Product Road Map, Clothing - Stage 3
WRAPP Teaching and learning unit - Stage 3
Product Road Map - Clothing
HSIE:
Environments
ENS3.5 Demonstrates an understanding of the interconnectedness between Australia and global environments and how individuals and groups can act
in an ecologically responsible manner.
ENS3.6 Explains how various beliefs and practices influence the ways in which people interact with, change and value their environment.
Social Systems and Structures
SSS3.7 Describes how Australian people, systems and communities are globally interconnected and recognises global responsibilities.
Science/Technology:
Products and Services
PS S3.5 Creates and evaluates products and services, demonstrating consideration of sustainability, aesthetic, cultural, safety and functional issues.
Sustainability
Action
Process
Sustainability action
process: Scaffolded
questions
Suggested teaching and learning activities
Understandings
Making the
case for
change
Exploring clothing
production processes
Introduction - getting a ‘foothold’ of the concept
- Natural materials come
from plants, animals or the
earth.
What fibres are our clothes
made from?
Where is most of our
clothing made?
What raw materials are
used in clothing production?
Can clothing be made from
recovered materials eg,
PET?
NB This activity needs to be done on a day the students are wearing
joggers/sports shoes.
Ask the students to take off one of their shoes. Direct them to look under the
tongue at the list of materials the shoe is made from. The students
sketch or photograph their shoe and label the materials it is made from. Also
ask the students to indicate where their shoe was made.
Create a class list of all the materials the students’ shoes are made from.
Identify which are natural materials and which are synthetic. The students
then add flow diagrams to their shoe labels to show the source (raw
material) of each material. Eg, cotton→cotton plant; polyester→PET→crude
oil; rubber→rubber tree.
They should also indicate if any of the fibres are made from recovered
materials. (Polyester can be made from used PET bottles.)
Resource:
What are sports shoes made from?
© State of New South Wales through the NSW Department of Education and Training, 2010
- Cotton, wool and linen are
derived from plant fibres.
- Silk is a fibre derived from
animals (silkworm
caterpillars).
- Clothing is made from
natural materials or
synthetic fibres or a
combination of both.
- Polyester is a synthetic
fibre made from petrochemicals originating from
crude oil. Polyester can be
made from recovered PET
bottles that have been
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Product Road Map, Clothing - Stage 3
How is an item of clothing
made? What are the steps
in the production process?
http://www.sneakerfactory.net/TheSneakerFactory/What_are_shoes_made_
of.html
collected and sent for
recycling.
Polyester fibre http://www.fibersource.com/f-tutor/polyester.htm
About Cotton
http://www.cottonaustralia.com.au/facts/factsandfigures.aspx?id=1
- Using recovered materials
in the production of
polyester saves petroleum
raw materials, reduces
energy use and reduces
what is sent to landfill.
Show the students images of how sports shoes are made from The
Sneaker Factory website:
http://www.sneakerfactory.net/TheSneakerFactory/Home.html. While
viewing the images, ask the students to look for other materials used in the
production of a shoe, eg, glues, stitching thread, metal. The students add
further labels of these additional materials to their shoe sketch.
After viewing the Sneaker Factory images, the students could create flow
charts to show the main steps in sports shoe production from design to
packaging.
Extra resource:
‘Nike sweatshops never say never’
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9a_D-azUogg&feature=related
The Sneaker Factory is a large factory in western China. On their website
there are also images of the workers’ accommodation and the factory dining
areas which show the enormity of the operation. These images are good
discussion starters about where most sports shoes are made and why
