Soles4Souls Canada’s Post

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. 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼

We're proud to announce the launch of our very own Reskinned Takeback Programme in partnership with ACT UK.♻️ We’ve partnered with some of the best brands in the UK to provide takeback schemes for their products, and now we’re taking the initiative a step further. A HUGE step further. In order to properly analyse the industry waste, and provide a wide scale solution to the growing issue, we’re launching our very own takeback programme, accepting clothes, shoes and accessories in any condition. From brand new to well-loved items, no matter what brand, we want it all. 🌟 Why this matters: 1️⃣ Opens up circularity to every brand, even fast fashion. 2️⃣ Keeps textiles out of landfills. 3️⃣ Promotes sustainable and mindful fashion choices for everyone. For us, this is a significant milestone, opening up the world of circular fashion to a much wider community, keeping even more textiles out of landfill. Through resale, repair, and advanced recycling, every item gets a second life. For now, we’re in the testing stages of this programme, so please get involved to help us make the impact we need. It’s time to fashion a circular future. Take part now: https://lnkd.in/edAFyMTu WRAP UKFT Association #circulareconomy #takebackprogramme #sustainablefashion #reskinned #ACTUK #zerowastefashion #acttakeback #UKFT #WRAP

😧 In sobering news for a Friday, the Textile Recycling Association (TRA) has warned the textile recycling industry is due to “imminently collapse” because of global market challenges. Source: https://lnkd.in/dtjmAHPP The Association fears it will soon be unable to collect textiles from charity shops, recycling centres and community textile banks because processing plants have reached capacity. ❓ How can we tackle this on an individual level? 🔄 We must help reduce the extortionate volumes of clothing discarded for recycling and embrace more circular behaviours to extend the life of existing clothing, including: 👚 Buying fewer new clothes and choosing pre-loved, second-hand clothes 🧵 Taking better care of the things we already own and repairing or customising garments 👕 Selling unwanted clothing on resale platforms 👗 Renting rather than buying clothing for special occasions 👠 Sharing, swapping and borrowing clothes and accessories from friends, family members and our communities Our report ‘London’s fashion footprint’ reveals that Londoners get rid of an average 44 items of clothes every year and even though 60% of those get collected for reuse by councils, charities and textile merchants, less than 10% of those collected clothes actually get reused within London. In fact around two-thirds of them end up being sent overseas, mainly due to a lack of demand for second-hand clothes in the UK.   We urgently need a fashion revolution and a circular economy for clothing - here's how we can achieve it! ➡ https://lnkd.in/esgpWyC2 #FashionRevolutionWeek #WeAreFashionRevolution #FashionIndustry #circularfashion #textilerecycling #fastfashion | Fashion Revolution

A significant historical day today for Australia - in us closing the loop on fibre and textile resource flows. The Seamless scheme goes live today. Read more below. #circulareconomy #fibre #renewable #biodegradable.

It's very inspiring to see how transformational ideas criss-cross the world, each new manifestation making everyone else stronger, adding new insight, and new voices. Seamless launching in Australia marks a moment when 60 brands commit to begin to invest in a more sustainable version of this industry which could be the innovation opportunity of a generation. Leadership will be critical to ensure optimism translates into scalable innovation and viable business models to present a commercially attractive alternative to the status quo. More value from less stuff.

Worth a read - we deal with outdoor wear and there is a market to keep these things in circulation (and when you look at what ski gear / outdoor gear is made from it’s shocking, these things rarely can be recycled and can take 200years to degrade). There’s a surprising amount of luxury barely used ski wear that is posted on our site - why by new? Re-Action

The Australian fashion industry is under scrutiny as Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek pushes for more brands to join the Seamless scheme, an industry-led initiative aimed at reducing clothing waste. Here are three key takeaways: 1. The Seamless scheme, launched in June last year, aims to have 60% of the clothing industry sign up by 2027. It proposes a levy on signatory retailers, with funds raised going towards projects focused on clothing sustainability and recycling, as well as education and research. 2. Critics argue that Australia lacks the necessary recycling infrastructure and that the levy risks being passed on to consumers during a cost-of-living crisis. The fashion council estimates Australians buy 56 items of clothing on average a year, with 200,000 tonnes ending up in landfill. 3. Plibersek has warned that she is ready to regulate if more big retail groups don't sign up. The scheme is expected to raise about $36 million a year if the levy is set at about 4 cents per garment sold, and 60 to 70 per cent of the industry by volume signs up. As a business committed to sustainability, Zero Waste Co supports initiatives that promote responsible consumption and waste reduction. #Sustainability #FashionIndustry #WasteReduction

✴ Advancing Sustainable Fashion ✴ A few months ago, I attended an event by the Centre for Sustainable Fashion (CSF). Since then, I've explored their website and found valuable resources, including the interactive report, "Fashion As Sustainability In Action." This report is particularly relevant for UKBBF members and the UK fashion community, highlighting the integration of sustainability, especially environmental and biodiversity considerations, into fashion practices. This guide is essential reading for: ✴ Micro and SME Business Owners: Strategies and case studies on integrating sustainability, including ethical sourcing and innovative methods that support biodiversity. ✴ Sustainability Managers: Detailed guidance on implementing sustainability, emphasising cultural, social, environmental, and biodiversity aspects for sustainable prosperity. ✴ Fashion Industry Professionals: Insights on integrating sustainable practices that protect biodiversity, offering new definitions of success beyond financial metrics. ✴ Investors and Support Organisations: Useful for identifying and nurturing sustainable business models that prioritise environmental and biodiversity conservation. We are set to build on sector-specific guidance like this at our next UKBBF conference on 1st October. Further details will soon be announced. Katherine Tubb Managing Director, UKBBF #SustainableFashion #UKBBF #MicroBusinesses #SMEs #Sustainability #FashionIndustry #CSF

Today marks a major milestone for Australia's clothing industry with the commencement of Seamless operations. At today's event, we were joined by Minister for Environment and Water, The Hon. Tanya Plibersek who reinforced her support for Seamless. When Seamless commences operations on 1 July 2024, 62 responsible brands will be part of the scheme. In addition to the foundation members, new Seamless members announced today included Hanes Brands Australasia , Bianca Spender, Carla Zampatti, ELK, M.J. Bale, Ocean Remedy, OrotonGroup, THE UPSIDE, Universal Store, XTM Performance, Zimmermann and more. Seamless has applied to become a Government accredited scheme via the under the Recycling and Waste Reduction Act 2020, further committing to the highest standards, trust, and confidence for members, partners, industry stakeholders, and consumers. Looking ahead, Seamless will focus on: - Developing better practices, principles and methodologies for circular design. - Further defining the eco-modular criteria to incentivise brands that design garments with natural fibres and safe, recycled content. - Benchmarking current and emerging recycling technologies and sector capability, capacity and capital requirements for the most viable recycling practices in Australia. - Working with stewards and supporters across the clothing value chain on a national collection, sorting and reprocessing program and a support payment scheme for accredited providers. Today is also a call to action. Seamless is for everyone - Join Seamless to transform how Australian's choose, enjoy and recycle their clothing more responsibly: https://lnkd.in/gSw6Znw3. #SeamlessLaunch #CircularEconomy #ProductStewardship #SeamlessAustralia #DoBetter #ResponsibleBrands

Seamless is Australia's clothing product stewardship scheme that's on a mission to transform the way we choose, enjoy and recycle clothing in Australia. Transforming the clothing industry requires a collective effort from everyone across the value chain—brands, industry experts, recycling and reuse operators, and consumers—because we can't achieve this change alone. #recycling #lesswaste #circulareconomy