South Australians are being encouraged to donate their unwanted clothes and shoes and free themselves of old linen and curtains this weekend, in the nation's biggest textile recycling event.
Set Your Clothes Free, held tomorrow at 13 drop-off sites across the state, will build on the success of the inaugural event in May – which diverted nearly 20 tonnes of textiles from landfill, with items collected for resale (11.8 tonnes of high-quality clothing and footwear) or recycling (7.8 tonnes of household textiles).
The November event will expand to more regional areas including Whyalla and Mount Gambier, following its earlier success and clear demand from South Australians keen to support charities and clear out their closets.
Accepted items include pre-loved clothing and footwear suitable for donation, along with household linens like bedding, bath towels, tablecloths and curtains.
Linens still in good condition will be offered for free to charities, while unusable items will be processed and recycled – turned into insultation, building materials, padding and stuffing for furniture, mattresses and gym equipment.
Donating low-quality clothing that cannot be reworn or resold puts a burden on charities, costing stores time and money to sort and dispose of these items and diverting limited resources away from their charitable causes.
Australians are the world's largest consumers of textiles, purchasing an average of 53 clothing items per person annually.
More than half of Australia's unwanted clothing – about 222,000 tonnes – is sent to landfill each year, causing resource wastage, increased greenhouse emissions, and significant financial costs for local councils.
This initiative, led by Green Industries SA, is a collaboration between councils and charities including the RSPCA, Australian Red Cross, Lifeline, Red Nose, Vinnies and Salvos Stores.
Fast fashion has more than doubled worldwide clothing production in the past 10 years, while the average garment use has dropped by 36 per cent. Currently, the fashion industry generates about 20 per cent of global wastewater and 10 per cent of global carbon emissions.
For a full list of drop-off locations and accepted items, head to: greenindustries.sa.gov.au/textiles-collection-event.
As put by Lucy Hood
This weekend is the perfect way to give your pre-loved clothing and linens a second chance at life and help others in need.
Every item reused not only avoids emissions from new production and keeps textiles out of landfill, it means our local charities have more time and resources to focus on what matters most to their communities.
Dig deep into the wardrobe, cut down on waste and play a key role in promoting South Australia's circular economy at a nation-leading event.
As put by Joe Szakacs
This initiative is a great example of how State Government, councils, and people from all corners of South Australia can work together for the good of our community.
This is Australia's biggest textile recycling event, and I encourage everyone who has unwanted clothes to get down to one of the 13 drop-off sites.
As put by RSPCA South Australia Rundle St Op Shop Manager, Lucy Feltus
Here at RSPCA SA we rely significantly on fundraising for the organisation on our 19 Op Shop stores across South Australia.
We are looking for high-quality clothing and household items that are ready to use and ready to wear from the moment of purchase.
Damaged, dirty and faulty items are of no use to charities as they need to be disposed of, adding a significant cost to organisations.
If you would happily give an item to your friend or family member then we would love to have them too.