they are made there.
Construct a bar graph or pie chart of the countries in which the students’
shoes were made.
Are there sustainability
considerations in clothing
production?
Issues Map
Create a class Issues Map (sample attached) of potential issues relating to
sports shoe manufacture. This will be a preliminary listing which can be
explored and added to later in the unit. It is intended to get the students
thinking about issues and impacts of clothing production. Highlight those
that relate to ecological sustainability.
© State of New South Wales through the NSW Department of Education and Training, 2010
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Product Road Map, Clothing - Stage 3
Assessing the current
situation through an
investigation of school
uniform manufacture and
personal clothing
disposal
What fibres are our used in
school uniforms?
Where is our school uniform
made?
What do we do with our
clothes when we are
finished with them?
What is PET, how is it
recovered and re-used. Do
we recycle it in our school?
What is our school uniform made from?
Ask the students to look for the labels on their school uniform items and list
the fibres these are made from. (Most will be polyester and cotton.) Also
ask them to list where each uniform item is made. Record these on the table
attached or as a spreadsheet and graph the results.
Students research the raw materials and any recovered materials used to
manufacture each fibre used in their school uniform.
What do we do with our clothes when we are finished with them?
Ask the students what they do with their clothes when they don’t wear them
anymore. Create a mind map of the disposal methods and highlight any
that extend the life of the item of clothing, eg, passed onto younger
sibling/friend, put in clothing bin, donated to ‘op shop’. This will help show
connections between the action and the result.
Soft drink bottles to sloppy joes
The students would have found out from their research and earlier activities
that polyester fibre can be made from recovered PET bottles. Show the
students examples of PET bottles and the recycling symbol (No.1) on the
base that identifies a bottle as PET. Briefly explain what PET is and what
recycled PET bottles can be made into.
Resources:
What is PET? http://www.napcor.com/PET/whatispet.html
What is PET? (video 1 ½ min) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=29AzdPwtg8
PET Recycling: the Number One Success Story (video 10 min)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5fYwUerWkqs&feature=related
- PET is produced to make
synthetic fibres (polyester)
and PET bottles and
containers. It is a plastic
that can be recycled,
chipped and made into
pellets, and melted and
remade into polyester.
Identify if and where PET bottles are used at school and if there is PET
recycling collection in the school.
Investigating concepts
and ideas relating to
clothing production
processes and
sustainability
Natural Fibre Garment Roadmap
Display the Natural Fibre Garment Roadmap
http://thehub.ethics.org.au/uploads/files/PRM_Garment_BSL.pdf and review
the stages in garment production. Each step can be highlighted using the
separated components. On an IWB, these can be ‘shuffled’ and
© State of New South Wales through the NSW Department of Education and Training, 2010
Product Road Maps
Four product road maps –
paper, clothing, potato and
building are at:
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Product Road Map, Clothing - Stage 3
What are the stages in the
production of clothing?
reassembled by the students to reinforce the sequence. Recall the steps in
the sports shoes production process and compare.
What is a product road
map? How does it apply to
clothing production?
Investigate the sequences of in the Product Road Maps
What are the sustainability
considerations in each
stage of clothing
production?
http://www.curriculumsuppo
rt.education.nsw.gov.au/en
v_ed/teaching/focus/prm.ht
m
Download the Interactive White Board learning materials.
Student Activity:
-
There are four Product Road Maps to sequence
Put the Product Road Map together

