/desautels/taxonomy/term/3892/all en /desautels/initiatives-institutes/sustainable-growth-initiative-sgi/annual-grand-challenge-sustainability <h2>Powered by Gildan</h2> <h4>Objective — To raise awareness about the social and environmental impact of waste in apparel supply chains and to encourage students to come up with innovative solutions to address this issue.</h4> <hr /> <h2>AGC finalists have been selected</h2> <hr /> <p>Due to the high quality and calibre of the presentations and innovative ideas, it was decided that 5 teams would move on to the final round.</p> <p><img alt="Close the Loop" title="Close the Loop" height="287" width="320" style="width: 125px; height: 112px; float: left;" class="media-element file-large lt" src="/desautels/files/desautels/styles/wysiwyg_large/public/logo_close_the_loop.png?itok=B2zvoRqz" /><strong>Close the Loop </strong>(Ï㽶ÊÓƵ)<br /> We bring together <u>textile manufacturing and recycling</u> by focusing on garments’ <u>eco-conception</u>, guiding consumers’ choices with <u>Eco-labeling</u>, and streamlining <u>disposal programs</u>. Our ultimate goal is to permanently <b>close the loop</b> in the garment industry's material lifecycle.</p> <hr /> <p><img alt="StyleSphere" title="StyleSphere" height="215" width="320" style="width: 125px; height: 84px; float: left;" class="media-element file-large lt" src="/desautels/files/desautels/styles/wysiwyg_large/public/stylesphere.jpg?itok=SMQn9cEu" /><strong>StyleSphere </strong>(University of Waterloo and Ï㽶ÊÓƵ).<br /> StyleSphere is a solution enabling consumers and brands to have and provide transparency surrounding the fashion supply chain and sustainable practices. Designed to connect fashion and the circular economy, the extension provides consumers with a sustainability score regarding products they are interested in purchasing as well as more sustainable alternatives, whereas brands will have the opportunity to receive gently used inventory and resell at similar margins. StyleSphere is reshaping the future of the fashion industry through circular consumption.</p> <hr /> <p><img alt="Team Desaustainable" title="Team Desaustainable" height="320" width="320" style="width: 125px; height: 125px; float: left;" class="media-element file-large lt" src="/desautels/files/desautels/styles/wysiwyg_large/public/team_desaustainable_image.png?itok=yvfIsfSU" /><strong>Team Desaustainable </strong>(Ï㽶ÊÓƵ)<br /> The Collector Initiative: Redesigning Fast Fashion Waste Disposal</p> <hr /> <p><img alt="Team NRG " title="Team NRG " height="283" width="320" style="width: 125px; height: 111px; float: left;" class="media-element file-large lt" src="/desautels/files/desautels/styles/wysiwyg_large/public/team_nrg.jpg?itok=4tAPYfRR" /><strong>Team NRG</strong> (University of British Columbia)<br /> We're tackling the urgent issue of textile waste head-on with SoFafilling, an impact-driven solution that harnesses cutting-edge respinning technologies to repurpose landfill-bound materials for upholstery. Our vision? To establish a Global Apparel Coalition, uniting major fast fashion and luxury brands to be a part of the change from acting as a source of feedstock to being partners in the solution. By transforming discarded fabrics into high-quality upholstery for commercial furniture, we're not only reducing environmental impact, but also creating sustainable solutions for commercial spaces like universities, offices, and beyond. Let's revolutionize apparel waste with SoFafilling to make a lasting impact on both the planet and the way we approach textiles.</p> <hr /> <p><img alt="The EcoSolutions Label" title="The EcoSolutions Label" height="179" width="320" style="width: 125px; height: 70px; float: left;" class="media-element file-large lt" src="/desautels/files/desautels/styles/wysiwyg_large/public/ecosolutions_label.jpg?itok=ygWdB9Qv" /><strong>The EcoSolutions Label </strong>(Ï㽶ÊÓƵ)<br /> Our Threaded Treasure is the solution we have all been looking for to give a new life to the clothes we love. Each material used in our bags narrates infinite stories. Our mission revolves around fabric upcycling, transforming old garments into stylish, fashionable handbags, enabling your cherished clothes to accompany you in the milestones you've yet to achieve.