Australia’s clothing system is under increasing pressure. The volume of clothing waste continues to grow, while the coordinated systems needed to manage it don’t exist. Two new reports from Seamless bring together new evidence from pilots, next markets research and policy analysis to show what’s needed to address our clothing waste challenge and set the direction for a circular clothing future for Australia.
In June 2025, Seamless received grant funding from the Australian Government to drive industry collaboration for clothing recirculation, identify next markets for Australian recycled clothing textiles and deliver the evidence for a national coordinated clothing system and industry-funded stewardship model.
A key focus of the program was delivering pilots to collect, sort and recycle ‘unwearables’, which are clothes that can no longer be worn; a significant data gap identified in the Seamless 2024 National Clothing Benchmark for Australia. The program also included industry consultation, circular clothing definitions, next markets research for unwearable clothing, and policy, economic and financial analysis.
Early access to the report summaries
Detailed reports have been shared with the Australian Government and will be released publicly by the end of May 2026. Ahead of their release, we’re sharing summaries of two reports, providing an early look at the key data, outcomes and recommendations for a coordinated national clothing system.
Pilot data and outcomes
The Seamless Circular Clothing Textiles Fund supported seven practical pilots across Australia to collect, sort, process and recycle unwearable clothing. The pilots provided important insights into how the current system operates, where the gaps and opportunities are, and what’s needed to build a national clothing system and address the 220,000 tonnes of clothing textiles sent to Australian landfill each year.
The ‘Pilot data and outcomes’ report provides a comprehensive overview of the outcomes from the seven pilots.
Read the executive summary here.
Evidence for change
The ‘Evidence for change’ report outlines the challenges facing Australia’s clothing industry and the broader context in which it operates. It provides an overview of the program’s deliverables, along with the evidence and recommendations for a national clothing system. The report also includes an implementation plan and metrics for transparently reporting progress toward a circular clothing economy.
Read the executive summary here.
A coordinated national approach
The work ahead is shared, and so is the responsibility. Producers, collectors, reuse operators, recyclers, citizens and governments all have a role in building a system where clothing is designed intentionally, chosen thoughtfully, enjoyed fully and recovered responsibly.
Done well, a mandatory national scheme can do more than collect garments. It can reward producers that design for reuse and recycling, build demand for recycled fibre, and improve transparency across supply chains.
Seamless is the national platform leading Australia’s transition to a circular clothing economy, and these reports outline how industry and government can work together to deliver clothing stewardship.
