We buy clothes for many reasons. It could be because of a big sale, a job promotion, a new fashion trend, or maybe shopping for clothes help you distress. Essentially, clothes spark joy and confidence in people.
This is especially true in Australia. With about 373 000 tonnes of fabric arriving in Australian ports annually, it’s among the world’s highest fabric consumers.
While it’s nice to feel the warm and special feeling of wearing new outfits and catching up with the trends, we must also understand that these feelings are ephemeral. After a month or two, fashion styles will change, and the next thing you know, your wardrobe’s full of clothes you won’t wear anymore. That’s fast fashion for you!
Now, you might ask, what happens to these clothes? Unfortunately, 260 000 tonnes of unwanted garments fill up the limited space of landfills. That’s a lot of clothes the homeless and victims of calamities could’ve worn.
Good thing there’s a way to turn things around—DONATE! But, with about 665 charity shops and reuse centres in New South Wales (NSW), you might be confused about how to proceed best. Fret not, and read on to explore Sydney’s clothing donation!
Charities
What’s better than discarding excess clothes while supporting a cause?
Fortunately, charitable institutions are trending just as much as fashion in Sydney. These charities support causes like nutrition, education, and many more. Here are some charities that would greatly appreciate your clothes.
It’s a registered charity dedicated to making employment more achievable for disadvantaged women in NSW (including transgender women and non-binary people). Specifically, they provide free career coaching, professional clothing, and a support network to make women self-sufficient and more prepared for job interviews.
Apart from monetary help, Dress for Success will also gladly accept corporate attires through their Sydney Branch at 132 Marrickville Road from 10 AM to 2 PM on Mondays and 9 AM to 12 PM on Saturdays.
St Vincent de Paul Society is a lay catholic organisation promoting compassion and faith in action by helping people suffering from poverty, homelessness, and any form of injustice.
Specifically, they fund projects for low-income support, housing, refugees, health, energy, and education by selling pre-loved items, like clothes, in their Vinnies charity shops.
If you wish to support their advocacy, you may take clothing donations in any of their 229 Vinnies shops across NSW or drop them off in Vinnies Donation Bins.
Anglicare is a non-profit organisation with various services funded by their Op-shops and sponsors. Their programs include foster care, residential elderly care, and home care.
Fill any of their 210 clothing recycling bins across Sydney to support their cause. These are usually found in Anglican churches and schools.
Online Platforms
If you want to know where your beloved clothes would go, technology has made it possible to connect, trade, and meet people you can donate to online.
You can post your pre-loved clothes online to give away for free or sell them for a very affordable price. Some popular online platforms for marketing and donating are Depop, Carousell, and Etsy.
Clothing Reuse Recycling Facilities
For damaged clothes rejected by charities, you have Sydney’s clothing recycling centres to accept your donation. Some of these are:
Cash for Clothing of the SAP Impex company collects, recycles, and ships unwanted textiles in third-world countries’ clothing stores, providing affordable clothes for the less fortunate.
You can either exchange your clothes for cash or donate them for charity distribution. What are you waiting for? Book their free collection now!
UPPAREL aims to divert textile waste from landfills. They sort unfit-for-wear textiles based on composition and material. The textiles will then be shredded into fibres to make stuffings for beds, roof tiles, socks, and yarns.
To donate, you must first purchase a collection costing $25 for 10kg of fabric. Then, package your textiles and book a collection date through the link in your confirmation link.
Sydney Rubbish Removal Services
We recommend calling our junk removalists if you have large amounts of unwanted clothing in no condition to be reused.
Our team provides same-day junk removal services all across Sydney. Whether it be clothing, furniture, white goods or anything else for that matter, we can take it. Call us on 0407 125 125 to arrange a free quote!
Additionally, if you’re looking to donate other types of reusable goods, please check out our other related articles here:
