Government to invest $1 million in the National Product Stewardship Investment Fund.

Charitable Recycling Australia was one of three organisations invited to present at the National Clothing Textiles Waste Roundtable at Parliament House in Canberra, along with the Australian Fashion Council and WRAP.

Hosted by the Hon. Sussan Ley MP, Minister for the Environment and the Hon. Trevor Evans MP, Assistant Minister for Waste Reduction, the Roundtable brought together industry leaders to address the 800,000 tonnes of textiles discarded by Australians every year – prompting the Government to prioritise clothing textile waste and invest $1 million to fund a new grant round under the National Product Stewardship Investment Fund.

Charitable Recycling Australia has long advocated in support of an Australian Fashion Council led product stewardship scheme for clothing, aligned around a WRAP model but designed specifically for Australia’s unique circumstances with support from the National Retail Association, the Waste Management and Resource Recovery Association and local subject matter experts including Sustainable Resource Use.

This open, collaborative model and ‘coalition of the willing’ brings together global best practice and support, with an opportunity to develop it further into an Australian ‘Dream Team’ where everyone who has a stake can be involved and make a contribution – with a clear line of sight in delivering the Government’s key objectives and with full accountability on real, measurable impacts to solve Australia’s clothing textile waste problem.

The Government’s initiative is an exciting opportunity to bring together industry, reuse charities, academia, technology companies, subject matter experts and collaborative organisations with an ethos for being part of a coordinated action plan for Australian clothing textiles.

Huge thanks to DAWE for organising the Roundtable, and to Salvos and Vinnies for participating in the exhibition under the Moving the Needle banner to accessorise Ministers, MPs and Government staffers with donated ties and scarves that made for a very engaging, informative and educational exhibit.

Charitable Recycling Australia also thanks the Product Stewardship Centre of Excellence for its guidance and expertise.

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