Aussies sitting on $12.8bn goldmine of clothes that could be donated

New research has uncovered the whopping value of items hiding in the back of Australians’ cupboards. See how you can unlock their potential.

Australians are sitting on a $12.8bn goldmine of pre-loved clothes. which could be donated to help raise money to support those affected by disasters and crises.

The average person has 20 items of clothing tucked away in their closet that they haven’t worn in the past 12 months – worth an estimated $678, new research by Uber and Australian Red Cross revealed.

The Cost of Giving report found almost two thirds of Aussies blamed barriers, such as not wanting to part with clothes, not being bothered to donate, or a lack of transport to op shops, for why they haven’t donated to charity.

With parts of Australia battling floods and more wild weather on the horizon, be it cyclones or bushfires, Red Cross head of retail Richard Wood is urging Aussies to donate their pre-loved goods in the Uber and Red Cross Clothing Drive on Saturday, November 19.

“Disasters are becoming more frequent in Australia, and it's so important that we are ready to respond. By donating high quality, clean clothing and accessories ... people in Australia can help Red Cross to support people and communities in vulnerable situations,” he said.

Aussies could have 20 items in their wardrobe they no longer wear which could be worth $678.

Margarita Peker, of Uber ANZ, said a clothing drive prior to the pandemic resulted in 43,500 kilograms worth of donations, worth an estimated $800,000 in value.

“Following a challenging couple of years, we’re calling on Australians to get behind the Red Cross humanitarian programs again, with a bolder ambition of donation 55,000kg of quality clothing,” she said.

This Clothing Drive, Aussies can book an Uber Package to have their donated items delivered to their local Red Cross show free of charge.

In the past year, Red Cross has prevented more than six million items from going to landfill thanks to donations.

With cost of living rising, 63 per cent of Aussies said they would go clothes shopping at their local op shop in the near future.

HOW YOU CAN DONATE

Shift it to thrift it: Be realistic with your wardrobe clear out – if you haven’t worn it in years, or if it doesn’t fit but it’s still in great quality, shift it to thrift it. Red Cross is looking for quality, saleable clothing and accessories in particular, but does not accept homewares, underwear, worn out and/ or dirty clothing. If it’s good enough quality to give to a friend, then it’s something Red Cross would love!

Package up the pre-love: Gather your pre-loved items into a bag or box, no heavier than 20kg, so it comfortably sits in the boot of a midsize car.

Push for pick up: Open the Uber app between 10:00 to 16:00 local time on 19 November 2022, navigate to the “Package” option. Click “Send a package”, enter “Red Cross Clothing Drive” as the destination, and select one of the ”Red Cross Clothing Drive” locations shown. You may also see a banner in the app relating to the Clothing Drive, which when clicked on will allow you to select one of Red Cross Clothing Drive locations shown. Remember, you need to be located in Adelaide, Brisbane, Melbourne, Perth or Sydney to redeem the free delivery, and it is only redeemable once. Eligible customers will see a $0 amount payable when they book an Uber Package with the drop off location set to one of Red Cross Clothing Drive Drop off locations.

Donate from your doorstep: You’ll have real-time tracking of the delivery person’s arrival in the Uber app, so you can easily meet them at your doorstep, or curbside to hand over your donation. You can also follow the trip status live once the delivery person picks it up, and enjoy that feel good buzz of donating, as they transport it to Red Cross sorting centres!