In this extract from our free report into Australian fashion supply chains, Decjuba reveals its plans to create a greener future. Download the full report here.
By 2025, Decjuba aims to be one of the most sustainable fashion retailers in Australia.
This includes all aspects of the supply chain, from fabrications and garments to labels, tags and packaging.
Decjuba GM of Sustainability Paula Rogers says the womenswear retailer is exploring ways to bring more responsibly sourced and locally produced inventory to market.
"Small, continuous changes can lead to big impact,” Rogers says. “Earlier this year we launched Local by Decjuba, our first range of 100% merino wool essentials, sustainably sourced and made in Australia.
“The response was overwhelmingly positive and from October we will extend the range to include cotton tees.
“We are committed to working with key stakeholders to future- proof the Australian fashion industry through long-term, sustainable solutions.
“As a patron member of the Australian Fashion Council (AFC), we have the unique opportunity to lead this conversation.”
Rogers is part of an AFC-led consortium which released data in mid-July on clothing circularity within Australia and across the globe. The released findings have further cemented Rogers’ convictions towards sustainability.
Part of Decjuba’s ambitious target is the full prevention of waste in all areas of the supply chain, including what happens to products when customers are done with them.
“We believe that as an industry, there is huge potential to move towards a more circular business model,” Rogers explains. “At Decjuba we have partnered with Upparel to encourage our customers to reuse, recycle or repurpose any brand of preloved clothing.
“To date, we have prevented over 750kg of textiles from being sent to landfill.”
As well as aiming for 100% sustainability across its production operations by 2025, Decjuba is implementing a strategy to be carbon-neutral by 2030.
A particular milestone for this roadmap includes gaining a green energy certification by 2025.
Rogers says that these challenges, which also includes the large discrepancy between locally made and internationally imported clothing, will need to be addressed at an industry level.
“Through our work with the AFC Product Stewardship Scheme, Decjuba hopes to drive greater accountability for textile waste and make on shore production a more viable and sustainable solution for Australian retailers.”
According to the released data by the AFC consortium, Australia imports 1.42 billion units of clothing annually – equating to 373,000 tonnes – whereas Australia’s annual local production of clothing wavers at 3% of the imported amount, with 38,000,000 units of clothing – or 10,000 tonnes.
While much of this clothing is raising concerns about end-of- life waste on clothing, 190,000 tonnes of this annual supply is ending up in charities to be resold. This sounded promising to Rogers.
“We were interested to learn that Australia has the highest donation rate of all developed countries, which indicates consumers want an end-of-life solution for their pre-loved clothes and would be interested in exploring other, more circular options.”
This, according to Rogers, is best sought through initiatives like the National Clothing Product Stewardship Scheme, which aims to initiate conversations around supply and demand within Australia’s fashion industry.
Much of these conversations should focus on sustainability, Rogers says.
“The report also signals that a sustainable approach is the only path forward. By accelerating our sustainability efforts at Decjuba we are doing the right thing, while also future proofing our business.
“Our current five-year sustainability strategy is the culmination of years of amazing work. It clearly outlines our ambition through clear goals and impact targets. One area of focus is industry collaboration, and through our patron partnership with AFC, we will continue to lead the conversation on product circularity and textile waste.”