Brisbane makes Australian fashion first
Brisbane is home to an Australian fashion first – the nation’s first textile recovery facility seeing unwanted fabrics spun back out into new yarns.
Across the nation, wardrobes are heaving with unwanted clothes.
Reuse and secondhand sales are increasing, but not fast enough to put a dent in what the state government estimates to be more than 200,000 tonnes of clothing sent to Australian landfill annually.
It’s a problem Salvos Stores are literally unpicking, piece by piece – at their newly opened textile recovery facility in Ipswich.
The Australian-first centre, which has been backed with a $4.9 million government investment, aims to transform up to 5000 tonnes of used clothing and textiles into new products each year.
And, it will also help generate funding for Salvation Army programs, head of Salvos Stores Nic Baldwin said.
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“It’s about taking real, practical steps to reduce textile waste and keep more out of landfill, while continuing to find new ways to generate vital funding,” he said.
Using advanced Artificial Intelligence and robots to sort and decontaminate textiles, sellable items go to Salvos Stores for resale, while unwearable items will be recycled.
In that process, fabrics will be broken down at the site into a form where they can be spun back out into new yarns.
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Good fibres can be remade into new fabric and blankets, while other old textiles can be used for products such as sound‑proofing and insulation.
“Every step forward helps us create lasting impact for both people and the environment,” Baldwin said.
The facility, based in Ipswich, was backed by a $4.9 million state government investment aimed at reducing clothing waste and supporting a circular economy.
Environment Minister Andrew Powell said the facility would “unlock new economic opportunities and support Queensland’s transition to a sustainable economy”.
“This Australian-first facility … will turn today’s waste into tomorrow’s products,” Powell said.
“We recognise the critical need for waste infrastructure in Queensland (and) this facility will reduce the amount of textile waste going to landfill.”
Salvos Stores operates more than 400 retail outlets across Australia.
The organisation said its network kept about 52 million donated items in circulation last year, and it expected the new facility to further help reduce the environmental impact of discarded textiles.
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