Australians sitting on $15 billion worth of clothes they never wear as Red Cross makes urgent plea

Australians are being urged to clear out their wardrobes and donate unwanted clothes to help give pre-loved items a second life, with the Australian Red Cross calling on the community to help raise much-needed funds for its services.

The charity is partnering with Uber for the eighth year running to make donating easier, offering free courier collections from homes across six capital cities on Saturday.

On Sunrise on Friday, Australian Red Cross Head of Retail Richard Wood said the organisation relied on the generosity of Australians to stock its shops, with the money raised helping fund services for people in need.

“The money raised through the shops helps provide the funding to support those everyday Australian needs that we have.”

The Uber x Red Cross Clothing Drive will run from 10am to 4pm on Saturday, October 17, in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide, Perth and Canberra.

Australians can book a free courier through the Uber or Uber Eats app, with drivers collecting donations directly from their doorsteps and delivering them to Australian Red Cross.

Wood encouraged people to use the opportunity to look through their wardrobes and consider which items they no longer need.

“If it’s clean, if it’s in good quality, clothes, shoes, accessories, we’d really appreciate those donations,” he said.

New research commissioned by Uber found 87 per cent of Australians held onto clothes they never wore, while 38 per cent admitted a bag of clothes intended for donation had sat at home or in the car for a month or longer.

The research also found Australians estimated they had an average of $719 worth of unworn clothing in their wardrobes, representing an estimated $15 billion nationwide.

The annual drive aims to help turn those forgotten items into a valuable source of fundraising for the Australian Red Cross, while giving quality pre-loved clothing a second life.