Place the steps in the right order and then match a label to each step
description.

Write a one sentence description of what is occurring at each step
and present this to your group or class as you are sequencing the
steps in the Product Road Map
Explain what a Product Roadmap is in simple terms, explaining that they
have been developed for businesses to help them become
environmentally responsible.
Information on product roadmaps:
http://www.defra.gov.uk/environment/business/products/roadmaps/index.ht
m
http://thehub.ethics.org.au/sme/product_roadmaps
As a class, read the Natural Fibre Garment Roadmap, explaining and
discussing the sustainability considerations at each step. Discover and
record together the meanings of words which are unfamiliar to students.
(This roadmap will require explicit ‘unpacking’ by the teacher as it is written
for business.)
Teach the students how to make their own notes about sustainability issues
arising from the roadmap, using the Natural Fibre Garment Roadmap
Worksheet (attached).
Product roadmaps show
the process in
manufacturing or
processing a product and
list the social and
environmental impacts at
each stage of the process.
This enables businesses to
identify areas that they can
improve upon so that they
are more sustainable.
- 96% of Australia’s cotton
is grown in the MurrayDarling Basin.
- Cotton growing requires
large areas of land and
needs significant amounts
of water, often through
irrigation. Pesticides are
used in cotton farming.
Create a class mindmap of the sustainability issues raised in the garment
© State of New South Wales through the NSW Department of Education and Training, 2010
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Product Road Map, Clothing - Stage 3
roadmap. As a class, decide on the most significant sustainability issues.
Case Study – Cotton Growing in the Murray-Darling Basin
This can be a research task for students and presented as an information
report or digital presentation. They can formulate their own questions or use
the following:
1. Where is cotton grown in Australia? On a map of Australia, show the
cotton growing locations and the Murray-Darling Basin. Label the
major rivers and towns in the Murray-Darling Basin.
2. What particular land and water resources are needed to grow
cotton?
3. Where does water for cotton growing come from?
4. What are the main ecological sustainability issues in cotton growing?
5. Where is Australian cotton sold?
6. What is Australian cotton manufactured into?
Resources:
Agriculture – Cotton Industry – Australia (1998 figures)
http://www.anra.gov.au/topics/agriculture/cotton/index.html
Murray-Darling Basin map
http://www.murrayriver.com.au/river-management/murray-darling-basincommission/#basinmap
Murray-Darling basin map (PDF)
http://kids.mdbc.gov.au/__data/page/75/Basin_Map.pdf
Murray-Darling Basin Tour – Irrigation
http://www2.mdbc.gov.au/about/tour_the_basin/irrigation/index.html
Cotton Australia – Export and Marketing
http://www.cottonaustralia.com.au/facts/factsandfigures.aspx?id=8
Cotton Australia – Environment
http://www.cottonaustralia.com.au/environment/
Water Issues in the Murray-Darling Basin
http://www.environment.gov.au/water/locations/murray-darling-
© State of New South Wales through the NSW Department of Education and Training, 2010
- Australia’s main export
destinations are China and
Japan.
- Australia exports wool and
cotton to China as well as
many other raw materials.
- Australia’s major import
from China is clothing.
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Product Road Map, Clothing - Stage 3
(Source:
http://www.dfat.gov.au/geo/fs/chin.
pdf;
http://www.dfat.gov.au/geo/fs/aust.
pdf)
basin/index.html
Cotton and Water and What is Cotton
http://www.savewater.com.au/index.php?sectionid=67
.
Trade with China – clothing
As a class, or in pairs, using the Trade with China document
http://www.dfat.gov.au/geo/china/fta/china_states.pdf, create a list of natural
fibres exported to China for each state and a list of clothing imports from
China. What is the Australian total of each?
EXPORTS $
Wool
Cotton
IMPORTS $
Clothing
Victoria
ACT
What are the sustainability
considerations in imports
and exports relating to
clothing manufacture?
NSW
NT
Qld
SA
Tas
WA
TOTALS
NB These raw materials would also be used to make products other than just clothing.
Clothing imported by Victoria is distributed to other states.
Resources:
China/Australia trade fact sheet http://www.dfat.gov.au/geo/fs/chin.pdf
Australia trade fact sheet http://www.dfat.gov.au/geo/fs/aust.pdf
© State of New South Wales through the NSW Department of Education and Training, 2010
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Product Road Map, Clothing - Stage 3
Sustainability considerations of clothing imports and exports
Can we lengthen the lifespan of clothing? What
happens to clothing put in
clothing bins?
As a class, brainstorm the sustainability considerations of exporting
natural fibres for clothing production and importing clothing to Australia. Eg,
energy used in transportincreased CO2 emissions, different environmental
regulations in country of manufactureincreased pollution, social and
labour issues.
The students could write an exposition on buying Australian Made clothing
as opposed to imported clothing. A debate could also be prepared on the
topic.
Resource:
Australian Made / Australian Grown
www.australianmade.com.au/why-australian-made/
Understanding Food Miles Discussion Sheet
http://www.sustainableillawarra.com.au/pdf/Understanding-Food-Miles.pdf
Can we lengthen the life-span of clothing?
Refer to the class spider map created earlier showing what happens to
clothing when the students have finished using it. Also point out the image
of the clothing bin at the end of the Natural Fibre Garment Roadmap. Ask
the students which ‘disposal’ methods extend the life of an item of clothing.
Ask the students to research ways that the life-span of clothing can be
extended, eg,

Where can clothing be donated in our local area?

