‘Tank is empty’: Charities plea for companies to stop throwing away unsold goods

Big corporations throw out nearly $5bn worth of unsold goods every year despite struggling Aussies crying out for help.

While Aussies go without, big companies are throwing away essentials that could be redirected to people in need, major charities say.

Australia wastes $4.5bn worth of new, unsold goods, including hygiene products, clothing and homewares, every year, a Good360 report reveals.

Despite young families struggling amid cost-of-living pressures, personal hygiene items, cleaning supplies and infant products are among those growing fastest in the near $5bn waste pile.

These products have increased waste by 33 per cent in just three years despite being necessities.

Waste from unsold goods has risen to $4.5bn despite demand from charities. Picture: NewsWire / Nathan Edwards

One of the charities calling for goods to be redirected is Little Wings, which uses items donated through Good360 to help seriously ill children and their families in rural and regional areas.

Little Wings chief executive Clare Pearson said families of sick children desperately needed aid while companies were just throwing out usable goods.

“When you’re caring for a sick child, for us, from our perspective, is that families go without in so many ways just trying to conserve their finances," Ms Pearson told NewsWire.

“To have some of these resources redirected to families who really cherish and desperately need them … it’s really a game changer for so many families.”

Little Wings chief executive Clare Pearson said the aid they received from Good360 was game changing for families.

Ms Pearson said it was “really upsetting” that companies were throwing away usable goods despite recent extreme weather events worsening families’ situations.

“With the recent floods, it’s been really devastating. We’ve seen so many of our families lose everything from their homes to their cars to their businesses,” Ms Pearson said.

“These are families that are already struggling. They’re caring for a seriously ill child over long periods of time.

“They’re not as resilient, you know, the tank is empty.”

Charities say demand for goods is rising as extreme weather events decimate families already struggling to take care of seriously sick children. Picture: NewsWire / David Crosling

Little Wings not only provides families with essentials but gives sick children and their loved ones some creature comforts that make difficult situations a little more bearable.

“When you have cancer, being gifted a beautiful teddy bear or a beautiful doll is a real comfort and a distraction for little people,” Ms Pearson said.

“As much as it is a gift and a distraction, it’s just a beautiful way to actually support the treatment they’re going through.

“These little comforts, they make a big impact and they stick with you.”

Ms Pearson says families need comforting items, along with essentials, during these hard times.

Children, especially those that are sick, small things like toys can “be a real comfort,” according to Ms Pearson.

The pile of wasted unsold retail goods has increased by 17 per cent since 2021 and has now reached $2.9bn, in addition to another $1.5bn from online shopping returns, according to the research led by Deloitte Access Economics.

Good360 aims to address this waste by reallocating the goods to charities that desperately need them through their technology marketplace.

“We are seeing rising levels of waste on one side, and record levels of need on the other,” Good360 Australia founder and managing director Alison Covington told NewsWire.

Good360 Australia founder and managing director Alison Covington connects businesses with unsold goods to charities who need them.

“Around 85 per cent of charities say that the need for going on in the next 12 months is bigger than they’ve ever seen before and around more than 50 per cent of those charities have seen people come to them that haven’t come and asked for help before.

“$4.5bn of goods are wasted and charities have an unmet need that they can’t keep up with.”

Ms Covington said Good360 focused on an efficient allocation of resources so charities get what they actually need.

“It’s not bits and pieces … it’s also brands that you recognise that are the same as what you could do if you could afford to buy them,” she said.

Good360 is calling for more businesses to partner with them amid rising waste and rising demand.

“You’re not being humiliated when you have to receive these goods. And that’s really important if you put yourself in the shoes of the person who needs help in a challenging time.”

Although Good360 is celebrating its 10 year anniversary, waste just seems to keep rising.

“No matter how hard I’m working, the waste is getting bigger and the demand is getting bigger,” Ms Covington said.

“On one side, I’m so thrilled that we’ve helped five million Australians. I say to the team, what if? What if we didn’t do this?

“I’m calling on more Australians to join us and help solve this issue because … it just doesn’t seem to be the right thing that’s happening here when we can put all of these beautiful goods into the hands of people who need them.”

Originally published as ‘Tank is empty’: Charities plea for companies to stop throwing away unsold goods