As the fashion industry grapples with the environmental impact, the concept of a circular economy has gained significant traction. However, achieving the transition to circularity remains a challenge.
“The sustainability of the textile industry relies on the development of an effective circular economy” explains Marie Kinsella, CEO, International Expo Group, organisers of the Global Sourcing Expo. She points to the Seamless 2023 Scheme Design Summary Report, which estimates that the carbon footprint of clothing in Australia could be as much as 13 million tonnes per year. In addition, the report found that over 200,000 tonnes of clothing is sent to landfill in Australia each year, due to the lack of systematic collection of unwearable clothing and limited reprocessing infrastructure. “We need a clear roadmap for the successful adoption and integration of circular technology and principles, if we are to ensure a more environmentally conscious future for the industry”.
This November, the Global Sourcing Expo in Melbourne will be at the forefront of this critical conversation, presenting seminar sessions that explore the journey towards sustainable fashion. With expert speakers unpacking the major circularity hurdles and offering insights and innovative solutions, this event will equip industry professionals with the knowledge and tools necessary to take the next steps in the transformation of their operations.
Empowering Positive Change
One specific Expo seminar will delve deeper into the issues, highlighting the urgent need for systemic change and smart solutions.
The highlighted session, “Empowering Consumers to Drive Change,” will be led by Belinda Paul, Founder and Director of RCYCL – a company that serves as a conduit between brand partners and recyclers, supporting the direct-to-consumer clothing recycling process. This session will delve into practical solutions for reducing clothing waste and inspiring consumers to make environmentally conscious choices.
Belinda believes there is healthy demand for recycling and high expectations of the textile industry’s transformation, but the infrastructures and systems required to support this are still a work in progress. “It’s not perfect yet-but it’s a great place to start to take those first steps towards circularity. We also have to keep in mind that it’s early days – Australia is still adapting to the idea of circularity and the new technology needed to facilitate it”.
Belinda notes that the statistics on textile waste are staggering, but they also present a tremendous opportunity for change. “The data reflects the initial landfill diversion, but it also covers so much more. It’s about citizen behaviour change, and retailers understanding that they can offer a service and not be committed to the infrastructure. It’s also about the shift in mindset. It requires the awareness and understanding of creating change, and of our customers coming to the party with us. This is data that we, as an industry, haven’t even considered until now,” she says.
Addressing the Textile Waste Crisis
Belinda is on a mission to transform this overwhelming data into actionable insights. With a focus on empowering individuals and communities, her work with RCYCL aims to make a real and immediate difference in the fight against textile waste.
Recently, RCYCL partnered with Mirvac Retail across 14 different locations nationally to enable recycling through direct-to-consumer drop-off and collection of ‘unwearable’ clothing. The activation was so well received that most centers had to change the pickup of unwearables from weekly to daily. Belinda shared, “to see such a great response by the consumer is validation that we are all looking for a solution for our unwearable clothes. This type of activation highlights the small actions everyone can manage, every day.”
The Keys to Success
Belinda highlights four key elements that contribute to the success of RCYCL projects:
1. Engaging the individual consumer: Belinda brought her previous retail, production and brand management experience to RCYCL, to consider the customer journey as well as the brand partner journey. “We make sure we are speaking a language that consumers understand. By making the recycling of clothes as intuitive as buying new ones and putting a recycling option at the point of sale or add-to-cart, we’re encouraging the consumer to bring it into their homes and take action”.
Belinda acknowledges that the issues of climate change can be overwhelming and this leads us to ‘freeze’ and not act. “What we are trying to do is chunk down something that affects us all, into a simple action we can all understand,” she says.
2. Engaging with partners: RCYCL works within the boundaries of each partner brand or company’s KPIs and operational systems, to ensure all players get the best outcome.
3. Choosing the right partners: Belinda reflects on RCYCL’s network of recycling partners, and the criteria she relied on to help her identify the ideal collaborations. “The Australian textile recycling industry is quite small, and everyone is absolutely doing their bit! I needed to be sure that I could make an immediate impact through the RCYCL collections. I researched everybody in the landscape, to work out which partner would be the best and enable us to scale immediately”.
This meant working with players who understand fabrics and material compositions. Belinda notes that the textile recycling landscape is evolving rapidly. “We are constantly looking for more opportunities to work with new players, and the ultimate goal would be to find as many partners as possible. This really needs to be a collaborative space if we want to create the biggest impact possible”.
4. The right values: The RCYCL brand stands for sustainability, and the company is committed to helping customers and brands align with the circular economy. “There’s full transparency and trust, which is especially important at the moment as greenwashing is out of control,” says Belinda.
Looking ahead, RCYCL aims to build on its success, to work with all retailers and brands across all industries. “We would like to make recycling as accessible as possible.
It comes back to the point of making recycling and responsible wardrobe clean out as intuitive as buying new clothes,” says Belinda. RCYCL is already working with Myer stores and other brand partners in the retail and sporting industries and has just announced its partnership with The Iconic. “We want to keep on innovating and collaborating,” adds Belinda.
A Panel of Industry Leaders
Joining Belinda for her Global Sourcing Seminar session on 19 November 2024 will be representatives from eBay Fashion, The Salvos Stores, and the Seamless Clothing Stewardship Scheme. This diverse panel will discuss the opportunities ahead in fashion recycling and the practical steps being taken to address textile waste.
“Our panel will explore the potential for innovation in recycling and reusing textiles,” says Belinda. “We’re excited to share success stories and strategies that can inspire both consumers and industry players to take action.”
Belinda’s seminar session is part of the comprehensive Global Sourcing Seminar program that also features presentations and panel discussions delivered by industry leaders, including Paul Zahra, CEO, Australian Retailers Association; Brian Goldberg, Trademark Attorney, with Zoe Goodhardt Head of Growth and Marketing, TA, and Hamish Jones, Fractional CTO; Melinda Tually, Director Ndless: The New Normal, Strategic Human Rights & Sustainability Consultancy; and Natasa Pitra-Grbic, Fashion Designer 2024 Australian Business champions award PITRA – to mention a few.
The Global Sourcing Expo Melbourne is not just a fashion industry event – it’s a platform for innovation, education, and collaboration. By attending sessions like Belinda’s, participants will gain valuable insights into the circular economy of fashion and the steps needed to champion it.
The Global Sourcing Expo is taking place from 19 to 21 November 2024 at the Melbourne Convention & Exhibition Centre.
