The multi-billion dollar worldwide recycling industry performs a vital social and environmental function. The industry has no peer in terms of conserving the world's resources while the various stages of the recycling process provide significant employment around the world. Through the efforts of the charitable recycling organisations, approximately 75 percent of the collected post-consumer waste is diverted from our landfills and recycled and that the worlds poorest are clothed.
Recycling is a practice through which everyone can make a difference.
Post-consumer waste
Post-consumer waste consists of any type of garments or household goods (sheets, towels, glassware and furniture) that the consumer no longer needs and decides to discard, either because they are no longer of use, worn out, damaged, outgrown, or have gone out of fashion. Traditionally, the bulk of post-consumer waste has been of reasonable-to-good-quality garment that can be recycled by another user as second-hand clothing, much of which is sold from first to third-world nations. Clothing that is unlikely to be worn again is also potentially functional as it may be cut to produce industrial wiping rag or shredded into fibre to be reprocessed.
Garments or household goods can effectively be recycled by sale or gift to another user. Of the post consumer waste recovered by charities;
• 60 percent consists of items of clothing that can be reworn or reused
• 15 percent can be torn into industrial wiper cloths, and
• 25 percent is unusable and sent to landfill.
The role of charitable institutions - recycling/reuse of post consumer waste
The organised recovery of post-consumer waste (mainly used clothing and household goods) in Australia is mainly undertaken by charities.
There is increasing recognition of the contribution charity shops make in reducing the volume of items that go to landfill, and a number of local authorities are now counting the volume of second-hand goods sent for reuse and recycling that can be measured towards their recycling targets. Without the opportunity charity shops providing for large-scale reuse and recycling, these unwanted items would inevitably find their way into the waste stream to be treated by local authorities as household waste.
Collection of second hand goods is by means of community donations deposited into charity bins, thousands of which are located across Australia, and/or drop-offs directly to charity shops.
Depending on size, logistics and location, each charity and recycled clothing dealer has developed its own system for dealing with donated clothing. Once received, clothes are carefully evaluated and sorted for quality and marketability.
A shop quality item's final destination is the result of demographic understanding and marketing aimed to maximise profits for the charity. In some suburbs, clothes can command a higher price, as they are more likely to appeal to the local market. Certain shops quickly move surf and youth wear; others specialise in retro; others have attracted a loyal following by selling high-end designer threads; and some stores are amply stocked with plus-sizes and children's wear.
Through the efforts of the charitable recycling organisations, approximately 75 percent of the collected post-consumer waste is diverted from our landfills and recycled and that the worlds poorest are clothed. It is estimated that over 80-100 million kilos of textile waste is collected by Australian clothing recyclers through charity bins and donations. The point must be made that this collection is at no cost to the government. Much of this can be reclaimed and recirculated through charity shops or reprocessed into functional textiles. However, 20 -25 percent is unsuitable for reclamation and is sent to landfill.
Level 15, 10 Queens Road MELBOURNE VICTORIA 3004 AUSTRALIA Telephone: +61 3 9866 5443 Email: information@nacro.com.au
