The Goulburn Valley Waste and Resource Recovery Group together with Greater Shepparton City Council is seeking to understand how households manage textile waste through an online community survey.
Greater Shepparton City Council residents are invited to complete the community survey and share how they consume, care for and dispose of different textile-based products in their day to day lives.
Greater Shepparton City Council Mayor Kim O'Keeffe said estimates from waste generation assessments reveal Victoria generated 55,000 tonnes of textile waste over one year from 2018-2019, while only 1,000 tonnes were recovered, representing a recovery rate of less than one per cent.
"Each of us generates some form of textile waste through clothing and other necessary household items but when we think about waste minimisation and sustainable recycling practices textile waste is often overlooked," Cr O'Keeffe said.
"We want to hear from residents and businesses about what they do with unwanted textiles such as discarded clothing, bedding and linen along with some of the considerations often made when purchasing and extending the life of textile based items," Cr O'Keeffe said.
By undertaking the online survey, Greater Shepparton City Council residents can opt to go in the draw to win a $50 gift card. The survey will take about 10 minutes to complete.
"Textile waste is broad and includes items such as discarded or unwanted clothing, shoes, towels, pillows, sheets and blankets," Cr O'Keeffe said.
The survey results will be used to help develop a pilot waste avoidance program that will aim to reduce textile waste in the region.
The opportunity to better understand how textile waste is generated and whether households contemplate avoidance or minimisation measures supports the reuse, repair and share sectors and is underpinned by the waste hierarchy which places an emphasis on reduce, reuse, repair, recycle and recovery; with disposal a last resort.
The shape and detail of the proposed pilot waste avoidance program will be determined by an assessment of the survey findings and consideration of opportunities and obstacles to better manage textile waste.
"The survey aims to better understand the community's awareness of textile waste and opportunities to extend the life of textile garments and products, but residents are reminded that textile waste should not be placed in kerbside recycling or green waste bins as this is considered contamination," Cr O'Keefe said.
The survey is confidential and anonymous with individual responses collated and analysed as group data.
The online community survey is open to all residents in the Goulburn Valley and will close midnight Monday 15 February 2021. The survey can be accessed here.
