When it comes to sustainability, our planet has been experiencing a crisis in recent years, and fashion is just one of the industries contributing to environmental harm.

And while we know some people love discovering new fashion finds, it’s getting difficult to ignore the 200,000 tonnes of unwanted clothes ending up in landfills across Australia every year due to fast fashion.

Luckily, a new voluntary scheme called Seamless has just been announced, aiming to tackle the fashion industry's ever-growing waste problem.

The initiative is led by the industry’s peak body, the Australian Fashion Council (AFC), and is set to raise $36 million each year and vastly improve the fashion industry's sustainability practices.

The AFC received $1 million from the previous federal government to set up the scheme.

The voluntary scheme aims to raise $36 million each year to improve the industry's sustainability. Credit: Ksenia Chernaya/Pexels

But unfortunately, not all of our favourite clothing retailers are on board.

According to the AFC, their team directly approached 30 major brands to be founding members, but only six have signed up, namely: BIG W, David Jones, Lorna Jane, Rip Curl, RM Williams and The Iconic.

By joining this cause, the participating brands voluntarily impose a levy of 4 cents per garment on their sales, putting the collected funds towards various sustainability initiatives such as eco-friendly design, resale of used items, and textile recycling.

Despite their best efforts, the AFC admits that in order to reach their yearly fundraising goal of $36 million, they still need 60 per cent of the market to hop on board, which is miles away from their current following.

The AFC admitted that it needs 60 per cent market adoption to meet its goals. Credit: Polina Tankilevitch/Pexels

In a recent speech, Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek had a message for the reluctant fashion industry: Sign up within 12 months or face regulations directly.

‘That is a drop-dead date. No excuses, no extensions. I will impose a system, and I will set the levy,’ she stated.

Seamless is being implemented under the Federal Product Stewardship Act, which sees waste-stream management imposed on industries through voluntary, co-regulatory or mandatory schemes.

According to the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water, ‘Clothing can pollute the environment through the release of hazardous chemicals, from the microfibres from laundering and the placing of synthetic clothing in landfill’.

‘The Australian Fashion Council is leading a consortium designing and developing a product stewardship scheme for clothing textiles,’ it continued.

Other items being targeted under this scheme include batteries, solar panels, baby car seats, mattresses and e-waste.

If the scheme reaches its target, the AFC predicts that 60 per cent of old clothing will be saved from landfills by 2027.

But the impact goes beyond reducing textile waste—the fashion industry is a significant contributor to environmental pollution and climate change on a global level.

In fact, a 2019 UK Government report revealed that textile production was responsible for ‘climate change [more] than international aviation and shipping combined’ while consuming vast amounts of fresh water and producing chemical and plastic pollution.

‘Synthetic fibres are being found in the deep sea, in the Arctic Sea ice, fish and shellfish,’ it said.

‘The way we make, use and throw away our clothes is unsustainable.’

Monash Sustainable Development Institute's fashion sustainability expert Aleasha McCallion said that in Australia, the industry’s impact is wide-ranging.

‘We are directly supporting the fossil fuel industry by supporting things like polyester,’ she said.

‘It is environmentally extremely costly.’

The bottom line? The call to action is loud and clear: it's time for all fashion retailers to join the fight against waste.

The AFC aims to drive the industry towards clothing circularity by 2030. Image credit: The Seniors Discount Club

Key Takeaways

• The scheme aims to raise $36 million each year to improve Australia's fashion industry's sustainability through a 4-cent per garment levy on signatories' sales.
• Of 30 major Australian brands approached to be founding members of the scheme, only six have signed up: BIG W, David Jones, Lorna Jane, Rip Curl, RM Williams, and The Iconic.
• The scheme hopes to divert 60 per cent of old clothing away from landfill by 2027, with Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek warning of regulation if more brands do not sign up in the next 12 months.
• Australia's fashion industry is under increasing scrutiny for its environmental impact, with an estimated 200,000 tonnes of clothing ending up in landfill each year.

Our members, what do you think about the efforts being taken by these brands? Let us know in the comments!

 

[Chrisalis]

What a waste of money. The industry is there to help its members make money, not to save the planet. They hve no intention of doing so. They will circumvent any legislation (which will ofcourse be built in with loop holes having been lobbied by interested parties). It is necessary to educate people not to live in a throw away society. For clothese not to be thrown into landfill. For Councils to refuse to accept clothes in the garbage, for op hops to refuse to take dirty, torn clothese that cannot be recu=ycled through their shops and for Australian and the Western world not to dump unwanted dirty clothese on third world countries. When you have got that taken care of then you can enforce levies etc.

 

[Emelle]

When it comes to sustainability, our planet has been experiencing a crisis in recent years, and fashion is just one of the industries contributing to environmental harm.

And while we know some people love discovering new fashion finds, it’s getting difficult to ignore the 200,000 tonnes of unwanted clothes ending up in landfills across Australia every year due to fast fashion.

Luckily, a new voluntary scheme called Seamless has just been announced, aiming to tackle the fashion industry's ever-growing waste problem.

