Australians are being urged to order an Uber to pick up their unwanted clothing in an effort to chip away at more than $20 billion worth of items sitting unused in wardrobes across the country.
On Saturday, October 19 residents in Adelaide, Brisbane, Melbourne, Perth and Sydney will be able to call up a free Uber Package delivery to Red Cross shops between 10am and 4pm local time.
Research commissioned by the community services charity reveals 70 per cent of Australians hold on to clothing for years after it has gone unworn for at least 12 months, even though more than half nominate clothes as their preferred donation offering.
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More than 60 per cent of respondents to an online survey of 1000 adults also admitted donating damaged clothing, despite only 13 per cent saying they were likely to consider buying damaged goods themselves.
Several barriers are also stopping people from donating.
Nearly half the respondents said they felt they had nothing to give despite only one in 50 wearing everything in their wardrobe, while a quarter conceded nostalgia for certain items meant a reluctance to part with them.
One in five said they struggled to donate because it was time-consuming or they didn’t live close enough to a charity.
The bottom line is that 84 per cent of Australians are holding on to unused clothing that they won’t donate.
Red Cross head of retail Richard Wood says the organisation is this year placing renewed emphasis on attracting quality contributions.
“We’re incredibly appreciative of all donations,” he said.
“But with this clothing drive, we’re encouraging Aussies to donate better, focusing on quality clothing that can be sold in Australian Red Cross shops.
“These quality pieces can make a huge difference in proceeds raised for our humanitarian programs.”
A similar collaboration happened in 2023 when the organisation aimed to collect 60,000 kilograms of clothing or enough to stock all of its shops for two years.
Nearly three-quarters of Australians are now doing a spring clean of their wardrobes, up from 64 per cent 12 months ago.
Wood is encouraging Australians to continue to shop second hand, as the research reveals more than 90 per cent of Australians have donated clothing to charity shops but only one in 10 admit to regularly shopping at op shops.
Uber’s managing director Emma Foley said the ride-share and courier giant wanted to help Australians donate clothing they’d be happy to give to a friend, directly from their doorsteps and without charge.
Donated clothing and eligible accessories must be in good condition and boxed in packages no heavier than 20 kilograms.