Shred-X, an industry leader providing secure destruction, recycling and repurposing solutions, has launched its newest division, TeXtura, to address the growth of textile waste in Australia.
Fuelled by trending items, low prices and the ease of online shopping, fast fashion continues to gain traction around the globe, including Australia.
According to Clean Up Australia, the nation is the second highest consumer of textiles per person after the United States, with every Australian disposing of an average of 23 kilograms of clothing to landfill each year.
Shred-X is actively pursuing alternative end destinations for textiles. In 2024 alone, the company collected and diverted 1.3 million kilograms of textile waste from landfill.
Reflecting on the company’s “biggest year of collections,” Ben Armstrong, Business Development Manager, says the team launched TeXtura to help fill a gap in Australian recycling.
Ben says that with a myriad of textiles to be recycled in the market, it is TeXtura’s mission to find sustainable solutions.
“There is an urgent requirement for Australia to formulate a plan for recycling unwearable clothes,” he says.
“At TeXtura we regularly face challenges in finding markets for these recycled materials. We are actively working to develop downstream pathways for textile recycling by collaborating with emerging recyclers and we’re excited to see what’s ahead.”
Expanding the service
The introduction of TeXtura is a continual evolution of Shred-X. The speciality solutions provider began in 2001 as a secure document destruction provider in response to changing privacy laws and to mitigate potential data breaches.
Shred-X has 11 certified facilities and operations located in all states throughout Australia.
The foundation of Shred-X continues to be sustainability, with a company goal of diverting waste from landfill wherever possible.
In 2007, the company expanded its landfill diversion solutions to include IT and data assets, media, uniforms, dated or contraband products, used coffee cups, and Quick Service Restaurant (QSR) waste.
In 2024, TeXtura was launched, offering a comprehensive and sustainable end-to-end solution for the textile industry in Australia, including collection, processing, and recycling services.
TeXtura is primarily business-to-business, providing customised solutions such as uniform and clothing destruction, fabric and textile recycling and repurposing, and specialised logistics.
Ben says obsolete uniforms and branded clothing should be kept out of the general waste stream to prevent unauthorised use of these materials. Shred-X’s uniform and clothing destruction solutions protect a company’s brand and keep proprietary company material out of public circulation.
“We guarantee the complete destruction of branded, used and unwearable clothing with our industrial-grade shredders,” he says.
Through its national logistics capability and network, TeXtura is the “link” between the market and the recyclers, actively working to ease operations for all parties involved.
“We assist our customers to cost-effectively connect with Australian recyclers which would otherwise cost them large sums of money. Our processes enable them to focus on their core expertise,” says Ben.
Developing recycling pathways
He says the majority of textiles that TeXtura collects and shreds are required to be destroyed.
Following the destruction process, TeXtura remains committed to achieving sustainable outcomes for the material and ensuring landfill diversion.
However, finding end destinations for this recycled material is ever evolving and Shred-X is working with Australian recyclers to find the best outcome for textiles.
Ben says in some cases, TeXtura has assisted with testing, trialling, and developing textile recycling methods.
“New recycling methods are developing, and we’re excited to be part of the process,” he says.
“While some organisations are dedicated to wholly recycling polyester, others are working to recycle cotton; each approach varies across companies. We are here to support them in any way we can.
“As a progressive and entrepreneurial business, Shred-X, together with TeXtura, is ready to expand and venture into new recycling markets and develop long-term partnerships.”
For more information, visit: www.shred-x.com.au
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