports equipment jumped by 225%.

DPD Ireland's chief executive Des Travers said the company is actively recruiting at the moment and said the company has experienced a phenomenal increase in demand due to Covid-19.

"Our services have played an important role in these unprecedented times, with consumers ordering more online due to coronavirus concerns. The new jobs will increase our workforce to almost 2,000, enabling us to continue to meet customer demand," Mr Travers said.

"The additional roles provide a glimmer of light against the bleak backdrop of the coronavirus crisis, and we hope the expansion of our business will help boost the economy as a whole," he added.

Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment Leo Varadkar said today's investment from DPD Ireland is a fantastic boost to the country.

"Depots in Cork, Kildare and Meath have already doubled in size this year, attesting to the massive increase in online shopping we've seen during the pandemic," Mr Varadkar said.

"Athlone is the ideal location for the expansion to DPD Ireland's facility due to its skilled workforce and high connectivity to the whole country," he added.

We need your consent to load this rte-player content We use rte-player to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Please review their details and accept them to load the content. Manage Preferences

The Minister of State with responsibility for Trade Promotion, Digital and Company Regulation, Robert Troy said today's jobs announcement is a really positive development for the Midlands.

"The expansion of their operation represents a strong endorsement of Athlone and the Midlands as an excellent place to succeed in business," he added.

Mr Troy said the Midlands has had to face a difficult transition with the decline of peat production and like every other region is now experiencing the challenges brought about by the Covid-19 pandemic.

"The announcement by DPD Ireland today however demonstrates that economic renewal and growth is possible despite these challenges," he added.

Today's jobs announcement follows the news from rival Fastway Couriers yesterday that it is recruiting 600 additional seasonal workers for what is expected to be an exceptionally busy festive period this year.

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DPD Ireland to create 700 jobs as deliveries soar

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Parcel delivery company DPD Ireland has announced plans to expand its operations nationwide and will create 700 jobs before the end of the year. DPD said that up to 150 positions will be based in the company's headquarters in Athlone and the remaining 550 jobs for drivers and operational personnel will be based at its 36 regional depots nationwide.

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Learning Outcomes: 3.7 & 3.10

Learning Intentions:
*Identify how international trade affects transport
*Understand and identify positives and negatives of various transport types

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Learning Outcomes
- 3.1, 3.2, 3.6

Learning Intentions
- I will evaluate the role of Food Production and the effect it has on the Environment.
- I will learn about Waste Management.
- I will reflect on my own food consumption and management of my household waste.
- I will identify areas for improvement.
- I will understand the role of dates on

Stimulus Material
- You Tube Video
- School/Home Activity

How might you use this stimulus material in class?

The video will introduce the topic of Food Productions and the Impact of food waste on the environment.

The biggest areas of waste in your economy.

Students will be expected to take a look at their own home and identify the areas where there is food waste.

Design a plan to minimise their own homes food consumption and waste management.

Take measures to improve this in their homes.

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Americans waste up to 40 percent of the food they produce

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2.4 Distinguish between rights and responsibilities of employer and employee from legal, social, environmental and ethical perspective.

1. Know the rights and responsibilities for employer/employee
2. Define term IR
3. Explaining the different Industrial Action and define trade union
4. Laws to protect employee

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7 Most Common Employment Claims in Irish Employment Law

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Learning Outcomes:
2.4 and 1.11
Learning Intentions:
Distinguish between the rights and responsibilities of both the employer and employee.
Know the statutory deductions e.g. PAYE, PRSI, USC
Calculate a wage slip
Learning Experience:
List two rights and two responsibilties of the employer and employee under the headings ‘Legal, Ethical, Social and Environmental’
Complete a wage slip using the current wage and tax rates.

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Changing Costs and Move towards Electric

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Changing Costs and Move towards Electric

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Learning Outcomes
1.1
1.2
1.13

Learning Experience:

1. I will understand Irregular costs /Variable Cost

2. I will be able to interpret and analyse these transport costs in HH Budget.

3. I will understand how transport costs and Excise duty are linked

4. I will be able to make informed decisions on how to minimise costs.

5. I will engage in a discussions about moving towards electric.

Students will analyse the info graph and discuss findings in pairs.

Students will then be asked to create a graph on the trend of fuel prices in Ireland and analyse the impact on HH Budget and also think about in terms of Local Business Transport Cost/ Carraige Inwards/ Outwards .

https://www.theaa.com/driving-advice/driving-costs/fuel-prices

Students will engage in discussions about variable costs and what other costs in HH Budget are variable

Students will discuss the move towards electric and its impact on costs (both current and capital) - and do research

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National Travel Survey 2019 - CSO - Central Statistics Office

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Start class with a focus on the pros and cons of education.
Aim to achieve a consensus that education is good.
Draw students attention to Guardian Article, Ask students to prioritise what they see as the worst aspects of child labor.
Draw posters to engage the student body in better practice

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Where, why and what can be done

Around 260 million children are in employment around the world, according to the International Labour Organisation (pdf). Of them, the ILO estimates that 170 million are engaged in child labour, defined by the UN as "work for which the child is either too young - work done below the required minimum age - or work which, because of its detrimental nature or conditions, is altogether considered unacceptable for children and is prohibited".

Child labour is forbidden by law in most countries but continues to be rife in some of the poorest parts of the world.

