School uniform recycling

Textile Recycling Trial 2022

In collaboration with seven local schools, Waverley Council supported a uniform recycling trial for 12 months in 2022. A total of 1159.82kgs of unwearable school uniforms was collected for recycling within six months of the program, saving 1,600.8kgs of CO2 gas equivalent, being emitted from landfill.

Schools reported high satisfaction with the trial, with a majority agreeing that the program was easy to implement and more importantly, encouraged discussions about textile waste and sustainable consumption amongst the school community.

What's next?

Textile waste makes up nearly 6% of Waverley’s residential waste. The uniform recycling trial demonstrated the impact that our school community can have in reducing textile waste to landfill and the importance of thoughtful uniform design in reducing waste. For example, ensuring that school logos are stitched onto the pocket of a shirt means that shirts can be reused and resold to other schools.

Service Provider Guide

Managing textile waste is as important as other school waste streams, but can be heard to understand. To learn more about service providers who offer textile collection and recycling for schools check out our Uniform Recycling Service Provider Guide.