AI textile recycling facility in Ipswich combats fast fashion waste
From clothing markets to vintage stores, second-hand clothing purchasing options are popping up everywhere. So what happens when the abundance of pre-loved items exceeds demand?
“We have a one-in, one-out rule,” explains Hannah Klose, behind the popular Instagram account @nevereverpayretail.
To prevent overconsumption, Klose and her family donate an item of clothing to local stores for every item they buy secondhand.
There has been an influx of donations to Salvos across Australia, with some stores experiencing a five-week turnover, according to business development manager Meriel Chamberlin.
This is the same as the turnover of major fast fashion brands such as H&M.
“[Shoppers should] go regularly [to op shops]. That’s the only way we can handle this volume,” says Chamberlin.
But given that donations often outstrip purchases, what happens to unsold clothes? Are they going to the landfill?
A new textile recycling facility, the first in Australia, opened by Salvos Stores at its Ipswich factory, is trying to solve this problem.
Chamberlin took the tag while touring the Carole Park facility, where clothes are evaluated and turned into textile squares using world-first artificial intelligence technology.
The automatic process removes buttons and zippers and separates fabric by composition or color.
The resulting squares are then used to produce recycled yarn, insulation, soundproof panels and plastic products.
Anything deemed unfit for sale (for example, old work clothes) is processed and repurposed.
Chamberlin says the volume of fast fashion donated to thrift stores is increasing.
“More and more [donations] “It’s not high quality because of fast fashion,” he says. “So how do we best optimize our resources and at the same time get the good stuff that’s salable?”
The massive operation, backed by $4.9 million from the Queensland government, was developed to ensure landfill is never an option.
According to the state government, 200,000 tonnes of clothing are sent to Australian landfills every year. The Ipswich facility can process 5000 tonnes of textiles per year.
Chamberlin says the technology also reduces the risk of human exploitation offshore by processing garments into squares before delivery.
“If [full garments] “When you go to the high seas, the risk of modern slavery is really high and difficult to manage,” he says.
“We know that by servicing them in this case, rather than the entire garment, we eliminate the huge risk of human exploitation in the first place.”
But the recycling facility is just one of many southeast initiatives aimed at reducing textile waste and promoting sustainability.
The founders of weekly Love Me Again markets in Brisbane have also noticed an increase in donations.
Co-founder Isobel Dear says they’ve seen “a 100 percent increase in sellers over shoppers,” with marketplaces selling out a month in advance at multiple locations.
In order to promote higher quality clothing, markets have strict requirements for what vendors can bring.
“We don’t allow ultra-fast fashion brands like Bohoo, Temu or Shein. We know what these brands do, they overconsume fashion, so ethically we don’t allow them for that, but we also realize they don’t sell.” [at the market]” says Beloved.
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