Set your clothes free is coming back in 2026.
On 31 October, South Australians will be invited to donate their unwanted high-quality clothing, and recycle poor quality clothing and textiles.
Australians are the world’s biggest consumers of fashion, purchasing an average of 53 items of clothing per person each year – but a significant portion of those end up unworn or underused, buried in wardrobes and destined for landfill.
Set your clothes free focuses on collecting unwanted textiles and giving them a second life. High quality items collected will be donated to charity partners, and low-quality items will be recycled. This eases the burden placed on charity stores that can become overwhelmed with poor-quality donations that can’t be re-sold.
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Where are the drop-off sites?
14 drop-off points will be open across South Australia on Saturday 31 October, from 9 am to 3 pm.
Adelaide Hills Council | Adelaide Hills Council Office
26 Onkaparinga Valley Rd, Woodside SA 5244 |
The Barossa Council | Council offices
43-51 Tanunda Road, Nuriootpa SA 5355 |
City of Burnside | Burnside Civic Centre
401 Greenhill Road, Burnside SA 5066 |
Central Adelaide Waste and Recycling Authority (CAWRA) and City of Charles Sturt | Beverley Recycling and Waste Centre
2-4 Toogood Avenue, Beverley SA 5009 |
District Council of Elliston | Council offices
21 Beach Terrace, Elliston SA 5670 |
City of Marion | Marion City Services
935 Marion Road, Mitchell Park SA 5043 |
Mount Barker District Council | Environmental Services Centre
100 Springs Road, Mount Barker SA 5251 |
City of Mount Gambier | Mount Gambier Waste Transfer Station
5 Eucalypt Drive, Mount Gambier SA 5290 |
Northern Adelaide Waste Management Authority (NAWMA) | NAWMA Resource Recovery Centre
Gate, 3 Bellchambers Rd, Edinburgh North SA 5113 |
City of Onkaparinga | Elizabeth House Positive Ageing Centre
112 Elizabeth Road, Christie Downs SA 5164 |
City of Port Adelaide Enfield | Enfield Community Centre
540 Regency Road, Enfield SA 5085 |
City of Tea Tree Gully | Tea Tree Gully Civic Centre
571 Montague Road, Modbury SA 5092 |
City of Whyalla | Civic Centre
21 Grundel Street, Whyalla Norrie SA 5608 |
Yorke Peninsula Council | Maitland Hub
3 Robert Street, Maitland SA 5573 |
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What items will be accepted at the drop-off sites?
All clothing, footwear, handbags and household linens in any condition can be dropped off.
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What items won't be accepted at the drop-off sites?
Items that will not be accepted include:
- belts
- underwear
- bras with underwire
- cloth nappies
- doonas and pillows
- soft toys
- mattresses.
Clothing in poor condition will be accepted at the 2026 event.
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Do the items have to be clean?
All items must be washed to be accepted.
Stained clothing items, and linens with paint stains will be accepted, as long as they've been washed since their last use.
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Can the household linen items have tears/rips?
Yes, clothing, footwear and linens that have been torn or damaged will be accepted, and will go on to be recycled.
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Where will the collected textiles go?
Collected clothing, footwear and linens that are of a high quality will be sorted and distributed to our participating charitable organisations for resale.
Collected clothing, footwear and linens that are not high enough quality for resale will be collected by Shred-X and recycled by UPPAREL.
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What were the results of the 2025 events?
In 2025, Green Industries SA partnered with local councils and charities to host 2 Set your clothes free events – in May and November – to help South Australians donate their unwanted, high-quality clothing and pass on their unwanted household linens for recycling.
Across both events, 42.4 tonnes of unwanted textiles were collected for donation and recycling, including:
- 24.4 tonnes of high-quality clothing and footwear collected for resale by Salvos Stores, Red Nose, RSPCA, Lifeline, and the Australian Red Cross
- 18 tonnes of low-grade household textiles – such as old sheets, towels, curtains and more – collected and transported by Shred-X to the Upparel facility in Victoria, where items will be shredded to be used as filling in new products including boxing bags and pet beds.
