The next step towards a greener textile industry is developing a circular economy, where post-consumer textiles can be recycled into new raw materials for other products. Professor Leonas is at the forefront of this movement, making some of the first public calls for circularity among researchers. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Beyond raising awareness, she\u2019s also conducting research in support of the circular economy from multiple angles from the logistics of textile recycling to relevant legislation and consumer perceptions, habits and knowledge.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI look at the drivers for circularity and the drivers for sustainability, and not just from the industry side, but also the consumer, because we’re in a consumer-centric area. That means determining what consumers are learning and what they’re retaining. I use those findings to determine which solutions consumers are going to respond to in a positive way.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Her most notable current work in this area is with the North Carolina Textile Innovation and Sustainability Engine<\/a>. This Engine, funded by the National Science Foundation, seeks to develop innovative materials and sustainable manufacturing processes that will transform the region\u2019s existing textile corridor into a high-tech materials hub that benefits our economy, community and planet. Along with some regional partners, the Wilson College of Textiles is leading the research and development for this program. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Before she began her research career, Leonas started out in industry as a textile technologist at textile giant Burlington Industries, where she played a role in developing the fabrics going into bulletproof vests, parachutes and even the space shuttle. She says her time in industry has undoubtedly changed the direction and impact of her research. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cMy research is what I would call more applied, meaning I’m focused on solving industry problems , it definitely connects to where we are in the industry today,\u201d she says. \u201cBeing in the industry gave me some insight as to how it works. With that knowledge, I\u2019ve had the opportunity to connect with industry pretty well at all levels.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n
She uses those connections to stay involved in the industry through advisory and leadership capacities with The Sustainability Consortium, the Walmart Sustainability Collaboration Board, the American Association of Textile Chemists and Colorists, and more. It\u2019s a vital symbiotic relationship, she says, that helps inform future directions for her research.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt gives me an opportunity to hear some of the leaders in the field about the direction that they see things going. We don’t drive the sustainability movement \u2013 the industry is driving it. The only way that we can know or project or understand what we need to be doing is to have our pulse on what’s going on and what people are identifying as issues that need to be solved.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
So, where does she see this movement heading next? To a large extent, this will be shaped by the consumer, Leonas says. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI think consumers are going to start asking for more transparency and traceability in products that they buy. Most consumers don’t trust the market. That’s what some of my research has shown,\u201d she says. \u201cAs Gen Z consumers move into a time in their life where they have more buying power, we\u2019ll find out if they are willing to pay more for things that have been authenticated to be sustainable.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false,"raw":"\n\n\n\n\n
At age 19, Professor Karen Leonas<\/a> altered the course of her life when she took a fiber science course at Purdue University. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The next step towards a greener textile industry is developing a circular economy, where post-consumer textiles can be recycled into new raw materials for other products. Professor Leonas is at the forefront of this movement, making some of the first public calls for circularity among researchers. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Beyond raising awareness, she\u2019s also conducting research in support of the circular economy from multiple angles from the logistics of textile recycling to relevant legislation and consumer perceptions, habits and knowledge.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI look at the drivers for circularity and the drivers for sustainability, and not just from the industry side, but also the consumer, because we're in a consumer-centric area. That means determining what consumers are learning and what they're retaining. I use those findings to determine which solutions consumers are going to respond to in a positive way.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Her most notable current work in this area is with the North Carolina Textile Innovation and Sustainability Engine<\/a>. This Engine, funded by the National Science Foundation, seeks to develop innovative materials and sustainable manufacturing processes that will transform the region\u2019s existing textile corridor into a high-tech materials hub that benefits our economy, community and planet. Along with some regional partners, the Wilson College of Textiles is leading the research and development for this program. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Before she began her research career, Leonas started out in industry as a textile technologist at textile giant Burlington Industries, where she played a role in developing the fabrics going into bulletproof vests, parachutes and even the space shuttle. She says her time in industry has undoubtedly changed the direction and impact of her research. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cMy research is what I would call more applied, meaning I'm focused on solving industry problems , it definitely connects to where we are in the industry today,\u201d she says. \u201cBeing in the industry gave me some insight as to how it works. With that knowledge, I\u2019ve had the opportunity to connect with industry pretty well at all levels.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n
She uses those connections to stay involved in the industry through advisory and leadership capacities with The Sustainability Consortium, the Walmart Sustainability Collaboration Board, the American Association of Textile Chemists and Colorists, and more. It\u2019s a vital symbiotic relationship, she says, that helps inform future directions for her research.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt gives me an opportunity to hear some of the leaders in the field about the direction that they see things going. We don't drive the sustainability movement \u2013 the industry is driving it. The only way that we can know or project or understand what we need to be doing is to have our pulse on what's going on and what people are identifying as issues that need to be solved.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
So, where does she see this movement heading next? To a large extent, this will be shaped by the consumer, Leonas says. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI think consumers are going to start asking for more transparency and traceability in products that they buy. Most consumers don't trust the market. That's what some of my research has shown,\u201d she says. \u201cAs Gen Z consumers move into a time in their life where they have more buying power, we\u2019ll find out if they are willing to pay more for things that have been authenticated to be sustainable.\u201d<\/p>\n"},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Professor Karen Leonas prides herself in actionable research that is ready for real-world applications.\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":12,"featured_media":68951,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"source":"","ncst_custom_author":"Sarah Stone","ncst_show_custom_author":true,"ncst_dynamicHeaderBlockName":"ncst\/default-post-header","ncst_dynamicHeaderData":"{\"displayCategoryID\":512,\"showAuthor\":true,\"showDate\":true,\"showFeaturedVideo\":false,\"subtitle\":\"Professor Karen Leonas prides herself in actionable research that is ready for real-world applications.\u00a0\"}","ncst_content_audit_freq":"","ncst_content_audit_date":"","ncst_content_audit_display":false,"ncst_backToTopFlag":"","footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[742,490,512,496],"tags":[487,1875,1668,2327,505,1382],"_ncst_magazine_issue":[],"class_list":["post-68071","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-newswire","category-our-people","category-research-and-innovation","category-tatm","tag-alumni","tag-department-of-textile-and-apparel-technology-and-management","tag-faculty","tag-faculty-research","tag-sustainability","tag-wilson-college-of-textiles"],"displayCategory":{"term_id":512,"name":"Research and Innovation","slug":"research-and-innovation","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":512,"taxonomy":"category","description":"","parent":0,"count":253,"filter":"raw"},"acf":{"ncst_posts_meta_modified_date":null},"yoast_head":"