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pammi sinha

University of Leeds, School of Design, Faculty Member

University of Huddersfield, Fashion and Textiles, Faculty Member

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I trained as a fashion designer and am interested in creative thinking and the craft of making. Common throughout my research is the application of creative thinking and adaptation of design practice and processes to particular contexts. My research interests span three interconnected areas: (i) examination of the design process, (ii) the interface between design and technology, and (iii) the global dimensions of managing textiles and clothing that have reached their end of life. My research in waste textiles has taken me to many exciting places – Wuhan, Hong Kong, Dar es Salaam, Colombo, Blackburn, Dewsbury…
Address: Leeds, uk

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Papers by pammi sinha

Towards a Taxonomy of Divestment. The Lifespan of Products as a Process

This paper presents findings of research focused on the divestment of material possessions. It ar... more This paper presents findings of research focused on the divestment of material possessions. It argues that divestment can be better understood as a process instead of a moment in the lifespan of a product. The term divestment refers to the process through which owners separate physically or emotionally from their possessions. Using qualitative data obtained through the Photo-Elicitation Interview method, the study explores the experiences of people on three types of items: clothing, furniture and mobile phone aiming to understand how the separation between owners and possessions occurs. The results were systematised to build a taxonomy of divestment. This taxonomy analyses the divestment process as a negotiation between value-waste, capturing the moments in which the value of a product increases or decreases. The taxonomy consists of five different categories: physical divestment, virtual divestment, keeping/no use, irregular use and in use. The categorisation of these moments through the taxonomy allows to identify moments for interventions in the lifespan of products to promote more sustainable ways of divestment. It also becomes a useful tool for understanding the complexity of product's lifespan and possible interventions for promoting more sustainable ways of consumption.

CAD/CAM in the woven textiles industry

Weaving is one of the oldest crafts known to man. Fragments of woven cloth have been dated to the... more Weaving is one of the oldest crafts known to man. Fragments of woven cloth have been dated to the Neolithic/Eneolothic period [1] . The woven fabric has been regarded as possessing mystical qualities: woven rags are offered as part of the prayers in some Buddhist shrines, form the requisite set of ceremonial accoutrements for many different religions’ prayer settings, and as observed by Kramrisch [1a] “in the Rig Veda and the Upanishads, the universe is envisioned as a fabric woven by the gods. The cosmos, the ordered universe, is one continuous fabric; the uncut fabric is a symbol of totality and integrity” (Kramrisch [1a, pp. 67–68]). Knowledge and mastery of the skill has long been a matter of intellectual pride – as illustrated by the Greek myth of the weaving competition between the goddess Athena and the human Arachnida. Arachnida won the competition but her demonstration of pride in winning was punished by Athena who turned Arachnida into a spider and cursed her to forever sp...

Contributor contact details

Woven Textiles, 2012

New product development by a textile and apparel manufacturer: a case study from Taiwan

The Journal of The Textile Institute, 2014

ABSTRACT

Responsible Design: Re-Using/Recycling of Clothing

… of the 8th European Academy of …, 2009

Textile and clothing recycling and reuse is an under researched field, but there is a growing bod... more

Creativity in Fashion

Journal of Textile and Apparel, Technology and …, 2002

Fashion consumption, ever contradictory in nature, requires product to achieve, among a variety o... more

Product Labelling for Improved End-of-Life Management

Recycled Fashion

Globally, the textiles industry is worth over $1 trillion, ranked the second biggest global econo... more Globally, the textiles industry is worth over $1 trillion, ranked the second biggest global economic activity for intensity of trade, and employs approximately 26 million people. Moreover, it contributes to 7% of world exports, supporting a number of developing, small and industrialised economies as well as individual incomes around the world. The fastest growing sector in household waste is Textiles. Over the last ten years, discounting and low retail prices in the UK have led to 60% increase in sales of clothing, with a resultant 90% rise in textile waste from the consumer. Between 2-3% of UK municipal solid waste contains textiles and shoes. In the UK, it is estimated that consumption of textiles is now 24.16m tonnes, on average 35kg per capita, producing around 3.1 million tonnes of CO2, 2 million tonnes of waste and 70 million tonnes of waste water per year - with 1.5 million tonnes of unwanted clothing ultimately ending up in landfill with the associated methane and greenhouse...

