Seamless named 2026 AFR Sustainability Leader

The recognition, announced on 3 September 2026, celebrates organisations turning sustainability ambition into measurable impact.

For us, this recognition is about more than an award. It’s recognition of what can happen when an industry comes together to tackle a complex problem and turns ambition into practical action.

The Financial Review said what stood out about this year’s Sustainability Leaders was the maturity of the approaches being developed, “Organisations such as Seamless, are helping redesign how textile waste is managed across Australia. What made this particular initiative stand out was that Seamless is attempting to redesign an entire market system around clothing stewardship, bringing together brands, government, recyclers and consumers.”

That collaboration is at the heart of what we do.

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Turning the clothing waste challenge into action

Australia has a significant clothing waste challenge. Australians purchase an average of 55 new garments every year, with more than 220,000 tonnes of clothing sent to Australian landfill.

The Seamless Circular Clothing Textiles Fund was established to test practical ways to change this. It was part of a broader program that received grant funding from the Australian Government.

Through seven pilots involving more than 30 partners, the Fund tested different approaches to collecting, sorting and recycling unwearable clothing. Together, the pilots collected 31 tonnes of clothing, with wearable garments directed to reuse and 13 tonnes of unwearable clothing recycled into eight new products.

These included building insulation, acoustic panelling and hydromulch for construction-site revegetation.

Just as importantly, the pilots generated independently audited data and practical insights that are helping inform the development of Australia’s future coordinated national clothing collection, sorting and recycling system.

For our CEO Ainsley Simpson, collaboration is essential to creating lasting change.

“Australia’s clothing waste crisis is urgent, and we have the capacity, capability and collective responsibility to turn these textiles into productive opportunity,” Ainsley said.

“Our clothing system is simply not designed to handle the volume and speed of clothing moving through our markets. Real change requires brands, government, the supply chain and consumers to work together.”

Building a circular clothing economy

Seamless began operating in July 2024. Our model is based on a core principle: producers that put clothing onto the market should take responsibility for what happens to those products throughout their life, including when they can no longer be worn.

Currently, 58 clothing brands are Seamless members. However, with over 14,000 brands trading in Australia, many have yet to step up, leaving councils, charities and households to bear the cost of clothing waste.

Ainsley said the recognition comes as momentum for producer responsibility grows internationally.

“We are seeing progressive governments around the world regulate greater producer responsibility for clothing. Australia has an opportunity to build on the work already underway and keep valuable resources in use, reduce textile waste and support Australian jobs and innovation.”

“Without a regulatory setting, most businesses putting clothing onto the Australian market have no accountability beyond the point of sale,” Ainsley said.

This recognition from the Australian Financial Review is an encouraging milestone, however we see it as recognition of a collective effort, rather than an endpoint.

Thank you

This recognition belongs to all of the people and organisations who have worked tirelessly to turn a complex challenge into practical action.

Thank you to the more than 30 organisations that partnered on our seven pilots that were led by: Australia Post, Blackwoods, Good Sammy Enterprises, ResourceCo, SCRgroup, Stone Hill View and Vital Chemical.

Thank you, too, to our Seamless members and supporters who are helping turn system change into action every day.

There’s still a long way to go. But this recognition is a powerful reminder of what’s possible when we work together.

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