The ILO estimates that 170 million are engaged in child labour, with many making textiles and garments to satisfy the demand of consumers in Europe, the US, and beyond

The situation is improving. ILO estimates suggest child labour declined by 30% between 2000 and 2012, but still 11% of the world's children are in situations that deprive them of their right to go to school without interference from work.

Many of these child labourers work within the fashion supply chain, making the textiles and garments to satisfy the demand of consumers in Europe, the US, and beyond.

Why does it exist?

Where is it happening?

The countries highlighted above were identified by SOMO as particularly notorious for child labour in the textile and garment industry

Children work at all stages of the supply chain in the fashion industry: from the production of cotton seeds in Benin, harvesting in Uzbekistan, yarn spinning in India, right through to the different phases of putting garments together in factories across Bangladesh.

In the cotton industry, children are employed to transfer pollen from one plant to another. They are subjected to long working hours, exposure to pesticides and they are often paid below the minimum wage. In developing countries where cotton is one of the main crops, children are enlisted to help harvest the delicate crop and reports suggest (pdf) they work long hours sowing cotton in the spring, followed by weeding through the summer months.

An estimated 170 million children are engaged in child labour, or 11% of the global population of children, according to the International Labour Organisation

At the next step of the chain, in the yarn and spinning mills, child labour is rampant. The SOMO report (pdf) found that 60% of workers at the mills it investigated in India were under-18 when they started working there; the youngest workers were 15 when they joined.

Children also work in the "cut-make-trim" stage, when clothes are put together. SOMO says: "In garment factories, children perform diverse and often arduous tasks such as dyeing, sewing buttons, cutting and trimming threads, folding, moving and packing garments. In small workshops and home sites, children are put to work on intricate tasks such as embroidering, sequinning and smocking (making pleats)."

What are the challenges?

One of the biggest challenges in tackling child labour in the fashion supply chain is the complex supply chain for each garment. Even when brands have strict guidelines in place for suppliers, work often gets sub-contracted to other factories that the buyer may not even know about.

Ovaa says: "Companies that sell their products in Europe and the US have no clue where the textiles come from. Maybe they know their first supplier and there are codes of conduct in place, but further down the chain in the lower tiers it is very difficult to understand where the cotton comes from."

Tackling child labour is further complicated by the fact it is just a symptom of larger problems. Where there is extreme poverty, there will be children willing to work cheaply and susceptible to being tricked into dangerous or badly paid work.

Lotte Schuurman at the Fair Wear Foundation says if parents have no education they will end up in low-paid work; their children will be forced to work, they will miss out on their education, and they too will end up in low-paid work as adults. "You need to get out of that vicious circle of poverty to decline child labour," she says.

What can businesses do?

Credits:

Writer Josephine Moulds
Commissioning editor Jenny Purt
Art direction and design Tim Shearring and Ian Richardson
Video and map photography Kimberly Hoang
Map embroidery Jessica Thompson
Images Getty Images, Panos, Gallery Stock
Producer Daniel Turner

About this site

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Child labour in the fashion supply chain

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Learning Outcomes
-2.5
Learning Intentions
-Investigate an organisation analyse the positive and negative impacts of the organisation on the community.
-Stimulus material
Google to receive IDA Award - siliconrepublic.com
Google Ireland volunteers make an impact - notraceireland.org

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No stimulus material shared?

Learning Outcomes:
1.7 and 1.9
Distinguish between and appreciate rights and responsibilities as consumers.
Understand the ethical issues that arise from consumption of goods and services.

Learning Intentions:
To understand the connection between goods and services and energy and the negative impacts they carry.

Learning Experience:
Protecting the environment when disposing of packaging: Search for examples of good practice online.
Understanding how consumption affects our climate (I.E: Using fossil fuels). Complete an ecological footprint energy task.

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LO's: 2.4 / 3.11

LI's:
- Rights & Responsibilities of (a) Employee & (b) Employer
- Costs & Benefits of Gov Econ Policy (eg. legislation ... min wage)

LE:
- Use websites: Citizens Information & DETE

- Define Rights / Responsibilities (in the workplace)
- Define Employee / Employer
- Link the above

- Define Legislation
- Examine the role of Gov
- Link the above

- Students (in groups) produce a poster relating to the different aspects shown above

Resources:
https://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/employment/employment_rights_and_conditions/
https://enterprise.gov.ie/en/

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Learning outcome 1.7 and 1.9

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'Latte levy' will start in 2021 but pricing unclear

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'Latte levy' will start in 2021 but pricing unclear - Independent.ie

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Learning Outcomes:
1.7, 1.9 and 3.1

Learning intentions:
- Discuss the impact of our individual choice on waste and food production
- Assess how we can reduce our food waste
- Evaluate the impact of globalisation and technology has on food production and waste

How to use this stimulus material:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=2&v=VcL3BQeteCc&feature=emb_logo
Watch the video in class twice and identify how we can impact food production and waste

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Why do we need to change our food system?

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Learning Outcome:
2.4
Distinguish between the rights and responsibilities of employer and employee from a legal, social, environmental and ethical perspective

Learning Intentions:
Develop understanding of gender equality

How might you use this stimulus material?
Class discussion/debate

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Learning Outcomes
1.9

Learning Intentions
- I will learn about being an ethical consumer
- I will learn the term sustainable
- I will learn what clothing companies are ethical
- I will learn the impact of fast fashion on the environment

How might you use this stimulus material in class?
- The article provides points about the impact of fast fashion in Ireland
- Questions set out at the beginning of the class based on the article will allow students to focus in on the key points of the article and also open discussion
- Or students could read the article first and then create questions around it that they could ask classmates

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Did you know that the clothing and textile industry is the second largest contributor to global pollution?

