Australians purchase an average of 55 new garments per person each year. Of all unwanted clothing, 53% ends up in landfill, with only 9% recycled.
A six-month pilot project in Tasmania, "Rinse, Repair and Rewear," is testing methods to divert more donated clothing from landfill through washing and repairs. This initiative highlights a broader national crisis of overconsumption, low-quality materials, and limited recycling infrastructure.
Clothing Consumption and Waste Volume
Australians purchased approximately 1.5 billion new garments in the past year, averaging 55 items per person, according to the clothing stewardship scheme Seamless. Nationally, an estimated 1.55 billion new textile items are imported to the Australian market each year.
Of all unwanted clothing:
- 53% ends up in landfill.
- 38% is reused locally or exported.
- 9% is recycled.
This waste amounts to approximately 229,000 tonnes of textiles sent to landfill annually. Australians produce an estimated 33kg of textile waste per person. The federal government reports that textiles have one of the lowest recycling rates among waste materials, at 5%, primarily from carpet recycling. Seamless estimates that normalized overconsumption contributes to 14.5 million tonnes of carbon emissions and the equivalent of 1.8 billion tonnes of water consumption annually.
An RMIT survey found that most Australians own clothes unworn for a year, and a third have not worn half their wardrobe. Seamless statistics indicate that around 5.27 billion items are stored in wardrobes across Australia, equivalent to 193 items per person.
Donated Clothing and Charity Sector
According to Charitable Reuse Australia, approximately 310,316 tonnes of clothing is donated to charity shops in Australia each year. The breakdown of donated items is:
- 16.5% sold in charity stores.
- 36% repurposed into materials like rags.
- 14% sent to landfill.
- 33% (approximately) sent overseas.
- 0.4% provided as welfare.
Taryn Townsend, retail manager at Hobart City Mission, stated that in a typical donation bag, about 20% of items are ready for sale, while 80% require repurposing or are sent to landfill. Claire Dollan, the project's repair lead, noted that items requiring minor repairs (such as button replacement or small stain removal) were previously discarded due to limited resources.
Yassie Samie, a postdoctoral fellow at RMIT's school of fashion and textiles, stated that for about 87% of Australians, donating to charity is the primary strategy for disposing of unwanted textiles. Samie suggested that for low-quality clothing, commercial recycling options may be more suitable than charity donation.
Tasmanian Pilot: "Rinse, Repair and Rewear"
Project Details
A six-month pilot project called "Rinse, Repair and Rewear" is being conducted by Hobart City Mission in Tasmania. The project is funded by the Tasmanian Waste and Resource Recovery Board. The initiative involves volunteers and op shop workers washing and repairing donated clothing items for resale.
Audit Findings
An early audit of 2,945 clothing items found the project increased diversion from landfill:
- 42% of items were recovered for washing.
- 11% of items were recovered for repair.
Examples of Repaired and Repurposed Items
- A fur stole with holes was repaired and diverted from landfill.
- Items that cannot be repaired, such as silk scarves with holes, are repurposed into new products like scrunchies.
Statements
Claire Dollan, project repair lead, said that volunteers sorting donations are pleased to have an alternative to discarding items and that the project demonstrates that saving valuable items from landfill is possible. She expressed hope the project would inspire other op shops.
"Saving valuable items from landfill is possible," Dollan said.
Future Plans
Hobart City Mission plans to create a handbook based on the pilot project to support the national implementation of similar repair initiatives by other charity shops.
Chemical Content in Textiles
A small study presented at an American Chemical Society conference found that brightly colored children's shirts from major retail and fast fashion brands contained lead levels exceeding 100 ppm, the US regulatory threshold. The researchers, led by chemist Kamila Deavers, also found that lead could leach from fabric into saliva, posing a potential risk to children who chew on clothing.
Heavy metals are used as mordants to fix dyes in textiles. Other contaminants used in fabric production include azo dyes, PFAS for waterproofing, and carbon disulphide in rayon and viscose. The primary exposure risk is to textile workers, but consumers may also be affected.
Recycling and Circular Solutions
Kowtow's Biochar Initiative
Kowtow, a New Zealand fashion label, has implemented a strategy to eliminate plastic and petrochemicals from its garments, including fabrics, zips, buttons, and polycotton thread. The brand focuses on recyclable or natural alternatives and offers repair and resale services to extend garment life.
Kowtow is converting its textile waste into biochar, a process that transforms organic waste into charcoal used to enrich soils. This initiative relies on garments being organic and plastic-free; any non-organic trims are removed and reused in the repair program. The scheme has so far converted one tonne of textile waste into a usable resource.
Current Recycling Landscape
Tailored recycling schemes remain limited. In South Australia, collaborative collection drives recovered almost 20 tonnes of unwanted textiles, footwear, and linens for resale and recycling during a single event. Seamless also funds pilot programs, including postal return satchels, workplace collections, and local textile recycling hubs. Some organizations provide home collection services.
Regulation and Industry Standards
In Australia, fiber content labeling is no longer legally required, and chemical management is split across government departments. Voluntary standards such as ZDHC, OEKO-TEX, and GOTS exist but are not mandatory. The EU is extending Digital Product Passport regulations to clothing, which may influence Australian markets.
Recommendations from Experts
Sustainable fashion consultant Julie Boulton advocates for holding producers accountable for materials used and preventing the manufacture of environmentally damaging garments. She suggests that consumers should prioritize needs over wants and engage in repair and reuse practices, while avoiding impulse buying.
Ainsley Simpson, CEO of Seamless, recommends re-wearing, repairing, and sharing clothing where feasible, including donating good-quality items to established charity and resale networks. Matt McMahon of Salvos Stores advises that items good enough for a friend are likely suitable for donation.
Experts recommend washing new textiles before first use and reporting concerns to the ACCC. For unwanted items, garments must be stain-free to meet standards for sale in second-hand stores.