Shop ’til we drop: SA’s mass clothing recycling weekend tackles dire dumping figures
South Australians are being urged to drop unwanted clothes at 13 sites across the state this weekend. Dire figures show Australians are the world’s largest textile consumers and dump about 222,000 tonnes of unwanted clothing into landfill each year. See the sites.
In a state-wide bid to save thousands of tonnes of unwanted clothes from landfill, a Set Your Clothes Free event for pre-loved clothing and footwear suitable for donation, along with household linens like bedding, bath towels, tablecloths and curtains, is happening at 13 sites.
Linens in good condition would be offered for free to charities, while unusable items would be processed and recycled – turned into insulation, building materials, padding and stuffing for furniture, mattresses and gym equipment.
Environment Minister Lucy Hood said Australians were the world’s largest consumers of textiles, buying an average of 53 clothing items per person annually. Every item reused prevented harmful emissions from new production and kept textiles out of landfill.
Hood said the event being held nationally would also support charities often forced to wade through piles of low-quality clothing that could not be re-worn, this cost valuable time and money is sorting and disposing of items.
“It means our local charities have more time and resources to focus on what matters most to their communities,” she said.
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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.
| Supporting council | Drop-off location | Supporting charity |
| Adelaide Hills Council & AHRWMA | Heathfield Resource Recovery Centre 32 Scott Creek Road, Heathfield SA 5153 | Red Nose |
| The Barossa Council | Council offices 43-51 Tanunda Road, Nuriootpa SA 5355 | Australian Red Cross |
| Berri Barmera Council | Berri Senior Citizens Club 4 Draper Road, Berri SA 5345 | Salvos Stores |
| City of Burnside | Burnside Civic Centre 401 Greenhill Road, Burnside SA 5066 | Australian Red Cross |
| City of Charles Sturt & CAWRA | Beverley Recycling and Waste Centre 2-4 Toogood Avenue, Beverley SA 5009 | Salvos Stores |
| City of Marion | Marion City Services 935 Marion Road, Mitchell Park SA 5043 | RSPCA |
| City of Mount Gambier | Mount Gambier Waste Transfer Station 5 Eucalypt Drive, Mount Gambier SA 5290 | Lifeline |
| City of Norwood, Payneham and St Peters | Glynde Works Depot 30 Davis Road, Glynde SA 5070 | Vinnies |
| City of Onkaparinga | Wakefield House Positive Ageing Centre 65 Acre Avenue, Morphett Vale SA 5162 | Salvos Stores |
| City of Playford, City of Salisbury & NAWMA | NAWMA Resource Recovery Centre Gate 3 Bellchambers Road, Edinburgh North SA 5113 | RSPCA |
| City of Tea Tree Gully | Tea Tree Gully Civic Centre 571 Montague Road, Modbury SA 5092 | Salvos Stores |
| City of Victor Harbor | Victor Harbor Civic Centre 1 Bay Road, Victor Harbor SA 5211 | Red Nose |
| City of Whyalla | Civic Centre 21 Grundel Street, Whyalla Norrie SA 5608 | RSPCA |
The 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.
Hood said fast fashion had more than doubled worldwide clothing production in the past 10 years, while the average garment use had dropped by 36 per cent.
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Currently, the fashion industry generates about 20 per cent of global wastewater and 10 per cent of global carbon emissions.
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RSPCA South Australia Rundle St Op Shop Manager Lucy Feltus said her organisation relied on fundraising from its 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,” she said in relation to donations being dropped to the 13 sites this weekend.
“Damaged, dirty and faulty items are of no use to charities as they need to be disposed of, adding a significant cost to organisations.”
