Seamless solutions to fast fashion

Looking good is one thing. Being friendly to the planet is even better, argue the leaders in the sustainable fashion movement.

Fast fashion emerged in the early 2000s, and for a while it was a giddy whirl with the latest fashion styles being available and affordable for all. The average Australian bought 56 pieces of clothing a year in 2018-19.

But there was a price, and that was paid by workers horribly exploited in countries like Bangladesh.

And environmental problems where dyes used for colouring fabrics turn water into toxic, unusable soup.

Then, there is the waste as clothing becomes as disposable as plastic bags.

It has been a recognised problem federally with textiles on the minister’s priority list for product stewardship since 2021.

The scale of the problem is enormous, according to the Department of Climate Change, Energy Efficiency and Water:

“In 2018-19, Australia generated 780,000 tonnes of textile waste, with clothing comprising roughly 32 per cent by weight,” the department says.

“Only 3 per cent was recycled with the remaining going to landfill. In 2019-20, Australia exported 93,058 tonnes of worn clothing.”

This mountain of waste was left mainly for charities to deal with. The materials and dyes used in fast fashion make recycling “technically challenging and labour intensive”.

Seamless evolution

In response to this mountain of fast fashion the Australian Fashion Council and its chief executive officer Leila Naja Hibri pulled a scheme together, after 18 months of work.

See our recent interview with Dr Lisa Lake, director of the Centre of Excellence in Sustainable Fashion and Textiles at the University of Technology, Sydney.

Now, led by the federal government and industry there is The National Clothing Product Stewardship Scheme, recently launched by Tanya Plibersek, federal Minister for Environment and Water.

Called the Seamless scheme, it is backed by Big W, David Jones, Lorna Jane, Rip Curl, R.M. Williams and The Iconic. They have each donated $100,000 to establish the scheme over the coming year.

“Seamless will be funded by a 4 cent per garment levy paid by clothing brands and retailers who become members of the scheme,” says Claire Kneller, managing director of WRAP Asia Pacific and a member of the consortium.

“From our calculations, if 60 per cent of the market signs up to the scheme, a funding pool of $36 million will be raised per year to transform the industry. 

“These funds will be used to support industry, with pilot projects, consumer campaigns, financial support for clothing collections and sorting and much more,” Kneller told The Fifth Estate in a written response to questions.

Consumers key to change

Consumers are essential for the success of the Seamless scheme. They are being asked to buy better and buy less.

“We want to encourage people to make better choices in terms of materials. Good quality products last longer and can be mended and enjoyed further, for instance. This revolution in how we consume will require courage, creativity and most importantly, collaboration,” Kneller says.

Firstly, consumers should question if they need to buy something new. They could save money and the environment through buying a pre-loved item at an opshop or Facebook marketplace, Ebay or Gumtree.

Clothing swaps, social events with wine and snacks and where guests bring clothing items they want to discard, have become popular with many women as a chance to catch up with friends and acquaintances and find new (pre-loved) clothing.

“Real change”

But at the core of the transition away from fast fashion are the garments being made.

Danielle Kent, program director for Seamless, says the scheme is about addressing the root-cause of the problems in the clothing cycle while working with brands to be more accountable for the products they’re putting out in the market, Business News Australia reports.

Change needs to start at the source

Rather than focusing on downcycling, recycling and clothing collection, Kent says real change will happen when products are designed more efficiently to produce less waste in the first place and keeping clothing at its highest value for as long as possible.

Kneller says Seamless will “hold industry heads and brands accountable for the import and export of items”.

“From designing materials to handling factory waste, from stockpiling unsold stock to too many new collections each year, each brand must hold itself accountable for its part.”

The program “will take us away from the current linear model of take, make and dispose of, to a circular economy of reduce, reuse and recycle”, Kneller says.

Asked about the exploitation of garment workers overseas, Kneller replied: “Seamless is focused on creating a circular economy for clothing, this means a just transformation of how our clothing economy works.  Any economy that relies on the exploitation of workers cannot be a just one.” 

Tanya Plibersek, while launching the scheme, says if Seamless is not sufficiently supported by industry then she had options.

“If companies choose to pull out, or free ride on the work of others, then I have no problem stepping in and regulating directly. The alternative to this program isn’t a weaker scheme with a lower levy – it’s government regulation,” Business News Australia reported.

“If the voluntary scheme is not viable – if we don’t believe it’s sufficient, or if it’s not raising enough money to cover its costs – then I will regulate.”