Why Recycle Your Textiles?
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.
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.
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.
You’ll score $25 back in store credit just for participating in the program. Spend it knowing that you’ve positively contributed to the fight against textile landfill.
On average, Australians purchase 27kg of new textiles each year and then discard around 23kg into landfill — annually.
Building on our mission to produce thoughtfully designed, affordable collections that have a positive impact, both social and environmental, we’re advocating for a better and more sustainable world by teaming up with textile recyclers UPPAREL to make it easy for you to minimise what you’re putting into landfill.
Textile Recycling Collection – Cloth & Co
Price range: $35.00 through $70.00
Keeping your unwanted textiles out of the bin has never been easier
Register for collection
Go online and book your collection. You can send 10kg for just $35. We’ll send you a $25 voucher to redeem on full-price product at Cloth & Co.
Gather up your unwanted items
Gather up your unwanted clothing, linen and shoes. Ensure clothes and textiles have been given a clean, ready for someone else to use and love. Shoes should be in good condition and be given a quick wipe. No underwear and bra’s please!
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!
We’ll organise the rest
Our team will book your collection within 48 hours of receiving your request and provide you with a label to attach to your package. A courier from our third-party network will then come to pick it up from your front door. Then we’ll get to recycling!
Impact
By sending your unwanted textiles and shoes to us you’re preventing greenhouse gas pollution!
400
kg of Greenhouse Gases prevented
60
kg will be reused
20
kg will be upcycled
20
kg will be recycled
But how exactly do you keep my items out of landfill and give them a second life?
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.
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.
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.
Have 10kg of your old clothing collected for just $35, and receive a $25 voucher to spend at Cloth & Co.
*Voucher valid for first collection only.
We’re happy to answer them
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.
We accept:
- Clothing items (jeans, shirts, coats, etc)
- Hats
- Wireless Bras (incl. bras with their wire removed)
- Socks
- Shoes
- Linen (bedding, blankets, towels, tea towels, etc)
- Fabric mattress protectors (not waterproof/plastic)
- Fabric couch covers and curtains
- Bathers & Swimwear
- Wetsuits
We can’t accept:
- Duvets/Doonas
- Pillows/Cushions
- Unwashed items
- Underwear (used eg. panties, briefs, unmentionables)
- Cloth Nappies
- Carpet
- Polyurethane (PU) Leather
- Polypropylene (PP) Bags
- Bags (handbags, duffel bags, etc)
- Belts
- 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!
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 assessed as unfit-for-wear, they are then separated into items of similar composition, colour and material. From there, we’re able to work internally to shred the fibres down and repurpose them into items such as roof tiles, insulation, office partitions and stuffing for pet beds. Some valuable fibres can also be blended with virgin fibres to produce yarns that can be used in manufacturing to create new products.
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 hello@upparel.com.au 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.
A $25 credit is only issued for your first collection. Each subsequent collection that you purchase will not qualify for an additional store credit.
Your credit is valid for 30 days from the date of issue and cannot be used in conjunction with any other offer or discount.
Let's Work 
Recycle
Join thousands of Australians making a difference, one textile at a time.