1 Remanufactured Fashions: A pathway to sustainability

There has been a significant increase in volume of new clothing sales over the last ten years; in... more There has been a significant increase in volume of new clothing sales over the last ten years; indeed it is the fastest growing waste in household waste stream, raising the potential for a similar increase in volume of textile waste dispose in landfill sites and the resultant harm to the environment. As volume of throwaway fashion increases and quality of fabric decreases, there is a need for an innovative approach to generating and managing this type of waste. Prior work on managing post-consumer textiles concurs with the Waste Hierarchy, ie, that reusing and remanufacturing fashion items makes the least impact on energy use. A number of fashion designers have developed businesses using this approach but are usually niche market, and the environmental benefit may not be as significant as the mass markets that are currently catered for by the large retailers using the current conventional design processes and supply chains. This paper will present and examine empirical data regardin...

Addressing post-consumer textile waste in developing economies

The Journal of The Textile Institute, 2021

Creating a global vision for sustainable fashion

Textiles, the fastest growing sector in household waste, have created an exponential rise in the ... more Textiles, the fastest growing sector in household waste, have created an exponential rise in the export of second hand clothes (SHC) to overseas markets such as Kenya and Tanzania. Despite the few advantages for the destination markets (eg, enterprise opportunities), this has exasperated a difficult situation for domestic production. Increased cheap imports from Asia have also led to decline in SHC markets, resulting in increased land filling and the associated environmental impacts. Our research proposes remanufacturing fashion from the unwanted SHC, embellishing using local (destination market) craft/design. From literature review conducted, reuse and remanufacture of clothing causes the least impact on energy use and appears to be the most environmentally and socially friendly approach to sustainability efforts. Remanufacture of clothing is currently practiced at niche market levels, for it to have a broader impact; it needs to gain entry into the mass-market retail arena. In the...

Supply chain challenges for sustainability: the case of waste textiles as raw materials

Purpose: This paper addresses the growing problem of textile waste in the rapidly developing citi... more Purpose: This paper addresses the growing problem of textile waste in the rapidly developing cities of subSaharan Africa and examines, from a supply chain perspective, the potential for waste textile materials to be transformed into the raw materials for new consumer products. Research Approach: The paper reflects on the outcomes of a field trip to Dar es Salaam in which stakeholders in a hypothesised textile waste supply chain were interviewed and waste textile materials were analysed in order to determine their content and appropriateness for reuse. Findings from the field study have been compared with current literature on logistics and market creation, waste generation, management and recycling in sub-Saharan Africa. Findings and Originality: The findings show that a rudimentary system has been in place for many years to collect and recycle textiles in Dar es Salaam. However, at the same time as textile waste is projected to increase in the city, collection rates are falling. Th...

Remanufactured fashions: A pathway to sustainability

There has been a significant increase in volume of new clothing sales over the last ten years; in... more There has been a significant increase in volume of new clothing sales over the last ten years; indeed it is the fastest growing waste in household waste stream, raising the potential for a similar increase in volume of textile waste dispose in landfill sites and the resultant harm to the environment. As volume of throwaway fashion increases and quality of fabric decreases, there is a need for an innovative approach to generating and managing this type of waste. Prior work on managing post-consumer textiles concurs with the Waste Hierarchy, ie, that reusing and remanufacturing fashion items makes the least impact on energy use. A number of fashion designers have developed businesses using this approach but are usually niche market, and the environmental benefit may not be as significant as the mass markets that are currently catered for by the large retailers using the current conventional design processes and supply chains. This paper will present and examine empirical data regardin...

Towards a Taxonomy of Divestment: The Lifespan of Products as a Process

Proceedings of 4th Conference on Product Lifetimes and the Environment (PLATE), 2021

This paper presents findings of research focused on the divestment of material possessions. It ar... more This paper presents findings of research focused on the divestment of material possessions. It argues that divestment can be better understood as a process instead of a moment in the lifespan of a product. The term divestment refers to the process through which owners separate physically or emotionally from their possessions. Using qualitative data obtained through the Photo-Elicitation Interview method, the study explores the experiences of people on three types of items: clothing, furniture and mobile phone aiming to understand how the separation between owners and possessions occurs. The results were systematised to build a taxonomy of divestment. This taxonomy analyses the divestment process as a negotiation between value-waste, capturing the moments in which the value of a product increases or decreases. The taxonomy consists of five different categories: physical divestment, virtual divestment, keeping/no use, irregular use and in use. The categorisation of these moments throu...

