The Global Challenges Podcast

In our first episode, we look at the global environmental issue of microfibres, answering:

• What are they?
• Where do they come from?
• What damage are they causing?
• What can we do as consumers to limit the damage to our environment?

Our first episode is hosted by Dr Mark Sumner (Lecturer in sustainable fashion at the University of Leeds) with guests:

• Kelly Sheridan (Head of Research The Microfibre Consortium)   
• Dr Mark Taylor (Lecturer in sportswear and sustainable fashion at the University of Leeds)
• Alice Hazelhurst (PhD researcher at the University of Leeds)

You can listen on Captivate, Spotify, Stitcher or the podcast app that you prefer. ​​​​​

Following on from our first episode where we learned about microfibres and their potential harm to our environment, in this episode we hear about solutions that the textile industry and academia are developing to reduce microfibres shedding into our land, oceans and even the human body.

In this episode we are joined by: 

• Dr Muhammed Tausif (Associate Professor in sustainable manufacturing)
• Jamie Hunt (Pressio)
• Paul Servin (Xeros)
• Alma Palacios (PhD researcher University of Leeds)

Publications referenced:

1. Fragmented fibre (including microplastic) pollution from textiles
2. Fragmented fibre pollution from common textile materials and structures during laundry
3. Impact of conventional and modified ring-spun yarn structures on the generation and release of fragmented fibres (microfibres) during abrasive wear and laundering

You can listen on Captivate, Spotify, Stitcher or the podcast app that you prefer. 

In this episode we look at the role of textiles in healthcare, and how textiles can make an impact on patients, healthcare providers, and industry. More specifically, we explore how textiles are employed in the clinic for the treatment of chronic wounds, and the journey that researchers and clinicians take together to translate an idea for wound management from the lab into the clinic. 

This episode is hosted by Dr Giuseppe Tronci Associate Professor in Healthcare Materials at the University of Leeds. He is joined by: 

• Begonya Alcacer-Pitarch - clinical lecturer and healthcare professional at Chapel Allerton Hospital Leeds
• Dr Graeme Howling - Senior Innovation Manager Medipex Limited
• Dr. Charles Brooker - Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the University of Leeds.

Related publications: 

• A long-lasting guided bone regeneration membrane from sequentially functionalised photoactive atelocollagen
• Hydrolytic Degradability, Cell Tolerance and On-Demand Antibacterial Effect of Electrospun Photodynamically Active Fibres
• Protease-sensitive atelocollagen hydrogels promote healing in a diabetic wound model

You can listen on Captivate, Spotify, Stitcher or the podcast app that you prefer. ​​​​​

In this episode, we explore colour forecasting in the metaverse. We first establish what we mean by the metaverse and colour forecasting before exploring the opportunities and the potential disruptions that colour forecasting in the metaverse may have on fashion trends, both in the physical and virtual world.

This episode is hosted by Dr Caroline Hemingray, Associate Professor in Fashion Marketing and Colour. She is joined by: 

• Professor Stephen Westland - Professor of Colour Science and Technology
• Peihua Lai - PhD Student at the University of Leeds 
• Sally Angharad Booth - Material, design and trend consultant.

You can listen on Captivate, Spotify, Stitcher or the podcast app that you prefer. ​​​​​

What factors influence what clothes we decide to wear frequently, keep at the back of our wardrobes forever or send to the charity shop? Is developing an emotional attachment to our clothes the key to driving more sustainable consumption within the fashion industry?

In this podcast we discuss the durability of our clothes emotionally and physically and how this could be the key to cultivating a greener wardrobe.

This episode is hosted by Dr Mark Sumner, lecturer in sustainable fashion at the University of Leeds. He is joined by: 

• Cat Salvage- Strategic Technical Manager at the Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP)
• Vicki Swain - Quality Lead for Primark
• Kate Morris - PhD Researcher University of Leeds

Related links: 

• Read more about Textiles 2030 on the WRAP website
• View the Textiles 2030 Roadmap on the WRAP website
• Read the report Citizen Insights: Clothing Longevity and Circular Business Models Receptivity in the UK on the WRAP website

You can listen on Captivate, Spotify, Stitcher or the podcast app that you prefer. ​​​​​