Waste Not: MCEC and SisterWorks Give Old Textiles New Purpose

Imagine starting over in a foreign country without knowing the language, how to earn a living or navigate the systems to support your new life.

For many migrant, refugee and asylum-seeker women arriving in Australia, it’s a scenario that’s all too common. It’s also isolating, disempowering and precisely the reason why Luz Restrepo formally founded SisterWorks in 2013.

Since those humble beginnings, the not-for-profit enterprise has grown significantly. Today, it has supported more than 3,500 women – known as “Sisters” – helping them build essential skills, secure jobs and find a welcoming community.

Building Employment Pathways

SisterWorks offers several core programs that equip women to train and find jobs in hospitality, customer service, small business, and warehousing and manufacturing. Through one of these initiatives, a relationship blossomed with MCEC, leading to several Sisters securing employment in food and beverage roles across our venue.

“MCEC is quite a special partnership for us on the employment side,” says Shamila Gopalan, SisterWorks’ Chief Commercial Officer. “Giving employment to migrant and refugee Sisters is core to why SisterWorks exists.”

More than 85% of program participants secure a job within six months. “For many, this is their first job in Australia and it provides vital economic empowerment.” Shamila explains. “When women earn an income, the benefits ripple outwards, strengthening not just their families, but the broader community.”

Now, that collaboration is evolving into exciting new territory centred on a shared commitment towards a sustainable future.

Closing the Loop on Uniform Waste

Managing a venue the size and scale of MCEC requires a large event workforce – and a lot of uniforms. Historically, once those uniforms reached the end of their working life, they are recycled into new yarn or made into rugs, felt and carpet underlay or cement pellets.

Now, a portion of MCEC’s approximately 560 kilograms of annual uniform textile waste is getting a second life as a MCEC-specific product. Apron ties might become the handles of a bag. Old shirts are cut and stitched into durable totes.

SisterWorks manufactures products at its Springvale Manufacturing Hub as part of its CircularWorks social enterprise, which transforms materials, like old tarps, banners and uniforms, into functional products with lasting social and environmental impact. Each product is cut, sewn, stamped or embossed by Sisters.

To kickstart the design process, the teams workshopped ideas around a simple question: What would actually get used? It’s not about creating things for their own sake, says Shamila. Instead, each product needs to genuinely serve a purpose.

“The last thing we want is to take waste and make it waste again,” Shamila emphasises. “The whole point of upcycling is to extend a textile’s lifecycle. Eventually, it may still reach landfill or be recycled, but our goal is to delay that endpoint significantly.”

While still in the prototype phase, once created these items will be used as gifts for some of MCEC’s valued stakeholders.

Sustainability in Action

The initiative is a natural extension of MCEC’s Sustainability and Impact Strategy. Our vision? To set the global standard for sustainable venues and events, while remaining deeply connected to the city in which we operate.

As Miriam Pape, Manager Sustainability and Impact at MCEC, explains: “This partnership is a great example of doing just that. It demonstrates MCEC’s commitment to reducing our environmental impact through repurposing and recycling, while investing in a community organisation that supports migrant women into employment in Victoria.”

To measure progress, SisterWorks provides a report detailing the volume of textiles repurposed, emissions avoided and the social impact return on investment.

“We all know where the planet is heading, and it’s quite concerning overall with climate change and everything else going on,” says Shamila.

“Large organisations play a very big part in trying to contribute towards saving the planet; that’s fundamental. For MCEC and SisterWorks, addressing textile waste is a fantastic step in doing our bit to save the planet we live in.”

Want to learn more about sustainability at MCEC? Explore Our Impact