Final Town Hall Meeting | National Clothing Product Stewardship Scheme

DATE: Wednesday, February 15th 2023
TIME: 3:00pm - 5:00pm AEST
WHERE: Online via Zoom
LINK: REGISTER HERE
 
 

The Australian Fashion Council and consortium members; Charitable Recycling Australia, Queensland University of Technology, Sustainable Resource Use and WRAP; invite you to the final Town Hall Meeting for the National Clothing Product Stewardship Scheme.
 

Join us online Wednesday February 15th 2023, 3:00pm - 5:00pm as we update industry on the progress of the National Clothing Product Stewardship Scheme and share key insights from the industry consultation process.
 

As we progress through the final phase of the scheme, the consortium have:

• Met with federal, state and local governments
• Formed working groups across the supply chain
• Engaged more than 20 reference group members
• Conducted 130 x 1:1 meeting
• Conducted 15 x co-design workshops
 

At the Town Hall, we’ll reveal key elements of the scheme, how it will work and how it will impact your business and you’ll get a first look at the roadmap to 2030.
 

To find out more about the National Clothing Product Stewardship Scheme, head to the program page on the AFC website.
 
 

THANKS TO OUR CONSORTIUM PARTNERS:
Charitable Recycling Australia, Queensland University of Technology, Sustainable Resource Use and WRAP.
 

AND KEY COLLABORATORS:
National Retail Association (NRA), Australian Retailers Association (ARA), Waste Management and Resource Recovery Association (WMRR) and Australian Council of Recycling (ACOR), and dozens of other stakeholders across the entire clothing value chain including brands, retailers, industry, academia and federal, state and local governments.

Designing for a Circular Future | AFC Members Session | National Clothing Product Stewardship Scheme

DATE | Tuesday, August 16
TIME | 4:00pm - 5:30pm AEST
WHERE | Online via Zoom
 

Following on from the Industry Town Hall webinar, on the 16th August we will be hosting an AFC members event, “Designing for a Circular Future.” The webinar will provide a more detailed discussion on the four key themes underpinning the scheme design, including closing the material loop, designing for circularity, circular business models and the importance of consumer behaviour.
 

This is your opportunity as an AFC member to ask questions of the consortium in a more intimate setting and lead discussion on achieving circularity in Australia. The session will involve a panel conversation with the consortium before breaking into smaller focus groups to discuss the four key themes and workshop some of the challenges and opportunities of moving towards a circular fashion economy.
 

To register, please follow the link below and answer a few quick questions.

REGISTER HERE
 
 

Please note this event is for AFC members. To explore the benefits of an AFC membership, please click here. To find out more about the National Clothing Product Stewardship Scheme, head to the program page on the AFC website.
 
 

THANKS TO OUR CONSORTIUM PARTNERS:
Charitable Recycling Australia, Queensland University of Technology, Sustainable Resource Use and WRAP.
 

AND KEY COLLABORATORS:
National Retail Association (NRA), Australian Retailers Association (ARA), Waste Management and Resource Recovery Association (WMRR) and Australian Council of Recycling (ACOR), and dozens of other stakeholders across the entire clothing value chain including brands, retailers, industry, academia and federal, state and local governments.

Second Town Hall Meeting | National Clothing Product Stewardship Scheme

The Australian Fashion Council and consortium members; Charitable Recycling Australia, Queensland University of Technology, Sustainable Resource Use and WRAP; invite you to the second Town Hall Meeting for the National Clothing Product Stewardship Scheme.
 

Join us online on Wednesday 20 July, 3:00 PM – 5:00 PM AEST as we share insights from two key reports and their findings which will inform the National Clothing Product Stewardship Scheme design.
 

TIME | 3:00PM - 5:00PM AEST
DATE | Wednesday, 20 July 2022
WHERE | Online via Zoom
REGISTER HERE
 
 

GLOBAL SCAN REPORT
The Global Scan Report provides learnings for Scheme design based on global best practices and a close contextual understanding of Australia’s capacity for change. The report is in three parts: 1) a survey of the current state of the Australian clothing industry and product stewardship; 2) an analysis of clothing waste policies and initiatives in 12 countries; and 3) an overview of technologies and processes that can support a circular economy for clothing. Led by the Queensland University of Technology team: Alice Payne, with Paige Street, Annastasia Bousgas and Caitlan Hopper.
 

