Moving the Needle targets textile waste

Fashion partnership aiming to divert clothing from landfill

The Moving the Needle campaign has set up a reverse retail kiosk in Sydney, in an attempt to address the amount of clothing sent to landfill over the holiday period.

Environment Minister Sussan Ley joined Salvo Stores General Manager Customer and Strategy Edwina Morgan, Australian Red Cross Head of Retail Richard Wood and Vinnies NSW Executive Officer Retail Transformation Susan Goldie at a reverse pop-up store at Chatswood Chase, where shoppers deposit, rather than purchase clothes.

Moving the Needle aims to reduce textile waste by 20 per cent by 2022.

According to Ms Ley, the average Australian buys 27 kilograms of new textiles and sends 23 kilograms of textile waste to landfill each year.

“Moving the needle is about re-purposing the not so old clothes that you no longer wear and donating them to a local charity,” Ms Ley said.

“For every new outfit, donate an older one that might hiding in the back of the closet to help raise funds for those in need.”

National Association of Charitable Recycling Organisations Chief Exectutive Omer Soker said Moving the Needle encourages customers to extend the life of their clothing by donating to one of 3000 charitable donation points across the country.

“Charitable donations can extend the life of pre-loved, usable products by keeping them out of landfill,” Mr Soker said.

“Giving your clothes a second life for even nine months could reduce carbon, water and waste emissions by up to 30 per cent, and you’ll have the satisfaction of knowing your donations make a huge social impact.”

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