Newsletter - Third Edition: How sustainable is the textile industry? The STC response - education for a sustainable future
How Sustainable is the Textile Industry?
The textile industry is at a turning point. While it remains a cornerstone of the global economy, recent research highlights its massive environmental and social footprint:
10% of global CO₂ emissions come from the textile sector — more than aviation and shipping combined.
Source: Ellen MacArthur Foundation (2017). A New Textiles Economy: Redesigning Fashion’s Future.
20% of global industrial water pollution is caused by textile dyeing processes.
Source: World Bank (2019). Greening the Textile Industry.
Over 85% of produced textiles end up in landfills, often within a year.
Source: United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE), 2018.
These findings underline the urgent need to transform how we produce, consume, and educate in the textile sector.
The STC Response: Education for a Sustainable Future
The Sustainable Textile Counsellor (STC) project, which is co-funded by Erasmus+ and has been developed by partners in Austria, Slovenia, Greece and Estonia, tackles these challenges by offering a modular vocational training programme. The programme provides professionals ready to lead the industry’s green transition with both theoretical grounding and practical tools. By equipping future STCs with the right tools and mindset, we are helping to create a stronger, more environmentally friendly Europe — one garment at a time!
The Curriculum at a Glance:
10 chapters, 48 modules, 480 training hours (including e-learning and assessments).The training is flexible, adapted to individual entry-level knowledge via an initial assessment test, and includes a final diploma project for hands-on application.
Curriculum Highlights:
Each chapter in the STC course is strategically aligned with the core sustainability issues raised by recent research:
Chapter I: Textile Industry & Sustainability
Understand environmental impacts, toxic vs. eco-friendly materials, and sustainable production methods.
Chapter II: Production
Explore sustainable supply chains, logistics, and resource-efficient manufacturing processes.
Chapter III: Slow & Fast Fashion
Critically analyse fast fashion’s evolution, environmental harm, and social consequences.
Chapter IV: Circular Economy
Learn about waste management, recycling, upcycling, and sustainable textile loops.
Chapter V: Consumer Behaviour
Examine how psychological, cultural, and social factors influence sustainable consumption.
In addition, the curriculum develops soft and professional skills such as communication, community engagement, counseling, marketing, and facilitation — covered in Chapters VI–X.
Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or OeAD-GmbH. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them. 2024-1-AT01-KA220-VET-000247059