Green-Schools Ireland, want students to really think about what they are wearing and what it takes to produce it. It's something that we should all think about when it comes to fast fashion.

Litter and Waste is the first theme of the Green-Schools programme and they want to highlight the massive environmental issues involving the textile and clothing industry. By doing this schools can work to get their Green Flag status while also getting creative and raising awareness of this issue.

To produce our clothing and textiles we use a wide range of resources. We get the raw material for production from a range of plants, animals, and even crude oil.

However, the process of making textiles is both energy-demanding and pollutant-intensive, involving huge amounts of water, energy, chemicals, pesticides, and herbicides.

It is essential to recycle textiles as they present particular problems in landfill. Synthetic (man-made fibres) products will not decompose, and while woollen garments do compose, they produce methane, which contributes to global warming.

Annually the equivalent of 50 billion plastic bottles worth of plastic microfibres for textiles end up in our oceans.
LEARN MORE FACTS AND GET SOME GREAT ADVICE ON HOW YOU CAN HELP HERE!
Schools in Ireland have been working on reducing their impact on the clothing and textiles industry over a number of year. Things like uniform exchanges, swap shops, second hand fairs, play costume banks, upcycling, and fashion shows are highlights of the great work being done around the country.
Want to help divert textile waste to landfill? Check out the video at the top of the article showing us how to up-cycle an old tee-shirt into a new tote bag!
Green-Schools Ireland just loves to tell everyone about how fantastic our schools are and spread the word about all the creative and inspiring ways they are taking action for our environment.

Green-Schools around the country have continued to work hard to reduce litter in their school and reduce the amount of waste they have in their bins.

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Learn about the real impact of fast fashion

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Did you know that the clothing and textile industry is the second largest contributor to global pollution? Green-Schools Ireland, want students to really think about what they are wearing and what it takes to produce it. It's something that we should all think about when it comes to fast fashion.

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Learning outcomes
2.4 and 2.3

Distinguish between work and employment
Calculate basic total and net involving different methods of payment
Understand and interpret a wage slip
Examine personal tax from employment

Material
Class debate
Online videos
Wage slip
Mind maps

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Learning Outcomes
1.6, 1.8, 1.9

Learning Intentions
*I will identify the appropriate types of insurance for particular personal needs and consider the costs, benefits and risks
*I will learn about the consumer agencies and financial institutions to assist and support customers
*I will look at the ethical and sustainability issues arising from the consumption of goods and services

How might you use this stimulus material?
Draw students' attention to article below in terms of an Irish context
Website: https://www.irishexaminer.com/opinion/commentanalysis/arid-31001435.html

Agencies for help / support:
https://www.irishtimes.com/news/environment/q-a-what-to-do-if-your-property-has-been-flooded-1.2457626

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A series of recent storms in the United Kingdom has led to severe flooding, with equivalent of one month of rain in 48 hours in some locations according to reports. Most of England received above average rainfall during October 2019, saturating water catchments.
Climate change and floods-how they are connected
Floods are made more likely by the more extreme weather patterns caused by long-term global climate change. Change in land cover-such as removal of vegetation-and climate change increase flood risk.

Extreme floods can be triggered by intense precipitation, longer duration, close repetition of precipitations or a combination of these. In the case of intense precipitations, such as was experienced in the United Kingdom, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change in its comprehensive assessment of the physical science basis of climate change found that there is high confidence that this is an increasing trend in Europe, especially for winter flooding.

"While it is difficult to make a direct link between an individual extreme event and climate change, it is clear that we need to be prepared to face more intense and more frequent extreme hydro-meteorological events due to climate change," says Pascal Peduzzi, Director of the United Nations Environment Programme's (UNEP) Global Resource Information Database in Geneva.
Rising global temperatures mean more rain
With higher temperatures, we have more energy in the Earth's system. Higher ocean water and air temperatures increase the possibility for evaporation and therefore cloud formation. At higher temperatures, the air can hold more moisture content. This can lead to an increase in precipitation intensity, duration and/or frequency.

Temperatures increase faster at higher latitude than at the equator. It results in a smaller temperature gradient between mid-latitude and polar temperatures, which can affect the jet stream. For the North Atlantic region, research points to a potential higher frequency of extreme hydro-meteorological events, such as heavy storms in winter, or prolonged drought in summer.
Temperatures are on the rise
Our global temperature in January was the highest ever on record. The global average temperature is now 1.1oC higher than the beginning of last century. UNEP's World Environment Situation Room includes regularly updated information about global temperature anomalies, and this graph shows that January 2020 was the warmest January since records began, rising to 1.19 o C above pre-industrial levels.

Above average temperatures per month, showing that the month of Jan 2020 was the warmest ever recorded.
Source: UNEP World Environment Situation Room: wesr.unep.org

What can we expect?
Extreme flooding will continue to be concentrated in regions where humans have built on floodplains or low-lying coastal regions. As global warming increases the likelihood for more extreme weather events to occur, risks will expand beyond the high-risk areas known today. More extreme flooding must be expected, and for the towns and cities where flooding has already occured, theirs will no longer be a 'once in a lifetime' risk but now far more frequent.

