Rinse Repair Rewear Launch

Yesterday morning, we officially launched our new Rinse, Repair, Rewear program at the Moonah Mega Store, marking an exciting step forward in how we maximise the value of donated goods and reduce waste.

We were pleased to welcome Minister Ogilvie - Minister for Environment, Minister for Innovation, Science and the Digital Economy, Minister for Community and Multicultural Affairs, and Minister for Arts and Heritage - who joined us for the launch and media event. It was a great opportunity to showcase the innovation behind the program and the real difference it can make.

Rinse, Repair, Rewear is a practical response to a growing challenge across the sector: too many donated items, particularly clothing, are unable to be sold in their current condition and end up as waste. Through this pilot, we are identifying higher-quality items that simply need cleaning or minor repairs, restoring them, and returning them to the shop floor at an affordable price.

What makes this program particularly important is that it is a pilot. Over the coming months, we will be collecting and analysing data to better understand the impact, how much additional value can be recovered, how much waste can be reduced, and what systems are needed to make this approach sustainable at scale.

Our goal is not only to improve outcomes within Hobart City Mission, but to share what we learn with other op shops and organisations. By doing so, we hope to help create broader change across the sector - maximising the use of donated items and reducing the volume of goods going to landfill.

Thank you to everyone involved in bringing this initiative to life. It’s a fantastic example of innovation in action and the difference we can make when we think differently about the challenges we face.