The mechanics of fashion

An examination of the product development process for fashion remanufacturing

Resources, Conservation and Recycling, 2015

Fast changing fashion trends have led to high consumption rates of clothing, shortening of lifesp... more Fast changing fashion trends have led to high consumption rates of clothing, shortening of lifespans for many fashion products and increasing amounts of textile waste. Addressing the problems caused by the unsustainable landscape of the fashion industry requires alternative solutions, new business models or whole systems rethink. Fashion remanufacturing is one such strategy that supports material recirculation and thus reduces land filling of fashion waste. This paper examines the concept of fashion remanufacturing, the requirements for a reverse supply chain and the barriers and opportunities that exist for future growth of this sustainable business. The investigation reveals that although collaboration among key players along the reverse supply chain is essential for business growth, the extent of this growth is dependent on the commitment and involvement of large fashion retailers and the fashion consumer. We conclude the paper by considering the implications for the fashion industry if fashion remanufacture were to become a more mainstream business model.

A comparative review of zero-waste fashion design thinking and operational research on cutting and packing optimisation

International Journal of Fashion Design, Technology and Education

To keep, or not to keep? That is the question. Studying divestment from a cross-cultural approach

The Design Journal

The aim of this paper is to present preliminary findings of a study that is focused on divestment... more The aim of this paper is to present preliminary findings of a study that is focused on divestment, its elements and the relationship with sociocultural context. Divestment is a concept that comprises those activities that include emotional and physical disposal of material possessions. This paper explores divestment within the context of sustainable consumption, as well as the potential for design disciplines to contribute to the creation of new solutions for the development of sustainable communities. The research was carried out within a cross-cultural framework acknowledging the relevance of contextual and cultural factors involved in the divestment processes: this was accomplished by comparing two countries; Mexico and United Kingdom. This work can contribute to design interventions to affect divestment decision-making process by identifying culturally dependent and independent elements that can impact the pre and post-consumption stages. The outcomes also enable ways of creating and promoting new commercialisation channels.

Sustainable Waste Management Strategies in the Fashion Industry Sector

The International Journal of Environmental Sustainability, 2012

Developing Fashion/Textile Design Education in Dar es Salaam. Report to outline a framework to develop design education within Tanzania

Towards a Taxonomy of Divestment. The Lifespan of Products as a Process

This paper presents findings of research focused on the divestment of material possessions. It ar... more This paper presents findings of research focused on the divestment of material possessions. It argues that divestment can be better understood as a process instead of a moment in the lifespan of a product. The term divestment refers to the process through which owners separate physically or emotionally from their possessions. Using qualitative data obtained through the Photo-Elicitation Interview method, the study explores the experiences of people on three types of items: clothing, furniture and mobile phone aiming to understand how the separation between owners and possessions occurs. The results were systematised to build a taxonomy of divestment. This taxonomy analyses the divestment process as a negotiation between value-waste, capturing the moments in which the value of a product increases or decreases. The taxonomy consists of five different categories: physical divestment, virtual divestment, keeping/no use, irregular use and in use. The categorisation of these moments through the taxonomy allows to identify moments for interventions in the lifespan of products to promote more sustainable ways of divestment. It also becomes a useful tool for understanding the complexity of product's lifespan and possible interventions for promoting more sustainable ways of consumption.

CAD/CAM in the woven textiles industry

Weaving is one of the oldest crafts known to man. Fragments of woven cloth have been dated to the... more Weaving is one of the oldest crafts known to man. Fragments of woven cloth have been dated to the Neolithic/Eneolothic period [1] . The woven fabric has been regarded as possessing mystical qualities: woven rags are offered as part of the prayers in some Buddhist shrines, form the requisite set of ceremonial accoutrements for many different religions’ prayer settings, and as observed by Kramrisch [1a] “in the Rig Veda and the Upanishads, the universe is envisioned as a fabric woven by the gods. The cosmos, the ordered universe, is one continuous fabric; the uncut fabric is a symbol of totality and integrity” (Kramrisch [1a, pp. 67–68]). Knowledge and mastery of the skill has long been a matter of intellectual pride – as illustrated by the Greek myth of the weaving competition between the goddess Athena and the human Arachnida. Arachnida won the competition but her demonstration of pride in winning was punished by Athena who turned Arachnida into a spider and cursed her to forever sp...