What happens to clothing donated to stores, eg, Vinnies, Op shops?

What happens to clothing put in clothing bins?
Resources:
Give Now – clothing donations and what happens to them http://www.givenow.com.au/otherways/clothes
Recycling Near You – clothing Sydney
http://recyclingnearyou.com.au/charities/SydneyNSW
© State of New South Wales through the NSW Department of Education and Training, 2010
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Product Road Map, Clothing - Stage 3
Recycling near you – can search clothing/textiles and place http://recyclingnearyou.com.au/
Expanding the product roadmap
As a class, create a flowchart of natural fibre garment production which
includes countries of origin and manufacture and the modes of transport
between each stage. Add in disposal options that extend the life of an item
of clothing. Also include low-energy laundering solutions (eg, using a clothes
line).
Additional dimensions to sustainability and clothing
Have students consider, discuss and document the sustainability benefits of:
Stating the case for what
needs to change in the
school and why
Applying understandings –
putting ourselves in the
product road map

washing in cold water

having a washing machine with a high energy efficiency (star) rating

using low phosphorous detergents

washing only when there is a full load
Putting ourselves into the natural fibre garment roadmap
Using the separated components of the natural fibre garment roadmap the
students re-assemble the roadmap on an A3 page or digitally, adding in the
export and import components. Eg, place the wool and cotton cultivation on
a map of Australia, add a road with truck transporting it to a dock on the
coast, add a container ship crossing the ocean, add a map of China or Asia
add a road and truck then the processing and manufacturing steps, etc.
Product Road maps at:
www.curriculumsupport.education.nsw.gov.au/env_ed/teaching/focus/purch
ase.htm
The students also put themselves into the roadmap as consumers,
purchasing clothing, laundering it and disposing of it.
The students list the ecological sustainability considerations for each new
step of their expanded roadmap and include the sustainability
considerations from the original roadmap. (This is a good assessment
© State of New South Wales through the NSW Department of Education and Training, 2010
The major ecological
sustainability issues
relating to clothing
manufacture are:
- Burning fossil fuels to
generate energy required in
agricultural machinery for
growing, harvesting and
processing as well as in
manufacture, transport and
laundering. This contributes
to climate change.
- Toxic chemicals in the
form of pesticides and
chemicals used in
manufacture and the
disposal of these.
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Product Road Map, Clothing - Stage 3
opportunity as it demonstrates students’ understandings.)
Resource:
Well Dressed? The Present and Future Sustainability of Clothing and
Textiles in the United Kingdom (Executive Summary p.2)
http://www.ifm.eng.cam.ac.uk/sustainability/projects/mass/uk_textiles.pdf
Recycled PET manufacturing – closing the loop (optional)
How is PET made into
clothing? How can we
contribute to this?
Recall what PET is and how it can be recovered and re-used. Show the
students a diagram of recycled plastic manufacturing, pointing out that
the process is a closed loop. Discuss environmental benefits in closing the
loop, ie, conserving natural resources, keeping products out of landfill.
Can we make changes in
our school and in our lives
that improves sustainability
in relation to clothing?
Discuss ways in which the students can contribute to this loop, eg, recycling
PET bottles at school and home. In groups, students create a flowchart or
diagram of the recycled PET loop with themselves in the loop, using a PET
bottle, recycling it, its recovery and manufacture into bottles, furniture,
carpet or clothing.
Each group tells the story of one of the products made from recycled
PET and how that product came to be, eg, Story of a Fleecy Top
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tKmB2gYViCU.
- High water consumption
of cotton and extensive
land use.
- The ‘fast fashion’ trend
results in large amounts of
clothing waste sent to
landfill.
(Source:
http://www.ifm.eng.cam.ac.uk/sust
ainability/projects/mass/uk_textiles
.pdf)
This can be done as an animation using the Slowmation technique, as a
video or enacted or told, perhaps as a continuous story.
Resources:
Closing the Loop – Recycled Plastic Manufacturing (p. 291)
http://www.calrecycle.ca.gov/Education/curriculum/CTL/46Module/Unit1/Les
son3.pdf
Slowmation http://www.slowmation.com.au/
Defining the
scope for
action
Exploring options for
making a change
What can we change at
school, at home and in our
lives to be more sustainable
in relation to clothing?
Clothing choices and sustainability
Drawing on the understandings so far, ask the students to brainstorm what
changes could be made at school or what actions they could take that are
more sustainable in relation to clothing. Possible actions could include:

Investigating the purchase of Australian-made uniform items
© State of New South Wales through the NSW Department of Education and Training, 2010
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Product Road Map, Clothing - Stage 3
Identifying available
resources and constraints
How can we make it
happen? What might get in
the way?

Setting up PET recycling

Implementing carbon off-sets for clothing import ‘miles’ (ie, the
energy used in transporting raw material exports and in importing
clothing to Australia)

Locating and mapping local clothing bins and clothing donation
locations

Teaching students how to sew on buttons and how to hem to enable
basic mending of clothing

Establishing a pre-loved uniform clothing pool at school.

Encouraging the parents to use low-energy laundering methods.
Futures line
Taking one of the possible actions, the students work in groups to create a
futures line for two possible futures for that action. This will enable them to
start considering potential constraints.
What we’d like to happen
Action
What could happen
Stakeholder surveys
Teams or pairs of students identify and interview the main stakeholders
involved in their possible clothing sustainability actions to find out their views
on the students’ ideas. Stakeholders may include the principal, school
uniform shop co-ordinator, P&C members, staff, parents and students.
Developing the statement
(brief) describing an
agreed direction for
action
What do we want to happen?
Create a class statement on what the students would like to see happen
that results in them being more sustainable in relation to clothing. This could
© State of New South Wales through the NSW Department of Education and Training, 2010
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Product Road Map, Clothing - Stage 3
What changes do we want?
How can we influence the
behaviour of others?
be written as an aim, eg,
“ To change the school uniform purchasing policy so that a minimum of two
items of the school uniform are Australian Made.”
and/or
“To establish PET bottle recycling systems so that no PET containers used
at school go to landfill.”
and/or
“To extend the life of our clothing through establishing a pre-loved uniform
clothing pool and by advertising local clothing bins and drop-off points.”
Developing the
proposal for
action
Generating and selecting
ideas for action
Researching what others
have done in similar
situations
Exploring, creating and
recording ideas
Evaluating and selecting
ideas and describing the
intended change
Action project
Divide the class into project teams to research ways to implement the
desired changes. For example, one group might research Australian-made
school uniform suppliers, another might research school PET recycling
schemes, and others may contact neighbouring schools on what they do.
Resources:
Australian Made / Australian Grown
www.australianmade.com.au/why-australian-made/
SCRAP http://www.scrapltd.com.au/
VISY Recycling for Schools
http://www.visy.com.au/recycling/index.php?id=31
Recycling Near You http://recyclingnearyou.com.au/
Video ‘From crop to swap’ www.youtube.com/watch?v=k4Y7EWEnaTk
The student teams report their findings and recommendations to the
class. As a class, decide and agree on a list of actions. Prepare the list as
an action plan, listing the proposed action in order of priority, adding
timeframes, costs/resources and those responsible.
Preparing and
communication the
proposal
Clarifying the audience,
Presentation of action plan
In their project teams, the students identify the relevant stakeholders to their
particular action. They prepare a short presentation outlining their action to
each stakeholder group. This may be in the form or a brochure, a speech,
© State of New South Wales through the NSW Department of Education and Training, 2010
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Product Road Map, Clothing - Stage 3
purpose and structure of a
proposal
Preparing a proposal and
action plan including criteria
for measuring success
a digital presentation such as PowerPoint, Notebook, slide show or video.
The students should outline their action, provide background information,
and ‘sell’ their ideas specific to their audience.
This task is a good assessment opportunity.
Presenting and advocating
a proposal and action plan
Taking action
Implementing the
proposal
Receive the Principal’s
support for implementing
the proposal
Approval and support
Give the Principal the action plan and obtain the Principal’s agreement.
Implement the actions - do what was planned.
Implement the proposal
Evaluating and
reflecting
Evaluating and reflecting
Evaluating the sustainability
action
Reflection
Reflect on and discuss the learning, activities, investigations and
presentations conducted throughout the unit of work.
Reflecting on the processes
used and our learning
Cause and Effect Wheel (Reflection)
Students (individually or in groups) draw a circle on a large sheet of paper.
They write the sustainability action in the centre. The students discuss and
reflect on the effect of their action in the school community and in a broader
sense. They add other circles around the first circle and write the effects of
the sustainability action. They keep adding circles considering broader
effects of the action.
The Future
Develop a plan for ongoing monitoring of the actions.
Other resources:
© State of New South Wales through the NSW Department of Education and Training, 2010
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Product Road Map, Clothing - Stage 3
Closing the Loop: Exploring Integrated Waste Management and Resource Conservation – teaching resource
http://www.calrecycle.ca.gov/Education/curriculum/CTL/TOC.htm
Keeping Items Cycled – includes diagrams of the paper manufacturing
http://www.calrecycle.ca.gov/Education/curriculum/ctl/46Module/Unit1/Lesson3.pdf
Examples of Questions Concerning the Life Cycle of an Item – Close the Loop (p. 279)
http://www.calrecycle.ca.gov/Education/curriculum/CTL/46Module/Unit1/Lesson3.pdf
Fair Trade Association (social sustainability) http://www.fta.org.au/
Well Dressed? The Present and Future Sustainability of Clothing and Textiles in the United Kingdom
http://www.ifm.eng.cam.ac.uk/sustainability/projects/mass/uk_textiles.pdf
Sustainable Schools NSW http://www.sustainableschools.nsw.edu.au/
Waste Reduction and Purchasing Policy – WRAPP http://www.environment.nsw.gov.au/wrapp/
Sustainability Curriculum Framework http://www.environment.gov.au/education/publications/pubs/curriculum-framework.pdf
Sample recording sheets follow:

