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Free Shipping Label to Donate Used Clothes @ The Iconic

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Here is a bit of a different one!

The Iconic (in collaboration with Australia Post and The Salvation Army) is offering free postage table to donate old clothes.

Three Steps:
1 - Grab any clothes in good condition that you no longer wear. A good test is, ‘would I give this item to a friend?’
2 - Pack your donation in a satchel or box. Tip: reuse your ICONIC delivery satchel if you don’t need to return your purchase.
3 - Download and attach your pre-paid shipping label. Drop off at an Australia Post Red Street Posting Box or Post Office!

I think this is an absolutely fantastic initiative from The Iconic.

Enjoy

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closed Comments

  • +36

    Download and attach your pre-paid shipping label. Drop off at an Australia Post Red Street Posting Box or Post Office!

    Or just drop it off at your local op shop? It would be as much work as dropping it off at the Post Office.

    • +6

      Not open after hours, and not many have boxes here anymore

    • That was my first thought, but then I figured people will probably donate better more wearable stuff to the iconic than there

    • +8

      Charities has been removing there 24 hour drop bins due to people not placing items in bins/ bins overfill /and being used as a garbage dumping ground rather then for donations
      They were coping fines from councils and higher waste disposal fees.

      Our local op shop/charitys all are donations during buisness hours I only.

      Also I think a lot of people will prefer the anonymity of sending via auspost.

    • +6

      Agree - just drop it off yourself with a little bit of timing ; much better for the environment rather than wasting petrol labour paper and satchels in the double handling ?

  • +41

    A good test is, ‘would I give this item to a friend?’

    I'd give all my clothes to a friend if I had one.

    • +3

      Lol, same here…..

    • +2

      You don't have any clothes?

      • It's not possible to have one clothes

    • +2

      My friends wouldn’t take my clothes I’m not throwing out, let alone the ones I am…

  • +11

    Donate to H&M and get 15% off coupons

    • +11

      And buy fast fashion? No thanks

      • +4

        What's fast fashion?

        • +6

          Fast fashion is a contemporary term used by fashion retailers for designs that move from catwalk quickly to capture current fashion trends. A second, critical definition adds that fast fashion is not only about quickly moving from runway to store to consumer, but also to the garbage.

          • +5

            @spaceflight: Why people think The Iconic isn't that is beyond me.

            • +2

              @Diji1: Because The Iconic is a retailer for other brands? They sell some really good quality stuff. H&M only sell their own stuff and it is absolute garbage.

            • +2

              @Diji1: The Iconic isn't fast fashion, they sell other brands just like Myer or David Jones.

              Even The Iconic's own brand of clothes is better than things I have from H&M, Boohoo and other fast fashion.

              • @spaceflight: not really, The Iconic's own brand, say, Staple Superior, is of inferior quality..

      • They do sell plenty of things that aren't trends.

    • Do you have a link? cant seem to find any info

      • +1

        Don't know about a link for more info, but the way it works is that every (most?) H&M store has a clothing donation bin next to the cash register. Donate any clothing in any condition and the cashier will hand you a tear-off coupon for 15% off anything you buy in store. Includes sale items. One item per coupon; but you also get one coupon per item you donate. Today I bought 5 things in H&M, used 5 coupons, no problems.

    • +2

      H&M incinerate their donated clothes.

      • +3

        Interesting. I didn't know this so thanks for bringing that up. Your comment made me do some research. You're correct that a study in the UK shows 73% of clothes donated to fast fasion store end up in landfill or incinerated.

        However, I would guesstimate that donating to The Iconic > Salvos would end up in roughly the same % ending in landfill/incinerated. Refer this comment: https://www.ozbargain.com.au/node/518780#comment-8345943. My parents both volunteer in Salvos store and they have the same comment, that nearly everything that gets donated goes straight into the skips out the back.

        • +2

          If that is the case, they why do they ask for/allow the donation in the first place?

          • +3

            @leiiv: I’ve volunteered for Salvos in the past (albeit a long time ago).

            The reason they do this is that the clothes people donate tend to be pretty rubbish. What they do is the clothing is processed so it can be reused for things like upholstery, carpets, car floor mats, etc. This way - your clothing is recycled and put to good use, and the Salvos get a source of funding which helps with their charitable activities. Win-win, really

  • +3

    Great idea. Local op shops here are often overstocked with clothes and request them not to go in the boxes.

