Need to Know

The Netherlands – Green energy solutions company The Switch has collaborated with creative agency 72andSunny to repurpose traditional Delfts Blauw-style tiles into a symbol of the country’s commitment to a transition to solar energy.

Entitled Tiles of The Sun, the project celebrates the efforts of clean energy technicians by capturing solar panel installers onto the blue and white tiles, in place of traditional imagery of blacksmiths, farmers or carpenters.

Hand-crafted and painted by artisans from the Haarlinger Tile factory, the bespoke tiles will be gifted to The Switch customers and available to purchase. Proceeds from the sales will fund training programmes and certifications for new talent at The Switch, which provides free training and employment opportunities for those with refugee backgrounds.

As explored in our Cultured Waste report, sustainably minded creatives are increasingly looking to craft pieces that are deeply rooted in native cultures and utilise waste materials indigenous to their countries to cut through eco-fatigue.

Global – Sportswear specialist Asics has unveiled the findings of a global study on the gender exercise gap, shedding light on the challenges women face in maintaining regular physical activity and its impact on their mental wellbeing.

Conducted by Dr Dee Dlugonski from the University of Kentucky and associate professor Brendon Stubbs from King’s College London, the study surveyed nearly 25,000 individuals worldwide. It discovered that over half of women globally are ceasing exercise altogether, attributing this to barriers such as time constraints (74%), low self-confidence (35%), intimidating environments (44%) or not feeling sporty enough (42%).

Of significant note is the revelation that motherhood is the primary reason for two-thirds of mothers abandoning regular exercise routines. Societal expectations surrounding gender roles, including disproportionate care-giving responsibilities, further exacerbate the issue.

The study found that over a third of women say their friends are their most crucial exercise influencers. Respondents said they were more motivated to exercise by women like themselves, rather than celebrities. When asked why they exercised, women almost universally said that they exercised for their mental (92%) and physical (96%) wellbeing rather than aesthetics.

As explored in our analysis of Care Collectives, Asics encourages exercise centred around women and their needs to drive change, ‘from providing childcare and catering for all activity levels to fitting around work, being fun, affordable, safe, welcoming and judgement-free’, said Dr Dlugonski.