The Minister for Environment Tanya Plibersek has called on Kmart to join Australia’s newly operational clothing product stewardship scheme Seamless.
The call out came in an Instagram video by Plibersek posted last month, where she answered questions from her followers. One question asked for her update on the Seamless scheme, which Plibersek confirmed that a lot of new companies have since joined.
By the end of August last month, the scheme had signed on over 250 members.
“I was really pleased at an event recently, MJ Bale, Carla Zampatti and Country Road had signed up, for example,” Plibersek said. “So we're seeing more brands sign up.
“But there's still a few big ones that are hanging out and haven't joined, like Kmart. “We'd love to see big clothing retailers like that get on board as well.
“It's just not acceptable for 200,000 tons of clothing a year to end up in landfill. Just shouldn't happen.”
Kmart has since responded to the call out, with a spokesperson saying the company remains committed to continuing its engagement with Seamless.
“We will continue to carefully consider membership in the future as more detail is developed on how the scheme will practically achieve its goals.”
According to Seamless in a recent post on its website, there has been a “groundswell of engagement” with more than 180 industry stakeholders signed on as supporters - including reuse and recycling operators, academic institutions, government agencies, consultants and technology providers.
Fashion brands and retailers that sign onto the scheme will pay a levy of 4 cents per garment, or 3 cents under an ‘eco-modulated’ levy payment.
The Seamless post confirmed that the first annual reporting cycle is nearly complete, with members reporting on the garments they placed on the Australian market in the last financial year ending June 2023.
“This data determines the contribution paid by members, including the first quarterly levy payments,” Seamless reported.
“These funds will be invested to drive initiatives across the four priority areas of circular design, circular business models, closing the loop including recycling and reuse, and citizen behaviour change.”
Seamless is also exploring government collaboration and accreditation. In August, the scheme leaders, including its CEO Ainsley Simpson, participated in the State and Territories Waste Chairs and CEOs Forum in Canberra.
“Our team also attended the Parliamentary Friends of Waste and Recycling reception hosted by co-conveners Libby Coker MP and Bridget Archer. The cross party support for national circularity was evident throughout the presentations, including a short address by Minister Tanya Plibersek along with Senator Jonathan Duniam and Senator Peter Whish-Wilson.
“Next month, we’ll be convening the first Seamless government working group; with the NSW Environment Protection Authority stepping up to convene the first two years,” Seamless continued. “This working group will drive collaboration and coordination across state and national government policy, programs and infrastructure investment to achieve clothing circularity by 2030.
“We progressed our application to become an Australian Government accredited product stewardship scheme, as a first step on the journey towards government regulation.”