    • If local op shops are overstocked with clothes then what's The Iconic going to do with them if they can't give them to the op shop?

      • +2

        I N C I N E R A T E

    • +1

      Most OP stores that I have been to are literally carrying crap. The clothes that they have are not far from being rags. I hope people donate some decent stuff to The Iconic. Savers generally have better quality for stuff but for that price you could buy new stuff when on sale. Haven't been to an OP store in ages so things might have changed.

      • +12

        I don't think you know what the word 'literally' means.

        • +4

          From my experience, I don't think they're far off.

          I've seen shoes that have almost worn through, clothes with holes and stains (from stores that were very cheap to begin with), and things that I wouldn't ever consider giving to a friend (or anyone). In some cases, it's really a 'if I wanted a singlet from Kmart, I'd buy a new one for $5 rather than one with a stain for $7 from a nearby op shop'.

          Obviously, YMMV depending on your store. I'd love it if there were ones near me that were better!

          • @chocsyrup:

            I've seen shoes that have

            I was expecting you to say "crap on them" and I'd think that was fair enough about literally carrying crap…

            But nope, still not literally.

            • +1

              @brotherfranciz: I volunteered at an op shop in the past and one time, we did receive some clothing with literal feces stained on it. Smelt godawful and rendered everything that came in that bag unsellable.

              Obviously, item quality does vary from store to store, but where I worked, we had enough clothing that we could be pretty selective with clothes. So anything that wasn't clean or had notable damage would be immediately rejected.

              • @OzBarAnon: What happens to the rejected clothes?

                • +1

                  @Pineapples: I think they were collected by "clothing recycling" type places, seeing as they were stored separately from actual rubbish. That being said, unusable shoes were thrown straight in the bin, as well as actually dirty clothes.

          • +3

            @chocsyrup: I tend to agree with chocsyrup here. Lots of OP shops charge more for ordinary second hand t-shirts than if you bought them new from target, Kmart etc.
            I believe the Salvos give away a lot of their clothing to people in need though, so I'm happy to donate good clothing but hardly ever buy anything from OP shops anymore.

        • +1

          May be this will help. Here is the link to the definition of "crap".

          https://www.google.com/search?ie=UTF-8&client=ms-android-tel…

          The very first one is "something of poor quality" so i believe they were/are literally carrying crap :)

  • ‘would I give this item to a friend?’

    Hell no… It is too costly.

  • +15

    Op shops are more boutique now. Anything with a mark, button missing etc goes straight to the bin, They cannot manage the huge amounts they are given, so they ruthlessly cull. I know, I've worked in them. We chucked out 80% , not kidding. No where to store, no time to recycle or repurpose. Single drinking glasses etc , straight in the skip. And don't get me started about kids stuff. Unbelievable.
    OP shops are also not cheap, you can buy cheap new tshirts in Kmart etc for less. In the end, there is just too much of everything.

    • +1

      Spot on.. there is just too much of everything

      Problem is big business knows this, but need to keep making profits

      Greenwashing is everywhere now.. probably in the hope it makes consumers feel less guilty about consuming more

    • +1

      I like the smaller shops eg. mecca (typo for sure there), epilepsy and animal aids.
      Though the red one in Oakleigh is good.

      Lived in Camberwell and can vouch op shops are boutiques there.

      Friend worked at the blue one and said all the good stuff is bought by the manager/staff/their friends, so those truly in need will struggle.

      • Why are those struggling shopping in boutiques? That doesn't add up. Perhaps thats why they are struggling. If they are buying at the price the shop wants to sell at then good they are quickly making money for the charity who is helping those in need

    • +2

      OP shops are also not cheap

      I found this to be true when I was looking for a hi vis vest.
      Found a few stained ones for $5 or more.
      Bought a brand new one at a smaller workwear shop for $4.20

    • I get the missing buttons and stuff but if they are still in good condition, wouldn't u rather sell it for like $2 than throw it away?

      • They cannot manage the volume, so this is pretty much a way to cull without thinking. I guess if it was really amazing, they might, but you don't even see " as is" on the tag anymore.

  • do people not get bags in the mail from charities where u can put clothes outside your house for it to be collected?

    • -7

      They seem rare these days - but we live in an asian area, so that might be why.

      • +3

        this is the dumbest shit i've read all week. congrats!

