Laura Gransbury

• Founder of Cinch Textiles
• Environmental Consultant
• Circular Economy advocate and specialist

Hello – I am Laura 

I am the Founder of Cinch Textiles, a local textile business passionate about reducing waste and increasing the lifespan of textiles.   

At Cinch Textiles, we work with individuals and community groups to provide advice and hands-on skills to repair and bring new life to textile items – such as clothing, home décor items (cushions, curtains, rugs) and accessories (handbags, shoes). We also work with businesses seeking consultation to improve their uniform sustainability lifecycle, from procurement to destruction. 

My love of textiles started from a young age – my earlier memories are sewing dolly clothing when I was six years old and being surrounded by family members (my nan in particular) who taught me all about sewing and mending. It was not until I was older that I became passionate about the industry and aware of the impact of textile production and the subsequent waste.

Australians are estimated to purchase 27kg of new textiles annually and discard 23kg (based on individual purchases and not industry consumption. Overall, we import 1,000,000 tonnes, an average of 40kg per person. A whopping 60,000 tonnes of textiles are sent to landfills annually by charities alone – not even counting the amount that ends up in the landfill of developing countries through offshoring. A conservative estimate is that South Australia send 40,000 tonnes of textiles to landfill each year, but this is impossible to measure accurately.

Cinch Textiles is in the process of setting up a MicroRecycling Facility in Adelaide to reduce the carbon footprint of textile recycling, support the local economy, and ensure sustainable handling of textiles. This facility will house an industrial textile shredder that will convert unsalvageable garments into fiberfill that can then be utilised by small businesses and other consumers to fill sewn items.    
 
I look forward to assisting you with all of your textile and mending questions!

I can help you with:

• Fixing and repairing damaged upholstery 
• Mending advice, including advice for rugs, cushions and curtain repair  
• Patching and darning clothes 
• Ideas for giving old garments new life 
• Sewing and alterations advice  
• Product sourcing  
• Dying clothing  
• Advice on different stitching techniques  
• Working with you to problem solve your textile questions or challenge 

Top Tip:

A quick stitch now can save an afternoon of mending later!