Australia's dedicated textile marketplace helps families and businesses turn unused resources into value

As Australian households and businesses continue to feel the pressure of rising living costs, a new national marketplace is providing a practical way, beyond thrifting, to unlock value from unused textile and craft resources while contributing to a more sustainable future.

Across Australia, valuable textile and craft resources sit unused in homes, businesses, factories and deceased estates. The problem isn't that there are no buyers, after all, Australia is the world’s second highest textile consuming country. It's that buyers and sellers are scattered across various social media groups, general marketplaces and informal networks, making it difficult for buyers and sellers to find each other.

A new national marketplace aims to change that by bringing Australia's textile and creative community together in one dedicated, searchable marketplace, Weebill Online. Weebill Online established a Textile Emporium where all Australian sellers can connect with buyers that are actively looking for textiles, sewing patterns, yarn and other craft-related resources.

It is not only for businesses operating in a challenging economic environment, that the marketplace offers a new channel to connect with a highly targeted audience already interested in their product, but it also makes it easier for for someone clearing a sewing room, downsizing, or managing a deceased estate to connect with a community where their surplus will be valued.

Unlike social media posts that disappear into busy feeds, every Textile Emporium listing remains searchable by keyword and category, making it easier for buyers to find what they need.  
" Instead of thousands of Australians trading in silos," said Weebill Online founder Susanna Pieterse, " we have created a dedicated marketplace where textile and craft resources are valued, and can easily be discovered, traded or donated.  Every listing remains searchable, while people share a common interest, and all transactions contribute to a larger environmental and social impact.”

Textiles are among the most valuable resources most frequently discarded, despite it remaining viable for years. Waste to landfill, is a symptom of overproduction. By helping materials remain in circulation for longer, the marketplace supports a more circular economy, helps to reduce unnecessary waste and lessen the demand for production.

"We believe the most sustainable textile is often the one that already exists," said Susanna Pieterse, "Every piece of fabric, every sewing machine, every cone of yarn and every craft resource that is reused, is one less item potentially headed for landfill, and one less item that may need to be produced from scratch."

Importantly, the initiative has a strong social purpose, as well as an environmental one.
A portion of funds generated through the platform will support organisations working with disadvantaged women, with a particular focus on women experiencing homelessness.
By participating in the marketplace, Australians can not only recover value from resources they no longer need, but small individual actions can collectively help to reduce waste, support makers, and contribute to initiatives supporting some of the country's most vulnerable women.

About Weebill Online

Weebill Online’s Textile Emporium, is Australia's dedicated marketplace for textile and craft resources. The Textile Emporium connects households, makers, community groups, deceased estates and businesses seeking to buy, sell, donate and repurpose textile and craft related materials. Through encouraging circular reuse and community participation, the business aims to reduce waste by unlocking value from underutilised resources and generate support for organisations assisting women experiencing disadvantage, particularly women experiencing homelessness.

Mission

To create an online space to inspire and connect Australians to unlock the value of unused resources, while keeping textiles in circulation for longer and creating lasting environmental benefits as well as stronger, more inclusive communities.

Vision

To create a future where every Australian is connected through a creative circular community that trades to unlocks the value of unused resources, keeps textiles in circulation, and generates lasting environmental and social impact.