The Federal Government is set to hold a roundtable on textile waste later this year, to address the amount of textile waste ending up in landfill.
According to Environment Minister Sussan Ley, 800,000 tonnes of textile waste finds itself in Australian landfills every year.
Of that, 12,000 tonnes are brand uniforms, she said.
Announcing the roundtable on Tuesday at Sydney start-up Worn Up, which recycles discarded uniforms, Ley said that the waste generated from uniforms alone needs to be addressed.
"According to the Australian Circular Textile Association (ACTA), parents who have just been purchasing school uniforms and tradies getting ready for the year ahead will contribute 12,000 tonnes of branded uniforms alone to landfill in the next twelve months... the equivalent to dumping four million bricks or 7500 family sedans," she said.
Alongside the roundtable, Ley announced $350,000 would be allocated to Circular Threads, a group focused on reducing the amount of fabric headed to landfill.
Led by ACTA, it will start by looking at technologies that can separate and re-purpose polyester and cotton components, and create re-manufacturing opportunities and jobs in Australia.
"90% of our current textile waste ends up in landfill," Ley said.
"We all have to wear clothes but we are buying them at such a rate that we don't know what to do with them when they are too old, too worn or simply out of fashion," she said.
Ley added that while the roundtable will bring experts and the fashion industry together, individual Australians can begin making a difference to the amount of textile waste they produce.
"Making good fashion choices can be as simple as choosing timeless pieces for longevity, avoiding fast fashion, and shopping for pre-loved clothing wherever possible," she said.
According to reports, Kmart and the Australian Fashion Council are already on board for the roundtable.