From Landfill to Lifecycle
Tuesday, 3 June 2025
The fashion industry is at a critical tipping point. Every year, over 200,000 tonnes of clothing and textiles end up in Australian landfills. Globally, that number exceeds 92 million tonnes — an environmental crisis driven by fast fashion, short wear cycles, and a culture of overconsumption. But amidst this challenge, some brands are rewriting the story. One of them is our client Lorna Jane.
As Director of mecklemore, I’ve had the privilege of working closely with forward-thinking companies that aren’t waiting for regulation to force their hand — they’re taking action - and Lorna Jane is a standout example.
Just recently, the iconic Australian activewear brand launched its new Pre-Loved Lorna Jane website — an online marketplace where customers can buy and sell gently used Lorna Jane apparel. This move is more than a marketing initiative; it's a tangible response to fashion's waste problem. Lorna Jane's pre-loved marketplace not only promotes environmental responsibility but also empowers consumers to make conscious choices. Circularity isn't a buzzword — it's a blueprint for the future.
Lorna Jane’s decision to step into the resale space aligns with their broader sustainability mission. As a founding member of Seamless, an industry-led scheme committed to achieving full circularity in Australia’s clothing industry by 2030, the brand is actively driving systemic change.
Anna Fowler, CEO of Lorna Jane and Director of Seamless, shared her vision with us: “We know our product is made to last, and we wanted to give our customers the tools to extend the life of every garment. The pre-loved platform is about trust, transparency, and giving our community a chance to reduce their impact — without compromising on performance or style.”
This isn't just about extending product life — it’s about challenging the fashion status quo. The traditional linear model of buy, wear, and discard is broken. By enabling secondhand sales within their own ecosystem, Lorna Jane is reclaiming responsibility for their products and encouraging customers to do the same.
It’s estimated that extending a garment's life by just 9 months can reduce its carbon, water, and waste footprints by up to 30%. Now scale that across an entire customer base—and multiply it by the brands willing to follow Lorna Jane’s lead.
At Mecklemore, we enable these insights to guide data-driven decisions that turn sustainability from strategy into impact. What Lorna Jane is demonstrating is that business and environmental responsibility aren’t mutually exclusive — they’re inherently linked. The fashion industry still has a long way to go, but bold moves like this bring us one step closer to closing the loop.
Curious what data-driven decision-making could look like for your business? Get in touch to find out.