Sport Shoe Manufacturing – Issues Map

School Uniform Materials and Country of Manufacture (table)

Natural Fibre Garment Roadmap Worksheet
© State of New South Wales through the NSW Department of Education and Training, 2010
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Product Road Map, Clothing - Stage 3
SPORTS SHOE MANUFACTURING – ISSUES MAP
Ethical
Ecological
Social / community
Political
Technological
Economic
© State of New South Wales through the NSW Department of Education and Training, 2010
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Product Road Map, Clothing - Stage 3
Table of school uniform materials and country of manufacture (better in Excel so it can be filtered and graphed)
School uniform
item(not shoes)
Country of
manufacture
Polyester
Cotton (natural)
Eg Polo top
China
Y
Y
Viscose
Elastine
Wool (natural)
Shorts
© State of New South Wales through the NSW Department of Education and Training, 2010
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Other (state
what)
Product Road Map, Clothing - Stage 3
NATURAL FIBRE GARMENT ROADMAP WORKSHEET
Read the paragraphs of text in Steps 01 to 10. These refer to the numbers on the roadmap diagram.
Step 02
Wool and cotton cultivation
Which environmental impacts can the farming of wool and cotton have, even though they are both renewable
resources?
Step 04
Explain the pollution which can occur at the spinning stage.
Yarn manufacturing and spinning
Step 05
What are the 3 key sustainability issues at the knitting and weaving stage?
Knitting and weaving
Step 06
Name 3 sustainability issues at the processing stage.
Fabric processing
Step 08
Name 2 issues relating to transport at the wholesale and retail stage.
Wholesale and retail
Look at the Sustainability Considerations boxes (orange boxes) and the step in the roadmap they relate to. What do these terms mean and why do
they matter?
Sustainability
considerations
What does it mean?
Why does it matter? What does it cause?
Land degradation
Pesticides
Energy use
Effluents with toxic
substances
Worker exploitation
Ethical practices
Phosphate-free
detergents
© State of New South Wales through the NSW Department of Education and Training, 2010
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Product Road Map, Clothing - Stage 3
© State of New South Wales through the NSW Department of Education and Training, 2010
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