Vinnies & Clean Up Australia Day collaborate to mark official launch of Newport store

Every March, community groups around Australia band together for a nation-wide event with an environmental focus.

Clean Up Australia Day has been a significant part of Australian culture for over three decades, mobilising groups of environmentally-conscious individuals to remove rubbish from our public spaces and reflect on our efforts to live more sustainably.

This year, for the first time, Vinnies collaborated with Clean Up Australia Day to tidy up beaches near some of our key coastal shops to mark the official launch of the Vinnies Newport store in Sydney’s northern beaches. The fresh store in Newport has a focus on sustainable shopping, and customers who visited over the launch weekend received a free gift of reusable metal straws with each purchase which were generously donated to Vinnies by a corporate partner.

Volunteers and staff took time out of their weekend to participate in local beach clean up activities, with three Sydney stores (Newport, Manly, and Bondi) plus one south coast store (Kiama) holding clean up events. Customers and friends were also invited to register with Vinnies for the seaside clean ups to help keep our shores pristine and protect our land and animals. Participants were encouraged to bring a hat and sunglasses for the events, and to use sunscreen while out in the sun. Clean up kits including garbage bags were distributed to all participants on arrival at the sites.

Northern beaches resident Ian Murdoch turned up with his partner, Sandy, who manages the Vinnies Newport shop, for the Newport beach clean up. Walking the length of the bay, they filled their bags with many pieces of washed up or discarded rubbish. “Most of what we found was small, single-use plastic items. Surprisingly not many cigarette butts - lots of plastic wrappers and straws,” said Ian. “Behind the change rooms at the south end I located shopping trolley parts and car parts, and disassembled bbq parts too.”

Angie Eaton, who volunteers at the Newport store, also joined Ian and Sandy as they scoured the sand. “I’m happy I volunteered my time, we went out for just over an hour on a beautiful sunny day and walked along the beach, it certainly wasn’t a hard thing to do,” said Angie. “One of the nicest takeaways on the day was the number of locals on the beach who thanked us for our efforts. People were genuinely appreciative of the work we did.”

In the lead up to Clean Up Australia Day, Vinnies Newport and other coastal metro stores promoted Rewear & Recycle Week, drawing attention to the sustainable aspects of second-hand shopping. Elaborate window displays showed creative upcycling of waste products, including mannequins wearing a skirt made entirely of newspaper (Newport), outfits created with plastic bags from donation bins (Caringbah) and a dress made from mens ties (Brookvale). Other stores (such as Waverley) had special displays featuring clothing made from natural fibres such as cotton or linen, and homewares made from biodegradable or recyclable materials such as rattan, bamboo, and glass.

Vinnies stores also stock the new range of recycled homewares, which cater for modern shoppers wanting eco-friendly and sustainable options for their home decor. With nearly 6000 kilograms of clothing and textiles going to Australian landfills every 10 minutes, the Vinnies re/CYCLE range gives unsellable clothing new life by transforming fabric waste into rugs, throws, mats, towels and door runners.