Estimated volume of clothing waste generated and waste outcomes Australia FY 2021
In financial year 2021, an estimated 300 kilotonnes of clothing waste was generated in Australia. Around 200 kilotonnes of this clothing waste was given to donation or collection services whilst around 100 kilotonnes went straight to landfill. The largest proportion of clothing donations, around 107 kilotonnes, was exported from Australia with the intention of being resold; nonetheless, the fate of much of this clothing is uncertain, with the possibility that many of these donations went to landfill abroad. An estimated 30 to 45 kilotonnes of clothing donations were resold in charity shops in Australia.
