Australian consumers are confused about how to responsibly discard worn-out clothing, according to the first nation-wide survey into clothing waste and disposal, which reveals over a third are trashing unwanted garments.

The university-led study recommends a national textile recycling scheme and clothing repair education programs to reduce the 200 000 tonnes of unwanted clothing Australians are sending to landfill each year.

Image: UnSplash – Priscilla Du Preez

Produced By: Emma Wotzke, and Deakin Percy

Featured In Story: Professor Alice Payne – Lead Author and Dean of RMIT’s School of Fashion and Textiles, Professor Simon Pervan – Co-author from RMIT’s Graduate School of Business and Law , , and

First aired on The Wire, Thursday 10 October 2024