DATA REPORT
The data report aims to; understand the structure of the sector to ensure the scheme elements are efficient and fair to all; to provide a comprehensive understanding of the flow of clothing in order to frame the scheme actions for maximised effectiveness; and to act as an important baseline by which we can measure changes and successes. Led by the Sustainable Resource Use team: Peter Allan and Jill Allan.
 

AFC MEMBERS ONLY SESSION:
Following on from the Industry Town Hall webinar, in late August we will be hosting an AFC members only event that will provide a more detailed discussion on what a Clothing Product Stewardship Scheme is and how brands and retailers will interact with it. To register your interest, please follow the link below and answer a few quick questions here.
 

To find out more about the National Clothing Product Stewardship Scheme, head to the program page on the AFC website.
 
 
 

THANKS TO OUR CONSORTIUM PARTNERS:
Charitable Recycling Australia, Queensland University of Technology, Sustainable Resource Use and WRAP
 

AND KEY COLLABORATORS:
National Retail Association (NRA), Australian Retailers Association (ARA), Waste Management and Resource Recovery Association (WMRR) and Australian Council of Recycling (ACOR), and dozens of other stakeholders across the entire clothing value chain including brands, retailers, industry, academia and federal, state and local governments.
 

THIS PROJECT RECEIVED GRANT FUNDING FROM THE AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENT:

A Roadmap to Clothing Circularity | First Town Hall Meeting.

Time | 3:00PM to 4:30PM AEDT

Date | Wednesday, 2 February 2022

Where | Online via ZOOM WEBINAR

Register | REGISTER HERE
 

The Australian Fashion Council and consortium members; Charitable Recycling Australia, QUT, Sustainable Resource Use and WRAP; invite you to the first Town Hall Meeting for the National Clothing Product Stewardship Scheme: A Roadmap to Clothing Circularity in Australia.
 

WHAT IS A PRODUCT STEWARDSHIP SCHEME? 

Product stewardship is an approach to managing the impacts of different products and materials on the environment and human health and safety. Product stewardship schemes help to manage these impacts over a product’s life-cycle.
 
There is a need for the Australian fashion and textile industry to cooperatively develop a product stewardship scheme which empowers and activates members across supply chains to better manage the environmental and human impacts of their product and material streams. Moving to a circular system in a measurable manner will require coordinated action by industry and community, throughout the clothing life-cycle, to develop a practical, impactful scheme.
 
Find more information on the Product Stewardship Scheme here.
 
 
THE FIRST TOWN HALL MEETING

Join us online on Wednesday 2 February, 3:00 PM – 4:30 PM AEDT as we share how brands, retailers designers and recirculators can navigate and respond to the environmental and social impact of clothing in Australia.

This Town Hall Meeting will be the first of a series of interactions that we will deliver to the industry members who represent every element of the value chain in fashion circularity.
 

Led by the AFC and consortium members, the purpose of the Town Hall is to:

- Provide an initial briefing on the Federal Government’s grant to design, develop and implement a Product Stewardship Scheme for Clothing, along with a National Roadmap for Clothing in Australia.

- Gain feedback from all stakeholders in the clothing value chain, including producers/brands, retailers, reuse charities, commercial collectors, repair, recycling, remanufacturing, State Governments, councils plus academia, industry experts and others.

- Identify what additional stakeholder engagement sessions, working groups and discussions we will need to help co-design the most effective scheme possible for the Australian market.

 

Join us to start the conversation, to hear more about the proposed Scheme and determine what your role is in ensuring Australia’s fashion and textile industry is making a difference now, and for future generations.
 
An agenda and scoping document, including opportunities for engagement, questions and suggestions, will be distributed before the event for your information and review.
 
