A great jersey deserves to be worn, not forgotten at the back of a wardrobe.
So when you have one you no longer reach for, you decide to drop it off at Wastebusters where it can find somebody new.
And that’s where the fun begins.
From drop-off to shop floor
Your jersey joins the incredible mix of clothing, books, homewares and unexpected treasures our community drops off each day. On a busy weekend day, a huge volume of items comes through the yard, keeping our crew busy from morning to afternoon.
Each item is placed into one of our large drop-off crates. Once a crate is full, it’s moved over to the shop by forklift, where our crew begins sorting everything into categories.
Your jersey then heads into our clothing room, where our crew gives it a careful once-over and makes sure it’s ready for its next owner. Every piece is looked at individually, so working through the many clothing items we receive takes plenty of time and care. Your jersey is then placed on a hanger, priced and made ready for the shop floor.
Not every item can make it that far. It’s difficult for us to find another home for clothing with stains, holes or other damage and, unfortunately, they may have to go to landfill. That’s why bringing in items that are clean and ready to wear helps our team find someone who will love them.
But your jersey is ready to go. Before long, it’s hanging on the rail, waiting to be discovered.
Ready to become someone’s favourite
Perhaps someone spots it and can’t believe their luck. It’s their colour, their size and exactly what they didn’t know they were looking for.
Maybe it becomes their favourite layer for cold Wānaka mornings, the jersey they throw on for weekend adventures or the brilliant secondhand find they proudly tell everyone about.
That’s the magic of secondhand. Something you no longer use can become someone else’s absolute treasure.
And the good doesn’t stop when your jersey leaves the shop.
One jersey, plenty of good
When someone buys your jersey, the money we receive supports Wastebusters’ wider work as a not-for-profit community enterprise.
It helps us keep useful resources in circulation, make secondhand goods accessible, deliver waste-reduction initiatives, support recycling services and create local green jobs.
During the last year, Wastebusters has:
- Sponsored 30 local not-for-profit and community groups
- Supported 35 high schools, primary schools and preschools
- Supported 13 sustainability initiatives and zero-waste events
- Ran 57 workshops and events
- Provided zero-waste education for tamariki and rangatahi in 22 schools
- Provided recycling services for our community and over 400 local businesses
- Provided 53 local green jobs
That’s a pretty big journey for one jersey that was sitting at the back of a wardrobe.
Pass on something brilliant
Good-quality drop-offs are what make all of this possible. They fill our shop with exciting finds, give useful things another life and help support positive work throughout our community.
If you have clothing, books, homewares or other treasures you no longer need, give them a quick check. Are they clean, complete and in a condition you’d be happy to pass on to a friend?
If the answer is yes, we’d love to see them.
Your forgotten jersey, vintage dresser or book you’ve already finished could be someone else’s best Wastebusters find yet.
