What happens to the clothing we export — and why it matters
Not everything donated to Good Sammy can be sold locally. But that doesn’t mean it goes to waste.
When we receive more pre-loved clothing than we can rehome locally, some of it is exported overseas. This helps keep good-quality clothing in use, supports global reuse markets, and brings in vital income that allows us to create jobs for people with disability.
Here’s how it works — and why it’s a good thing.
Why we export
Australians are the highest consumers of clothing per person in the world, and donate a huge amount of second-hand clothing — often more than op shops and other local partners can sell.
Rather than send this surplus to landfill, we sort it carefully and export items that can still be reused. These are sold in countries where there’s demand for quality second-hand clothing.
This extends the life of clothing, reduces waste, and helps us support inclusive employment in Western Australia.
What we export
We only export clothing, shoes and handbags that are not needed in local stores, and have appeal for overseas markets.
Most items are everyday brands from shops like Kmart, Target, Big W and Cotton On. High-demand pieces like designer labels usually stay in WA, where they’re popular with shoppers.
Accredited export partners sort donations into more than 200 categories by type and quality. Items are graded into:
Grade A – high quality, usually sold in our op shops.
Grade B and C – sent to Asia and Africa where styles suit local demand. Australia’s light weight clothing is appealing in the hotter climates of Asia and Africa.
Sorting clothes by fibre type is difficult and time consuming, so ragging companies tend to import graded sorted clothing that they can easily sort. However Good Sammy has decided to recommence ragging locally as part of our goal to keep more product locally. We continue to explore alternative and innovative ways to keep as much product local as possible.
Where it goes
Right now, most of our exports go to Pakistan, where they’re sorted again before being sold locally or to other global second-hand markets.
Used clothing is a global commodity. As different markets and currency values shift exporters will move the materials to countries where they can obtain the best value for the product.
We only work with export partners who follow strict guidelines, including:
Ethical labour practices
Environmental protections
Compliance with modern slavery standards
Why exports matter
Exporting is part of our work to support the circular economy — keeping clothing in highest use for as long as possible.
If we can’t sell something here, it’s better to send it somewhere it can still be worn, rather than stored, recycled or dumped. This helps reduce the global demand for fast fashion and cuts down on waste.
It’s also an important way to support our employment and training programs for people with disability.
What we do locally
While exports are important, we always look for local solutions first. Here’s how we keep more textiles in WA:
Washing and drying damp donations to make them suitable for sale.
Rag production — converting old towels and t-shirts into reusable rags.
Textile recycling — working with local company ThreadUp to recycle worn-out clothing.
We’ve also restarted ragging operations to give more items a second life right here in WA.
Keeping it ethical
Good Sammy is part of the Charitable Reuse Australia Exporter Accreditation Scheme. This means we follow high standards for transparency, record keeping and responsible trade.
In 2023, we arranged independent checks on export loads to make sure the clothing was being reused or recycled properly overseas.
How you can help
You play a big part in helping us do things the right way.
Donate wisely — clean, good-quality clothing is more likely to be resold or reused.
Shop second-hand — it keeps items in use and supports job creation.
Recycle carefully — the longer we can keep clothing in circulation, the better.
- Be a force for good — financial donations help us continue our important work. Donate today.
In short…
We export with care, purpose, and full oversight.
By choosing responsible reuse over landfill, we:
Keep clothing in circulation
Support global reuse markets
Reduce waste and resource use
Create real jobs for people with disability
Thanks for helping us make the most of every donation — for people, and for the planet.
Photo credit: Alexandra Casey 2025