Please register now and join your peers for this important Town Hall Meeting on the future of clothing circularity in Australia:
 

Time | 3:00PM to 4:30PM AEDT

Date | Wednesday, 2 February 2022

Where | Online via ZOOM WEBINAR

Register | REGISTER HERE
 
 
THANKS TO OUR CONSORTIUM PARTNERS:
Charitable Recycling Australia, WRAP, Sustainable Resource Use and QUT.
 
AND KEY COLLABORATORS:
National Retail Association (NRA), Australian Retailers Association (ARA), Waste Management and Resource Recovery Association (WMRR) and Australian Council of Recycling (ACOR), and dozens of other stakeholders across the entire clothing value chain including brands, retailers, industry, academia and federal, state and local governments.
 
 
THIS PROJECT RECEIVED GRANT FUNDING FROM THE AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENT:
 

 
 
IN CONSORTIUM WITH:
 

There's Nothing Conventional About Australian Cotton | Cotton Australia Webinar Series

Over the coming months a sequence of six webinars will take a deep dive into the Australian cotton industry and its place in the global textile future by exploring its unique points of difference, engagement with adaptive technology and viability in the future circular economy. Prepare to be challenged, meet some new faces and learn something new.

This series is brought to you by Cotton Australia and supported by Agricultural Trade and Market Access Corporation (ATMAC)
 

EVENT OVERVIEW:

Session 1
The seed that packs a punch
Thursday, October 7th 2021 - WATCH HERE
 

Session 2
Every Drop counts
Wednesday, December 8th 2021 - WATCH HERE
 

Session 3 - REGISTER HERE
Farming with Nature: Why Biodiversity Matters
Monday, February 28th 2022, 3:00pm - 4:00pm

This third webinar in Cotton Australia’s series will take a closer look at a key issue for brands, retailers and the fashion industry: biodiversity. An expert panel including leading biodiversity champion and cotton farmer Andrew Watson, natural resource specialist Stacey Vogel and Landcare Australia’s Head of Corporate Partnerships James Link will uncover what biodiversity means, how nature is balanced with production on Australian farms and how brands can help effect positive change. The webinar will be hosted by John James of Enablers of Change.
 

Panel Members Include
James Link – Head of Corporate Partnerships, Landcare Australia
Stacey Vogel - Natural Resource Management Lead – CRDC
Andrew Watson – Cotton Farmer and Biodiversity Advocate

REGISTER HERE
 
 

ABOUT COTTON AUSTRALIA
Cotton Australia is the peak body for Australia’s cotton growers, representing up to 1,500 cotton farming families in New South Wales, Queensland and Victoria, and a developing industry in the Northern Territory and Western Australia. The organisation strives to foster a world-class agricultural industry that is sustainable, valued for its economic and social contributions, and its production of very high-quality cotton, in demand around the world.

MFNZ x RawAssembly | Certifications & Standards Series

MFNZ x RawAssembly | Certifications and Standards Series

The world of certifications and standards for fashion and textiles is complex and challenging to understand. To help businesses navigate this, Mindful Fashion New Zealand has partnered with RawAssembly and created an information series to provide guidance and knowledge, and brings together global experts to cut through the chaos. The sessions are open to all members of the Australian and NZ industry.
 

EVENT OVERVIEW:

Session 1
Natural Fibres and Materials - Watch here

Session 2
Textile Exchange standards - Watch here

Session 3
Oeko-Tex standards - Watch here
 

Session 4
Traceability in Natural Fibres - Register here
Friday December 10th, 11:00am AEST

There is increasing demand for certified, traceable products and materials. Consumers want higher standards and visibility from the products they buy, and manufacturers want to make sure they can verify sustainability practices in their supply chain.

This session will focus on traceability, best practice in the supply chain and importance of full life cycle impact data to assess sustainability and circularity of fibres and high quality products.

Mindful Fashion New Zealand and RawAssembly Australia have joined forces to bring this information series to the industry at large.

