Same answer in every state and territory
Where to donate clothes in Australia
Anywhere in Australia, clothes you would hand to a friend go to an op shop, clean and folded, during opening hours. Stained, torn or stretched textiles cannot be sold, so use a textile recovery bin or cut them into rags. Underwear, socks and single shoes go in general waste. Never leave bags outside a closed shop.
Sources Recycle Right WA
What do I do with clothes & textiles?
- Would you hand it to a friend? If yes, it's op shop material. Clean, folded, handed over during opening hours.
- Stained, torn or stretched? Op shops can't sell it and pay landfill fees to dump it. Use a textile recovery bin, or cut it up for rags.
- Underwear, socks, single shoes General waste. No charity takes these.
Charity shop rules are national in practice — the test is whether it could be sold tomorrow.
What will an op shop accept?
The test is whether it could be sold tomorrow. Clean, undamaged, in-season clothing, shoes in pairs, bags, belts and accessories. Salvos, Vinnies and the state chains (Good Sammy in WA, Brotherhood of St Laurence in Victoria) each publish what they take. When in doubt, ring.
What do I do with clothes that are too worn to donate?
A textile recovery bin, if there is one near you: some councils, charities and clothing retailers run in-store or kerbside take-back for worn textiles, so ask at the counter or check your council. Otherwise cut them into rags. Worn textiles put in a donation bin are dumped at the charity's expense.
Can I put clothes in the recycling bin?
No, never. Textiles in the kerbside recycling bin jam the sorting machinery and contaminate the paper stream. Clothing that cannot be donated or recovered goes in the general waste bin.
Why shouldn't I leave donations outside a closed op shop?
Overnight rain, a passing scavenger or a dog turns a bag of donations into a pile the charity pays to dump. In most council areas it is also treated as illegal dumping. Hand it over during opening hours, or use a staffed donation point.
Need it gone this week?
Pick your state to compare removal options:
This answer is the same in every state and territory, so there is one page for it. The answers that change at the state border are listed at where does it go.