The reNEWool program is Woollykins' circular clothing initiative with a mission to extend the life of Woollykins garments, promote the importance of textile care and mending, make high-quality Woollykins clothing accessible to more families, and support local environmental and social justice initiatives.

Anna Brismar introduced the concept of "circular fashion", drawing from the principles of the circular economy in 2017. She defined it as the practice of designing, sourcing, producing, and distributing clothing, footwear, and accessories with the goal of maximising their lifespan and value in society before eventually returning them safely to the environment. Circular fashion focuses on making the very best of existing resources in the fashion industry. Its aim is not only to reduce waste during production but also to encourage more mindful consumption by promoting the idea of buying less and considering the full lifecycle of a garment.

Great question! It's worth asking your local charity shop what happens to wool clothing that isn't in "as new" condition. Over the years, we've found that much of the wool clothing received in less-than-perfect shape often gets discarded. Since wool is natural and full of nutrients, it's a favourite for insects, making it more prone to damage compared to synthetic fabrics. As a result, it's not uncommon for wool garments to need mending.

This leads to many wool items being thrown away by charity shops, which are already overwhelmed with textile donations. For years, we've been collecting imperfect wool garments from charity shops, which we then repurpose into patches for our mending kits. We aim to ensure that high-quality Woollykins garments don't meet the same fate.

Our minimally processed, organic wool clothing is meant to be mended, re-loved, and, when no longer wearable, repurposed into patches, with scraps composted. In the past, excess wool from textile mills was given to local farmers for compost as it's rich in nitrogen. Unfortunately, today, most textile waste contains harmful microplastics and toxic dyes, making responsible wool recycling more essential than ever.

If you have pre-loved Woollykins items you no longer need, we’d love for you to join our program. To get started, you’ll first need to create a customer account. Simply log in or sign up by clicking on the RENEWOOL tab at the bottom of your screen. Once registered, place a free order for the "reNEWool returns form"—this will generate an order number that you'll use when returning your garments to us. After we receive and assess the condition of the items, we’ll add points to your account—1 point = $1 (AUD). Depending on the condition, you’ll receive a percentage of the original purchase price as credit to use toward future Woollykins purchases.

Your pre-loved or unwanted Woollykins items will earn points based on their condition, as a percentage of the original purchase price:

Criteria:

• Unworn - New, unworn items (with or without tags). For these, you’ll receive 30% of the original purchase price.
  
• Pre-Loved As New - Great condition, no major signs of wear. After some reconditioning (e.g., de-pilling), we’ll list these items for resale on our website. You’ll receive 25% of the original purchase price.
  
• Pre-Loved Very Good - Slight signs of wear, possibly repaired by us. These items will go to our in-house mender for further care as needed. You’ll receive 20% of the original purchase price, and they will be listed online as “MENDED.”
  
• Pre-Loved Good - In good condition but with noticeable signs of wear (such as worn areas, holes etc). These items will need further repair, using materials we provide. We’ll assemble these as a "YOU MEND IT" kit for someone to purchase as project. You’ll receive 15% of the original purchase price.
  
• Beyond Repair Salvage - Highly worn clothing too good to waste. We’ll launder and repurpose the wool patches into our mending kits, ensuring the scraps are composted. You’ll receive 5% of the original purchase price.

We only accept items purchased from Woollykins, including:

• Knitwear – Jumpers, cardigans, and heavier knit pants

• Boiled wool garments

• Linen and hemp garments

• Rain gear

• Sleeping bags and blankets

• Nappy covers – As long as they are not overly felted or shrunken

• Children’s baselayers if in good condition (free from holes and stains). If not, they will be repurposed for Salvage (i.e. bundles or cut into patches).


We are unable to accept the following items:

• Undies
• Socks
• Shoes and slippers
• Sunhats
• Nappies and nappy products (except for Disana nappy covers in good condition)
• Items made from lambskin
• Adult thermals and thermal underwear (including garments made from fine wool or wool blends, typically 200gsm or less)
• Items not originally purchased from Woollykins

If you're unsure whether your item qualifies, please contact renewool@woollykins.com.au before sending it in. Unfortunately, we won’t be able to return garments that don’t meet our criteria.

Yes, please. We ask that all items be sent in clean. Since wool doesn’t need frequent washing, if your garment looks and smells fresh, there’s no need to wash it. However, if it’s visibly dirty, stained, or has an odour, we kindly ask that you give it a gentle hand wash before returning it. This helps us process it more efficiently, thank you!

The process takes approximately two weeks. When we receive your parcel, we freeze it for one week as a precaution against moths—an essential step for all returned clothing. After that, we assess the condition of each item, locate your original order, and allocate points to your account based on the garment's condition.

We will email you to let you know that your points have been assigned to your customer account.

For more details on what points you will get, see "How much will my pre-loved Woollykins earn?"

If your garment has extensive damage, it may not be cost-effective for us to mend it in-house. Depending on the extent of the damage, we may repurpose it into a "You Mend It" kit, where we provide materials for someone to purchase as a mending project - this will earn you 15% in points.

If the garment is beyond repair, we will salvage usable pieces for mending patches and compost the rest. In this case, you’ll receive 5% in points.

**Read the full reNEWool program terms & conditions

Woollykins will assess the condition of returned garments as fairly as possible. While there is some subjectivity in evaluating a garment's worth, our experience with creating and mending knitwear helps us understand the work involved in large repairs. If you're unsure, please email renewool@woollykins.com.au to discuss any concerns before sending in your garments.