Tue, 23 Jun 2026 00:53:13 +1000WeeblySun, 16 Aug 2020 23:20:09 GMThttp://www.stevebishop.net/how-your-donated-clothes-end-up-in-fijian-superstores/how-your-donated-clothes-end-up-in-fijian-superstoresThousands of Australians and New Zealanders are giving away “good used clothing” to a secondhand clothing empire, portrayed as earning millions of dollars, rather than to charities.

At the heart of the empire, which extends to New Zealand, Fiji and other Pacific islands, is 67-year-old Irish-born businessman George Doonan in Brisbane and another branch of the Doonan family in Auckland.

They operate a scheme which distributes pink bags to letterboxes asking for people’s help in filling the bags with “good quality clothing” and other goods to be sold “at a cheap price” to low income families or shipped to PNG tribespeople.

Web sites say that two of the second-hand clothing companies which have George Doonan as a director have revenues totalling millions of dollars a year.

One of those companies, Pacific Island Recyclers Pty Ltd, said on its facebook site in July 2017 it was selling more than 100 shipping containers a year to Fiji where its main customer is Value City.

Fijian national Vera Chute owns a chain of 16 Value City secondhand clothing “superstores”, a business started with a single store by her parents with the help of Mr Doonan 30 years ago. 

Five years ago she estimated her monthly imports of stock weighed 60 tonnes.

Pink bags distributed recently to letterboxes in Australia were labelled in large capital letters: “WE NEED YOUR HELP… ”.

And the message continued: "…By filling this bag with GOOD USED CLOTHING, TOYS, BOOKS, MAGAZINES, SHOES, HOUSEHOLD GOODS

"This collection is organised by the Clothing Recycling Centre, a commercially operated recycler which specialises in the sorting, grading, repairing and cleaning of all types of recyclable goods which are available at a cheap price to low income families or shipped to Papua New Guinea where there is a great need for cheap clothing especially to the tribespeople in the Highlands.”

Finally, in big type: “YOUR HELP IS APPRECIATED”.

Trucks collect the filled bags from kerbsides.

On the Australian Business Register The Clothing Recycling Centre is listed under ABN 84 055 646 770 and a holding company, Chute Industries Australia Pty Ltd, which is also the holding company of Pacific Islands Clothing Recycle Centre.

The Australian Securities and Investment Commission gives the address for documents for Chute Industries Australia as PO Box 343 New Farm, Queensland 4005. 

In the White Pages Chute Industries is listed as 3358 2808, a house at 194 Heal Street, New Farm, QLD, 4005 which is also the listing for G Doonan  3254 1833. 194 Heal St New Farm QLD 4005.

The principal place of business is given as: 2/37 Unwin Street St Moorooka QLD 4105.

Chute Industries has an advertisement on the Alibaba website with Mr George Doonan as the contact for sales. It says in Dutch “Totale jaarlijkse omzet” (Total Annual Sales) are between US$2.5 million and 5 million   Goods are sold in 11.5 ton container loads. Price US$ 8.711,00 -
US$ 10.818,50

The second company under the Chute Industries holding company is Pacific Islands Clothing Recycle Centre of Melbourne which, according to Zoom Info, has revenue of “$3 million”.

With George Doonan as a director, it appears on the internet as Pacific Island Recyclers Pty. Ltd. Its website says: "George…has a wealth of experience in this industry having owned and operated a number of substantial enterprises in Australia since 1974 and has been involved in collection, warehousing and exporting of goods to a number of countries around the world.

"George is a Director of both Pacific Island Recyclers Pty. Ltd. and the related entity Supreme Textiles Pty. Ltd. and his contributions to the Board of Management discussions reflect these extensive experiences for over 40 years."

It boasts: "We have a focus on quality in all aspects of our operations from the methods of collections through to the accurate shipping of finished product to our international clients.

"Our clothing is sourced from high-income areas around Australia, including Melbourne, Brisbane, Sydney and Adelaide in suburbs which provide stock of excellent quality.