The reality is that this is the world we live in with 1.1 o C of warming. These records temperatures, record floods are not anomalous, they are the beginning of a new norms, and the new records will continue to be exceeded, year after year.

What will things be like in a few decades when we hit 1.5 o C? As affected communities drain, dredge, dry out and count the cost of lost belongings, ruined homes and businesses, as people live with lingering damp, and new fears of future storms, it appears that much needs to be done to prepare ourselves to face our future reality.

Everyone - governments entities at all levels, business, civil society, individuals -- need to be prepared to face more extreme weather events as the climate continues to change at an increasing pace. Climate science must be taken into serious account in how we build, adapt and protect our homes, communities, businesses and infrastructure. Most urgently, greenhouse gas emissions must be reduced, so that rising global temperatures can be controlled while this is still possible. Nature-based climate solutions, such as reforestation and land restoration should be considered, as they can both reduce the impacts of extreme weather events and absorb CO2.

2020 is the year that governments will meet to take stock of and increase the ambition of their commitments to taking climate action. It is the year that global emissions must drop by 7.6 per cent, and by 7.6 per cent again every subsequent year until 2030 in order to limit global temperature rise to 1.5 oC, according to UNEP's 2019 Emissions Gap Report.

Governments, companies, industry and the public of countries of the G20, who are responsible for 78 per cent of emissions, must set targets and timelines for decarbonization. We must embrace the vast social, economic and political opportunities of transitioning to a world powered by renewable energy and the deployment of a multitude of carbon neutral solutions across society.

The insight these floods give to the growing threat of a changing climate are a somber reckoning for the United Kingdom on the year of their presidency of the United Nations Climate Conference.

For more information, please contact Niklas Hagelberg: [email protected]

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How climate change is making record-breaking floods the new normal

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A series of recent storms in the United Kingdom has led to severe flooding, with equivalent of one month of rain in 48 hours in some locations according to reports. Most of England received above average rainfall during October 2019, saturating water catchments.

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Learning Outcomes:
1.1 & 1.7

Learning intentions:
- I will learn to differentiate my needs and wants
- I will learn about consumer responsibilities
-I will learn how to make more sustainable choices as a consumer

Stimulus Material
- Pair work - Identify needs and wants and compare with peer.  Do they compare? Do these compare to an older persons needs and wants? Why?
- Infographic - create an infographic outlining your consumer responsibilities
- 'Good on you'  is the worlds best source of ethical fashion knowledge. Use the website to find out how one of your favourite brands impact on people, the planet and animals.

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Good On You - Sustainable Fashion and Beauty Brand Ratings

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Thousands of brand ratings, articles and expertise on more sustainable fashion and beauty. Know the impact of brands on people and planet, and discover better options.

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Learning Outcomes:
2.3 : Differentiate between employment, work and volunteerism, identifying and describing features, benefits, rewards and careers within each.

2.4 : Distinguish between the rights and responsibilities of employer and employee from a legal, social, ethical and environmental perspective

Learning Intentions:

· I will learn the difference between work and employment

· I will learn about the rights and responsibilities of an employer and an employee.

· I will learn about various employment law.

Learning Experiences

We will define  laws, obligations, rights and entitlements by;
- watching a video about rights and responsibilities
- researching https://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/employment/employment_rights_and_conditions/
Completing an activity - Activity: Think Pair Share
Students will be given various scenarios and asked to complete a worksheet

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Learning outcome:
- 1.9
Learning Intentions:
- I will learn about consumer responsibilities.
-I will be more aware of the choices I make when buying products.
Learning Experience:
Have a look at the link above, looking at the different stories of people affected by climate change. Discuss.
Pick one of the stories and write a letter to the character comparing their consumptions to yours, suggesting ways you can both live more sustainably.

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Learning Intentions

I will understand what is meant by inequality.

I will review the SDGS

I will understand that the benefits of economic growth are not enjoyed by all members of society.

I will understand that economic challenges can affect people disproportionately.

I will learn about the impact of covid 19 on women.

Stimulus Material
Discuss what is meant by inequality.
Show class the SDGs https://sdgs.un.org/goals
Go to OECD website to read about inequality and watch video. https://www.oecd.org/social/inequality.htm
Read concern's article about woman and covid 19.

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One of the major concerns since the beginning of the current pandemic was the disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on women and girls.

While early data showed that men faced a higher mortality risk due to the virus, women were more likely to face a greater social and economic burden. Before 2019, women already faced significant barriers to gender equality, especially around finances, employment, education, unpaid labour, and gender-based violence. COVID-19 only served to deepen those divides.

In 2020, we published an article on this website outlining seven ways that COVID-19 could hit especially hard for women. Unfortunately, many of those predictions came to pass. Concern Worldwide has published one of several studies that has emerged since then about the impact of COVID-19 on women and girls, surveying over 13,800 people in 23 countries. Here are ten ways that the pandemic has had a gendered impact, especially in the world's most vulnerable communities.

1. Emergencies deepen inequalities that are already there

Call it a pre-existing condition: In communities where inequalities already exist, an emergency can help to widen that gap. This is especially true for gender inequalities. In a country like Afghanistan or South Sudan, where women lack basic rights like financial independence or are more likely to experience domestic violence, an increase in inequality between genders can undo years of progress.

