Product Overview

Summary: This Textile Recycling Safe Operating Procedure sets out clear, safe and efficient methods for collecting, sorting, handling and processing textile waste in Australian workplaces. It helps organisations divert textiles from landfill while managing manual handling, machinery and contamination risks in line with WHS and environmental obligations.

Textile recycling operations involve far more than simply collecting unwanted garments. Workers are exposed to a mix of manual handling, cutting and shredding equipment, dust, biological contamination and vehicle movements, often in busy warehouse or transfer station environments. This Textile Recycling Safe Operating Procedure provides a structured, step‑by‑step approach to managing these activities safely while maximising resource recovery. It defines how textiles are received, inspected, sorted, stored and processed, and sets clear expectations for safe work practices, housekeeping, and communication on the floor.

Developed for Australian conditions, the SOP helps organisations demonstrate due diligence under WHS legislation while supporting ESG and circular economy goals. It addresses the practical challenges of dealing with mixed textile streams—from clothing donations and uniforms through to off‑cuts and industrial rags—including how to handle sharps or soiled items, control dust and noise from machinery, and coordinate safe vehicle and pedestrian movements. By implementing this procedure, businesses can standardise their recycling workflows across sites, reduce incident rates, and provide consistent, defensible training material for new and existing workers.

Key Benefits

• Ensure textile recycling activities are carried out in line with Australian WHS laws and environmental expectations.
• Reduce the risk of manual handling injuries, cuts, punctures and exposure to contaminated or soiled textiles.
• Streamline collection, sorting and processing workflows to improve throughput and resource recovery rates.
• Standardise training and competency requirements for textile recycling staff across multiple sites.
• Demonstrate corporate responsibility by integrating safe work practices into circular economy and sustainability initiatives.

Who is this for?

• Recycling Facility Managers
• Textile Recycling Operators
• Warehouse and Logistics Supervisors
• Sustainability and Environment Managers
• WHS Managers and Advisors
• Operations Managers
• Local Government Waste Services Coordinators
• Charity Shop and Op Shop Managers
• Production Managers in Textile and Garment Manufacturing
• Facilities Managers for Large Retailers and Shopping Centres

Hazards Addressed

• Manual handling injuries from lifting, carrying and stacking bags and bales of textiles
• Cuts, puncture wounds and sharps injuries from hidden objects in donated or waste textiles
• Biological hazards from soiled, mouldy or infested textiles
• Dust inhalation from sorting, cutting and shredding operations
• Entanglement, drawing‑in and crush injuries from conveyors, balers, shredders and cutting machinery
• Slips, trips and falls due to poor housekeeping, loose textiles and obstructed walkways
• Vehicle and mobile plant interactions in loading docks, yards and transfer areas
• Heat stress and fatigue in enclosed or high‑temperature sorting and processing areas
• Noise exposure from balers, shredders and material handling equipment
• Fire risk from stockpiled textiles, lint build‑up and ignition sources

Included Sections

• 1.0 Purpose and Scope
• 2.0 Definitions and Abbreviations
• 3.0 Applicable Legislation, Standards and Codes of Practice
• 4.0 Roles, Responsibilities and Competency Requirements
• 5.0 Process Overview – Textile Recycling Workflow
• 6.0 Pre‑Start Checks and Site Housekeeping Requirements
• 7.0 PPE Requirements and Dress Standards
• 8.0 Receiving and Unloading Textile Materials
• 9.0 Inspection, Sorting and Grading of Textiles
• 10.0 Handling of Contaminated, Soiled or Hazardous Textiles
• 11.0 Operation of Conveyors, Shredders, Cutters and Balers
• 12.0 Manual Handling and Ergonomic Controls
• 13.0 Traffic Management for Vehicles, Forklifts and Pedestrians
• 14.0 Dust, Noise and Air Quality Controls
• 15.0 Storage, Baling and Stacking of Textile Materials
• 16.0 Fire Prevention, Hot Work and Ignition Source Control
• 17.0 Waste Streams, Reuse and Disposal of Non‑Recyclable Textiles
• 18.0 Cleaning, Maintenance and Lock Out/Tag Out Procedures
• 19.0 Incident Reporting, Near Misses and Corrective Actions
• 20.0 Emergency Procedures (Fire, Chemical Exposure, Sharps Injury, Medical Emergency)
• 21.0 Training, Induction and Refresher Requirements
• 22.0 Recordkeeping, Audit and Continuous Improvement

Legislation & References

• Work Health and Safety Act 2011 (Cth) and corresponding state and territory WHS Acts
• Work Health and Safety Regulations 2011 and state/territory equivalents
• Safe Work Australia – Code of Practice: How to Manage Work Health and Safety Risks
• Safe Work Australia – Code of Practice: Hazardous Manual Tasks
• Safe Work Australia – Code of Practice: Managing the Work Environment and Facilities
• Safe Work Australia – Code of Practice: Managing Risks of Plant in the Workplace
• AS/NZS 45001:2018 Occupational health and safety management systems – Requirements with guidance for use
• AS/NZS 1269 Occupational noise management (series)
• AS/NZS 1715: Selection, use and maintenance of respiratory protective equipment
• AS/NZS 2161: Occupational protective gloves
• National Environment Protection (Movement of Controlled Waste Between States and Territories) Measure (where applicable to contaminated textiles)
• Relevant state and territory waste and resource recovery legislation and guidelines