I am very much looking forward to seeing this new Seamless programme take off as it is a model for the future of sustainability whereby the government is imposing a flat fee to support infrastructure for circularity. I have long contented that philanthropy and voluntary efforts for sustainability are not a fit for purpose solution to achieve real impact at scale—all ships must rise with the tide and therefore the tide must be led by government or by collective action agreeing to shared investment. Most brands would belly-ache about a $0.03 and $0.04 per garment fee, but if all brands have to pay this to sell into the Australian market, the playing field remains the same for all. Australia now has $0.12-$0.16 per kg of fibre to invest in real progress— traceabilty, digital labeling, collection, sorting, processing and renewing through real feedstocks of recycled fibres (not just a paper trail). Will EU, UK, USA and others follow this promising move? We need to stop “green scheming” and in living in a world of magical thinking where “ethics” and consumers drive the change—the conscious consumer does not exist—actually they do, they are consciously shopping on TikTok right now buying $2.00 t-shirts direct from the factory. We need to start making real investments in ourselves and in the future of our industry—what is at stake is not 🌎 (the planet), it’s our jobs, our livelihoods, and our desire as professionals to make the world a better place to live, work and play through fibres textiles and fashion. The world doesn’t need another t-shirt—we do. 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼
Today marks an incredible milestone for Australia! After years of hard work and extensive consultation, Australia’s first national clothing stewardship scheme, Seamless is operational 🌱 From today, responsible clothing choices are available, and together, brands and consumers have a clear choice to contribute to the mission to make Australian clothing circular by 2030. More than 60 responsible brands are now part of the scheme, including our foundation members BIG W, Cotton On Group, David Jones, Lorna Jane, Rip Curl, R.M.Williams, Sportsgirl, Sussan, Suzanne Grae and THE ICONIC. Starting from today, Seamless members will: • Contribute $0.04 for each new garment placed on the Australian market. • Contribute $0.03 for each garment manufactured with an agreed composition which drives use of more sustainable materials • Display the Seamless logo and communicate their commitment to circularity. • Begin implementing circularity pilot programs, including end-of-life product take-backs, circular design, repair, and re-use solutions. A big thank you for the support of Tanya Plibersek and the Australian Government, as well as the Consortium that co-designed the scheme in consultation with industry. The Consortium was led by the Australian Fashion Council (AFC) with Charitable Recycling Australia, QUT (Queensland University of Technology), Sustainable Resource Use and WRAP. Thanks to your inspirational leadership, we have a robust foundation to drive the work of Seamless. Join us in making a difference 🧡🌅 #Seamless #CircularEconomy #SustainableFashion #AustralianFashion #Sustainability Ainsley Simpson Danielle Kent Lorna Jane Clarkson Rosanna Iacono
Thank you for your insightful comments. We agree that philanthropy and voluntary efforts alone cannot achieve large-scale impact. Every clothing brand and retailer operating in the Australian market now has a clear choice to contribute to the mission to make Australian clothing circular by 2030. We appreciate your support and look forward to our united efforts and positive changes.