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PETITION LETTER

Attention: Inner West Council General Manager Peter Gainsford and Mayor Darcy Byrne,

I, alongside a broad cross-section of local residents and stakeholders, advocate strongly for council to allow Re Place to continue its essential services in the Inner West Sustainability Hub.
Since opening in July 2023, Re Place has transformed your bare council depot space-turned Covid-testing facility into a vibrant circular economy destination. 

Re Place offers the Inner West community zero-waste clothing and textile reuse, recycling and repair services, a low-cost preloved clothes shop, and creative educational workshops.

Over 11,500 verified visitors have used Re Place services. Local residents, 70-80% being your constituents, have diverted 13.7 tonnes of clothing and textiles from landfill. Recovering valuable resources and reducing illegal dumping throughout your LGA.

Re Place is the only NFP in Australia, and perhaps the world (!) that guarantees 100% of received clothing and textiles are hand-sorted, weighed, tracked and reused onshore, with ZERO waste.

By data-tracking postcode origins and categorising all collected items, its resource recovery model cannot be replicated by any other organisation.

Hundreds of individuals throughout the Inner West are now active participants in the circular economy.

• A dedicated team of over 50 volunteers support the operations team by donating their time and expertise. Working across data analytics, finance and marketing, to clothes sorting, textile repairs and site labouring, together they built and run Re Place for the community.
• Local artists and makers are provided with free or low cost textiles and clothing for upcycling and consignment sale in the shop.
• Workshops allow attendees with no experience to learn how to mend, and create their own pieces. The much-needed onsite clothing repair service is consistently booked.
• Through partner and community collaborations, hundreds of disadvantaged individuals have received free clothing from the shop, and gifted vouchers from customers 'Paying Forward' their recycling credits.

Re Place’s community impact during the data-tracked period of June 2024 - April 2026:

• 11,556 visitors dropped off clothes and textiles, had an item repaired, shopped for preloved clothes or attended a workshop
• 1,610 households dropped off 13.7 tonnes of clothes and textiles, an average of 8.5kg per home
• 100% of items were diverted from landfill
• 5.9 tonnes were purchased at the low cost shop
• 5.4 tonnes were given away free to the community

Re Place is an integral, unmatched service-provider and key driver of the Sydney circular economy.
Its sustainability and community bonafides are data-proven and irrefutable.

As per the tender process, we are aware the final decision on the successful applicant will be announced in June.

We the undersigned implore that Re Place's continued tenancy be granted, and celebrated.

With thanks,

The Friends of Re Place​​