New Zealand suffers from one of the worst rates of child poverty in the western world impacting 1 in 8 Kiwi kids. Child poverty has a disproportionately high effect on Māori and Pasifika households, with a quarter of Māori children and almost a third of Pasifika children living in poverty.

Children who grow up in poverty are more likely to experience poorer health and educational outcomes and suffer from social exclusion and isolation.

Having fitting, weather-appropriate clothing, shoes, raincoats and pyjamas is something that many of us take for granted but with the rising cost of living, basic essentials are becoming luxury items for many families.

Textiles are responsible for 10% of global carbon emissions, making them “one of the most carbon-emitting industries in the world alongside oil, gas and agriculture”. In NZ, textile waste accounts for approximately 5-6% of landfill, they produce about 30% of the carbon impacts. Other environmental damage can include the leaching of toxic chemicals and dyes into the groundwater and our soil.

On top of that, synthetic and blended clothing now makes up the bulk of what the world wears generating huge amounts of plastic pollution. Yet despite the scale of this issue, it rarely gets the airtime it deserves.

If we follow Europe’s lead, sending textiles to landfill will be banned from 2025 – solutions are needed fast.

New Zealand suffers from one of the worst rates of child poverty in the western world impacting 1 in 8 Kiwi kids. Child poverty has a disproportionately high effect on Māori and Pasifika households, with a quarter of Māori children and almost a third of Pasifika children living in poverty.

Children who grow up in poverty are more likely to experience poorer health and educational outcomes and suffer from social exclusion and isolation.

Having fitting, weather-appropriate clothing, shoes, raincoats and pyjamas is something that many of us take for granted but with the rising cost of living, basic essentials are becoming luxury items for many families.

Having children inevitably brings a lot of stuff into your life, especially clothing in those first 12 years. Many household find themselves with an excess of unwanted or outgrown clothing and want to move these items on in a convenient, responsible way. 

While there are currently a number of ways to donate or sell goods, there are often issues with these solutions.  Secondhand shops on average sell approximately 50% of stock received with the remainder going straight to landfill. Many commercially operated clothing bins are only able to sell 20-30% of donated clothes. The majority ends up being sold to rag traders in the Pacific region if they do not sell, they are often dumped offshore.

Our research tells us that most Kiwis would prefer to donate their items, but they don’t believe there are any easy, transparent and sustainable options available to them.

Textiles are responsible for 10% of global carbon emissions, making them “one of the most carbon-emitting industries in the world alongside oil, gas and agriculture”. In NZ, textile waste accounts for approximately 5-6% of landfill, they produce about 30% of the carbon impacts. Other environmental damage can include the leaching of toxic chemicals and dyes into the groundwater and our soil.

On top of that, synthetic and blended clothing now makes up the bulk of what the world wears generating huge amounts of plastic pollution. Yet despite the scale of this issue, it rarely gets the airtime it deserves.

If we follow Europe’s lead, sending textiles to landfill will be banned from 2025 – solutions are needed fast.

Ripple started with a mum’s desire to help kids living in hardship get what they need. But after discovering the reality of where used clothing goes and its devastating environmental impact, it became apparent that this was a massive opportunity to create a system to tackle both issues simultaneously. Ripple is all about backing our kids, ensuring they all have the clothing essentials they need and deserve to stay warm, healthy and confident. At the same time cleaning up the way we dispose of it, to make their future environment a better one.