Australia’s clothing consumption crisis, including an addiction to fast fashion, cannot be solved through existing measures, such as a small levy on new garments, with a new report saying drastic action is needed to tackle waste and improve circularity.
For years, Australia has been cited as the second-biggest consumer of clothing textiles behind the US but this new research, which incorporates data from the Australian Fashion Council and international sources, challenges this long-held view. The report suggests the tariff, an initiative of the Seamless clothing stewardship scheme that has federal government backing, needs to be in the order of 50 cents per garment to create meaningful change.
“This levy was calculated and consulted with the full clothing supply chain during the project design phase, as well as based on global benchmarking,” she said.Credit:Seamless, which is a voluntary scheme, will begin collecting the four cents on each garment from participating companies from July 1. Brands that have signed up to the pledge include Cotton On, David Jones and The Iconic.