In an exciting development, the Australian Fashion Council (AFC) has today at Australian Fashion Week, presented by Pandora, launched its new Social & Environmental Toolkits, designed to help businesses in the clothing and textile industry enhance their sustainability efforts. Supported by City of Sydney and in collaboration with The Growth Activists, this initiative offers valuable resources to support AFC members in aligning their practices with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs).

Unlocking the Path to Sustainability

The toolkits help businesses create plans to enhance their social and environmental impact, set goals aligned with UN sustainability standards, and clearly communicate their progress. They provide a thorough guide for evaluating sustainability, setting meaningful goals, and managing the complexities of sustainable practices.

Navigating the Challenges

The path to sustainability is not without its challenges. Most Australian clothing and textile industry businesses are small to medium enterprises (SMEs), constantly balancing growth, sales, customer acquisition, material sourcing, and supply chain management. Adding sustainability into the mix can be daunting.

Prioritising these efforts can be tough, especially when aiming to produce quality products with minimal environmental impact. The AFC toolkits aim to make this process more manageable by inspiring action, encouraging transparency, and fostering the sharing of best practices and innovative approaches within the community.

Inspiring Collective Action

The purpose of these toolkits is clear: to inspire ideas, drive action, and promote open sharing of progress and lessons learned. By sharing your goals, actions, and achievements, we can collectively learn and advance as an industry. Remember, the goal is 'progress rather than perfection.'

 AFC Members can log into their AFC account and download the toolkits. They can also be found on the AFC website under Resources > Responsible Industry. Become an AFC member here.

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Acknowledging Our Supporters

This initiative would not have been possible without the support of the City of Sydney and The Growth Activists. Their ongoing partnership shows the strength of collaborations when values are aligned. We also thank the Australian Fashion Council Circular Leaders Julie Boulton, Dr. Lisa Lake, and Dr. Clara Vuletich for their expert guidance while developing these toolkits.

With the Social & Environmental Toolkits launch, the AFC is taking a significant step towards a more sustainable future for the Australian fashion industry.  Join us in transforming our industry towards a socially, environmentally, and economically prosperous circular economy. Play your part today.