Hello fishy peeps! (iykyk)
Back from the holidays (happy new year 2024, by the way!) and bracing ourselves for the exam period ahead, we wanted to give a quick update on what we’ve been up to with our progress.
As foreshadowed in the previous post, we decided for our main problem space, we’d go into the world of fast fashion, as we agreed it was a problem that was almost synonymous with SDG 12’s responsible consumption and production. The fashion industry has changed rapidly with the rise of fast fashion, even though the way fashion is generally made has not. Fast fashion has presented a unique set of challenges to society, the environment, and the economy. Nevertheless, this industry has led to overconsumption, labor exploitation, and environmental degradation; therefore, it is important to promote sustainable production methods and advocate for ethical labor practices, so that we can allign this problem with SDG 12.
Introducing C.A.R.L
Thus brings forth our idea of C.A.R.L, a Cool Automated Recycling Loop! The idea was born out of a need for small-scale garment-making machines and a desire to encourage consumers to extend the lifespan of their clothing. Inspired by the carousel found at local dry cleaners, this innovative system also addresses the issue of the transportation chain (yes, we still couldn’t let go of our love of the transport chain issue) associated with the import of fast fashion and the export of clothing, which often results in waste. C.A.R.L is fully user-based, and customizable, and offers customers a fun and interactive experience. It is aimed to be able to compete with fast fashion in the aspects of prices and speeds. By emphasizing the value of local recycling and repurposing, C.A.R.L stands as a sustainable solution against the problematic fast fashion industry.
Now, surely that is not a completely new idea, to be fair, it isn’t; however, we wanted to focus on having it be a whole ~experience~. Given that there are current machines that can print t-shirts, knit, cut, sew and all of that jazz, but most of the time in the fast fashion industry, it is made through unsustainable and exploitative means. Read more about it all in our whitepaper!
Quote(s) of the week(s):
“Yucky Disgusting”
– us towards the fast fashion industry
We are determined to actualize C.A.R.L and bridge the gap from idea to reality. To be fair, C.A.R.L is still very abstract and “black-box”-y as one may call it, but what’s the fun in solving a problem if it isn’t challenging? Looking forward to prototyping, gathering more knowledge from talking with experts in different branches in the industry, and some good old-fashioned teamwork.
Until then!
Much love from slippery, icy, and chilly Mannheim,
Hnudee, Kasjen, and Kathi
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