</p> <hr /> <p>We also acknowledge all remaining semi-finalists for their solid presentations, unique solutions, and passion for sustainability. We hope to see you again in future editions of the Challenge!</p> <h2>Final round</h2> <p><strong>Date: </strong>February 28, 2024<br /> <strong>Time:</strong>12:30-16:30<br /> <strong>Location: </strong>Bronfman Building<br /> <strong>McGill Desautels</strong><br /> 1001 Sherbrooke St. West<br /> Montreal, QC H3A 1G5</p> <hr /> <p>The competition will leverage human centered design to develop compelling solutions and will serve as a platform for students to showcase their research, creativity, and analytical skills, and provides students with direct exposure to industry practitioners through coaching, mentoring, and case presentation sessions.</p> <h4>The Environmental Impact</h4> <ul> <li>$120 billion dollars of excess fabric found in apparel supply chains (Forbes 2021).</li> <li>Annual apparel production = 100 billion pieces out of which 20% are never sold (Forbes 2020).</li> <li>In Canada, customers dispose approximately 1.34 million tons of clothes annually out of which only 240 thousand tones are recycled/reused, and the remainder is landfilled or incinerated (Environment Canada 2022).</li> <li>A European Parliament report estimates that waste in apparel supply chains (including wastewater in the dyeing process) accounts for 20% of water pollution and 10% of global GHG emissions.</li> </ul> <h4>The Human & Social Cost</h4> <ul> <li>In several manufacturing nations, including Bangladesh, China, and India, the minimum wage only covers half to a fifth of what a family needs to make ends meet (Earth.org 2022).</li> <li>In America, workers put in grueling 12-hour days, making garments that will be sold for anywhere from $5 to $75 for around three cents apiece paid out (Forbes 2020).</li> <li>A reported 9 out of 10 garment workers in Bangladesh are paid so unfairly for their labor that they cannot afford food for themselves or their families. Yet to provide workers with a livable wage would cost some companies as little as an estimated 1% of the retail price of garments (Centre for Biological Diversity 2023).</li> </ul> <p> </p> <hr /> <h3><a name="grandchallenge"></a>The Grand Challenge</h3> <p><img alt="Annual Gran Challlenge" height="450" width="960" style="width: 750px; height: 352px;" class="file-original " src="/desautels/files/desautels/agc-banner-content.jpg" /></p> <div class="two-column-1"> <h5>Component 1*</h5> <hr /> <p><big>To identify and define a problem and the end-user that is being impacted with respect to the management of waste in the fashion supply chain;</big></p> </div> <div class="two-column-2"> <h5>Component 2**</h5> <hr /> <p><big>To develop a human-centered, desirable, viable and impactful proof-of-concept solution that can be implemented by the end-user.</big><br />  </p> </div> <p> Wed, 12 Jul 2023 17:55:44 +0000 julie.lapalme@affiliate.mcgill.ca 107871 at /desautels /desautels/initiatives-institutes/sustainable-growth-initiative-sgi/cibc-office-sustainable-finance <h3><img alt="Chancellor John McCall MacBain, Emilie Bissonnette, Dean Yolande Chan, Maryse Bertrand." height="500" width="960" style="width: 700px; height: 365px;" class="file-original " src="/desautels/files/desautels/cibc-sgi-gift-960x500.jpg" /></h3> <h3>CIBC donates $1.25M to the Sustainable Growth Initiative (SGI) at McGill Desautels</h3> Tue, 20 Jun 2023 17:55:34 +0000 sabatino.dellicompagni@mcgill.ca 107819 at /desautels /desautels/initiatives-institutes/sustainable-growth-initiative-sgi <h2>Vision</h2> <p>To create a global hub of knowledge creation and dissemination in sustainability to help businesses and policymakers contribute more effectively to a sustainable society.</p> <h2>Mission</h2> <p>To mobilize the talent and expertise within Ï㽶ÊÓƵ to help businesses move towards more socially and environmentally sustainable business models.</p> Mon, 01 Aug 2022 16:42:48 +0000 sabatino.dellicompagni@mcgill.ca 87479 at /desautels