Clean Up Australia & UPPAREL talking textile waste for the benefit of the next generation.
We’re closing the loop and have made it possible for you to send your clothes back for reuse and recycling. Plus, we’re rewarding you for doing so.
We’re closing the loop and have made it possible for you to send your clothes back for reuse and recycling.
Have 10kg of your unwanted clothing, shoes, and linen collected for just $35, and step up to clean up Australia!
Approximately a third of all the garments produced around the world never leave the shop floor. But where do they all end up? Globally, 87% of all disposed textiles are sent to landfill or incinerated; 12% is mechanically recycled by cutting it or shredding it into fibre, insulation material or rags; and less than 1% is chemically recycled back to reusable raw materials. The effects that textiles have on the planet prove that the linear economy model of take, make and dispose is completely unsustainable.
Currently 65% of items that UPPAREL is receiving are in new or fit-for-wear condition and are prepared to be passed onto our epic Australian partners; Save The Children, Sacred Heart Mission, Ready Set Australia, St Kilda Mums and Good360 Australia! The remaining 35% are assessed for their suitability to be up-cycled into new items or recycled into new materials.
To find out more about their ‘UP philosophy’ click here.
800,000,000 kilograms are thrown away every year.
On average, Australians purchase 27kg of new textiles each year and then discard around 23kg into landfill — annually. This means that 6,000kg of textile waste is being disposed of in Australia every 10 minutes.
You’ll have a positive impact.
For every 1kg of textiles you divert from landfill, you’ll be preventing 3-4kg of greenhouse gases from polluting the atmosphere. UPPAREL makes it easy and take the hassle out of determining whether to reuse, upcycle or recycle your textiles.
Nothing will end up in landfill.
By implementing their philosophy of reuse first where possible, then upcycle when necessary, UPPAREL will ensure that nothing is ever sent off-shore or dumped in landfill.
Textile Recycling Collection – Clean Up Australia
$35.00 – $70.00
Keeping your unwanted textiles out of the bin has never been easier.
Step 1.
Purchase a collection that suits you.
Start by purchasing a suitable collection for the amount of clothing, linen, shoes, and other textiles you have to send us. The collection costs start from $35, which will provide you with an allowance of up to 10 kg collected in 1 box. The collections are based on weight as well as the number of boxes your textiles are packaged in.
Step 2.
Package your clean textiles.
We can accept the majority of textiles for reuse, repurpose and recycling! You can view a complete list of what we can accept here. As our team will be sorting through your textiles by hand, we can only accept clean items — be sure to give all items a quick wash and any shoes a wipe over before packaging for collection! If you’re unsure of how to package your items, you can check out this video for suggestions.
Step 3.
Book your collection.
Now you’re ready to give those unwanted textiles a second life! Simply book your collection through the link in your confirmation email, then print and attach the generated labels to your box(es) and leave them outside for collection. We’ll take care of the rest!
By sending your unwanted textiles and shoes to us you’re preventing greenhouse gas pollution!
But how exactly do you keep my items out of landfill and give them a second life?
Reuse
If your items are sent in a suitable condition, then we can donate them to one of our charity partners for someone else to love.
Upcycle
If your items are past their prime, then we’ll work with our recycling partners to turn them into something new like a tote bag.
Recycle
If your items are damaged, they can be used to create new yarn or shredded and used for things like insulation or stuffing for pet beds.
Got more questions?
We’re happy to answer them.
Clothing items (jeans, shirts, coats, etc)
Hats
Wireless Bras
Swimwear
Socks and stockings
Shoes
Linen (bedding, towels, tea towels, etc)
Fabric mattress protectors (not waterproof/plastic)
Fabric off-cuts and sewing scraps
Fabric couch covers and curtains
Bathers & Swimwear
Wetsuits
Unwashed items
Underwear
Carpet
Duvets/Doonas
Pillows/Cushions
Bags (handbags, duffel bags, etc)
Soft Toys
Wired Bras
Once you’ve got your textiles boxed and ready to be collected, simply book your collection through the link in your order confirmation email. After selecting your desired date this will then generate labels that will be sent to your email address for you to print and attach to your box(es). Now you can leave your package(s) outside for collection. We’ll take care of the rest!
To reduce waste and emissions we don’t send you anything to collect your items in. Your textiles can be packaged into ANY type of box (no larger than check-in luggage) — a food delivery box, grocery box or moving box would work! You can also pack your items into a durable bag or satchel.
As a reference, the package should be approximately 46cm x 41cm x 42cm, however, it doesn’t have to be these dimensions exactly!
Please note: The courier cannot collect garbage bags.
Check out our suggested packaging video below for ideas!
You will have to place two separate orders, one for each box size. Since we’ve simplified our booking process, these orders directly integrate with our scheduling system. This means booking the two separate orders will be quick and easy!
Unfortunately not. We don’t currently have the resources, infrastructure or team to manage drop-offs from the public. We’ll be sure to let our community know if this changes in the future, but for now you can organise a contactless-collection HERE.
Currently 65% of items that UPPAREL is receiving are in new or fit-for-wear condition and are prepared to be passed onto our epic Australian partners; Save The Children, Sacred Heart Mission, Ready Set Australia, St Kilda Mums and Good360 Australia! The remaining 35% are assessed for their suitability to be up-cycled into new items or recycled into new materials.
Environmentally it is best to reuse items wherever possible, so we’ll always try to reuse or repair shoes if we can! If we cannot reuse them then their materials can be of use in many ways — rubber can be shredded and developed into new products or track surfaces, basketball courts and playgrounds. Their soles can also be used to create soles for fresh shoes!
Once the textiles are sorted and identified as suitable for recycling, they are first decommissioned to remove all hardware such as buttons and zips that may contaminate the final recycled product. From there, the textiles are broken down into fine fluffy fibre through a unique mechanical process. This fluffy fibre can then be utilised as is, or compressed and used as home insulation, office partitions, couch cushions, pet beds, acoustic panelling, and so much more! Additionally, this recycled product is also completely circular. So once it reaches the end of its life, it can be thrown straight back into the recycling process and given a new life!
We offer contactless collections Australia-wide! Customers will be provided with a link through the collection confirmation email to schedule their collection for a date that suits them best.
Please note — couriers do not collect on weekends. If you live in an apartment building and do not have a safe place to leave your items, reach out via [email protected] for assistance.
Great question! The recycling fee helps to contribute towards a number of the costs involved in operating a textile recycling initiative. There are the costs associated with transporting and storing items, separating them, sorting them based on their second life use and preparing new or fit-for-wear items to be distributed to our epic Australian partners; Save The Children, Sacred Heart Mission, Ready Set Australia, St Kilda Mums and Good360 Australia! Not to mention the expenses involved with our specialised recycling process.
These costs add up quickly, which may be the reason so few retailers are engaging in on-shore textile recycling initiatives. As an independent business without any government funding, the $35 collection fee is really important in contributing towards these costs and supporting our mission as a small Australian start-up to keep textiles out of landfill and create a circular life cycle for the products we manufacture.