BUNDRE: Who are you and what makes you (perhaps also through your career) an expert in sustainability?
Birgit: I'm Birgit Gahleitner: a fun-loving, nature-loving person, mother of three wonderful daughters, industrial engineer specializing in chemical engineering, Girl Scout, and much more. As an organizational consultant for sustainability and the circular economy, and especially as a lecturer at several universities and keynote speaker, I advocate for an economic and social system that is human- and planet-friendly. My focus is always on practical implementation and leveraging the brilliant opportunities offered by thinking and acting in circular ways.
Through my training and many years of professional experience at voestalpine Stahl and Energie AG Oberösterreich, I have a good foundation for what I do - and through my current work as an auditor, (environmental) assessor, jury member for various awards and incubation programs, and trainer and consultant for a wide variety of companies, I always stay up to date and get to know many great, energetic people like Ursa who give me hope that together we can achieve the transformation to a circular society.
BUNDRE: Greenwashing is often a big issue, especially in the fashion industry. How can consumers tell whether a product or company is genuinely sustainable?
Birgit: Unfortunately, it's virtually impossible for consumers to fully understand the entire supply chain of a (fashion) product, including all of its social and environmental impacts. Therefore, we have to rely to a certain extent on what manufacturers and brands tell us. Various labels and quality marks can be a good starting point (see, for example, here: labelchecker | A guide through the label labyrinth ). However, because such certification is usually relatively complex (both financially and bureaucratically), small companies can't easily afford it. The only option left is to critically question statements about sustainability: all "peace, joy, happiness" and "perfect world" always makes me skeptical! I find honest dealing with (as yet) unresolved challenges much more appealing and, above all, more trustworthy. It is very important that the entire history of the product is presented as transparently and comprehensibly as possible – and above all, what happens to it at the end of its useful life, how I should dispose of the packaging, etc.
(Here you can learn more about the most common greenwashing “smears”: Greenwashing Check | VKI )
Photo by Brian Yurasits on Unsplash
BUNDRE: Regionality is very important to us at BUNDRE. For example, we produce entirely in Austria. How important do you consider this aspect in terms of sustainable business?
Birgit: Regionality is extremely important in my view: it saves transport routes and thus CO2 emissions, the added value remains in Austria, and it is geographically closer and overall easier to take a closer look at production conditions. Furthermore, we have much stricter standards for sustainability and consumer protection.
BUNDRE: Conserving resources is essential for a more sustainable future. We want to see clothes worn longer, more attention paid to quality when shopping, and more often secondhand purchases. What's your stance on this topic?
Birgit: Exactly what I'm looking for! I particularly like to quote Vivienne Westwood here: "Buy less, choose well, make it last." Secondhand shops, swap meets, etc. are great anyway – and if it doesn't fit perfectly, make it fit: even with needle and thread or a sewing machine, find someone who can do the alterations for you – or with Bundre, which is the quickest and easiest (and also easy to undo or adjust further) ;)
Photo: Heribert Corn