Contributor contact details

Woven Textiles, 2012

New product development by a textile and apparel manufacturer: a case study from Taiwan

The Journal of The Textile Institute, 2014

ABSTRACT

Responsible Design: Re-Using/Recycling of Clothing

… of the 8th European Academy of …, 2009

Textile and clothing recycling and reuse is an under researched field, but there is a growing bod... more

Creativity in Fashion

Journal of Textile and Apparel, Technology and …, 2002

Fashion consumption, ever contradictory in nature, requires product to achieve, among a variety o... more

Product Labelling for Improved End-of-Life Management

Recycled Fashion

Globally, the textiles industry is worth over $1 trillion, ranked the second biggest global econo... more Globally, the textiles industry is worth over $1 trillion, ranked the second biggest global economic activity for intensity of trade, and employs approximately 26 million people. Moreover, it contributes to 7% of world exports, supporting a number of developing, small and industrialised economies as well as individual incomes around the world. The fastest growing sector in household waste is Textiles. Over the last ten years, discounting and low retail prices in the UK have led to 60% increase in sales of clothing, with a resultant 90% rise in textile waste from the consumer. Between 2-3% of UK municipal solid waste contains textiles and shoes. In the UK, it is estimated that consumption of textiles is now 24.16m tonnes, on average 35kg per capita, producing around 3.1 million tonnes of CO2, 2 million tonnes of waste and 70 million tonnes of waste water per year - with 1.5 million tonnes of unwanted clothing ultimately ending up in landfill with the associated methane and greenhouse...

1 Remanufactured Fashions: A pathway to sustainability

There has been a significant increase in volume of new clothing sales over the last ten years; in... more There has been a significant increase in volume of new clothing sales over the last ten years; indeed it is the fastest growing waste in household waste stream, raising the potential for a similar increase in volume of textile waste dispose in landfill sites and the resultant harm to the environment. As volume of throwaway fashion increases and quality of fabric decreases, there is a need for an innovative approach to generating and managing this type of waste. Prior work on managing post-consumer textiles concurs with the Waste Hierarchy, ie, that reusing and remanufacturing fashion items makes the least impact on energy use. A number of fashion designers have developed businesses using this approach but are usually niche market, and the environmental benefit may not be as significant as the mass markets that are currently catered for by the large retailers using the current conventional design processes and supply chains. This paper will present and examine empirical data regardin...

Addressing post-consumer textile waste in developing economies

The Journal of The Textile Institute, 2021

Creating a global vision for sustainable fashion

Textiles, the fastest growing sector in household waste, have created an exponential rise in the ... more Textiles, the fastest growing sector in household waste, have created an exponential rise in the export of second hand clothes (SHC) to overseas markets such as Kenya and Tanzania. Despite the few advantages for the destination markets (eg, enterprise opportunities), this has exasperated a difficult situation for domestic production. Increased cheap imports from Asia have also led to decline in SHC markets, resulting in increased land filling and the associated environmental impacts. Our research proposes remanufacturing fashion from the unwanted SHC, embellishing using local (destination market) craft/design. From literature review conducted, reuse and remanufacture of clothing causes the least impact on energy use and appears to be the most environmentally and socially friendly approach to sustainability efforts. Remanufacture of clothing is currently practiced at niche market levels, for it to have a broader impact; it needs to gain entry into the mass-market retail arena. In the...

Supply chain challenges for sustainability: the case of waste textiles as raw materials

Purpose: This paper addresses the growing problem of textile waste in the rapidly developing citi... more Purpose: This paper addresses the growing problem of textile waste in the rapidly developing cities of subSaharan Africa and examines, from a supply chain perspective, the potential for waste textile materials to be transformed into the raw materials for new consumer products. Research Approach: The paper reflects on the outcomes of a field trip to Dar es Salaam in which stakeholders in a hypothesised textile waste supply chain were interviewed and waste textile materials were analysed in order to determine their content and appropriateness for reuse. Findings from the field study have been compared with current literature on logistics and market creation, waste generation, management and recycling in sub-Saharan Africa. Findings and Originality: The findings show that a rudimentary system has been in place for many years to collect and recycle textiles in Dar es Salaam. However, at the same time as textile waste is projected to increase in the city, collection rates are falling. Th...

