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This op shop fixes donated items to reduce landfill
With most of it not fit to sell, this op shop fixes donated items to reduce landfill. Every year, lots of new textile items are imported to the Australian market...about 1.55 billion of them. Fast fashion is a leading contributor to overproduction and makes reuse difficult. (An op shop is what is called a thrift store in the US or a charity shop in Britain.)
posted by chariot pulled by cassowaries on Apr 15, 2026 at 6:33 PM
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This is very cool.
Another option for 100% natural fabrics (wool, cotton, flax) is use in xeriscaping, land reclamation, and farming. Here in the US desert, farmers create swales where water naturally flows during downpours, burying old 100% natural textiles - old jeans, t-shirts, coats, etc. When it rains, the fabric absorbs the water, which creates a breeding ground for soil mycelium, which attracts roots of anchor plants - fruit trees, shade trees, deep-rooted perennial native grasses. After a few years, the fabric decomposes and instead you have a mesh of roots and very loose, very healthy soil. And maybe a few buttons.
Beyond this hopeful story, gods I wish we could ban synthetic fabrics.
posted by Silvery Fish at 9:14 PM
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What a fantastic project! There was a very large clothing swap near me (with hundreds of attendees) that had repair volunteers on site — similarly, to ensure things did not go to landfill. It's a genius idea and I hope it catches on in more places.
posted by rednikki at 4:49 AM
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Wow, what a great project. I hope things like this catch on worldwide, it's very much needed.
A nice example from my own country is a project initiated by a company that specializes in fixing broken household appliances. They have started a pilot in which they get appliances from eight recycling centers and check them to see if and how they can be repaired. They are for now focusing on the appliances for which there's the most demand.
It turns out that many of the appliances they get aren't even actually broken. Many just need a setting reset or a filter cleaned. And some don't even need that and they're just fine. Some people throw their stuff out because they want something new.
posted by Too-Ticky at 12:53 AM
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