Spotted: The European Commission’s Product Environmental Footprint (PEF) and Organisation Environmental Footprint (EF) methods are “Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) based methods to quantify the environmental impacts of products (goods or services) and organisations.” These indicators assess everything that goes into the making of a product, from material extraction, water use, and production emissions to distribution transport costs, reuse and recycling options, and more. Pulling together so much information is time-intensive and complicated by the lack of data uniformity across industries and throughout supply chains.
French company L’Empreinte recognised that challenge and designed a software-as-a-service (SaaS) platform called PEFtrust for companies to use to track the environmental footprint of their footwear and apparel products. The platform provides four different modules for companies to work through, beginning with an initial assessment of their products. The proprietary algorithm provides compliance assessments for single products or for hundreds of thousands at a time, making it possible for brands to comply with current regulations and provide the necessary data to support their emissions targets and achievements.
For companies already providing green products, the PEFtrust team can help to further improve their ecodesigns as well as connect businesses with certified suppliers. Each PEF score contains 16 measures that companies can work to improve, and the platform provides regulatory compliant product labels that can be embedded directly onto consumer-facing websites. Data management is made as simple as possible, with the SaaS platform capable of integrating with an organisation’s existing IT reporting tools.
Reports range from individual product-level detail to overall organisation-level Scope 3 emissions. The different levels of detail enable managers and teams at all points of a product’s life cycle to input information necessary for the analysis and to contribute to overall supply chain improvements, encompassing everything from raw material processing to cutting and finishing. The L’Empreinte team is continuously strengthening its platform via faster artificial intelligence (AI) recommendations for ecodesign improvements and including more materials and processes in its evaluations.
As well as reducing emissions in apparel production processes, Springwise’s library includes examples, such as circular polycotton and plant-based fur, of innovations changing the materials being used within the fashion industry.
Promotion: a fashion label, packaging designer and coffee roastery are three brands from Switzerland taking part in the Swiss Design Accelerator Program in San Francisco, USA.
The three studios – YVY, Paula Cermeño León and Mikafi – represent innovative design practices emerging from Switzerland.
Recognised at the international event for their pioneering attitude to the design, the three brands aim to have sustainability and circular economic values at the forefront of their creative processes.
The designers exhibiting their brands in San Francisco (above) and work by Paula Cermeño León (top). Photo by Myleen Hollero for Swissnex in San Francisco
YVY is a fashion label founded by designer Yvonne Reichmuth in 2015, which designs and manufactures leather goods in Zurich.
The brand produces ready-to-wear accessories such as wallets, belts, jewellery and hats in addition to bespoke harnesses and clothing, which are predominantly made from leather.
YVY designs and manufactures leather goods
The brand has clothed notable celebrities such as Kristen Stewart, Billie Eilish, Madonna, Lady Gaga, Troye Sivan, Taylor Swift and Camila Cabello among others.
YVY does not release seasonal collections, instead it creates carry-over pieces that aim to reduce material waste and allow designs to be continuously refined.
Mikafi designs pioneering the coffee roasting process
The leather is sourced from byproducts of the food industry, with the brand also offering non-animal alternatives on a case-by-case basis to cater to all client requirements.
The leather follows traditional processing techniques and uses vegetable tanning methods to make the material safe for both those handling it during the manufacturing process and for the planet.
The brand uses traditional leather treatment methods
Mikafi designs fully automated coffee roasting systems that are made up of both hardware and software that work in tandem to reduce the impact of coffee making on the environment.
The brand’s tabletop mini roasting appliance called MCR 1 allows coffee beans to be roasted on demand, which reduces overproduction and waste, and being electrically powered makes the machine more environmentally viable than traditional gas-powered roasters.
Mikafi is pioneering the coffee roasting process
MCR 1 is still in its testing phase, and has been designed for use in commercial hospitality settings such as bakeries, cafes and restaurants.
It is made up of a chamber containing coffee beans on the top, with a large circular window below that shows the roasting process happening inside.
MCR 1 is still in its testing phase, and has been designed for use in commercial hospitality settings such as bakeries, cafes and restaurants.
It is made up of a chamber containing coffee beans on the top, with a large circular window below that shows the roasting process happening inside.
Mikafi’s digital platform manages the process of the coffee beans from farm to cup, and aims to open up channels of communication between farmers, hospitality venues and consumers.
“The concept is thought to foster a fairer and more direct trade between the coffee farmer and the consumer, and most of all to strengthen the taste experience of the latter,” said Mikafi.
MCR 1 has a large window so users can observe the roasting process happening
Paula Cermeño León is a designer who specialises in creating sustainable packaging as well as personal care products informed by the importance of circularity and the benefits of working with plants.
She combines her design skills, which she developed during her studies at ECAL in Switzerland, with expertise from professionals who work closely with plants, including botanists, biologists, artists and engineers.
Paula Cermeño León used natural waste material for packaging incense
Among León’s designs is a proposed alternative to conventional packaging for Peruvian brand Misha Rastrera, which makes Palo Santo incense.
As opposed to using conventional plastic film packaging, León chose to use surplus corn husks produced during farming to make packaging that is sustainable and compostable.
The face mask must be wetted before use
Other eco-based products by León include self-care items, such as the face mask set from her Herbier Project, which is made from plant fibres that can be distributed dry and rehydrated when ready to use.
Her Refined Remedies collection of medicinal products for minor wounds and menstrual pain are also infused with plant extracts and present a contemporary take on herbal remedies.
Remedies are used for minor ailments
The Swiss Design Accelerator program is the result of collaboration between Swiss Art Council, Pro Helvetia, under the label Design Switzerland, and Swissnex in San Francisco, an initiative by Switzerland’s State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation, connecting “Switzerland, North America and the world in science, education, innovation and the arts”.
The program aims to build connections and international visibility for emerging Swiss designers and brands in the design industries.
The program ran from 7 November to 13 November 2022 and was held at Swissnex’s space at Pier 17 in San Francisco.
Partnership content
This article was written by Dezeen for Swissnex as part of a partnership. Find out more about Dezeen partnership content here.