2. Women have lost more income than men due to COVID-19

In low-income countries, 70% of women earn their money through informal labour, such as domestic work and agriculture work that relies heavily on interaction with others. These jobs are less likely to provide paid sick leave or protect workers against job loss or unemployment. The majority of women and men surveyed by Concern told us that their ability to earn an income has declined due to COVID-related shutdowns and social distancing. However, this situation was far worse for women.

Nearly 47% of women surveyed by Concern reported that the financial situation in their home had become a lot worse in the first six months of COVID, compared to just over 40% of men. Another study (not conducted by Concern) interviewed 10,000 women across 38 countries and found that 55% of these women lost jobs or income due to the pandemic, compared to just 34% of men. Even women in the formal job sector have faced inequality due to COVID-19: Women in Bangladesh have been six times more likely than men to lose paid working hours.

3. Women are more likely to go hungry due to the pandemic

The links between the pandemic and increased hunger levels are undeniable. The impact of COVID-19 on women is especially hard in this area, as well. Nearly 48% of women surveyed by Concern said that their families were eating less; compared to just under 36% of men who said the same.

A lot of this comes down to deep-seated gender inequalities. In the communities where Concern works, women are more likely to be responsible for buying and preparing food for their families. As caregivers, they're also less likely to eat as much as men. Often, women eat last and less than their family members.

"Now I have to feed my children without eating," one respondent in Bangladesh told us. Another woman, also in Bangladesh, added that she doesn't share her family's food struggles with her husband, father-in-law, or children: "My husband sometimes eats a little less when he understands there is less food. I eat after feeding everyone in the family."

4. Most frontline health workers are female - but they don't always have a voice

According to the UNFPA, nearly 3/4 of the global health and social sector is female, including frontline healthcare within communities. This obviously increases the risk of more women contracting COVID-19, especially since much of the PPE equipment delivered to communities is sized for men.

But the risk for infection is just the tip of the iceberg. As we've seen at home and abroad, the emotional needs of healthcare workers (especially those on the frontlines) are more important than ever in a pandemic. Women especially need to be given a seat at the table when it comes to response planning and decision-making. Even with 75% of those working in the health and social sector being female, those who are working on the frontlines and noticing trends or warning signs may go ignored in their community if gender inequality is the norm.

5. In a pandemic, women and girls are most likely to take on the extra labour

Even if you aren't a healthcare worker, caring for the sick - whether it's in your own family or at a community level - is a job that generally falls to women. Across the globe, the majority of household and caring responsibilities typically fall to women. This has always impacted women: Before the pandemic, 42% of women of working age said they were unable to do paid work because of their unpaid care and domestic responsibilities. The number of men who said the same was just 6%.

While men are contributing more to unpaid domestic chores than they did prior to COVID, women still take on the majority. One Oxfam survey reported that between 44% and 55% of women are now spending more time on unpaid care and domestic work as a result of COVID-19 and containment measures.

For one man in Mangochi, Malawi, such changes in circumstances were not a reason to change rigid gender norms. "I am the head of this household and that will not change," he told Concern. "Women do what they are supposed to do and boys also do what they are supposed to do."

6. Women are facing more mental and physical health challenges due to COVID-19

The increase in unpaid labour at home has negatively impacted women's economic security, as well as their mental and physical health and wellbeing. 43% of women surveyed by Concern reported feeling more anxious, depressed, overworked, isolated, or physically ill because of this increased workload. In Nairobi's informal settlements, 26% of women surveyed said that they had been physically unwell, unable to get enough rest, or were feeling stressed and anxious because of increased care responsibilities.

7. A higher male mortality rate also affects women

Men may face a higher mortality rate for COVID-19. However, this doesn't mean that women who survive the coronavirus have an easier future ahead of them. In fact, a higher male mortality rate means a potential increase in female-headed households, which in some countries means severe socio-economic implications. Female-headed households can be more vulnerable to harassment and violence, especially for displaced families. Losing a patriarch can, in especially vulnerable communities, also cut a family off from regular income and increase the likelihood and severity of poverty.

8. COVID-19 has led to increases in gender-based violence

The financial, social and health stressors of a pandemic, combined with close confinement during lockdowns, mean that women and girls are at a higher risk of violence from their family members, domestic partners, or within a community. We saw this happen during the 2014-2016 Ebola epidemic in West Africa, with increased incidences of gender-based violence, and fewer resources for women and girls who were experiencing abuse (given the increased demand for healthcare workers in helping to halt the spread of the virus).

In July 2020, violence against women and girls was described as a "shadow pandemic" by the UN Secretary General as reports of GBV skyrocketed globally. The Center for Global Development found that of the 30 studies reviewed, 43% showed increases in violence against women and children, and 27% showed mixed findings (which indicates increases in at least one measure of violence and is largely attributed to underreporting).

9. A pandemic can end a girl's education

In many of the countries where Concern works, being a girl is already a barrier to education. When the barrier is amplified by a health crisis and a potential lockdown, this makes maintaining an education difficult for all children, but especially so for girls. Estimates for 2020 suggest that child marriages increased by 500,000, due largely to lockdowns and young girls being married off as a financial remedy. In Sierra Leone, teenage pregnancy was more frequently raised by female respondents than their male counterparts (who, even when probed, did not identify this as a major issue).

School closures in general have a larger impact on girls, who may be less likely than boys to return once they reopen. In many countries, Ministries of Education have identified girls as a particular risk group for not returning to school in order to offset potential drop-out rates.

