What Does A Senior Sustainability Manager Work On?

And what does that look like day-to-day?
“I am responsible for ensuring that the people and environments that we interact with through sourcing the products we sell on site are protected – whether that be through engaging with our brand partners in their own sustainability efforts or working with our Own Brand team and our suppliers and factories to ensure our standards are upheld.

It also means driving initiatives within our business that contribute to Reconciliation with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and communities here in Australia as we embark on our first REFLECT Reconciliation Action Plan, and supporting our charity partner Thread Together to achieve their mission of delivering new, good quality clothing and shoes to people in our community who are doing it tough. 

It’s a dream job, driving positive impact across our supply chains and communities through various initiatives and working with some pretty incredible people along the way!”

What makes you qualified to do that?
“I’ve been working in fashion sustainability for nearly a decade and I can’t imagine working in any other space. I started off working in the Not-For-Profit sector and now working for THE ICONIC and contributing to a changing landscape in the fashion industry where it’s impacts are understood and there is a drive to reduce those impacts is pretty incredible.

We’ve come a long way as an industry but there is still a lot of work to be done and I’m looking forward to seeing the changes the next decade brings.”

What’s your favourite thing to do when you’re not working?
“I live right next to the Gadigal National Park and I absolutely love exploring the walking tracks in there with my son and partner. It's a beautiful part of Sydney that I feel very lucky to have as my backyard.”

Why is it important that THE ICONIC has a Sustainability team?
“We are all well aware the fashion industry is a contributor to many social and environmental issues and as a business we are committed to understanding and managing our impacts so our Sustainability team is core to ensuring the work is done to not only deliver the best products to our customers, but to do it in a responsible way.

While at THE ICONIC sustainability is everyone’s business, the team works to support and guide the business by driving the many important initiatives we have in place.”

Which of THE ICONIC’s Considered values do you work within most in your day-to-day work?
“I work across all of the Considered values, from Sustainable Materials, Animal Friendly, Eco-Production, Community Engagement, Free From and Fair Production. I love learning about the incredible initiatives and innovations that brands include in their ranges, and that we can provide an easy way for our customers to shop by their sustainability values.

We’ve seen the number of Considered brands and products more than double since we launched the Considered edit, and I know this number will continue to grow as brands and customers become more aware of the importance of sustainability.”

What’s been your career high within the company?
“I am absolutely loving driving our Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP) journey. The people I’ve met so far and the knowledge gained from those incredible people have been life-changing and it’s only the beginning.”

What are you excited about in the future of THE ICONIC’s sustainability journey?
“It’s just the beginning for us. I am excited about the commitments we have made and will continue to make to really drive change and contribute to a fashion industry that I hope one day will truly have a positive impact on people, communities and environments.”

Rebekka's Top 3 Considered Buys

“I can’t go past AERE, our exclusive brand that is committed to using more sustainable materials. My current favourites are: