An RMIT-led investigation found that a third of Australians throw away undesired clothes, revealing a textile waste epidemic. With 200,000 tonnes of garments going to landfills annually, the report calls for a national clothing recycling program. Dr. Alice Payne, principal author and professor at RMIT’s School of Fashion and Textiles, found that 84% of Australians own clothing they haven’t worn in a year, indicating misunderstanding regarding clothing disposal.
The results suggest that younger Australians (18–34) prefer used or repaired apparel yet typically accumulate big amounts of unwanted stuff. Practicality drives older Australians to donate. Sustainable fashion consultant Julie Boulton blames rapid fashion because cheap, mass-produced clothes fall apart and are hard to recycle.
Seamless, a clothes stewardship project, wants major shops like Kmart to join national recycling efforts. Better-made, durable clothes could minimize waste, while repair enterprises like Melbourne’s Thread Den are changing fashion consumption attitudes.
Australians are ready for change as demand for accessible recycling solutions rises, but the fashion industry must embrace sustainability.
Image Credits: https://www.unsw.edu.au/newsroom/news/2023/07/fashion-forward–rethinking-your-wardrobe-to-protect-the-environ
