Fighting textiles waste: Oxley Sustainable Futures Group

According to the Australian Institute, 300,000 tonnes of textile waste is produced by Australia. The materials end up either in landfills in Australia or are exported elsewhere. While groups such as Worn Up, an organisation which recycles uniforms into furniture, are working to reduce this waste, there is a lot to be done. 

This is why the Sustainable Futures Group (SFG) at Oxley is hosting a uniform swap to address this problem. The amount of waste that we create ourselves is easy to reduce, especially with clothing. It should be something we think about often, so the Sustainable Futures Group is here to help you!  

Hosted on Tuesday, the 25th of March from 3:45 to 5:30, we will be able to give and swap old uniforms donated by generous families to be used by others who need it. As of Wednesday, 18^th of March, we have over 100 items waiting to be rehomed, which proves there is a demand for this initiative. Uniforms are especially problematic because they aren’t accepted at charity shops, which is why this uniform swap is so important.  

The amount of lost property at Oxley is astonishing, which is why we will be washing and recycling unnamed lost property items to be re-used by others. These items would otherwise be thrown out or collect dust and help nobody by living in the House bins.  

As mentioned earlier, the Australian organization “Worn Up” recycles uniforms into items such as tables, chairs, and cushions. The SFG is considering pairing up with them to recycle any unclaimed items at the end of the swap to further reduce our textiles waste. 

Besides from the uniform swap, what can you do to help this growing issue? 

• Donate old clothes to charity – We have lots of second-hand shops in the Southern Highlands. 

• Upcycle clothes that may not be your style anymore – Sewing and embroidering can go a long way! 

• Host a garage sale – If you live in a neighbourhood, garage sales are easy to put on and accessible to others. 

• Buy from Op-Shops – Second hand items aren’t gross! We should work together to abolish the stigma surrounding Op-Shops. 

• Give clothing to friends 

• Go to a tailor to resize clothing that is too big 

Lots can be done to help the environment just from your local community. We encourage you to join us on Tuesday and help us fight this global issue.  

Sustainable Futures Group