An alignment of values was integral to Timber Queensland’s search for a local natural-fibre shirt to include in marketing materials for its Buy Queensland Timber campaign.
“We are promoting the benefits of natural, renewable locally-sourced building products and our message is buy local, from local supply chains,” said the group’s strategic relations and communications manager Clarissa Brandt. “We wanted to echo that and work with other local supply chains to tell our story and walk our talk.”
Jason Ross in local cotton with Clarissa Brandt, in front of local contemporary charred timber cladding.
Grow, harvest, clean, spin, weave, dye, design, sew and market. All these stages in the creation of clothes are largely outsourced to industrial processes that have cotton garments appear almost by magic for 21st century wearers buying on demand. JANE MILBURN reports.
About 90 percent of clothes bought in Australia are made overseas yet spinning is the only one of these processes that Australia can’t do right here, right now, today.
If we were to reintroduce onshore spinning capacity, this would enable local processing as well as recycling capacity to create a closed-loop fibre economy saving textiles from landfill.
Glenn Rogan in his Australian Super Cotton field at St George.
Until recently, most wearers were not thinking about the missing stages of repair and recycle that can help make the journey of clothes more circular and reduce their ecological impact. Now we are asking more questions, taking actions and seeking solutions.
With increasing concerns about climate change and pollution, the circular economy is poised to grow and Australia needs to be part of it. Manufacturing has been migrating offshore for decades, but pandemic disruption of supply chains may herald a turning of the tide.
During this coronavirus lockdown, Meriel Chamberlin has had more cold contacts than ever before about her local cotton supply chain Full Circle Fibres which provides beautiful, ethical and traceable fabrics, fibres and yarns. Meriel works directly with cotton growers at St George in south west Queensland, Glenn and Rebecca Rogan, from Australian Super Cotton, and then with local manufacturers for every stage.
As #15 in the ARISING from Disruption conversation series, Meriel chatted with Jane Milburn about adaptation, resourcefulness and self-sufficiency during this time of pandemic.
“This disruption of supply chains and our dependence on them has caused a lot more people to think about buying local and supporting local. Designers, brands and makers think customers are going to want Australian made and we have had practical benefit from the Aussie dollar value and cost of freight (air freight has gone through the roof) which means my offer has become more economically sustainable than before, especially in the category of ethical and sustainable fabrics.’’
“While Australia’s textile industry was much larger 20 years ago, it is quite some time since the nation focused on making the most of single-origin traceability. There is one stage not here yet, which is the spinning to turn the fibre into yarn that is still done in Manchester, UK. Usually Australian fibres are shipped overseas and mixed with others in the global supply chain. I decided that I would like to know where my fibres come from and that others would like that too.’’
One of main opportunities for Meriel during lockdown has been to take a hard look at how we do PPE (personal protective equipment) and the colossal waste in the system. “Along with responding to an increase in interest in my classic products, it is abundantly clear we need to do something radically different, smart and clever, and be even more protective than the PPE available out there. We need equipment that can be reused and to protect people from great shortages, as well as creating local manufacturing opportunities. ”
Listen to the conversation here, or read the notes below.
What Meriel Chamberlin said:
Buy local and eat in season are simple ways to support local farmers. Most of my career has been in agriculture, so it was great to be invited by Moreton Bay Regional Council to moderate this conversation about community supported agriculture with these awesome women speaking the Pine Rivers Heritage Museum at the weekend.
Jenni Guse, Tash Johnston, author Jane Milburn, Flora Bradley and Amanda Schultz talk local farming
A huge opportunity is emerging for Australia to develop a local textile industry with quality natural ethical products, transparency in the supply chain and less waste. Jane Milburn reports.
As conscious wearers awaken to the wicked secrets within the world’s fast fashion chains producing most of our clothes, demand for ethical and natural material is outstripping supply.
Radical transparency is also in demand. Products that carry hallmarks of quality and provenance, are highly sought-after. This is creating niche opportunities for innovative startups such as Full Circle Fibres, which is transforming cotton bolls from St George paddocks into fabrics of known origin.
Meriel Chamberlin of Full Circle Fibres, left, and Glenn Rogan of Australian Super Cotton
