Sustainable Sourcing for Fashion Online Short Course
Course description
Course overview
Sustainable fashion is no longer just a trend—it’s a strategic imperative for brands and retailers navigating today’s complex global supply chains. Yet without robust systems and informed decision-making, sustainability risks becoming a surface-level claim rather than a meaningful shift in practice.
This course explores how sustainability can be embedded into sourcing processes through traceability, transparency, and responsible management. You’ll learn why sustainability cannot be verified through product testing alone, and how due diligence, supplier engagement, and credible data are essential to authenticating sustainability claims.
Through weekly live online sessions, you’ll engage in presentations, discussions, and case studies led by your tutor, an industry expert with deep technical and commercial experience. You’ll also complete hands-on assignments designed to help you apply what you’ve learned to real-world sourcing challenges—and receive personalised feedback to support your progress.
Whether you're a sourcing professional, designer, technologist or sustainability lead, this course will equip you with the tools and insights to build truly responsible fashion supply chains.
Who this course is for
Anyone who would like to build their knowledge on how fashion could be more sustainable.
Key information
Topics covered
- What is sustainability and responsible sourcing and why is it important in fashion?
- The impact of textile and fashion industry on the environment
- Sustainability initiatives and developments that are currently available for our use
- Sustainable fibres and finishes/treatments
- Environmental sustainability
- Social sustainability
- Sustainable packaging
- Chemical compliance
- Animal friendly attributes
- Contribution to the community
- Naturally sustainable fibres
- Sustainable and responsibly sourced options for Cotton and other natural fibres, Polyester and other synthetic fibres, Viscose and other manmade fibres.
- More about sustainable cotton: key cotton certifications, standards and sources. (ex: BCI, Organic cotton, Faire trade etc.)
- More about recycled polyester and saving our oceans!
- What we should know about sustainability standards, certifications and the verification processes when claiming sustainability attributes on our products.
- An insight to due diligence, traceability systems and the guidelines
- Sustainable design inspirations
- Minimising waste
- Reduced chemical impact
- Reduced use of non-renewable energy sources
- Promoting reusability and longevity
- Introducing environmentally friendly technologies/sources
- Ethically responsible sourcing and production.
- Sustainability challenges
- Sustainability trends: examples from some brands/retailers and their sustainability initiatives
Learning outcomes
- By the end of the course, you will have;
- Developed a thorough understanding of sustainability and responsible sourcing in the fashion industry.
- Gained confidence in carrying out verifications and traceability requirements to market appropriate sustainability claims on your products.
- Developed a good understanding of sustainable design inspirations.
- A useful database of all available sustainability attributes with direct contacts and tools for efficient sourcing.
- Receive a digital badge and certificate of attendance
Materials
Course Specific Materials:
- Notepad and pen
- Pencils, sketchbook or paper, eraser, ruler, etc.
- Software to prepare assignments - Powerpoint, Word, Photoshop, etc.
Please see our Guide to taking online short courses.
Tutor
Manjula Witharana
Manjula Witharana is a UK-based textile and fashion industry expert with 25 years of global experience spanning manufacturing, product development, and retail strategy. Her career has taken her across the full fashion supply chain—from fabric mills and garment factories to luxury and high street retail head offices—giving her a unique, end-to-end perspective on the industry’s environmental and social impact.
A qualified chartered textile engineer (CText ATI) with a First Class BSc (Hons) in Textile Engineering, Manjula combines deep technical expertise with a passion for sustainable innovation. She is particularly skilled at bridging the gap between technical feasibility and commercially viable sustainability—helping businesses translate ambitious goals into practical, scalable solutions.
Manjula is a sought-after educator and consultant, known for delivering engaging, industry-relevant training across the UK and internationally. Her work focuses on empowering brands, designers, and sourcing teams to navigate complex sustainability challenges with confidence and clarity.
She brings a practical, solutions-driven approach to every learning environment—connecting sustainability theory with real-world application.
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