Tackling Textiles
How to Tackle your Textile Waste
“What should I do with all these old towels?” is a question that we’ve all either asked, or been asked by someone we know. Unfortunately the solution is not as simple as answering what to do with our paper, bottles or glass. We all know how easily we can recycle that type of waste. We’re even learning how easy it is to recycle our e-waste and soft plastics. But textiles… that’s a bit of a harder one. Most people will throw the line at you, “just take it to your local vet”, and YES, while this is sometimes an available option, it’s also not the only option. In our experience, it’s been on the rare occasion that all the planets and stars have aligned that our local vet has had the capacity to take towels from us. So rather than throwing them in the bin, we’re going to discuss a number of different options for you to keep your textile waste out of landfill.
Globally, an estimated 92 million tonnes of textiles go to landfill every year. Our local councils in Australia are yet to find a way to make it easier for the average household to recycle fabrics, so for now we need to take the reigns ourselves, and work towards being part of the solution.
A team of researchers from The Queensland University of Technology’s (QUT) Institute for Future Environments (IFE) Catapult Program are looking into new possibilities for textile waste and how best to harness resources such as unwanted clothing, manufacturing scraps and cotton gin trash. Their primary aim is to transform textile waste into high value-added carbon material for potassium ion batteries. It is an exciting project that will no doubt pave the way for further advancements in this area of sustainability, and if you would like to read more about how QUT are working at unlocking the value of textile waste, head over here.
But until this area of concern is more widely supported and facilitated for the average household, what can we do?
Some consumers are tackling this issue by donating their clothes to charities, hoping that they’ll be on-sold and reused. Many of us are turning to online platforms to sell items of quality, and are likewise increasing our purchase of second-hand goods.
It seems that the interest in establishing and being a part of a circular economy is on the increase, and to do our part to help facilitate this change, we’ve compiled a list of some of the Australian entities who are offering new ways to divert your clothing, textiles and shoes from landfill.
AUSTRALIAN CLOTHING RECYCLERS:
Accepting wearable clothing, shoes, bags, accessories and old bedding, Australian Clothing Recyclers will come and collect your items from your home for free. These items are then distributed to people in need, across Australia, Africa and Asia. Pop over to their website to see where they will be collecting from, and book your collection to coincide with when they’re in your area.
The Boomerang Bags community initiative takes your unwanted fabric, bedding and pillow cases and turns them into reusable bags. These bags are then distributed locally, with the goal of reducing plastic use, and starting conversations about sustainability. With over 1100 communities worldwide, find one near you here to start donating.
Operating Australia Wide, Circular Centre helps fashion labels, large corporations or community groups to divert their textiles from landfill. Their Circular Textile Waste Service will take a minimum quantity of 120kg of unwearable/unusable textiles, including uniforms, general clothing and bed linen. These pieces are then sorted and distributed between recycle centres (for anything that is irreparable) or facilities that can breathe new life into these garments.
COMPOST:
Yep, that’s exactly right, you can compost your own textiles as long as they are made entirely of biodegradable fibres. So your bamboo, wool, cotton, linen, silk and cashmere can all become worm and plant food! Make sure you shred or cut your fabrics into really small pieces, remove anything that won’t biodegrade (any accessories such as zippers, buttons, labels and tags), and pop them into your worm compost.
Fibre Economy is a social enterprise that works with organisations to take unwanted workwear from the mining industry and redistribute these items through their circular network to provide a second (or third or fourth) life to people who will use them - including apprentices, charities that have employment programs and even fashion design students.
Established in 2013, H&M’s recycling programme is the world’s biggest of its kind. Accepting all pre-loved clothing and textiles, in any condition, from any brand, it is as simple as dropping in to one of their stores and handing over your bag at the counter, or dropping it into one of their recycle boxes. You will then receive a thank you voucher to use in store, for doing good work! Wearable items will be on-sold as second-hand clothing, and anything unusable will be turned into other products such as cleaning cloths.
King Cotton are a professional resource recovery company that coordinates the recycling and reuse of unwanted clothing and accessories in Australia. With tailored programs focusing on the collection of unwanted clothing, 95% of what they collect will end up being rescued and reworn in third world countries. Either locate one of their drop off bins, or book a collection here:
The Sheridan Recycling Program will accept and recycle all your old bed linen and towels (of any brand). Operating in partnership with another Australian company, they will send your textiles overseas to be converted into recycled yarn, ready to make new products.
TREADLIGHTLY (ASGA/Save Our Soles):
This program kicked off in Victoria in 2019, collecting over 1000 shoes for recycling in their pilot program alone. With collection sites now Australia-wide, this program sees your used sneakers, thongs and sports shoes stripped of their leather, rubber and fibres. These materials are then used to create new materials including gym mats, floors and playgrounds.
We’re all guilty of doing a clear out and then watching our bags of clothing stare at us from the garage or front door, where they wait with the best intentions of going to the local charity store. UPPAREL will take them off your hands, right from your doorstep. For a small fee, your unwanted clothing, shoes, hats, bags and more will be collected on a date that you select, then will make their way either to a charity (for wearable items), or to off-shore recycle centres. Don’t be put off by the booking fee though, you receive the same value back in the form of a voucher that you can use to spend on UPPAREL socks or underwear.
Another collector of clothing, towels, bed linen & non-wearable uniforms, Worn Up collect from schools, businesses, government bodies and local communities. They then work closely with a team of industrial designers, architects and others to see that your items are repurposed into new products such as acoustic tiles and school desks. Isn’t that cool!
So next time you’re wondering what to do with those older pieces that have seen better days, please join us in working towards establishing a circular economy and reach out to one of the companies we’ve mentioned. Together, we can really make a difference.