10. A health crisis threatens women's reproductive health

Estimates from 2021 indicated that as many as 9.5 million girls and women failed to receive essential reproductive health services in 2020. Overburdened healthcare systems diverted resources to COVID-19 response, services were reduced for non-essential treatment, and many women and girls simply feared going to a doctor's office, clinic, or hospital. According to our survey, nearly 37% of women felt that they, or others in their family, were unable to visit health facilities when needed (compared to just over 32% of men). Most concerning was that over 68% of women said that COVID-19 was a reason for them not to seek healthcare in future. This suggests that the negative impacts of the pandemic may affect future behaviour as well as current trends.

Help us lessen the impact of COVID-19 on women and girls

As a champion for the rights of women and girls worldwide, we have spent the last 50 years working relentlessly to close the gender equality gap. We refuse to let COVID-19 rob 50% of the world's population of the hard-won gains we have achieved together. With your help, we will continue to support millions of women and girls in 23 countries - both during this crisis and in the long run to ending extreme poverty. Please give whatever amount you can afford.

Help those affected by the conflict in Ukraine

As many as 5 million people could be displaced during the crisis

Intense conflict ongoing across all major cities

Humanitarian needs are escalating by the hour

Donate now

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How the impact of COVID-19 on women and girls hits especially hard

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One of the major concerns since the beginning of the current pandemic was the disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on women and girls. While early data showed that men faced a higher mortality risk due to the virus, women were more likely to face a greater social and economic burden.

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We are more aware now than ever before of the impact our daily choices have on the planet. Many companies realise this and want to show customers how they're helping to protect the planet and reduce their carbon emissions which contribute to climate change.

However, that doesn't mean that they're always telling the truth, or that the changes they've made are as positive as they make them out to be. Overstating sustainability is a practice known as greenwashing.

The practice of greenwashing is becoming more common and convincing, which can make it difficult to make more sustainable choices about the things that we buy.

What is greenwashing?

Greenwashing is a marketing technique used by companies to give the impression that their products, practices and policies are more environmentally-friendly than they actually are. It is used to persuade customers to buy a product or service by suggesting that doing so will help the environment. This can be misleading, because things that might seem environmentally friendly often have a hidden cost to the environment that we're not aware of.

The practice of greenwashing is not new but it has become more common and harder to recognise in recent times.

Why do companies greenwash?

In recent years, public awareness and concern about the environment has grown. Many people are conscious that their consumer choices can have a negative impact on the planet and want to make more environmentally-friendly decisions. With more people willing to spend on items that they believe are good for the planet, companies know that they can sell to those people by appearing sustainable.

However, many of these companies spend more money on marketing the message that they are sustainable than on actually taking steps to reduce their environmental impact. When they do this, it is known as greenwashing.

Some greenwashing is unintentional and arises from a lack of understanding about what being environmentally-friendly truly is. Companies might have impressive, carbon offsetting initiatives at their head office, but are overlooking the issues with their supply chain (the steps in the process of turning raw materials into their goods).

However, most forms of greenwashing are carried out with the intention to exaggerate minimal efforts to be sustainable.

Why is greenwashing a problem?

Greenwashing is problematic for people, companies and the environment. It makes it harder for us to make truly informed decisions about how we spend our money and those decisions may actually be harming the environment - even when we had the opposite intention. This can make it harder to trust truly sustainable products because it can be hard to tell if something is greenwashing or not.

Greenwashing can allow a company to increase their profits, while maintaining a good public image. It could encourage them to keep misleading the public and damaging the environment.

What are some examples of greenwashing?

There are many ways a company can engage in greenwashing. Often, these tactics will be combined to strengthen the public perception that they are sustainable.

Using 'eco-friendly' or 'green' buzzwords

One of the most common forms of greenwashing is using language that is meant to describe truly environmentally friendly products and practices.

Using buzz words like "eco-friendly", "green", "conscious" and "sustainable" can give the impression that the product was made with materials and practices that cause little or no harm to the planet. However, there's no one agreed definition as to what these words mean, and there are no laws around how they can be used. Brands can adopt these terms and apply their own meaning to them.

This means that brands can market themselves as "green" or being " made with sustainable materials " without having to give evidence to back it up.

Avoiding systemic issues

Sometimes companies will try to claim that they are sustainable by focusing on one feature of their products and practices while ignoring more important environmental issues.

For example, a company may highlight the fact that their t-shirts are made from recycled materials but avoid mentioning that their manufacturing process involves unfair and dangerous labour practices, toxic chemicals and uses energy from fossil fuels.

Many companies will also state that they pay minimum wage. Where that is close to a living wage in Ireland, it is very far from a living wage in other countries where garments are often made. Ethical brands should list the names and locations of the factories involved in making their products, ensure safety and operate under Fair trade.

Using false labels

Certification labels - like the Leaping Bunny logo to show that something is cruelty free, or the FSC (​​Forest Stewardship Council) logo that aims to protect forests - are a way of verifying if something was sourced sustainably.

However, sometimes companies will make their own versions of these symbols that look similar to the original, to try and trick people into believing it's sustainable. They might also invent their own labels that aren't attached to any organisation. It's worth looking online to check any logos that companies are using and making sure they're real before trusting them.

Completely false claims

Sometimes a company will lie about their practices in order to portray themselves as sustainable.

For example, some clothing companies will encourage customers to donate their old clothes in exchange for store vouchers. While this is promoted as a circular fashion system in which the donated clothes can be recycled into new products, it is not always the case. Often, this tactic is used to encourage a customer to stay loyal to a brand and continue to shop using their vouchers. While some of the items may be recycled, it is possibly not as much as the company claims.

