Volunteer Day
This year, the Applied Environment & Safety team spent our annual volunteer day at The Salvation Army’s textile recovery facility in Carole Park, Brisbane. This is part of Project Boomerang, an Australian‑first initiative aimed at building a circular textiles economy in south‑east Queensland.
Textiles Waste – Project Boomberang
Australia sends around 200,000 tonnes of clothing to landfill each year.
Project Boomerang is helping shift this trajectory by establishing the nation’s first automated textile sorting and decontamination plant, supported by the Queensland Government. The system, modelled on a facility operating in Amsterdam, sorts post‑consumer textiles by material type, removes buttons and zippers, and produce clean textiles feedstock tailored to the needs of customers. Once fully operational, the facility aims to process up to 5,000 tonnes of used clothing and textiles annually.
During our visit, we worked alongside the Salvos Stores staff to support day‑to‑day operations. Our tasks included sorting incoming donations, identifying items suitable for resale or repurposing, and separating materials for different recycling streams.
The hands‑on nature of the work gave our team a clear appreciation of the scale of textile recovery and the importance of structured sorting systems in diverting materials from landfill.
The day also highlighted the strong alignment between Applied Environment & Safety and The Salvation Army’s environmental and community values.
Project Boomerang is backed by QUT, southeast Queensland local governments, Charitable Recycling Australia and industry partners who are working to build local supply chains for recycled textiles. This collaborative approach reflects our own commitment to practical, evidence‑based sustainability outcomes.
Volunteer Day
Volunteer Day is an important part of our culture. It allows the team to step away from our day-to-day project delivery and work together to support a charity. It also strengthens team connections while contributing collectively to meaningful community outcomes.
This year’s experience at Carole Park was a powerful reminder of the positive impact that comes from working together toward shared sustainability goals.
We are proud to have supported the important work underway at Carole Park by The Salvation Army and look forward to continuing our involvement with other organisations delivering positive environmental and social outcomes across Queensland.