Camira's Incredible Women: Celebrating sustainability
In the second installment of Camira’s Incredible Women, to celebrate International Women’s Day on 8th March 2024, we spoke to Camira’s sustainability engineer, Paraskevi Fotoglou who uncovered her passion for yoga, travelling and the environment.
“I'm able to speak four different languages which has helped me interact with international customers.”
What does being a sustainability engineer involve?
I work alongside the new product development and technical teams to facilitate accreditations, ecolabels and certifications for new products. I also make sure we are adhering to industry standards and continually research how we can limit our impact on the environment. Working with suppliers is also a big part of the job; ensuring that we’re aligned in our sustainability efforts.
Why did you join Camira?
I joined in 2015 after living and working in different parts of Europe. I was part of the customer services team at first, due to my ability to speak four different languages and being able to communicate with our international customers. Travelling and intensive language courses have meant that I can speak Greek, Spanish, Finnish and English.
Prior to Camira, I completed a Masters in Sustainable Development at the Universidad Pablo de Olavide in Spain, which was where my interest in sustainability really began. Camira was interesting to me as the business is really pushing for the industry to operate more responsibility and take accountability for its impact on the environment.
What has been a highlight for you working in sustainability?
I’ve been involved in many projects since I started, most recently the Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) that we assigned to our fabrics in 2023. Third party accredited, the EPDs assess the life cycle of a product and provide transparency for our customers.
Another highlight for me has been winning the Sustainability Award at the Yorkshire Business of the Year Awards in February 2024.
“I love yoga; I started during lockdown but now I find it really helps me to relax after work.”
How do you see your role evolving in the future?
We have some really exciting projects in the pipeline and Camira is making real progress around textile circularity, as well as working towards our trying net zero targets. Being part of this is a great experience for me and my career – it’s great to work for a company whose values are similar to my own and considered a pioneer in the textiles sector.
What do you do outside of work?
I love yoga; I started during lockdown but now I find it really helps me relax after work. I also cycle, I commute to work on my bike most days for two reasons; It’s great for my fitness and also reduces my carbon footprint. Aside from staying active, I love food, my friends and travelling sustainably, where I can.