Speakers Include:
Kara Hurry - FibreTrace™
Chief Marketing Officer | FibreTrace @FibreTrace

Kylee Davis - Suedwolle Group
Sales & Marketing Regional Manager @Suedwolle Group

Jordi Beneyto-Ferre
Senior Manager, Global Materials and Sustainability @Icebreaker

Register for Session 4 here
 
 

Session 5
Panel Discussion
(timing TBC due to international panel)
 
 

ABOUT MINDFUL FASHION NZ
Mindful Fashion is the industry organisation for NZ fashion and textiles, driving responsible practices and sustainable development of the industry.

ABOUT RAWASSEMBLY
RawAssembly is an innovative and responsible fashion & textile industry-sourcing event, magazine and digital platform, dedicated to transforming the way in which raw materials are sourced, processed, and consumed.

Redesigning Tomorrow... Today: Fashion’s Circular Future

Presented by the Australian Fashion Council (AFC) and RawAssembly.

By design the circular economy is a collaborative system that requires different actors to function under a set of shared values and principles. From a variety of perspectives this panel will deconstruct and explore the way in which design needs to evolve to realise the potential of fashions circular future.

Facilitated by Thea Speechley (Founder, RawAssembly), the panel will feature Alison Gwilt (Associate Professor in Design, UNSW), Courtney Holm (Founder & Creative Director, A.BCH), Kirsi Terho (Key Account Director, Infinited Fiber), and Matt Davis (National Director, Salvos Stores).

This session is part of the AFC's Responsible Fashion series, supported by City of Sydney.

FACILITATOR

Thea Speechley - Founder, RawAssembly

A creative leader and entrepreneur with 25 years of textile and apparel experience. Thea is known for advocating change, sharing knowledge and propelling cutting edge product and fibre innovation in the realms of sustainability and circular resource efficiency.

Thea possesses comprehensive fashion industry experience. A knowledge base that extends from fibre growing, raw material production, apparel design and manufacturing, all the way through to branding and leadership of fashion and textile companies.

A combination of this industry experience and recognition of the need for change was the inspiration for Thea to establish RawAssembly™, a global responsible fashion magazine and sourcing event that provides responsible sourcing and manufacturing networks for a renewed fashion industry, driven by innovation and a focus on renewable materials.

Thea works as an active contributor to industry research groups, roundtables, reports and has presented and facilitated working groups with the Sherman Institute of Culture & Ideas, The Institute of Frontier Materials, Queensland University of technology, International Cotton Advisory Committee and the Technical Advisory Committee, shaping workforce skills for the future.

SPEAKERS

Dr Alison Gwilt - Associate Professor in Design, UNSW

Dr Alison Gwilt is an author, researcher and Associate Professor at the University of New South Wales, Australia. Her work examines the innovative design methods and approaches that enable the fashion and textiles community, from educators, to producers, and consumers, to adopt more sustainable, and circular, practices. Her books include, ‘A Practical Guide to Sustainable Fashion’ (2014; 2nd ed. 2020); ‘Fashion Design for Living’ (2015); and she is co-editor of ‘Shaping Sustainable Fashion’ (2011); and ‘Global Perspectives on Sustainable Fashion’ (2019)

Courtney Holm - Founder & Creative Director, A.BCH

A.BCH is a circular fashion label on a mission to transform the way people buy, wear and discard clothing. A.BCH focuses on eliminating material and energy waste through the entire lifecycle of a garment whilst creating beautiful, design-led products for people around the world to love and enjoy. Through a unique point of view, focus on education and customer empowerment plus a hyper-transparent business model, Courtney is leading the charge in demonstrating fashion circularity and a reimagined future for the industry at large.

