When Yesha Patel was made redundant from her corporate job 18 months ago, she knew it was a sign to commit fully to her idea to stop unwanted clothes ending up in landfill.
Today, After – the start-up the 28-year-old Auckland entrepreneur began as a side hustle during COVID lockdown – now partners with around 300 businesses and councils across Australia and New Zealand, offering Auckland households a convenient home-pick-up service for old garments and fabric.
Once the goods are collected, After transports the goods to India, where they are turned into reusable yarn.
Explains Yesha, “It was kind of like a sign from the universe that said, ‘This is it, you’re going for it.’ If I could change something, I would have left my job sooner. When I decided not to look for another full-time role and go all in on After, I saw results immediately.”
The idea that started it all
The idea for the business came to her six years ago. While living in Melbourne and pursuing her Master of Entrepreneurship, Yesha decided to cull her old clothes.
“I was clearing out my wardrobe and had a pile of stuff that was just too far gone,” she tells.
“I couldn’t donate it, but it didn’t feel right to throw it in the bin. I used to be the problem, though. I bought fast fashion without really thinking about where it came from or where it went.”
Unable to find anywhere to put her unwanted, unsellable items, except in a landfill, she set about launching After, which accepts everything from clothing and worn socks, to old bedding and manky pillows.
“My eyes were opened to the textile waste problem,” says Yesha.
“I found out just how much we’re wasting on this side of the world. Every 10 minutes in New Zealand, we’re throwing away 3800 kilos of textiles into landfill, while Australia is even worse.”
The problem hiding in plain sight
After discovering Aotearoa alone produces a staggering 200,000 tonnes of textile waste every year, and synthetic fabric persists in landfill for up to 500 years, Yesha decided to put her energy into solving “a crisis hiding in plain sight”.
She explains, “We all wear clothes, every single one of us. But it just didn’t seem like anyone was doing anything and nobody was really talking about it. “All the rage was around plastic waste and other kinds
of waste, which are also huge streams. It just felt bizarre to me that it was so hard to do something with clothes I couldn’t donate.”
The entrepreneurial spirit runs in Yesha’s veins. When her parents moved from Gujarat, India, to Auckland in the early ’90s, her father Jatin worked as an accountant. He eventually became a partner before going on to buy the firm.
The support from her dad
“It taught him a lot about resilience, backing yourself, and taking on pressure and risks,” she says.
“Those are all big traits of entrepreneurs.”
Yesha says her dad pushes her to strive for success.
She laughs, “Even when I do well, he’s still like, ‘OK, cool, now what? Like, what’s next?’ Typical South Asian parents! “However, I do see it as a blessing. I wasn’t asked to fit into the usual mould of things. It wasn’t, ‘Oh, you have to be a doctor or an engineer.’ I was pushed to do my own thing and make my mark. “He also taught my sister and I to give back through volunteering. He and my mum have always helped at their local hospice, washing dishes and preparing dinner. “With their typical immigrant story of struggle, my dad was always about going the extra mile. I looked up to that and draw on his influence, especially when the odds are stacked against me.”
The future of fashion waste
Yesha hopes After sparks people to get involved with a different type of economy, where materials and products are kept in use for as long as possible through reuse, repair, refurbishment and recycling, minimising waste and resource extraction.
“A circular economy designs out waste from the very beginning,” she says.
“You’re thinking about the end of a garment’s life at the start of the process.”
Alongside partnering with big companies, such as Lorna Jane and Bec & Bridge, After is also a source of relief for Auckland families wanting to do their bit for the environment. Their pricing starts at $4 per kilo for a 10kg bag of clothes. The more you have to donate, the cheaper the price per kilo gets.
“It shouldn’t cost you an arm and a leg to recycle,” says Yesha.
“If it costs too much, nobody’s going to do it, so this was the best way to start.”
To learn more about how to donate your clothing waste, go to after.net.nz.
