Good Sammy at the forefront of circular fashion in WA
The future of circular fashion is being shaped right here in Western Australia, and Good Sammy is proud to be at the forefront.
We are grateful to have received a grant from the Seamless Circular Clothing Textiles Fund to take an important step forward in tackling textile waste in Australia. This investment helps us lead critical research into textile waste, creating the evidence base for new end uses and circular solutions.
Why this work matters
Textile waste is one of the fastest growing waste streams in Australia. Every year, hundreds of thousands of tonnes of clothing and textiles end up in landfill. The rise of fast fashion has made the problem worse, with garments often produced cheaply, worn briefly and discarded quickly.
We believe textiles have a life beyond the first wearer, and we have a role to play in helping to unlock that potential. By leading research and innovation in this space, we are helping to find the solutions Australia needs.
Using data to drive change
While we already collect a lot of information on wearable donations, this project is different. It focuses on unwearables, a stream we usually avoid because they often go straight to landfill and add costs for our charity.
Unlocking value in unwearables helps solve both an environmental problem and a social one. By reducing landfill costs, we can reinvest more into our core purpose of creating jobs for people with disability.
Through this work, we are contributing to Australia’s understanding of unwearable textiles and building knowledge that can support future solutions.
⚠️ This is a research project only. It does not change how we currently accept donations, and we are not asking the public to bring unwearable textiles to us.
Testing new uses for unwearable textiles
In addition to data collection, we are working with industry partners, including ThreadUp Australia, to explore ways of giving unwearable textiles a second life. Sample acoustic and insulation boards are being made from decommissioned workwear, showing how clothing that cannot be worn again can still be useful.
These samples highlight the potential for unwearable textiles to become practical products with market value. By developing end uses like these, we can create ongoing demand for items that would otherwise go to landfill.
Building a sustainable future
This project is about rethinking what happens to textiles at the end of life and creating new opportunities through research and innovation. It will add to Australia’s knowledge base to tackle fast fashion and build a more sustainable clothing system.
The insights we gather will help keep clothing in circulation for longer, reduce what is discarded, and open the door to new industries.
Good Sammy is proud to be advancing this work in Western Australia and contributing to a national movement towards a circular clothing economy.
About Seamless
Seamless, Australia’s national clothing stewardship scheme, is delivering a program to support a coordinated national clothing collection, sorting, reuse and recycling system for Australia. It will help to reduce the 220,000 tonnes of clothing sent to Australian landfill each year and transition Australia to a circular clothing economy.
As part of this program, the Seamless Circular Clothing Textiles Fund is supporting practical projects that collect, sort and recycle clothing that can’t be worn again. The projects are taking place across metropolitan, remote and regional Australia. They provide data and insights on the feasibility and effectiveness of current clothing pathways, the next markets for clothing, and future system requirements for economic viability, technology, infrastructure and capability.
Together with industry consultation and existing benchmarking data, they will deliver the evidence needed to enable a national coordinated clothing collection, sorting, reuse and recycling system for Australia.