Kirsi Terho - Key Account Director, Infinited Fibre Company

Kirsi Terho (She/Her) is Infinited Fiber Company’s key account director and networker extraordinaire. With a background in chemistry and the viscose industry – as well as in photography and IT – Kirsi is Infinited’s main point of contact with global fashion brands and responsible for sales. She joined the fashion technology startup in 2017 and is on a mission to make circularity in textiles an everyday reality. Learn more about Infinited Fiber Company at https://infinitedfiber.com

Matt Davis - National Director, Salvos Stores

Matt Davis is a highly skilled and respected leader and strategist having held key roles in large organisations and retailers including Directorships at ALDI Stores and General Manager of Sales & Marketing at World Vision Australia. Matt has also served on the board of EACH, an organisation providing health and disability services in Australia and is in his fifth year as Chairperson for Charitable Recycling Australia, advancing the governance, innovation and impact of charities and their retail shops around Australia. In 2016, Matt was appointed as Chief Executive Officer for Salvos Stores Southern Territory and in May 2018 was appointed as National Director - Salvos Stores Australia.

Fashion as a Force for Change

As part of the AFC Responsible Practice series, supported by City of Sydney

Presented by the AFC and IMG, this seminar will explore how Australian fashion brands can be a force of change by embedding and activating responsible practices into their business - through diversity, gender equality, ethical practice, and sustainability.

A panel of industry experts will weigh in on why brands should champion a purpose-led approach and what strategies they must develop to create a positive impact in a rapidly changing world.

Facilitated by Rosanna Iacono (Advisor & Partner, The Growth Activists), the panel will include Mary Lou Ryan (Director of Sustainability & Supply Chain and Co-Founder, Bassike), Grace Lillian-Lee (Director, First Nations Fashion & Design), Leila Naja Hibri (CEO, Australian Fashion Council) and Grace Forrest (Founding Director, Walk Free).

If you would like to attend this event, please submit your expression of interest . We will be in touch shortly with details on how to register.

AFC Webinar | Accelerating the Shift Towards Sustainable Change

AFC Webinar | Accelerating the Shift Towards Sustainable Change | Supported by City of Sydney

The Australian Fashion Council warmly invites you to a webinar on Accelerating the Shift Towards Sustainable Change, supported by City of Sydney.

The session will focus on how technology can help progress the Australian fashion industry to a more responsible future. The expert panel will explore the solutions that exist in the fashion technology space that can help enable fashion businesses to reduce waste, increase supply chain transparency and streamline supply chain operations. They will also explore what is needed to move forward as an industry with world-class innovation.

Facilitated by Alice Sidhu, a business transformation expert and digital authority, the session will feature an expert speaker panel that includes Natalie Johnson (Co-Founder & CEO of 3D Robe), Pete Smit (Founder & CEO of Style Atlas) and Adrian Jones (Co-Founder of Blocktexx and Executive Director of Pop Up Digital).

Tickets are free for AFC members and City of Sydney businesses (please email info@ausfashioncouncil.com for the discount code). General admission tickets are $15.

Image Credit: Hard Copy by Noa Raviv

From left to right: Alice Sidhu, Natalie Johnson, Pete Smit, and Adrian Jones

Alice Sidhu | Business Transformation Expert and Digital Authority

Alice Sidhu is a business transformation expert, digital authority and board member, with over twenty four years experience working with organisations to improve their operations, drive their innovation agenda, and find new ways to grow. Her diverse industry experience includes retail, telecommunications, IT, mining and public sector.

Having held senior global roles in many multinational organisations as well as leading complex initiatives across the Asia Pacific has given Alice a unique insight into how organisational ecosystems operate and how they need to evolve for what’s coming. Her breadth of experience encompasses all things digital including navigating digital disruption, strategy, operating models, process re-engineering, risk, business delivery, commercial models, new skills, and change. She can demystify what it means to be digital, the possibilities of AI, and why Blockchain is a lot more than Bitcoin, explaining in simple business terms what it can do, and why you should care about it.

Having left a corporate career, Alice's focus continues to be on all things digital. Alice is a director of LIVLAB, a start up defining a new generation of health, an Associate with Melbourne Business School where she teaches digital transformation, an advisor to a venture capital company and a mentor for Moonshot. She is also a Director of the Royal Botanic Gardens Foundation Board and advisor to numerous startups.

