Wear, Not Waste

The fashion industry become of the world's biggest sources of waste and pollution, yet many of us still feel overwhelmed by the topic. We know something needs to change, but where do we begin?

Atacama desert Landfill

For me, that question has become a journey.

In 2024, I joined a Textile Waste Working Group in Hobart. The room brought together people from across Tasmania's textile sector—designers, recyclers, advocates, government, makers and businesses—all passionate about reducing textile waste. As a former designer and sustainability educator, I proposed a name for the group:  Wear, Not Waste. I even created a logo, hoping it could become a shared initiative.

It didn't move forward.

At first, I was disappointed. But sometimes ideas don't disappear—they simply find a different path, a more aligned and mindful one. 

So I decided to repurpose the name and logo. Since then, Wear, Not Waste has continued to evolve through conversations with incredible people who believe, as I do, that fashion can become a force for positive change.

I reconnected with my love of writing, something I hadn't done regularly since publishing articles on my EtchoChileblog more than a decade ago. As I began researching the growing textile crisis, I reached out to colleagues in Chile and wrote an article titled Don't Refuse to See It. Refuse to Wear It! It was a deeply personal piece about the textile dumps in the Atacama Desert—a place I had visited a few times on and one that holds some of my most treasured memories in nature. Seeing this extraordinary landscape transformed into one of the world's largest dumping grounds for discarded clothing was heartbreaking. The article was published through my collaboration with Anastasia at the Slow Fashion Hub in Perth, who kindly edited the piece and shared it on her blog.

Then another unexpected opportunity appeared.

Briony, from Wild Stitch Studio, whom I met at the Tasmanian Fashion Festival, invited me to mentor a group of students learning about sustainable fashion. She asked a simple question: "Is there a game that teaches young people about sustainable fashion?"

I searched.

I found only two—one board game and one card game—but neither captured the complexity, creativity or systems thinking that I wanted young people to experience.

Wear, Not Waste: Prototype 2 - Hobart, 2026

So I asked myself another question:

What if I designed one?

That single question became the beginning of something much bigger.

Using design thinking and co-design principles, I began developing a prototype. My first testers were my own children. Then six teenagers. Then fifteen primary school students. Soon, I'll be testing it with another youth group in Hobart.

Each session teaches me something new. The young people don't just play—they question, challenge and imagine better futures for fashion.

And somewhere along this journey, another connection emerged.

While mentoring a group of young people in climate resilience, they became interested in collaborate and documenting the Wear, Not Waste journey as part of their own project.

Looking back, none of these opportunities were planned.

One conversation led to another. One introduction opened another door. One small idea kept finding people who wanted to help it grow.

I don't see this as a coincidence. I see it as what happens when purpose meets action, and when we remain open to collaboration.

Wear, Not Waste is no longer just a name. It's becoming a synergy built on education, creativity, community and hope.

If you're passionate about sustainable fashion, circular design, education, youth engagement or simply believe we can do better, I'd love to connect.

Because real change doesn't happen when one person has all the answers. It happens when many people decide to create them together.

Would you like to be part of the Wear, Not Waste journey?

I'd love to hear from you: here
Email me at: hello@malva.com.au