The initiative is led by the industry’s peak body, the Australian Fashion Council (AFC), and is set to raise $36 million each year and vastly improve the fashion industry's sustainability practices.

The AFC received $1 million from the previous federal government to set up the scheme.

View attachment 21798

The voluntary scheme aims to raise $36 million each year to improve the industry's sustainability. Credit: Ksenia Chernaya/Pexels

But unfortunately, not all of our favourite clothing retailers are on board.

According to the AFC, their team directly approached 30 major brands to be founding members, but only six have signed up, namely: BIG W, David Jones, Lorna Jane, Rip Curl, RM Williams and The Iconic.

By joining this cause, the participating brands voluntarily impose a levy of 4 cents per garment on their sales, putting the collected funds towards various sustainability initiatives such as eco-friendly design, resale of used items, and textile recycling.

Despite their best efforts, the AFC admits that in order to reach their yearly fundraising goal of $36 million, they still need 60 per cent of the market to hop on board, which is miles away from their current following.

View attachment 21799

The AFC admitted that it needs 60 per cent market adoption to meet its goals. Credit: Polina Tankilevitch/Pexels

In a recent speech, Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek had a message for the reluctant fashion industry: Sign up within 12 months or face regulations directly.

‘That is a drop-dead date. No excuses, no extensions. I will impose a system, and I will set the levy,’ she stated.

Seamless is being implemented under the Federal Product Stewardship Act, which sees waste-stream management imposed on industries through voluntary, co-regulatory or mandatory schemes.

According to the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water, ‘Clothing can pollute the environment through the release of hazardous chemicals, from the microfibres from laundering and the placing of synthetic clothing in landfill’.

‘The Australian Fashion Council is leading a consortium designing and developing a product stewardship scheme for clothing textiles,’ it continued.

Other items being targeted under this scheme include batteries, solar panels, baby car seats, mattresses and e-waste.

If the scheme reaches its target, the AFC predicts that 60 per cent of old clothing will be saved from landfills by 2027.

But the impact goes beyond reducing textile waste—the fashion industry is a significant contributor to environmental pollution and climate change on a global level.

In fact, a 2019 UK Government report revealed that textile production was responsible for ‘climate change [more] than international aviation and shipping combined’ while consuming vast amounts of fresh water and producing chemical and plastic pollution.

‘Synthetic fibres are being found in the deep sea, in the Arctic Sea ice, fish and shellfish,’ it said.

‘The way we make, use and throw away our clothes is unsustainable.’

Monash Sustainable Development Institute's fashion sustainability expert Aleasha McCallion said that in Australia, the industry’s impact is wide-ranging.

‘We are directly supporting the fossil fuel industry by supporting things like polyester,’ she said.

‘It is environmentally extremely costly.’

The bottom line? The call to action is loud and clear: it's time for all fashion retailers to join the fight against waste.

View attachment 21800

The AFC aims to drive the industry towards clothing circularity by 2030. Image credit: The Seniors Discount Club

Key Takeaways

• The scheme aims to raise $36 million each year to improve Australia's fashion industry's sustainability through a 4-cent per garment levy on signatories' sales.
• Of 30 major Australian brands approached to be founding members of the scheme, only six have signed up: BIG W, David Jones, Lorna Jane, Rip Curl, RM Williams, and The Iconic.
• The scheme hopes to divert 60 per cent of old clothing away from landfill by 2027, with Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek warning of regulation if more brands do not sign up in the next 12 months.
• Australia's fashion industry is under increasing scrutiny for its environmental impact, with an estimated 200,000 tonnes of clothing ending up in landfill each year.

Our members, what do you think about the efforts being taken by these brands? Let us know in the comments!

I wonder if they have also considered giving a percentage of excess fashion stock to charities such as Good 360. I know Big W do donate unsold merchandise to Good 360. It would go towards people affected by drought and floods and our members of the community that are struggling.

 

[Penny4]

Shops like Mosaic brand (Millers, Noni B etc.) have always donated end of season left over clothes to charities. I know, because I've bought a few over the years, plus my friend who worked at Mosaic's head office told me. I'm sure Big W, Target and other companies have always done this, without mentioning it to the media.

 

[Mindygirl12022]

I take a simple view. That any move towards helping minimise waste in whatever way is worth a go.

 

[Coralea]

Sounds like a great idea. I don’t know why the others won’t come on board there such a lot of waste in this world. It’s a throwaway society at the moment which is very sad. People could save so much money if only they thought about it more if they didn’t need to have the best and newest thing that comes out, I have close that I’ve had for 20 odd years or more. Nothing wrong with them. Good clothes that I’ve gone out in and because my weight changes I can’t always wear them so I put them away when I get my weight off or I can put more weight all and I can get into them , I wear them. I don’t just keep buying, buying, buying ,buying.

 

[KatKop]

How about these shops ordering less poor quality clothing in the first place?

 

[Nana Zorak]

How about these shops ordering less poor quality clothing in the first place?

