A Melbourne-based startup that has diverted 15 tonnes of textile waste from landfills while servicing almost 1000 households and businesses has grown its revenue by 327% in FY24 compared to FY23.
After, a textile recovery and recycling business, was co-founded by Yesha Patel and Nehal Jain after they couldn’t find convenient and transparent options for responsibly disposing of their clothes.
“As someone who appreciates fashion, I faced a dilemma when clearing out my wardrobe,” Patel tells SmartCompany. The 26-year-old Kiwi Indian leveraged her Master’s degree in entrepreneurship to address the problem of textile waste and founded After.
“It was during the peak of Melbourne lockdowns in 2021 that I started to test the idea in my 5km travel radius, offering free clothing pick-ups from strangers. From there, I started to chat with more people who resonated with the problem and expressed the need for a service like this.
“This led to creating a service alongside our customers, suiting their needs,” Patel says.
After caters to both businesses and households, offering doorstep collection for unwearable and end-of-life items.
This includes torn, worn, stained clothes, and even socks with holes. Customers can visit the After website to book a collection and choose the amount they’d like to recycle.
“We run monthly collections, and bookings are available 24/7,” the founders share.
“Businesses can schedule collections of up to 100kg each month, and for larger amounts, we offer one-off collection and drop-off options. Plus, through our Recycle Rewards program, customers earn rewards every time they book a collection with us,” says Jain, who has previously worked at major tech firms like Atlassian and Microsoft, and climate tech initiatives like Phantm.
Customers receive discount codes to use with their choice of sustainable brand partners – “an initiative that’s a first in Australia,” according to the founders.
Expanding on the challenges they’ve faced as founders in the sustainability industry, Patel and Jain share: “One of the biggest challenges is the high standard of perfection often expected in the recycling and sustainability industries”.
“There’s this idea that you need to have it all figured out from day one, which can be incredibly intimidating and even demotivating for those just starting out. The reality is that sustainability is a journey, and like many others, we’re far from perfect,” they say.
“However, we believe in making progress over striving for perfection.”
After, which has been bootstrapped to date, is “about taking meaningful steps forward, learning, and improving as we go”.
“Every bit of textile waste we divert from landfill is a step in the right direction, and that’s what keeps us motivated,” they shared.
At the same time, individuals should remember “recycling is not a free pass to continue buying excessively,” says Jain.
“The fast fashion industry thrives on the production of cheap, quickly-made clothing, encouraging a culture of overconsumption and disposability. This constant cycle of buying and discarding has led to an enormous increase in textile waste, much of which ends up in landfills or incinerators,” Patel shares.
Despite the exponential growth of ultra-fast fashion brands, a Textile Exchange report found only 1% of textiles are currently being recycled globally into new clothes.
“This has created a disconnect between consumers and the true cost of their clothing, not just in terms of dollars but also in environmental impact. The sheer volume of clothes produced and discarded makes it difficult for recycling and sustainable initiatives to keep up.
“Moreover, the low-quality materials used in fast fashion often result in poorer quality recycled outputs, making it even harder to effectively manage textile waste”, she tells SmartCompany.
“The system is broken, with rampant overproduction and overconsumption still very much in existence. Our goal is to encourage mindful consumption and emphasise that recycling should be a last resort, not a justification for overconsumption or overproduction,” Jain adds.
After, which has now expanded to three cities – Melbourne, Sydney and Auckland in New Zealand – pegs its annual recurring revenue for FY24 for households at 48% and businesses at 55%.
“We have bold plans for After, with goals set to become the one-stop shop for unwearable textile waste recovery and redistribution. We’re looking to partner with large businesses and increase our volume impact and save even more textiles from landfills.
“Aussies throw away 6000 kg every 10 minutes, making us the second worst in the world. We exist to disrupt and revolutionise the way we dispose of our unwearable textiles,” Patel shares.
After has participated in various high-performing programs like the Wade Institute’s Showcase Pitch Night, Blackbird’s Giants Cohort “where we’ve had the chance to pitch After and receive valuable feedback”.
“Being surrounded by other driven founders and innovative startups has consistently pushed us to perform at our best,” they share.
The startup has also been leveraging social media platforms like Instagram and Facebook to engage with the community and expand After’s reach.
https://www.instagram.com/p/C_cnmLpiScE/
“These platforms not only allow us to create brand awareness but also serve as vital channels for providing free educational content about sustainability and the circular economy.
“Through targeted campaigns, interactive posts, and community-building activities, we’ve been able to amplify our message, foster connections with our audience, and drive meaningful action towards reducing textile waste,” Patel shares.
And for founders wanting to kickstart their own journey, they have some solid advice which begins with seeking out “high-performing environments”.
“There’s tremendous growth and learning to be gained from engaging with others who are equally passionate and driven”, Patel says.
“My advice is to not be afraid to put yourself out there; every experience, whether a success or a challenge, offers valuable lessons and opportunities for growth.”
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Prior to joining SmartCompany, Mrinaal was the content head at Lawctopus. She has a dual degree in business and law, with a Masters in constitutional law. You can follow her on Twitter at @mrinaaldatt.
