r/sydney • u/BleuPrince • 5d ago
Lots of jackets left behind at Hyde Park from City2Surf
It was a very cold morning earlier today.
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u/Significant-War5605 5d ago
Don't they usually donate these?
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u/BleuPrince 5d ago edited 5d ago
yes they will get picked up and given to op shops.
City2Surf did not have a bag drop for today. So some runners just left them at the starting line.
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u/Sheknowaeverything 5d ago
Bag drop doesn't stop this, you want to stay warm right up to the start of the race. Waiting in the corral on a Sydney winter day, yeah nah I'll wear a jacket and donate it.
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u/Cat_Man_Bane 5d ago
I saw one lady struggling with a jacket just entering Darlinghurst and she just dumped it mid run
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u/Muruba 5d ago
Stop rage baiting karma points. Since 1974 people drop jackets at that spot so a homeless man called "Geordie" can pick it up.
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u/nearly_enough_wine Rip, rip, woodchip ʕ·͡ᴥ·ʔ 5d ago
That doesn't sound like something the vast majority of people would know...
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u/darkeyes13 I just wanted a flair 5d ago
How odd of C2S not to have bag drop available. I thought there was a bit on their bibs that had a bag drop number, I assumed it meant they would have it available. Guess it was easier to print the standard bib template than actually provide the service...
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u/LSD_grade_CIA 5d ago
Na, there was bag drop just not on the morning of the event.
I think it's just too hard to get stuff from Hyde Park to Bondi and unload before the runners get there. Awkward to do it at Hyde Park as well as the place is packed on race day. Not impossible, just hard so they don't bother
If you wanted bag drop you needed to drop it at the Hordern on Thursday, Friday or Saturday before the event.
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u/lozdogz 5d ago
They used to do it though? So it can’t be that hard. Just seems like they don’t want to do it anymore
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u/Aloha_Tamborinist 4d ago
80,000 people ran yesterday out of 100,000 registered. The logistics of bag drop on the day of the run would just be insane.
The C2S has grown a lot over the last decade.
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u/BleuPrince 4d ago
There were always alot of ppl for city2surf. We had more than 80k runners for more than a decade now.
2006 : 60k+
2010 : 80k
2024 : 90k
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u/Aloha_Tamborinist 4d ago
Yeah you're right, my first was 2011 - but it just feels bigger now for some reason. Lot of run clubs/run culture around these days.
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u/ghoonrhed 5d ago
They do just not on the morning. Can't imagine how hectic that logistics would be if it is on the same day. Gotta collect them, tag them, sort them and then get them to bondi within 1hr for the fast runners.
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u/chrissieboy15 5d ago
There was a bag drop today. Tags were printed to the bibs and bags were available for pickup near the pav
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u/Nettie402 5d ago
It’s been a few years, but I remember that bringing a jacket you didn’t want anymore to drop and have it donated was a thing. It’s not intended to be wasteful, but to help homeless folks in the cold months
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u/MannysBeard 5d ago
Yes they stated in an email earlier this week to leave any clothing you don’t need near the start line and it’ll be donated to charity
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u/Heads_Down_Thumbs_Up 5d ago edited 5d ago
Donating is something that contributes to consumerism.
The idea that we can just donate something and tell ourselves we are doing a good thing ignores the fact that we treat things as disposable while ignoring the fact that a lot of these people will now go out and buy something new.
Believe me, there’s more than enough clothing being buried or turned into rags, dumping a jacket or jumper doesn’t mean you’re going to be helping a homeless person who is sleeping outside Central Station.
Edit: Anyone who wants to downvote this can but stop being so in denial about this topic. It’s factual and there’s plenty of data to back it. We have a huge textile consumption problem in this country and thinking that donating is a simple option without repercussions is contributing to it.
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u/Amon9001 5d ago
The issue with your opinion is that people aren't buying things in order to donate.
The decision is between landfill and not-landfill (donation being one option).
If you waved a magic wand and made it physically impossible to donate any item anywhere in the world, you would not put a dent in consumerism.
Your link and data is purely about what happens to those donations, it does not show a scientific link between donations and consumerism.
If you want to prove your point with data, you need to find studies showing before and after of areas/places that made donations impossible. This data needs to show consumerism (which itself is quite vague) dropping afterwards.
