If your wardrobe is bursting with clothes you no longer wear, or your linen cupboard is overdue for a clean-out, this weekend is the perfect opportunity to reclaim some space while doing something good for the environment.
Australia’s biggest textile recycling event, Set your clothes free, is returning to South Australia this Saturday, 31 October, with 14 collection points across metropolitan Adelaide and regional areas accepting everything from unwanted clothing and shoes to towels, bedding and fabric scraps.
And the best part? Even those worn-out items that are no longer suitable for charity can be given a second life through textile recycling.
The statewide initiative is designed to tackle Australia’s growing fashion waste problem, with Australians purchasing an average of 53 clothing items per person each year, making us the world’s biggest consumers of fashion.
Unfortunately, much of that clothing eventually ends up in landfill, with more than 222,000 tonnes of unwanted clothing discarded across Australia annually.
The event offers a practical way for households to make a difference, with both good-quality and poor-quality textiles accepted.
Items you can drop off include:
- Clothing, hats and shoes
- Bathers, wetsuits and other swimwear
- Bedding, blankets and linen
- Bath towels and tea towels
- Fabric off-cuts and sewing scraps
Rather than sending everything to charity shops, where unsellable donations can create additional costs and workloads, organisers will separate items based on their condition.
Good-quality clothing and footwear will be passed on to charity partners for resale, while lower-quality textiles will be recycled through UPPAREL, helping keep materials out of landfill.
Last year’s event demonstrated just how much of a difference a wardrobe clean-out can make, with South Australians donating 12.6 tonnes of good-quality clothing and footwear for charitable resale, alongside another 10.2 tonnes of lower-grade linen and textiles for recycling.
The environmental impact was equally impressive, with an estimated 379.2 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent emissions avoided through textile reuse and a further 30.5 tonnes through recycling.
Minister for Climate, Environment and Water Emily Bourke is encouraging South Australians to take advantage of the event and give their unwanted items a new purpose.
“If you’ve been looking for an easy way to free-up space in your wardrobe and cupboards and keep textiles out of landfill – the opportunity arrives this weekend,” Minister Bourke said.
“With 14 locations across metropolitan and regional South Australia, you can find the closest drop-off point and be part of the biggest textile recycling event in the country.”
The initiative also helps reduce pressure on local charities, ensuring their time and resources can be directed towards supporting communities rather than managing unsuitable donations.
So, whether it’s a pile of clothes you’ve been meaning to donate, old towels taking up cupboard space or fabric scraps left over from a sewing project, this Saturday is your chance to put them to good use.
What: Set your clothes free textile recycling event
When: Saturday 31 October 2026
Where: 14 collection points across metropolitan and regional South Australia
For more information, click here.
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