Since 2022, Charitable Recycling Australia has been developing and implementing the Clothing Reuse Export Accreditation Scheme (the Scheme).

The Scheme provides a consistent and objective evidence-based approach to checking whether used clothes being exported are managed responsibly.

The Scheme assesses applicants to determine that when donated clothes are being exported or provided to a third party and potentially exported, that it is done in an environmentally and socially appropriate manner, and that there are appropriate, sufficient and objective checks and balances in place that show that. This application is the initial step to seeking accreditation.

Once the application is received you will be provided with a checklist that sets out the documents, evidence and on-going commitment that will be required to enable the assessment and to determine whether accreditation is granted or not.

The outcome of the assessment of this application and your response to the checklist is either to accredit your organisation or not.

If the assessment finds accreditation is warranted there will be requirements for on-going commitments and reporting.

If the assessment finds accreditation is not warranted, you will be provided with feedback on areas for improvement and details on further applications and assessments.

Charitable Recycling Australia has developed and implemented the Scheme at its own cost however there is a cost-recovery mechanism for applications.

Ultimately Charitable Recycling Australia and the Scheme seek to develop greater transparency and accountability around used clothing export to ensure there is confidence in the positive environmental, social and economic outcomes that such work provides.

Commitment

If your application for accreditation under the Scheme is successful you will be asked to provide a signed commitment to upholding the principles and objectives of the Scheme.

Information request, checklist, site inspection and audit

The assessment of your application will entail Charitable Recycling Australia providing you with an information request and checklist that needs to be completed, and a site inspection and audit to review on-the-ground operations.

The information request and checklist set out the information and supporting evidence you are required to provide to enable an assessment of processes, systems, reporting and agreements that the applicant has in place, with a view to assess the quality and performance of the off-take agreements which exist for clothing donations in export markets.

Further to the checklist and information request, applicants must agree to being part of a site visit and audit as required under the assessment process.

Charitable Recycling Australia has documented a separate Site Inspection and Auditing Protocol that sets out in detail how the site visit is to be scheduled, conducted, completed and recorded. This will be provided to the applicant during the information gathering process.

The domestic site inspection and audit process requires the applicant to identify main sites where used clothing is received, aggregated, sorted or otherwise handled and processed by the applicant organisation, and the support and facilitate the site visit. It is expected that the applicant will allow auditors open access to requests to interview employees, view all areas of a site, and view records and documents

Cost recovery and payment

The cost of developing and implementing the Scheme has been made by Charitable Recycling Australia in the interests of supporting and raising standards.

Charitable Recycling Australia has put time and effort into the Scheme development and also paid external parties to provide guidance, develop documentation, establish record keeping and undertake assessments.

Charitable Recycling Australia is employing a cost-recovery model for the application assessment and processing in 2024.

If you have any questions or require any further details please contact Omer Soker, Chief Executive Officer, 0401 099 821, omer@charitablerecycling.org.au