Australians are being urged to donate unwanted clothes as the Australian Red Cross and Uber offer free collections from homes across six capital cities on Saturday.
The annual Uber x Red Cross Clothing Drive will run from 10am to 4pm in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide, Perth and Canberra, with donations collected from doorsteps and delivered to Red Cross shops.
People can book a free courier through the Uber or Uber Eats app. The initiative is running for the eighth consecutive year and aims to give quality pre-loved clothes, shoes and accessories a second life while raising funds for Red Cross services.
Australians urged to clear out their wardrobes
Research commissioned by Uber found that 87 per cent of Australians kept clothes they never wore. More than a third, or 38 per cent, said a bag of clothing intended for donation had remained at home or in their car for at least a month.
Australians estimated they had an average of 719 Australian dollars’ worth of unworn clothing in their wardrobes, equivalent to an estimated 15 billion Australian dollars nationwide.
Richard Wood, head of retail at the Australian Red Cross, said the charity depended on donations to stock its shops, with the proceeds helping support people in need.
“There’s always demand for our services,” Mr Wood said.
“The money raised through the shops helps provide the funding to support those everyday Australian needs that we have.”
He encouraged people to check their wardrobes before the collection and donate items that were clean and in good condition.
“If it’s clean, if it’s in good quality, clothes, shoes, accessories, we’d really appreciate those donations,” he said.
