Charitable Reuse Australia
Charitable Reuse Australia is a national network of charitable purpose-driven reuse enterprises which seek to educate and inspire Australians to choose reuse as a simple, cost-effective way to purchase quality items. ANZRP’s mission to deliver circularity solutions aligns with the work of Charitable Reuse Australia and we are pleased to be a social enterprise partner of this network.
The Future is Reusable
There has been a trend in recent years to gravitate towards being a throw away society. Historically most products were built to last, and consumers would in the first instance seek to repair broken items. However, this approach and mindset has changed significantly. Instead, it has become the norm to dispose of anything from clothes to furniture when they are worn, damaged or broken, on the premise that this is the cheaper option. Electrical appliances and equipment are also regularly discarded as rapid advances in technology add new features and functions to goods, making them more desirable to consumers. This is a manifestation of the “linear economy” and one in which the real cost of wastefulness can be ignored.
Charitable Reuse Australia (formerly Charitable Recycling Australia) is a network that has developed in response to this scenario.
ANZRP is proud to be a social enterprise partner of Charitable Reuse Australia, and we are an enthusiastic supporter of the work they do.
Who is Charitable Reuse Australia and what do they do?
Charitable Reuse Australia is the nation’s largest reuse network. Its members include charity and social enterprise retailers, and it acts as a voice to its members who play a vital role in facilitating reuse in Australian communities which unfortunately often goes unnoticed. The role that Charitable Reuse Australia plays is to measure the social, environmental and economic benefits of the charitable second-hand economy and make this publicly known. By raising the profile, the network aims to build momentum for the sector. It also shares the stories, and the great work performed by members.
Charitable Reuse Australia encourages all levels of government to promote reuse and reduce charitable costs to improve circular economy outcomes for its members. This ultimately increases the total social and environmental impact that members can have. Charitable Reuse Australia’s national remit ensures that it can:
- Share charitable reuse and retail best practice with all member enterprises
- Meaningfully measure and scale the impact generated by the charity reuse sector as a whole
- Advocate for government and community investment in reuse innovation
All of this serves to build a clear business case for ongoing governmental and community support.
The four pillars upon which outcomes are built
To fulfil its objectives Charity Reuse Australia works across four distinct areas:
Advocacy
acting as a centralised platform that can engage with governments, communities and circular economy stakeholders to represent the interests of Australian charity and social enterprise retailers, who are leaders in charitable reuse
Capacity building
by providing resources, tools and advice to the charity reuse sector on becoming more innovative and progressive re-users, recyclers and retailers, which helps its members do what they do and do it better
Education
which aims to inspire Australians to choose reuse as a simple, cost-effective way to purchase quality items, thereby making circularity practical and tangible
Impact measurement
capturing data on the social, environmental and economic benefits of the charitable second-hand economy and using this knowledge to build the business case for ongoing government and community support.
What are some of the outcomes that have been achieved
In the financial year 2020, the most recent measurement point, the charity reuse sector processed in excess of 1,000,000 donations, giving more than 285 million products a second life. The total annual revenue derived from sales was $961,000,000. Charitable reuse also helped divert over 1 million tonnes of waste from landfill. That’s around 39kg per person per year, thereby making a significant contribution towards Australia’s 2030 National Waste targets.
This alone shows the benefits that charitable second-hand enterprises make to the circular economy in prolonging the lifespan of products and clothing and keeping them out of landfill. However, there are not only environmental impacts from developing a circular economy. It also drives job creation and regional development, delivers cost savings and facilitates social impact investment.
Fulfilling the needs of members, partners and supporters
Charitable Reuse Australia champions the cause for over 3000 charity and social enterprise retailers. It is these enterprises that have pioneered circular economy thinking through their collection, repurposing and sale of donated goods, which fuels Australia’s second-hand economy.
As a member of Charitable Reuse Australia, ANZRP recognises the outstanding contribution that the organisation makes, which encompasses:
- helping charity and social enterprise retailers to grow their revenue, so they can funnel their profits into their charitable mission and purpose
- showing charity and social enterprise retailers how to improve their operations from a sustainability perspective
- advocating for increased government funding to mitigate the financial burden of illegal dumping and the associated costs of waste disposal and site management
- educating consumers on how to donate responsibly and why shopping at charity and social enterprise retailers is affordable, sustainable and ethical
- building a business case for increased government investment in reuse innovation on a regional level.
More information about Charitable Reuse Australia can be found at Charitable Reuse Australia – National Association of Charitable Recycling Organisations.
