National Clothing Product Stewardship Scheme

Australia’s first National Product Stewardship Scheme for clothing textiles initiative aims to improve the design, recovery, reuse and recycling of textiles, providing a roadmap to 2030 for clothing circularity in Australia in line with National Waste Policy Action Plan targets.

Led by the Australian Fashion Council (AFC), in consortium with Charitable Recycling Australia, Queensland University of Technology, Sustainable Resource Use and WRAP, the scheme will identify, educate, empower and activate all stakeholders to better manage and improve environmental and human impacts of their product and materials. The outcome-oriented and measurable action plan towards a circular system will address four action points on the Minister’s Priority List 21-22, requiring coordinated action from industry and community.

As of June 2023, a national clothing product stewardship scheme was launched in Australia: Seamless. Seamless aims to create a circular clothing industry by 2030, where responsible stewardship and citizenship are embedded across the entire clothing lifecycle. A 4c/ per garment levy will create programs to incentivise clothing design that is more durable and recyclable, foster new circular business models, close the material loop & expand clothing collection, sorting and recycling. At the launch, the Hon. Tanya Plibersek MP issued a clear directive that the scheme would be mandated if not taken up by enough businesses, “I want to see industry leadership… But if I don’t see enough movement in a year, then I will regulate.” The first Seamless Foundation Members are BIG W, David Jones, Lorna Jane, Rip Curl, R.M. Williams, Sussan Group and THE ICONIC. Each organisation will play an important part in the 12-month transition phase while Seamless is established. Seamless aims to have 60% of industry sign up in order to divert 120,000 tonnes of end-of-life clothing from landfill by 2027.

Read more about Seamless here.