      • +3

        Even moving to a non-Asian area might not solve this bag drought for you, since you can’t take the ‘asia’ out of anastasia.

  • +3

    Wondering how much of our donations will actually go into the shops and not just sent to landfill anyway or to be made into rags?

    I'm the type of person who wears their clothes until it develops holes that can't be patched any further. So by the time it reaches the end of its useful life, it is really just suitable to be used for rags.

  • +5

    I saw a news report once, about Australian charities (e.g. St. Vincent de Paul), selling used clothing in bulk.

    Basically, all these clothes are made into 1m x 1m x 1m cubes and then sold off for a fixed price,
    by African dealers, where they are then shipped to. Those that receive in Africa, have NO idea what is in 'cube',
    and it's just just the luck of the draw. From there, it trickles down to the street markets, etc.

    Basically, St. Vincent can do more good with the cash proceeds from the clothes, rather than the clothes.

    People need money and now have an excess of a lot of things in life, …especially clothes.

    Yet, the clothing industry keeps churning out clothes, consumers keep buying clothes and the quality of the clothing is also on the decline ("planned obsolescence", etc.)

    The Dirty Business With Old Clothes
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hd_lCXQzA80

    Talk Africa: Second Hand Clothes
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s8jBKcQmo-A

    • +2

      consumers keep buying clothes

      i'm guilty of this. but blipshift.com and Paul Smith crank out so many nice (and good quality) shirts. i have been more selective and bought less in recent years. having less money to spend helps, too.

      and the quality of the clothing is also on the decline ("planned obsolescence", etc.)

      so very true. thanks, Puma, for your crappy over-priced t-shirts that go out of shape even when exclusively handwashed -_-

      • +5

        our body-shapes change over time, and so do our tastes.
        also, sometimes we change jobs or we pick up new habits (e.g. gym, sports)
        i understand that this.

        it's just that i also don't mind visiting more flea markets
        or second-hand shops, than to buy new clothing.

    • +1

      Basically, all these clothes are made into 1m x 1m x 1m cubes and then sold off for a fixed price,
      by African dealers, where they are then shipped to.

      The bails themselves ain't exactly profitable though, the price pretty much just covers the expenses of collecting and transporting them

      Same as most of the books that get donated, they get sold and get pulped in bulk. Not much is being made.

      We are just a wasteful society.

      The OP shops makes money in store off the good stuff people donate, but the good stuff is only a small percentage of all donations. Then you still get people complaining about how much crap the op shops are selling (e.g. see this thread).

    • I saw a documentary on this a while back. Finding a used Ralph Lauren shirt in those clothes bricks is like striking a gold vein for the people who rely on that trade for a living.

  • Fast fashion is the worst. Africa doesn't want your shitty 10 year old kmart hoodie.

    • +6

      Africa doesn't want your shitty 10 year old kmart hoodie.

      Are you sure? There are people who don't care about fashion, they just need clothes.

      • They have an abundance. It means a lot to them though.

      • +3

        It's not about the fashion it's about the quality and condition. "Noone wants this shitty kmart hoodie" is exactly what I told my partner when he tossed one of those Kmart essentials/basic $10 fleece hoodies, that he had used for just one winter. It was badly pilled, why would someone want to wear that. On the other hand he owns anothe kmart hoodie which is actually 10 years old and is still in great condition.

        When people donate goods to charity they always assume underpriviledged would be grateful to receive any crap.

    • +3

      if you used it for 10 years is it really fast fashion?

  • +3

    Can I also tell you all , that once the tipping fees and wages are paid (mostly tipping fees) there is very little left to help poor people. There is also a fair bit of expense for marketing, training and promotional stuff nowadays.

    At the op shop I worked at , they paid the council $660, 000 per year in tipping fees. Then each store has at least one properly paid retail employee/manager. Then you have the pickup trucks, those drivers also are on wages, with a volunteer or work for dole trainee. In store there were posters and training materials for us, we had to greet every single customer because "Happiness Sells" or something like that.
    Not all opshop workers get first pick, but yep, some do, of course. Ours didn't officially but we got 20% off, (and pensioners do too on tuesdays) , strictly approved by a manager.

    But the waste is the biggest issue. BAby stuff was insane, please don't buy stuff from real shops. And if it was winter and summer stuff came in, unless it was amazing, it went in the bin. We literally had nowhere to put it.
    People need to stop buying shit. I guess this is the wrong website to suggest such a thing!

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