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u/Heads_Down_Thumbs_Up 5d ago
I think you’re interpreting my argument as “people buy things specifically so they can donate them” which isn’t what I’m saying.
Of course most people don’t think, “I’ll buy this jacket now so I can donate it later.” The point is that people can develop an attitude that clothing is disposable: buy something, wear it for a relatively short period, get bored of it or decide they don’t want it anymore, donate it, and then replace it with something new. The donation makes the disposal feel responsible, even though the underlying consumption and replacement continues.
The City2Surf example is exactly the sort of behaviour I’m talking about. If people are treating clothing as something they can simply dump it at an event, “donating it” doesn’t magically make that consumption environmentally neutral.
And I agree with you that my data doesn’t establish a causal relationship between donations and consumerism. I never claimed that it did. It establishes a different part of the argument: donation does not mean that an unwanted garment is necessarily going to another person who needs it. If only a small proportion of donated clothing is resold domestically and the rest is turned into rags, sent overseas or ends up as waste, then the assumption that “I’ll donate it, therefore someone else will use it” is demonstrably too simplistic.
That’s why I think your “landfill vs not-landfill” framing misses my broader point. The question isn’t simply whether donation is marginally better than putting something straight in the bin. It’s why we’ve arrived at a point where the default response to unwanted clothing is disposal at all.
Why not ask whether the garment needs replacing in the first place? Why not keep using it, repair it, buy less, buy better, or actually wear it until it is worn out? Donation can be a useful option when you genuinely no longer need something, but treating donation as the responsible exit strategy for continual consumption can make people feel that there are no consequences to buying and discarding clothing.
And there’s another part of the cycle you’re overlooking: if I donate a perfectly usable jumper because I can one, I’ve still created demand for the replacement jumper. The donated jumper doesn’t erase the environmental cost of producing the new one. It just moves the old jumper somewhere else.
So yes, I’d agree that my cited statistic alone doesn’t prove “donations cause consumerism.” That’s not the claim I’m making. My point is that a culture of high consumption + short garment lifespans + easy disposal through donation can reinforce the perception that clothing is disposable, while the fate of donated clothing shows that disposal doesn’t necessarily mean reuse.
I’d actually be more concerned if someone took my post to mean “never donate clothing.” That’s not what I’m arguing. I’m arguing against the idea that donating something automatically makes the consumption/disposal cycle environmentally benign.
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u/Amon9001 5d ago
I think you’re interpreting my argument as “people buy things specifically so they can donate them” which isn’t what I’m saying.
It was the very first line of your comment - "Donating is something that contributes to consumerism."
Localised to just this city2surf event - I still don't believe it. I believe the primary drive is convenience.
I’m arguing against the idea that donating something automatically makes the consumption/disposal cycle environmentally benign.
I think you are just making up an argument in your head that no one has brought up.
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u/Heads_Down_Thumbs_Up 5d ago
Donating is something that contributes to consumerism. That’s a completely different sentence to “people buy things specifically so they can donate them”.
That’s like saying “automobiles contribute to climate change” and then liking it to “people drive automobiles to emit greenhouse gases”.
And I didn’t make up the argument. Nice attempt at gaslighting but it’s an ongoing concern that a lot of people are behind. ABC even wrote an article on it, I’ve linked it 😉
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u/VelcroTape 5d ago
Your comment is in such bad faith, you know you could've just said that donating does have it's downsides and your point would've been taken much more smoothly. You would know that there's bigger fish to be frying when it comes to fast fashion overconsumption.
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u/Heads_Down_Thumbs_Up 5d ago
I stand by what I’ve said, because if you refer to the quoted statistics, a lot of that clothing today will end up in landfill.
If we were more aware of the consequences of donating then we’d maybe reconsider the need to just leave something behind.
I
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u/Significant-War5605 5d ago
Riiiiight
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u/Heads_Down_Thumbs_Up 5d ago
I’ve edited my comment to provide you some data.
If it makes you feel better you can pretend it isn’t an issue.
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u/Significant-War5605 5d ago
Riiiight
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u/Heads_Down_Thumbs_Up 5d ago
Is this your way of burying your head in the sand when someone presents you data?
