The ACT could soon have a textiles hub to help local designers, crafts people, and industries take part in the circular economy.
Labor backbencher Suzanne Orr MLA yesterday called on the ACT Government to consult the textile sector as part of their consultation on the draft circular economy plan.
Australia is the second highest consumer of textiles per person in the world, Ms Orr stated: Australians on average acquire 27 kilograms of new clothing per person, and discard around 23 kilograms of clothing to landfill each year. Of the textile waste sent to landfill each year in Australia, 93 per cent is from clothing.
But at state and federal Government levels in Australia, Ms Orr said, there was no formal process to deal with waste from the textile sector.
Creating a circular economy provides significant opportunity to drive innovation, better design, create new jobs, and recover valuable
resources going to landfill, Ms Orr argued.
“This is another opportunity for the ACT to lead the way, and show the other states and territories how it’s done,” Ms Orr said.
Her motion will ensure the ACT Government explores ways to re-use textiles, such as clothes swaps, re-purposing textiles such through upcycling into new products, and recycling textiles that cannot be re-used or re-purposed.
Ethical fashion brand Pure Pod posted on Facebook that this was the “best news [they had] heard since 2019. So excited to hear more about this exciting Textile Circular Economy Motion! Congratulations, Suzanne, on your hard work towards our future!”
Greens MLA Jo Clay supported Ms Orr’s motion.
“It’s easy to slash the carbon footprint and environmental impact of your clothing,” she said. “You can buy less and wear it longer. Or you can buy second-hand clothes, or clothes made from recycled garments. This can save up to 99 per cent of the carbon emissions at the manufacturing stage.
“Australia is the world’s second-largest consumer of textiles, and clothes have a big impact on our planet. This is why they were singled out as one of the problem streams in the Commissioner for the Environment and Sustainability’s recent report on climate emissions.
“I like to buy second-hand, and Canberra has lots of great op shops. Op-shopping is also really fun!
“I once asked the Green Shed about the strangest garments they’d ever sold. The answer? Michael Milton’s prosthetic leg, and used bondage gear (which is popular amongst K-pop fans).”
