Charitable Reuse Australia is pleased to announce the completion of the third phase of the Clothing Reuse Export Accreditation Scheme, with the overseas site audits and foreign end market verification finalised by global assurance provider LRQA.
The brief for the Phase 3 scope of the audits focused on the commercial clothing reuse clothing exporters (Supporter Organisations) and their largest overseas site, whether owned, joint venture or a commercial client:
- Business Ethics and Processes – Licences and permit to operate, site contracts with buyers, site operations.
- Health & Safety – Safe working conditions, PPE, emergency procedures and training.
- Modern Slavery – No underage workers, correct wages, correct conditions including living conditions where applicable.
- Material Assessment Claims – To verify the total weight of materials exported overseas for reuse.
LRQA’s verification involved 2 parts:
Firstly, onsite audit of overseas destination site for participants’ exported materials. This audit assessed working conditions at the commercial exporters’ overseas facilities using either:
- LRQA’s ERSA Responsible Sourcing Standard. These assessments evaluated the facility’s alignment with requirements relating to business ethics, occupational health and safety, and modern slavery. LRQA’s methodology included document reviews, management interviews, worker interviews, and worker surveys. Or;
- Existing independent social audit reports conducted at overseas facilities within the last 12 months, provided these audits were recognised against internationally accepted frameworks, such as SMETA audits, plus an additional LRQA’s Worker Sentiment Survey to obtain a more comprehensive and balanced understanding of workplace practices and conditions.
Secondly, desktop validation of material claims data, specifically the total amount of reusable clothing exported overseas. This assessment evaluated the accuracy, completeness, and transparency of information reported by commercial exporters, as well as the robustness of their data collection processes, reporting systems, and underlying methodologies.
Phase 3 Accredited Supporter Organisations
- Allround Recycling
- UTURN Reuse
- Recycle Care Australia
- SCR Group
- Rais Industries
- Navarro Enterprises
A total of 44,185 tonnes of clothing reuse exports has been verified by LRQA from the six accredited Supporter Organisations listed above.
Phase 3 Accreditation is valid for a three-year period to 30 June 2029, subject to a successfully completed Annual Declaration accepted by the board of Charitable Reuse Australia, and the ongoing status of a Supporter Organisation.
Phase 2 Accreditation – Domestic Sites
Accredited Members and Supporters
The following list of Charitable Reuse Australia members has been accredited and site verified in the second phase of the Clothing Reuse Export Accreditation Scheme:
National Members:
- Australian Red Cross
- The Salvation Army (Salvos Stores)
State Members:
- Alinea – Paravin
- Alinea – ParaQuad Industries
- City Mission Launceston
- Good Sammy Enterprises
- Lifeline Direct
- Lifeline Retail Queensland
- Neighbours Aid
- St Vincent de Paul Society Canberra/Goulburn
- St Vincent de Paul Society NSW
- St Vincent de Paul Society Queensland
- St Vincent de Paul Society Victoria
Regional Members:
- Cancer Wellness Support
Phase 2 Accreditation is valid for a three-year period to 30 June 2029, subject to a successfully completed Annual Declaration accepted by the board of Charitable Reuse Australia, and the ongoing status of a Member Organisation.
Phase 1 Accreditation – Documented Standards
Charitable Reuse Australia established a credible, realistic and practical accreditation process in 2023 to provide a standard for the export of second-hand clothing for reuse.
Charities receive 100,000 tonnes of donated garments in wearable condition every year that Australian consumers won’t buy even when they are discounted to $1 each. These wearable garments are exported overseas to be reused in their original form by lower income consumers.
The reuse export trade creates millions of jobs in wholesale, retail and repair; mainly for women; aiding poverty reduction and gender equality.
Due to fast fashion consumer preferences generating excess textiles, and the lack of scalable domestic reuse or remanufacturing in Australia, means reuse exports are an important social, environmental and economic activator helping the environment and those in need.
The Clothing Reuse Export Accreditation Scheme provides confidence to government, stakeholders and consumers that the clothes being donated to charities are being managed in a responsible way. This means that where donated clothes are being exported or provided to a third party, that it is done in an environmentally and socially appropriate manner, and that there are objective checks and balances to show that.
Charitable Reuse Australia wants to help guarantee that charities and their commercial exporters have appropriate processes and agreements in place to ensure the quality and performance of the off-take agreements which exist for wearable clothing donations in export markets.