"The collected garments are sold by weight, in various mixes. These mixes include both 1st and 2nd grade clothing for men, women and children as well as a variety of linen, Manchester, accessories and lingerie. 

"We export high quality recycled clothing from Australia to Asia, Africa, the Pacific, The Middle East and Europe.

"Bales, packs and boxes are loaded for export into shipping containers. These containers may be either 20 or 40 ft GP (general purpose), or 20 or 40 ft High Cube."

One of the three directors is Vera Chute, who runs the Fiji chain of Value City “superstores”. The website says: "Vera has been extensively involved with this industry for over 25 years and her expertise is evident in her capabilities in developing new export markets, establishing successful retail operations in Fiji and a number of Pacific Islands and wholesaling products to other established retail networks."

The website contains a testimonial from Christine M. ‘Uta’atu, managing director of Value City (Tonga) Pty. Ltd., who says: "Our customers tell us their friends are jealous of the brands of clothes they are able to buy."

Value City has four warehouses in Fiji, 200 employees and franchises in Samoa, Tonga and Kiribati with goods bought from suppliers in Brisbane and Melbourne as well as New Zealand.

The quality of clothes from street collections is so good that Value City holds “corporate nights” to give specially-invited clients exclusive access to the best new stock when it arrives.

Older stock is sold for as little as AU$5 a bag. And Ms Chute says her business has donated clothes and other goods to islands hit by disasters.

Mr Doonan also operates a scheme which offers schools $400 for a tonne of clothing collected by students. It has the same contact number (1300 736373) as given on the pink bags.

He  is also a director of PNG Recycled Clothing Centre which collects and exports  “good quality secondhand clothing”, bric-a-brac toys, shoes, books and magazines from Queensland, Victoria and NSW in containers.

Mr Doonan says half goes to buyers from warehouses and dealers in PNG, Fiji, Tonga, Solomon Islands and Samoa and the other half: "is given to churches of all denominations, charities and other organisations free of charge."

The company is also registered in Papua New Guinea with local man Kris Kopyoto as a fellow director.

Together, they are directors of Yamilon Investment Ltd, along with Thomas Henry Doolan, from the New Zealand branch of the Doonan family.

Mr Kopyoto is also a director of Auckland Rags (PNG) Ltd in which Grant James Doonan of New Zealand is a director.

Thomas Henry Doonan and Grant James Doonan are directors of The Textile Recycling Centre in Auckland, New Zealand, incorporated in 1969. It was originally known as Supreme Textiles Ltd (the same name as the Melbourne company).

Grant James Doonan is also a director of a New Zealand company called The Clothing Recycling Centre 

And, according to Companies NZ: "He is, or was, associated with six  or more companies including: The Textile Recycling Centre Ltd, The Rag Company Ltd. Avalon Textile Waste Co Ltd, Savemart Ltd, Inlet Rentals Ltd."

According to Companies NZ: "Thomas Henry DOONAN…is, or was, associated with five or more companies including: Recycled Clothing Ltd, The Textile Recycling Centre Ltd, Savemart Ltd, The Rag Company Ltd, Doonan's Cleaning Rag Service Ltd."

The New Zealand Herald reported in 2003: "The country's biggest operator is Tom Doonan of Textile Recycling, with 22 stores and a rags business.

"He collects through the pink plastic Child Cancer Foundation bags and drop-off bins and also imports good sellers like second-hand Levis. He also exports: used New Zealand clothes end up in Papua New Guinea and woolly jumpers become blankets in India.

"'We take just about anything that can be recycled but we've still got quantities coming through the door,' he said.

"People were aware of the fact that clothes put into the Child Cancer Foundation bags did not just go to charity shops but were collected on their behalf for a percentage of the profits. 'That way, the charities made more money than trying to do it themselves,' said Mr Doonan."

He is a director, with Grant James Doonan, of Savemart Ltd, which has 29 recycled clothing stores in New Zealand where, until a 2017 exposé, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern shopped.

With these worldwide markets it’s no wonder that the final words on the pink bag are
"YOUR HELP IS APPRECIATED. THANK YOU."

*Mr Doonan did not respond to an invitation to contribute to this article.

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