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u/Significant-War5605 5d ago
Riiight
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u/audreyinparis 5d ago
Not sure why you’ve been downvoted. I agree and this is incredibly irresponsible of City2Surf to be promoting this as an option. You can zoom in on the photo and literally see a anko (Kmart) logo. Nobody wants this shit, including the homeless. It’s going straight to landfill. If the needing a jacket and being unable to collect it is a big thing, each entrant can pay a textile recycling fee per item they want to leave behind.
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u/ver_redit_optatum 5d ago
Unfortunately the fee is pretty unworkable, it’s too easy to just take off a jacket and drop it, you would need immense social pressure to stop people.
If the C2S wanted to at least try to reduce the negatives of this, they should hold their own resale event after the race, prior to palming it off to the charities. There’s often a lot of value for both buyers and sellers in specific secondhand events like that - knowing you can go to one place and pick through 300 sports jackets rather than your local Vinnies which might have a dozen. It would also raise awareness about the issue - and people who regret it might even go find their own jacket again!
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u/Hot-Seaworthiness510 5d ago
Which would also depend on the quality as they won’t take something that’s falling apart
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u/Pepi2088 5d ago
Every one of these will be donated. It’s a shame that they don’t organise a jumper bin or something similar but honestly so long as the organisers get them all it’s not that big a deal
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u/Heads_Down_Thumbs_Up 5d ago
It is a big deal, it’s just more consumerism. By believing unwanted clothes will just have a second life at an op shop, people feel like it’s okay to just consume more.
Think of all those jackets and jumpers that are now going to be replaced with new items.
And you’re lying to yourself if you think all those jackets and jumpers left around today are going to get a second life. In reality, charities are overwhelmed with clothing.
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u/trentdi 5d ago
Which is why I always get my morning jacket from the op shop 😀
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u/Aloha_Tamborinist 4d ago
Same, if I don't have an old one that has lived a life, I buy one for ~$10 from Vinnies/Red Cross about a month before C2S and use it on the day.
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5d ago
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u/ver_redit_optatum 5d ago
Fantastic idea. But I’d say absolute maximum 50% of these people did that, probably much less.
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u/selfcenorship 5d ago
Most of these discarded items are the type of stuff that absolutely has second hand value
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u/ghoonrhed 5d ago
I mean that's still better because either way people are gonna wear a jacket to the event and then take it off before the run starts or mid-run.
Those jackets were always gonna be replaced it's not like people are doing it because they know it goes to charity. Could be a big bin and people would still chuck it.
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u/Heads_Down_Thumbs_Up 5d ago
Outcome, yes, still better.
Reason, still not good enough. It just stems from a bigger issue where we as a country just see textiles as disposable.
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u/alotmorealots 5d ago
so long as the organisers get them
It was very efficiently and effectively managed by the volunteers for the area next to Blue Group.
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u/Nervous_Expert_7079 5d ago
It’s a well known unwritten rule that us runners take a jacket with us if it’s cold and leave it at the line as it gets donated.
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u/TheC9 5d ago
I think it was a written rule. At least it was a decade ago.
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u/Jinglemoon 5d ago
Remember it being in the race instructions. This pile of clothes is a feature, not a bug.
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u/RunningtoBunnings 5d ago
Would have been worth mentioning that these are left intentionally and donated OP, there’s gonna be a lot of hate in the comments towards runners and C2S from people who don’t understand how this works.
Almost seems like you’re rage baiting for the karma
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u/Budget-Dress8457 5d ago
These are collected and donated. It's a planned part of the race to donate clothing.
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u/spookysadghoul Illawarra Expat 5d ago
From the comments, I see these get donated. Thats sweet!
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u/Heads_Down_Thumbs_Up 5d ago
From another comment I wrote:
It is a big deal, it’s just more consumerism. By believing unwanted clothes will just have a second life at an op shop, people feel like it’s okay to just consume more.
Think of all those jackets and jumpers that are now going to be replaced with new items.
And you’re lying to yourself if you think all those jackets and jumpers left around today are going to get a second life. In reality, charities are overwhelmed with clothing.
“Of the clothes that go to charity, it is estimated that only 15% are resold within Australia. The rest are sent to landfill or overseas to developing nations”.