Natalie Johnson | Co-Founder & CEO of 3D Robe

An incredibly passionate fashion technologist with over 15 years experience in Fashion Buying and Tech, Natalie has worked in software companies specifically targeting industry best practice, with a view to move the fashion towards being less wasteful, more circular, sustainable and ethical all whilst utilising the latest technology.

Natalie is also a keynote speaker who has been sought out to speak on Digital Fashion + 3D Design for the Legacy Summit hosted by Vogue, Conde Nast in London and Women in Tech meetups at Atlassian. She is personally interested in reducing waste in the fashion industry, virtual fit tech and fashion gaming worlds. Her past clients include: Farfetch, The Iconic, Good On You + Woolmark.

Pete Smit | Founder & CEO of Style Atlas

Before founding Style Atlas Pete built up a wealth of experience in the retail industry, starting his career working in a fashion boutique in London’s Regent St and then becoming Merchandising Manager for the UK’s first Harley-Davidson designer store concept. Pete spent over a decade with Harley-Davidson in marketing and senior management roles in both the UK and Australia, finally managing Australasia’s largest Harley-Davidson importer/distributor.

Also a designer he left the motorcycling world to found creative consultancy, VisionSmiths; working on projects across the fields of brand identity, environment design and increasingly over its lifespan, web design and development. VisionSmiths projects included, management of the design, construction and launch of the groundbreaking Fraser Motorcycles Flagship Sydney store which won the 2009 Belle magazine/Georg Jensen Design Award for ‘Best Commercial Interior’ and the project management and design development of Neild Avenue Restaurant for the Icebergs Group, which won “Hottest Design” in The Australian 2012 Hot 50 Restaurants Awards.

Style Atlas' objective is to help the fashion industry transition from the inventory led, mass production model of the 20th century to one that is agile enough to keep up with the demands of the modern fashion consumer and most importantly is sustainable, from both an environmental and commercial perspective.

Adrian Jones | Co-Founder of Blocktexx and Executive Director of Pop Up Digital

As an ex-retailer, Adrian believes the retail industry needs to be more innovative, braver and demonstrate a clear social contract and a licence to trade; it needs to become more sustainable, more innovative; more cost effective and embrace emerging technology to showcase their brand to increasingly savvy consumers.

We need to deal with our waste ourselves, and stop exporting the problem. BlockTexx is a world leading chemical textile recycling and resource recovery business, who have developed a patent pending technology that diverts textiles and clothing away from landfill and accelerates the global textile recycling industry. This process uses our patent pending S.O.F.T.™ technology.

PopUp Digital is about creating tomorrow's immersive digital experiences and displays, that bring digital experiences to consumers, whilst reducing the need for plastic and e-waste. They are working with brands, businesses and governments to create tomorrow's digital cities and immersive experiences, using patented film technology that lowers both financial and environmental costs.

AFC Curated Panel: Meet the Makers with a Sustainable Focus

AFC Curated Panel: Meet the Makers with a Sustainable Focus


Join the Australian Fashion Council at the AFC Curated pop-up store to hear from a panel of designers and makers who are building their brands with a focus on sustainable practice.


A broad term with complex implications for our industry, we’ll be diving in to what ‘sustainability’ means for these labels and how it is driving their business and design practice.


Hear their stories, their challenges and how they are positioning their labels to create a positive impact on the industry.


Facilitated by Eloise Bishop, Head of Sustainability at Country Road Group & David Jones


Panelists:


Hannah Culshaw | Aura Studios


Melissa Mikletic | Sunshine Symbol


Jason Reason | iole


There will be an opportunity for Q&A followed by networking drinks and the chance to meet with the designers and have a look through their collections up close.


During VAMFF this year, you’ll find a curated collection of Australian fashion labels from across the country at Emporium Melbourne as part of AFC Curated. A unique opportunity to get behind local businesses, meet the designers in person and shop their incredible ranges.


AFC Curated is a pop-up retail space and broader business development program built to support Australia’s emerging and independent fashion labels.




This event is brought to you by the Australian Fashion Council and presented by Vicinity Centres, and proudly promoted by Virgin Australia Melbourne Fashion Festival as part of the Independent Program.