Globally less than 1% of clothes are recycled as clothing because of a lack of technology, according to the Ellen MacArthur Foundation. Most recycled clothing is downcycled into things like insulation.

How to stop greenwashing

Once you're able to spot greenwashing, you can do your best not to buy into it. Keeping an eye out for greenwashing can be difficult, it involves doing a lot of your own research, considering whether claims are true and finding brands that are trustworthy. What matters is that you're making an educated decision and doing your best, it may not work out every time but sustainability is about learning as you go.

There are a few ways you can help make other people aware of greenwashing so the marketing practice has less success:

Inform your friends and family of common greenwashing practices, use well known companies that greenwash as an example - like oil companies, fast fashion brands, plastic bottle production companies.

Watch documentaries on the climate crisis and read up on what well known companies have already been discovered to be greenwashing.

Call out greenwashing when you see it online - comment or message the page to let them know you see it.

Email companies (especially small or local ones) you think might be greenwashing about how they could potentially do better when it comes to sustainability practices.

Join sustainability activist groups online or in your community to keep up to date with green news and campaign against greenwashing.

Cover image by Cathy Hogan

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We are more aware now than ever before of the impact our daily choices have on the planet. Many companies realise this and want to show customers how they're helping to protect the planet and reduce their carbon emissions which contribute to climate change.

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1.9 Debate the ethical and sustainability issues that arise from their consumption of goods and services and evaluate how they can contribute to sustainable development through consumer behaviour                                                                                 1.7 Distinguish between and appreciate rights and responsibilities as consumers.                      1.10 Discuss and evaluate how globalisation and developments in technology impact on consumer choice and behaviour                                                                        

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1.9 Debate the ethical and sustainability issues that arise from their consumption of goods and services and evaluate how they can contribute to sustainable development through consumer behaviour                                                                                 1.7 Distinguish between and appreciate rights and responsibilities as consumers.                      1.10 Discuss and evaluate how globalisation and developments in technology impact on consumer choice and behaviour                                                                        

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Learning Intentions
Understand how technology can positively impact sustainable energy
Name 3 alternative energy sources to fossil fuels
List 3 advantages and disadvantages to sustainable energy sources

Learning experiences
Debate the advantages and disadvantages of renewable/sustainable energy
Create posters for sustainable energy

Stimulus Material
Wind Farms https://youtu.be/XJC4lBEnVfU   3 mins long
This is 45 mins long, so you can move to different sections showing the use of technology National Geographic: Big,Bigger,Biggest:Dam S02E08 - YouTube

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The Enviromental Impact of Fast Fashion 

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The Enviromental Impact of Fast Fashion 

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Learning Outcomes
1.1, 1.7 and 1.9

Learning Intentions
Be able to define what the term ethical consumer
Define the term fast fashion
I will learn how my choices as a consumer can impact the global environment

How might you use this stimulus material in class?

Questions set out on a worksheet based on the article.
Students to read the article and create a worksheet or Kahoot.

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A mountain of discarded clothing including Christmas jumpers and ski boots cuts a strange sight in Chile's Atacama, the driest desert in the world, which is increasingly suffering from pollution created by fast fashion.

The social impact of rampant consumerism in the clothing industry, such as child labour in factories or derisory wages, is well-known, but the disastrous effect on the environment is less publicised.

Chile has long been a hub of secondhand and unsold clothing, made in China or Bangladesh and passing through Europe, Asia or the United States before arriving in Chile, where it is resold around Latin America.

Some 59,000 tonnes of clothing arrive each year at the Iquique port in the Alto Hospicio free zone in northern Chile.

Clothing merchants from the capital Santiago, 1,800km to the south, buy some, while much is smuggled out to other Latin American countries. But at least 39,000 tonnes that cannot be sold end up in rubbish dumps in the desert.

Clothing, either synthetic or treated with chemicals, can take 200 years to biodegrade and is as toxic as discarded tires or plastics

"This clothing arrives from all over the world," Alex Carreno, a former employee in the port's import area, told AFP.

"What is not sold to Santiago nor sent to other countries stays in the free zone" as no one pays the necessary tariffs to take it away.

"The problem is that the clothing is not biodegradable and has chemical products, so it is not accepted in the municipal landfills," said Franklin Zepeda, the founder of EcoFibra, a company that makes insulation panels using discarded clothing.

"I wanted to stop being the problem and start being the solution," he told AFP about the firm he created in 2018.
Water waste
According to a 2019 UN report, global clothing production doubled between 2000 and 2014, and the industry is "responsible for 20% of total water waste on a global level".

To make a single pair of jeans requires 7,500 litres of water.

The same report said that clothing and footwear manufacturing contributes 8% of global greenhouse gases, and that "every second, an amount of textiles equivalent to a garbage truck is buried or burnt".

Whether the clothing piles are left out in the open or buried underground, they pollute the environment, releasing pollutants into the air or underground water channels.

Clothing, either synthetic or treated with chemicals, can take 200 years to biodegrade and is as toxic as discarded tires or plastics.

Not all the clothing goes to waste: some of the poorest people from this region of 300,000 inhabitants pick through the dumps to find things they need or can sell in their local neighborhood.

Venezuelan migrants Sofia and Jenny, who crossed into Chile only a few days earlier on a 350km journey, search through a clothing pile as their babies crawl over it.