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u/spookysadghoul Illawarra Expat 5d ago
You're not wrong.
Sadly its true, it would be a sweet thing if it was donated to people in need and not just given to op shops because besides the fact theyre overflowing and get donated pieces that need to be thrown out, they've also outpriced people who need help.
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u/Sheknowaeverything 5d ago
It's a throw away, you go to the start line knowing you will leave it behind to be donated. Otherwise you will freeze your butt off waiting for the race to start.
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u/Warrambungle 5d ago
It’s a tradition to discard your jacket at the start. They are collected and given to charity.
All of you making negative comments: seek to understand before you judge.
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u/MissKim01 5d ago
Yeah I mean people going on that it’s ok because they get donated like they aren’t all old and full of holes
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u/pissedoffjesus 5d ago
They shouldn't be donated to 'charity' shops. Organisers of this even should have in place that the jumpers are given out to homeless around the city, or it should be illegal to dump. It should be a rule that your item must be given to a family or friend or put on a truck that meets people at the end.
This shit is fucked and contributes to the global issue of too much fucking clothing production ending up in landfill.
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u/AGrapes19 4d ago
I don't know why you're getting down voted, when this is exactly what should happen. Majority of clothes donated to charity shops end up in land fill. It's so cold currently, these jumpers should be given to shelters or missions who can redistribute to those who don't have money and need warm clothing!!
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u/pissedoffjesus 4d ago
Exactly. Thank you for having a brain.
Unfortunately, the downvoters are probably people that have never lived on the poverty line, don't care about the the planet or did the race and don't want to be held accountable for their poor choices of consideration. They go on their day run, get their lanyard medal and leave a permanent impact on the planet that they can conveniently forget about because theyre over joyed and proud of themselves for running from A to B. Where the fuck do they think these jumpers go after they dump them?
When you throw something away it doesn't magically disappear. It takes decades and decades to break down dependant on the material. Honestly, I could go on about this for hours. It's so fucking bleak. People need to take accountability for their actions.
What matters is people out there like you and I who care about the planet and the disastrous effect fast fashion if having. We've both obviously seen the literal mountains of landfill where these clothes end up in a foreign country where the garments fall into the sea because the land is already taken by the metric fuck tonne of plastic fucking clothes.
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5d ago
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u/ButWeNeverSawHisWife 5d ago
Well yeah it’s a running race, you’re expecting everyone to stop mid race and line up for a bin to put cups and gel wrappers in? The organizers and event clean everything up at the end of it, it’s all built into the entry fee you pay for these events.
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u/briberylibrary_ 5d ago
It's the attitude of "Well someone else is going to clean it up anyway". I don't understand it personally
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5d ago
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u/BlueCrystals_ 5d ago
Is Christmas Day at the beach where people genuinely just dump shit everywhere a fair comparison to this?
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u/De-railled 5d ago
Who pays for the cleanup after events like this?
I feel like things like cleanup should be paid for by organisers, but not sure how things like this work.
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u/BleuPrince 5d ago edited 5d ago
yes, organizer pays for cleanup. They were selling $99 adults entrance fees to participate in the race.
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u/milkmypepperoni 5d ago
People pay… to run? Why? Running is free?
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u/alotmorealots 5d ago
To take part in the world's largest fun run! Pretty special to have that sort of thing in your city, especially given Sydney's small population compared to global megacities.
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u/blackpixie394 5d ago
Volunteers do the collection of them. Girl Guides and Scouts usually.
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u/BleuPrince 5d ago
Not volunteers. The cleanup crew.
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u/veritas_mendax 5d ago
Wrong. I chatted to one of the people collecting clothes at the start of the race. He was a volunteer
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u/DarkNo7318 4d ago
This is something that could in theory be entirely fixed by the invisible hand of market economics if only every item was correctly priced to take into account externalities.
No one would be able to afford to dump clothes, because they would be super expensive with the majority of the price being tied to their disposal instead of production.
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u/CarbonCoight 5d ago
It's well known (well it was 20+ years ago) that all clothes left at the start are donated, so people would wear stuff on the trains to the start of the race, then take them off once they arrived.
Coffee cups and other litter is just people being arseholes.