Remanufactured fashions: A pathway to sustainability

There has been a significant increase in volume of new clothing sales over the last ten years; in... more There has been a significant increase in volume of new clothing sales over the last ten years; indeed it is the fastest growing waste in household waste stream, raising the potential for a similar increase in volume of textile waste dispose in landfill sites and the resultant harm to the environment. As volume of throwaway fashion increases and quality of fabric decreases, there is a need for an innovative approach to generating and managing this type of waste. Prior work on managing post-consumer textiles concurs with the Waste Hierarchy, ie, that reusing and remanufacturing fashion items makes the least impact on energy use. A number of fashion designers have developed businesses using this approach but are usually niche market, and the environmental benefit may not be as significant as the mass markets that are currently catered for by the large retailers using the current conventional design processes and supply chains. This paper will present and examine empirical data regardin...

Towards a Taxonomy of Divestment: The Lifespan of Products as a Process

Proceedings of 4th Conference on Product Lifetimes and the Environment (PLATE), 2021

This paper presents findings of research focused on the divestment of material possessions. It ar... more This paper presents findings of research focused on the divestment of material possessions. It argues that divestment can be better understood as a process instead of a moment in the lifespan of a product. The term divestment refers to the process through which owners separate physically or emotionally from their possessions. Using qualitative data obtained through the Photo-Elicitation Interview method, the study explores the experiences of people on three types of items: clothing, furniture and mobile phone aiming to understand how the separation between owners and possessions occurs. The results were systematised to build a taxonomy of divestment. This taxonomy analyses the divestment process as a negotiation between value-waste, capturing the moments in which the value of a product increases or decreases. The taxonomy consists of five different categories: physical divestment, virtual divestment, keeping/no use, irregular use and in use. The categorisation of these moments throu...

The mechanics of fashion

An examination of the product development process for fashion remanufacturing

Resources, Conservation and Recycling, 2015

Fast changing fashion trends have led to high consumption rates of clothing, shortening of lifesp... more Fast changing fashion trends have led to high consumption rates of clothing, shortening of lifespans for many fashion products and increasing amounts of textile waste. Addressing the problems caused by the unsustainable landscape of the fashion industry requires alternative solutions, new business models or whole systems rethink. Fashion remanufacturing is one such strategy that supports material recirculation and thus reduces land filling of fashion waste. This paper examines the concept of fashion remanufacturing, the requirements for a reverse supply chain and the barriers and opportunities that exist for future growth of this sustainable business. The investigation reveals that although collaboration among key players along the reverse supply chain is essential for business growth, the extent of this growth is dependent on the commitment and involvement of large fashion retailers and the fashion consumer. We conclude the paper by considering the implications for the fashion industry if fashion remanufacture were to become a more mainstream business model.

A comparative review of zero-waste fashion design thinking and operational research on cutting and packing optimisation

International Journal of Fashion Design, Technology and Education

To keep, or not to keep? That is the question. Studying divestment from a cross-cultural approach

The Design Journal

The aim of this paper is to present preliminary findings of a study that is focused on divestment... more The aim of this paper is to present preliminary findings of a study that is focused on divestment, its elements and the relationship with sociocultural context. Divestment is a concept that comprises those activities that include emotional and physical disposal of material possessions. This paper explores divestment within the context of sustainable consumption, as well as the potential for design disciplines to contribute to the creation of new solutions for the development of sustainable communities. The research was carried out within a cross-cultural framework acknowledging the relevance of contextual and cultural factors involved in the divestment processes: this was accomplished by comparing two countries; Mexico and United Kingdom. This work can contribute to design interventions to affect divestment decision-making process by identifying culturally dependent and independent elements that can impact the pre and post-consumption stages. The outcomes also enable ways of creating and promoting new commercialisation channels.

Sustainable Waste Management Strategies in the Fashion Industry Sector

The International Journal of Environmental Sustainability, 2012

Developing Fashion/Textile Design Education in Dar es Salaam. Report to outline a framework to develop design education within Tanzania