The women are looking for "things for the cold", given the desert's nighttime temperatures drop to levels unheard of in their tropical homeland.
Changing attitudes
Chile, the richest country in South America, is known for the voracious consumerism of its inhabitants.

Fast fashion advertising "has helped to convince us that clothing makes us more attractive, that it makes us stylish and even cures our anxiety," said Monica Zarini, who makes lamp shades, notebooks, containers and bags from recycled clothing.

Things are changing, though, according to Rosario Hevia, who opened a store to recycle children's clothes before founding in 2019 Ecocitex, a company that creates yarn from pieces of discarded textiles and clothing in a poor state. The process uses neither water nor chemicals.

"For many years we consumed, and no one seemed to care that more and more textile waste was being generated," she said.

"But now, people are starting to question themselves."

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Fast fashion leftovers dumped in Chilean desert

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A mountain of discarded clothing including Christmas jumpers and ski boots cuts a strange sight in Chile's Atacama, the driest desert in the world, which is increasingly suffering from pollution created by fast fashion.

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Learning Intention
2.5

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Learning Outcomes
1.9 & 3.5

students will identify with the type of packaging on products
Students will begin to consider their product choice based on it's packaging considering sustainability
Students will identify with the difference their choice makes
Students will look at how governments influence these companies through taxation & policy

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UK plastic for “recycling” dumped and burned in Turkey - BBC News

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Learning Outcome
1.9
Learning Intention
-Analyse the sustainability issues related to being a good consumer.
-Appreciate the relationship between sustainable development and sustainable consumption.
Stimulus Material
Case Studies
YouTube clip - Cloughjordan Village

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Learning Outcomes: 1.9
Debate the ethical and sustainability issues that arise from their consumption of goods and services and evaluate how they can contribute to sustainable development through consumer behaviour.

Learning Intentions:
- know about ethical issues
- know about sustainable development and sustainability issues
- be a conscious consumer
-  be able to debate ethical and sustainable issues
- value our planet

This video provides a great introduction to unethical practices.

Support resources: whiteboard in pairs to write down a number of unethical practices

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Sustainable Toys
Learning Outcome 1.9

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A mum is on a mission to make the toy industry more sustainable after she struggled to find plastic free toys for her daughter.

Sharon Keilthy set up Jiminy Eco Toys - named after Pinocchio's conscience Jiminy Cricket - after leaving her senior role at a US multinational.

Sharon said: "It was 2018 and my daughter was about to turn four. I wanted to get her a nice eco-friendly gift, something made in Europe, something plastic free.

"I went to the toy store, and I came out empty-handed. Everything was made from virgin plastic and shipped all the way from China.

"So, I just thought, well maybe I'm not the only one who wants to do better. We can't expect people to do better if better isn't on the shelf, if it's not available.

"So, I decided to set up my own eco-friendly toy company specialising in 'made in Europe', plastic-free toys to give people more choices."

Solar powered toys from Jiminy Eco Toys

According to a 2014 United Nations report, the toy industry is the most intensive plastic industry in the world, with 90% of the toys on the market made of new plastic.

Sharon explained that she wants Jiminy Eco Toys "to be the toy company I wished the others were".

She has sourced more than 700 toys, books, and craft materials that are plastic-free and locally-made from natural or recycled materials.

She said: "My friends will often introduce me as 'this is Sharon, she runs a wooden toy shop'. But I don't, I run an eco-toy shop.

"And what's exciting to me about that is it doesn't have to be a really expensive, hand-carved wooden toy to be sustainable.

"You can have an injection-moulded, mass-produced Fisher Price cashier that is made from recycled plastic. And that makes it sustainable.

"So, we don't have to turn the industry on its head. We can work with the machines, the processes, the people, that are already there, but just change the material."

She added: "I'll often ask people which of the transport or the material that the toys is made from is responsible for 90% of its carbon footprint.

"People usually guess the transport because it has come 22,000km from China so it's understandable. But actually, making plastic from petroleum releases so much carbon, 90% of the footprint of a toy is the material it's made from.

"In other words, a 'made in China', wooden or bioplastic or recycled plastic toy is actually better than a 'made in Europe', virgin plastic toy which would surprise a lot of people."

The bricks in this toy are made from sawdust and recycled cups

Sharon sits on the sustainability committee of the American Toy Association. She is hopeful the industry can change and reduce its carbon footprint by using recycled or bioplastic materials instead of new plastic.

She said: "There are four big toy makers in the world - Lego, Hasbro, Mattel and MGA. Lego is by far my favourite because they are serious about sustainability. They are the only one, that I can see, that has a really good, clear plan that they are following to be totally sustainable by 2030.

"I wish Jiminy Eco Toys wasn't necessary and one day, it won't be. And when that day comes, Jiminy Eco Toys can go. I'll solve some other problem.

"The thing about being an activist business is you don't want to build an empire. You want to change the industry."
In our 'Climate Heroes' series of reports, we shine a light the people who are stepping up to protect our environment and tackle climate change. While these people come from all walks of life, they share a common purpose to improve the world around us.

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Mum's mission for more sustainable toys is child's play

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A mum is on a mission to make the toy industry more sustainable after she struggled to find plastic free toys for her daughter. Sharon Keilthy set up Jiminy Eco Toys - named after Pinocchio's conscience Jiminy Cricket - after leaving her senior role at a US multinational.