Charitable Reuse Australia – National Association of Charitable Recycling Organisations (original) (raw)

The Future is Reusable

We now live in a throwaway society. There was a time when commodities were expensive but made to last. If they went wrong, they were worth repairing. Now everything from clothing to electrical appliances and furniture is seen as disposable. This is simply not a sustainable way to live.

We can minimise the problem of waste if we can get into the habit of reusing items. With things like clothing, household items and appliances, most of their carbon footprint is created in their manufacture. So it makes sense to prolong their use and spread this impact over a greater timeframe. The longer we keep things, rather than replacing them, the less waste we produce.

Reuse is by far the most eco-friendly option – second only to reducing consumption – because there is zero waste in reuse.

The more we reuse, the less we waste.

Charitable Reuse Australia is the collective network of charitable purpose-driven reuse enterprises.

Charitable Reuse Australia champions the circular economy as the foundation of a more sustainable environment and an equitable society.

For over a century, charitable reuse enterprises have been at the forefront of this economic, environmental and social movement.

And we believe that they are uniquely placed to elevate circular economy thinking and drive its uptake in Australia.

That’s why we support charity and social enterprise retailers across the country.

As Australia’s largest reuse network, we’re leading the conversation around reuse and circularity.

This is how we do it:

Advocacy

Charitable Reuse Australia acts as a centralised platform that can engage with governments, communities and circular economy stakeholders.

We represent the interests of Australian charity and social enterprise retailers, who are leaders in charitable reuse.

On behalf of our member enterprises, we encourage all levels of government to promote reuse, fund innovation and reduce charitable costs.

In doing so, we can advance the circular economy and decisively measure it’s environmental, social and economic impacts.

Capacity Building

Charitable Reuse Australia helps our member enterprises do what they do and do it better.

By providing resources, tools and advice on becoming more innovative and progressive re-users, recyclers and retailers, we ensure they can be financially sustainable and compete within the commercial marketplace.

Building the operational capacity of charity and social enterprise retailers means that they can be key drivers and accelerators of the circular economy.

And by reducing unnecessary waste management costs and generating more substantial returns, our members can ultimately fund their charitable programs and help millions of vulnerable Australians every year.

Education

Charitable Reuse Australia educates and inspires Australians to choose reuse as a simple, cost-effective way to purchase quality items.

We make circularity practical and tangible by showing people how to change the way they purchase and consume.

By positioning charity and social enterprise shops as high-quality retailers, we present people with an opportunity to give products a second life, reduce their environmental footprint and enable social good initiatives.

We know Australians are innately generous. So, we encourage them to express that generosity through donations to charity and social enterprise retailers in their local communities.

Impact Measurement

All Charitable Reuse Australia’s activities are led by data.

We measure the social, environmental and economic benefits of the charitable secondhand economy and our members’ contributions to it.

This helps us build a clear business case for ongoing governmental and community support.

Investing in the circular economy delivers a triple-bottom line impact

When we encourage governments to fund reuse at all levels, we’re motivated by more than sustainability.

Of course, one of the primary benefits of the circular economy is keeping resources out of landfill. By designing products for longevity and prolonging their lifecycle through reuse, we maximise our resources.

But the impact of the circular economy isn’t only confined to the environmental. It drives job creation and regional development, delivers cost savings and facilitates social impact investment.

We join the dots for smart, effective collaboration

Building a sustainable environment and an equitable society within a resilient economy is everyone’s business.

That’s why Charitable Reuse Australia is founded upon collaboration.

As our country’s largest reuse network, we are a conduit that connects charitable reuse enterprises, consumers and government.

Through facilitating mutually beneficial conversations between these stakeholders, we achieve better outcomes for all Australians.