South Australian reuse impact study 2023–24 – Technical report

The South Australian reuse impact study, conducted in partnership with Charitable Reuse Australia, represents the most comprehensive measurement of South Australia’s reuse sector to date and provides critical insights into its scale, composition, and impact. SA’s reuse sector is highly diverse, with a strong presence of rent-a-rack shops, commercial secondhand retailers, major charities, and church-run op shops.

In 2023–24, the reuse organisations that participated in the study:

• operated 427 reuse shops in South Australia
• reused an estimated 38.4 million items
• generated paid employments for 505 full-time equivalents 
• generated 21 times more jobs than recycling, and 69 times more than landfill (on a per tonne basis)
• sold or donated approximately $112 million worth of secondhand goods
• saved the South Australian community an estimated $231 million through selling and providing secondhand goods, compared to buying new items
• reinvested $14.2 million in funds into social and community programs and initiatives
• diverted an estimated 16,000 tonnes of products from landfill to reuse
• avoided the direct consumption of 7,100 tonnes of virgin materials contained in displaced products
• saved an estimated 130,000 tonnes of CO2-e, 5,400 megalitres of water, and 49,000 hectares of land use
• delivered intangible benefits, strengthening social bonds and supporting individual growth.

The study also identified a range of challenges that South Australian reuse shops face and opportunities for targeted support to increase the growth of the sector.