Tweed Shire Council has partnered with e-THREAD and The Sebastian Foundation to bring 6 new clothing recycling bins to the residents of the Tweed.
The new bins will be installed at key locations across the Shire this month, helping residents more easily recycle clothing and household textiles that they no longer need. The new donation bins also aim to address some of the over-supply of clothing and other goods received by op shops which often ends up at the Stotts Creek landfill.
Clothing and textile waste is one of the major problem sources of waste in Australia. The average Australian purchases 27 kg of new clothing every year. In the Tweed, the Stotts Creek Resource Recovery Centre received around 207 tonnes of unsaleable goods from op-shops in the 2024-25 financial year (this includes textiles, furniture, mattresses, crockery and other items).
Jane Lofthouse, Acting Director Sustainable Communities and Environment for Tweed Shire Council, says the initiative is an action item from the Council’s Towards Zero Waste Strategy and supports the goal to increase waste diversion to 70%.
“We know clothing waste is a major problem both here and around Australia. This partnership with e-THREAD is one way we can make better use of clothing and other materials by reusing and recycling rather than contributing to landfill,” Ms Lofthouse said.
"Clothes take decades to break down, release harmful gases and microplastics, and waste the water, energy, and materials used to make them. Many people don’t realise how many resources go into producing clothing – a single cotton t-shirt needs 2,700 litres of water to make – enough for one person to drink for 2.5 years, while a pair of jeans requires over 10,000 litres of water to produce. We don’t want all of these resources going straight to landfill.
“We also value the important work of local op shops and charities and understand that many receive more donations than they can manage, or items out of fashion or with minor imperfections. These new e-THREAD bins will add extra capacity to the Tweed’s network to help recover and recycle more clothing and textile waste across the Shire,” she said.
The new bins will be installed in:
- Tweed Heads – 1 Bay Street carpark
- Tweed Heads – Tweed Shire Council Administration Office carpark
- Tweed Heads South – Community Centre carpark
- Banora Point – Community Centre carpark
- Murwillumbah – Adjacent to public place bins near Tweed Regional Aquatic Centre
- Stotts Creek – Stotts Creek Resource Recovery Centre JUNKtion Tip Shop
Use Council’s online directory to explore local op-shops and clothing donation spots across Tweed: tweed.nsw.gov.au/clothing-donation
Residents can donate clothing, accessories, bags and shoes at the bins. e-THREAD will service the bins daily for the first three months and ensure the items are reused or repurposed. A reminder that items should not be placed beside bins – these are considered illegal dumping. Community members are encouraged to use the donation bins located throughout the community before visiting the Tip at Stotts Creek, which may incur charges.
About e-THREAD
e-THREAD is focused on achieving a zero waste approach to textile recycling, by collecting, sorting and redistributing unwanted clothing and textile waste. Useable clothing items are resold or returned to op-shops, while other materials may be used for recycled cleaning rags or fill materials in Australian markets. Find out more at: https://ethread.com.au/
About The Sebastian Foundation
In addition to the environmental benefits of donating via e-THREAD, a portion of the proceeds goes to support the work of the Sebastian Foundation. The Sebastian Foundation is an Australian charity established in 2013 by singer Guy Sebastian and his wife Jules Sebastian. Its mission is to support the mental health and well-being of young Australians, reduce youth suicide, and provide tools for children and young adults to cope with life’s challenges. Their education programs, ‘Open Parachute’, are available to schools in the Tweed. For information including curriculum resources and how it supports students’ mental health, visit: Open Parachute K-12 School Mental health Well-being programs