What a sound idea. But that way they won't have all the sizes or volumes to make as much money to satisfy their bosses. It is always easier to criticise from the sidelines. I have very many Fancy Dress costumes that I have made for sale but when there are no takers or they only want to pay peanuts then I bulk at selling. I would rather give them away to Am/dram groups or schools for their plays.

 

[SGH]

Shops like Mosaic brand (Millers, Noni B etc.) have always donated end of season left over clothes to charities. I know, because I've bought a few over the years, plus my friend who worked at Mosaic's head office told me. I'm sure Big W, Target and other companies have always done this, without mentioning it to the media.

I like them better when they dont say, "Look at me". If you cannot pay it forward, or make a donation without claiming it back on tax and not swing from the chandelier and call attention to yourself, you deserve a pat on the back.

 

[Lynjw]

When it comes to sustainability, our planet has been experiencing a crisis in recent years, and fashion is just one of the industries contributing to environmental harm.

And while we know some people love discovering new fashion finds, it’s getting difficult to ignore the 200,000 tonnes of unwanted clothes ending up in landfills across Australia every year due to fast fashion.

Luckily, a new voluntary scheme called Seamless has just been announced, aiming to tackle the fashion industry's ever-growing waste problem.

The initiative is led by the industry’s peak body, the Australian Fashion Council (AFC), and is set to raise $36 million each year and vastly improve the fashion industry's sustainability practices.

The AFC received $1 million from the previous federal government to set up the scheme.

View attachment 21798

The voluntary scheme aims to raise $36 million each year to improve the industry's sustainability. Credit: Ksenia Chernaya/Pexels

But unfortunately, not all of our favourite clothing retailers are on board.

According to the AFC, their team directly approached 30 major brands to be founding members, but only six have signed up, namely: BIG W, David Jones, Lorna Jane, Rip Curl, RM Williams and The Iconic.

By joining this cause, the participating brands voluntarily impose a levy of 4 cents per garment on their sales, putting the collected funds towards various sustainability initiatives such as eco-friendly design, resale of used items, and textile recycling.

Despite their best efforts, the AFC admits that in order to reach their yearly fundraising goal of $36 million, they still need 60 per cent of the market to hop on board, which is miles away from their current following.

View attachment 21799

The AFC admitted that it needs 60 per cent market adoption to meet its goals. Credit: Polina Tankilevitch/Pexels

In a recent speech, Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek had a message for the reluctant fashion industry: Sign up within 12 months or face regulations directly.

‘That is a drop-dead date. No excuses, no extensions. I will impose a system, and I will set the levy,’ she stated.

Seamless is being implemented under the Federal Product Stewardship Act, which sees waste-stream management imposed on industries through voluntary, co-regulatory or mandatory schemes.

According to the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water, ‘Clothing can pollute the environment through the release of hazardous chemicals, from the microfibres from laundering and the placing of synthetic clothing in landfill’.

‘The Australian Fashion Council is leading a consortium designing and developing a product stewardship scheme for clothing textiles,’ it continued.

Other items being targeted under this scheme include batteries, solar panels, baby car seats, mattresses and e-waste.

If the scheme reaches its target, the AFC predicts that 60 per cent of old clothing will be saved from landfills by 2027.

But the impact goes beyond reducing textile waste—the fashion industry is a significant contributor to environmental pollution and climate change on a global level.

In fact, a 2019 UK Government report revealed that textile production was responsible for ‘climate change [more] than international aviation and shipping combined’ while consuming vast amounts of fresh water and producing chemical and plastic pollution.

‘Synthetic fibres are being found in the deep sea, in the Arctic Sea ice, fish and shellfish,’ it said.

‘The way we make, use and throw away our clothes is unsustainable.’

Monash Sustainable Development Institute's fashion sustainability expert Aleasha McCallion said that in Australia, the industry’s impact is wide-ranging.

‘We are directly supporting the fossil fuel industry by supporting things like polyester,’ she said.

‘It is environmentally extremely costly.’

The bottom line? The call to action is loud and clear: it's time for all fashion retailers to join the fight against waste.

View attachment 21800

The AFC aims to drive the industry towards clothing circularity by 2030. Image credit: The Seniors Discount Club

Key Takeaways

• The scheme aims to raise $36 million each year to improve Australia's fashion industry's sustainability through a 4-cent per garment levy on signatories' sales.
• Of 30 major Australian brands approached to be founding members of the scheme, only six have signed up: BIG W, David Jones, Lorna Jane, Rip Curl, RM Williams, and The Iconic.
• The scheme hopes to divert 60 per cent of old clothing away from landfill by 2027, with Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek warning of regulation if more brands do not sign up in the next 12 months.
• Australia's fashion industry is under increasing scrutiny for its environmental impact, with an estimated 200,000 tonnes of clothing ending up in landfill each year.

Our members, what do you think about the efforts being taken by these brands? Let us know in the comments!

Why on earth throw away unsold clothes just because of fashion trends. Ludicrous and selfish. Give to the homeless or charities. Even big name sales are still expensive. Maybe others be less waste if the prices dropped further.