Charities and reuse organisations across Western Australia collected more than 36 million second-hand items in 2024-25 — about 14,000 tonnes of clothing, furniture, electronics, and household goods that didn’t end up in landfill. The flow-on figures, released this week, suggest that the reuse sector has become one of the state’s more efficient cost-of-living infrastructure measures.
The WA Reuse Impact Study, produced by Charitable Reuse Australia in partnership with the Waste Authority, estimates WA households saved around $245 million by buying second-hand instead of new, roughly $200.00 per household. The report was launched on Wednesday at Good Sammy Enterprises in Canning Vale, where the Cook Government used the occasion to spotlight the sector’s role in employing people with disabilities.
What the numbers actually show
Reuse activity in 2024-25 avoided the consumption of 6,100 tonnes of virgin materials, prevented an estimated 110,000 tonnes of CO₂ emissions, and saved roughly 5,000 megalitres of water. That’s the capacity of about 2,000 Olympic swimming pools, alongside an estimated 52,000 hectares of land preserved from being pulled into the production of new goods.
Environment Minister Matthew Swinbourn said, “The reuse movement is accelerating Western Australia’s transition to a circular economy, saving 110,000 tonnes of CO₂, which is equal to removing 46,000 cars from the road.”
WA is the fourth Australian state to commission a study using Monash University’s National Reuse Measurement Guidelines, which puts local figures in a comparable national context for the first time.
Reuse generates 62 times more jobs than recycling
The labour economics of reuse run counter to the usual logic of waste management. Recycling is capital-heavy and labour-light. Reuse — sorting, pricing, repairing, retailing — runs the other way around. The study found that the sector generates 62 times more jobs per tonne than recycling does, and in WA, that translates to more than 1,300 paid positions. Around one in four of those jobs are held by people facing barriers to employment, including 351 roles for people with disability.
“People don’t just buy second-hand to save money. We’re seeing young people choosing sustainability over fast fashion and taking pride in wearing a pre-loved bargain,” Charitable Reuse Australia chair Terry O’Neill said.
Where the $42 million in charity revenue ends up
Charitable reuse in WA raised an estimated $42 million, which was reinvested in social and community programs over the year, with 39% directed toward supporting people with disability. Good Sammy, Vinnies, the Salvos, and the dozens of smaller charity stores scattered across Perth’s suburbs are effectively running a parallel retail economy whose surplus underwrites services that would otherwise rely on government funding or public donations.
“Second-hand shopping is good for the environment, good for the economy and good for the community. By supporting reuse, we’re reducing waste, creating local jobs and helping households manage the cost of living,” Minister Swinbourn said.
For the average shopper wandering through a charity store on Albany Highway or in Belmont, none of this is necessarily new information. The report just quantifies it at a macro level.
