Who we are
Refuture Foundation exists to advance positive global social, environmental and economic impacts that are essential to clothing reuse and recycling.
Established via seed funding from Australia’s leading clothing and textile collector, sorter and recycler – SCRgroup – we seek to address a simple but urgent truth: the clothing industry is one of the most polluting industries in the world, and post-consumer textiles are a big part of the problem.
On a fact-finding trip to Ghana and Kenya in late 2023, SCRgroup saw first-hand the good and the bad of the secondhand clothing industry – thriving micro-businesses built on the secondhand clothing trade and industry, but also waterways choked with garments from around the world that never should have been sent there in the first place.
To make meaningful change, we need transparency and sound practices in every step of the supply chain from shipping, sorting and trading of secondhand clothing globally.
Our priorities are set to drive a truly fair trade in clothing where people living in developing countries can benefit from maximising secondhand clothing use.
What we do
We work closely with our members, supporters and project partners to maximise the benefit that comes from providing affordable quality secondhand clothing to developing countries.
Our work also addresses the challenges of managing end-of-life pathways for clothing to alleviate impacts on the local environment in countries that receive secondhand clothing particularly from Australia.
We do this by focusing on four key strategic areas:
· International development – funding and partnering with on-the-ground organisations and agencies in Africa to improve environmental and social outcomes.
· Thought leadership – using research, data and storytelling to influence global best practice.
· Education – from African schools to Australian classrooms, building awareness of clothing’s true impact.
· Advocacy – engaging governments, brands and charities to create ethical, transparent supply chains.
Why our work matters
The clothing industry is one of the most polluting industries in the world, and post-consumer textiles is a major contributor to this problem.
Export to developing countries is a critical and necessary part of Australia’s system for managing excess secondhand clothing that exceeds onshore demand.
This is an important part of the re-use and recycling ecosystem and must be protected.
Refuture Foundation’s mission is to maximise the value of secondhand clothing and demonstrate to the world that the industry provides a positive benefit for countries receiving Australian sourced product.
We work hard to ensure that exported garments are sorted correctly, reuse and recycling is maximised, and that garments traded match the clothing needs of each destination.
This includes secondhand clothing that is culturally and climatically appropriate and that end-of-life outcomes for recycling are established so that local environments are not impacted.
How to get involved
The work that Refuture Foundation is leading cannot be done alone.
Our list of supporters and collaborators are growing.
We seek collaboration in the form of financial membership, supporters and project partners including global NGOs, universities, charities, industry bodies, governments and brands.
Please reach out if you’re interested in joining our mission.