Susanne Kern
Susanne Kern has a profound background in fashion design, tailoring and year-long experience in PR, marketing and journalism. She worked as sports editor at TextilWirtschaft, co-founded the trade magazine SportBiz, wrote for various sports, outdoor and business media and and was a contributor to EDM's publications from 2021-2023.
ArticleGOTS Version 7.0 published after long consultation process
The Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) has released its GOTS version 7.0. The new certification guidelines feature an expanded scope of environmental and social criteria while aiming to maintain a standard that is practicable for industrial production and appropriate for a wide range of products. GOTS version 7.0 strives to ...
ArticleCircularity in retail: Retailers finding their role in a changing world
How can retailers contribute to a more circular world? What are the challenges and how can medium-sized companies overcome them? At the panel talk “Circularity in retail” at ISPO Munich 2022, Yonderland’s head of sustainability, Melanie Grünwald, and Bergzeit’s CEO Martin Stolzenberger shared interesting experiences in transforming their retail concepts ...
ArticleCircular design thinking: Design beats disposal
What can replace a business-centered design approach, with repairable products that last longer, are recyclable and still create value?
ArticleRepairs: Old knowledge and future challenges
Regulations for the right to repair are underway. Although challenging, can these be a positive for brands, consumers, and the environment?
ArticleFabian Nendza: “We see ourselves as pioneers”
Can a retailer play a role in the circular economy? Through customer dialog and guidance, Globetrotter aims to do just that.
ArticleChouinard family transfers Patagonia ownership to channel dividends to environmental protection
Nearly 50 years after founding Patagonia, Yvon Chouinard and his family (together with his children Claire and Fletcher) have decided to give away their company to ensure all proceeds will be used to fight climate change. The Chouinard family has transferred all ownership to two new entities: Patagonia Purpose Trust ...
ArticleBergans puts a spotlight on the need for skilled repair workers
The way to a circular economy is through more and more professional repair services on a larger scale – a topic that was addressed on Bergans’ annual repair tour in Norway. As part of the tour, the Bergans team visited the Sam Eyde secondary school in Arendal, one of the ...
ArticleBoardriders publishes first ESG and CSR report
Roughly 16 months after Arne Arens, the former The North Face Europe CEO, took over as new chief executive officer of the Boardriders group, the company has released its ESG and CSR report 2020/21, which is the first of its kind.
ArticleU.S. outdoor industry study examines recreation and outdoor companies’ hiring challenges
The Oregon State University’s center for the outdoor recreation economy, with support from Basecamp Outdoor, Path to Peak education and consulting and the Confluence of States, has conducted a new Outdoor Industry Workforce Assessment for the American Outdoor Industry Association (OIA) and the Outdoor Recreation Roundtable. The study aims to ...
ArticleHydro Flask releases sustainability improvements and emissions goals
Hydro Flask has released news on its sustainability efforts. As of spring 2022, the Helen of Troy brand has switched to Forest Stewardship Council (FSC)-certified packaging, including 80-100 percent recycled content, and eliminated single-use plastic packaging for more than 90 percent of the brand’s products. Working with its parent company, ...
ArticleNew report on Myanmar garment worker’s situation
After Myanmar’s military illegally seized power on Feb. 1, 2021, garment workers – mostly women – have been on the front line of the country’s civil disobedience movement to restore democracy in Myanmar. According to a newly released report by the Business & Human Rights Resource Centre (BHRRC), at least ...
News briefsNew campaign advocates for new living wage legislation
The Clean Clothes Campaign (CCC) and other activist organizations have partnered to launch a new campaign that is said to be the biggest European campaign on living wages ever. The aim of the “Good clothes, Fair Pay” initiative is to collect one million signatures from European citizens to support the ...
ArticleEurobike premiers in Frankfurt, welcomes 61,150 visitors from 105 nations
The new Eurobike format that moved from the former Friedrichshafen venue to Frankfurt, Germany, has attracted significantly more visitors (both professionals and consumers) than the last pre-Covid edition. In its official after-show report, the organizing company Fairnamic speaks of 33,780 visitors from the bike industry and 27,370 consumers who came ...
ArticleMcKinsey study on textile waste recycling sees economic potential – and points out current bottlenecks
In a new online study, consulting firm McKinsey looked at the current state of textile recycling in Europe – and sees the potential to achieve a significant amount of fiber-to-fiber recycling in Europe by 2030.
ArticleTextile Exchange releases reports on Sustainable Cotton and Recycled Polyester challenges
Textile Exchange, a U.S.-based networking platform for the textile industry, has released its reports on the Sustainable Cotton challenge and Recycled Polyester challenge, two of the platform’s fiber challenges that are set up to replace conventional materials by lower impact solutions. The organization believes that this, coupled with investment in ...
ArticleThe Natural Fibers Alliance calls for suspension of Higg Index
In the wake of the recent New York Times article “How fashion giants recast plastic as good for the planet,” the Natural Fibers Alliance (NFA) is also campaigning for an immediate suspension of the use of the Higg Index. Since its implementation in 2012 by the Sustainable Apparel Coalition, the ...
ArticleSAC’s Higg Index faces public criticism from media and Norwegian authorities
The Sustainable Apparel Coalition (SAC) faces headwinds for its Higg Materials Sustainability Index from the New York Times and the Norwegian Consumer Authority (NCA). One problem the coalition faces is an article published by the New York Times, accusing the Higg Index of strongly favoring synthetic materials made from fossil ...
News briefsBergzeit relaunches its travel and alpine training offerings
German retailer Bergzeit has revamped its range of travel and alpine experiences under the ”Bergzeit Erlebnis” label and will no longer operate as a tour operator, but as an agent only. The travel services were launched in 2018/19 with a soft launch as an add-on to the Bergzeit shop. With ...
ArticleRestricting the use of PFAS: Multinational and cross-industry activities underway
As early as 2014, a group of researchers had examined the effect of exposure of polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) stemming from outdoor jackets. The study showed that among the background population, the highest intermediate exposure was a factor of 3-10 below the estimated average dietary intake, while among individuals occupationally exposed ...
Article50 years after the sale of the brand, the Millet family has taken back the lead
Millet Mountain Group, formerly part of the Swiss Calida Group and owner of the brands Lafuma and Millet, has completed its acquisition by the new main shareholder Jean-Pierre Millet (grandson of the brand Millet’s founders) and Inspiring Sport Capital, a private equity fund specializing in the sports industry and business. ...
