Did You Know in
Australia
Australians discard on average 23 kilograms of clothing per person each year, most of this ending up in landfill, amounting to over 500,000 tonnes of Australia’s landfill waste attributed to textiles.
Currently, textile waste is accountable for 10 percent of global carbon emissions. In a report for the Monash Sustainable Development Institute “Transitioning to a Circular Textile Economy in Australia”, researchers presented some eye-watering statistics on the scale of the problem:
6000 kilos
Every 10 minutes, an estimated 6,000 kilos of textiles and clothing are dumped in landfill in Australia
1%
Only 1% of total collected disposed garments are recycled
33%
100 billion garments are produced globally each year, with 33% going to landfill within the first year of purchase
20%
The textile industry is estimated to emit 8% of carbon emissions, and 20% of the world’s wastewater
80%
Global garment industry generates 92 million tonnes of textile waste, 80% of which is primarily disposed of in landfill
The report cited a Victorian council study as an example of when textiles are included in household waste data collection. It found that textiles make up 3% of household waste, on a par with plastic – and more than glass (2%), and steel and aluminium (2%).
Why we need
To Exist
Support towards building a sustainable and circular economy is increasing with a focus to divert apparel from ending up in landfill, advancing opportunities to prolong their lifespan. The second-hand clothing industry has the potential to not only grow- with projections that reusable clothing trends will exceed fast fashion retail within the next ten years- but the current social and environmental impacts of giving clothes a second life is a straight-forward and sustainable solution to reducing textile waste, creating job opportunities, and importantly, promoting a positive and effective step towards working and living in an eco-conscious economy.
Our commitment
e-THREAD’s commitment towards promoting an environmentally sustainable future begins with transparency and 100% tracking of all donated apparel using our vertically integrated supply chain to ensure all donated items are either reused both domestically and internationally, repurposed as rags, or recycled with zero waste. e-THREAD is committed to working with social and charitable organisations to help promote sustainable and economical solutions that benefit local and national communities.
Our ethos
e-THREAD’s ethos is to work toward achieving the Sustainable Developments Goals (SDG) 12 – Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns, particularly in relation to substantially reducing waste generation through prevention, reduction, recycling and reuse. Environmental, Social, and Corporate Governance (ESG) is at the core of our firm’s collective conscientious for social and environmental factors.
Garment flow in
Australia
Measuring the impact of the
Charitable Reuse and Recycling Sector
key findings noted in diverting the 310,316 tonnes of clothing from landfill led to:
66%
reduction in carbon emissions across the supply chain. Equivalent to, 466k vs 1.354 million tonnes for total clothing sent to landfill
57%
reduction in global water consumption. Equivalent to 65,510 vs. 153,937 million litres per year
59%
reduction in global energy use. Eqivalent to, 1.281,029 vs. 3,167,918 megawatt hours per year
$1700+
value generated to the Australian economy for revenue per tonne of clothing recovered through a Charitable Reuse and Recycling Enterprise vs. $120 per tonne if disposed in a landfill
46%
more jobs in the sector, with an estimated total of 5,600.
1,200 of these are individuals who face barriers to employment
The value in
Our Cooperation
By providing easy access to recycling bins that facilitates collection of clothing apparel and accessories, e-THREAD enables:
Fostering eco-conscious communities through recycling
Instead of throwing clothes away after use, clothes can be given a new life via being sold domestically or to developing countries where they support local businesses. There is a great demand for used clothing around the world and the clothes provide a reliable source of income for business owners and their families.
Reducing carbon footprint
Recycling clothes contributes toward reducing greenhouse gases. Most clothes are made from organic materials, meaning that they are biodegradable. When you let your clothes land in landfills, the landfills usually lack enough oxygen that can breakdown the materials to decompose properly. This makes the materials decompose through anaerobic digestion, leading to the production of some dangerous greenhouse gases. Since the wastes in landfills are colossal and uncontrolled, the gases get emitted into the atmosphere, leading to environmental pollution that causes climatic changes. Recycling 100 million pounds of clothes influences the environment equivalent to removing 26,000-35,000 cars from the road.
Reducing energy and water consumption
The process of making clothing consumes a very high amount of energy. Every piece of clothing goes through a very complicated manufacturing process that consumes a very high amount of water, electricity, and some other sources of energy. Recyling clothes reduces the amount of energy that could have been used in making other clothing. It also reduces the energy that would have consumed in starting to make the material from scratch.
Reducing cost
Landfill spaces consume a lot of space and are also quite expensive to build and maintain. Furthermore, the spaces occupied by clothing have an opportunity cost of being used for something else. Every year, 92 million tonnes of clothing ends up in landfills globally which cost millions of dollars to build and millions more every year to operate. Recycling keeps landfill costs down for cities, thereby increasing their available budget for other municipal needs.
Download Brochure