Upcycling: How Australians are turning trash into cash

Australia produces almost 76m tonnes of solid waste each year, but some shrewd entrepreneurs are learning how to profit from it.

Someone else’s trash could be your treasure. Picture: supplied/Steffen Saggau

Are you sick to death of being told that optimism, humour and “having a crack” are useless in today’s world? If so, read on.

Australia produces almost 76m tonnes of solid waste each year, according to figures from the 2018-2019 financial year Waste Account report by the Australian Bureau of Statistics – a full 10 per cent increase on the two years prior.

Over half of all waste was sent for recycling (38.5m tonnes), while 27 per cent was sent to landfill (20.5m tonnes) – but don’t worry, this is a good news story.

RELATED: No compromise: downsize your home, not your life

The most dangerous spots around your home revealed

Landscape guru’s plan to tackle midlife garden meltdown

Reverse Garbage is now 48 years old. Every year the recycling and resource centre accepts 35,000 cubic metres of items doomed for landfill and encourages people from all walks of life to come and get it, use it and love it.

Daniel Archie is making money from upcycling. Picture: supplied

Archie upcycles everything from skateboards to chopsticks.

Australians are becoming ever more skilled at turning waste into wonders. “Grannies were doing this forever,” according to Reverse Garbage chief executive Kirsten Junor.

“We just lost some of the skills over a few recent generations.

“Somewhere along the last three years, there has been a wake-up call … and it’s the young people that can see that something has to change,” Juror says.

“They are the ones who are in here now, wanting to upcycle and reuse and that gives me hope.”  

“Being creative, making something out of nothing, is a chance for multi-generations and extended families to work on a project together, sharing skills and optimism.

“You need a champion,” says Junor. “(Someone) who has the vision, who can make it happen.”

Kirsten Junor says young people need to learn the value of upcycling.. Picture: supplied

Junor says that she sees kids who don’t know how to use scissors – the same folk who grow up not knowing how to sand back, repaint or reimagine old furniture into new, useful objects. Are people scared of imperfection? “Instagram has a lot to answer for,” Junor says.

Next time you need something, ask yourself if it can be conjured using your imagination along with a few (bought or borrowed) tools.
A lampshade, for example, can become a table base, a food cloche or even a waste paper basket.

Still need a lampshade? Don’t automatically buy new – try recovering one yourself. Beautiful musical instruments make stunning lights, tables and even planters. Odd socks make cup cosies or remote control holders. We just need see the possibilities.

HOW UPCYCLING CAN MAKE YOU MONEY

Creative repurposing can even turn a profit. The hip skateboard is the main muse for Etsy store Part Time Drifter founder Daniel Archie.

His burgeoning side hustle turns broken boards into everything from chopsticks ($45 per set) to jewellery (from $38).

Daniel Archie upcycles everything from skateboards to chopsticks. Picture: supplied

“I’m pretty creative,” says Archie, a Visy factory shiftworker by day.

“I sell a tonne of chopsticks. I think it’s cool that people buy them.”

Archie started out small, mucking around in his garage – now he’s tapping the American market.

Although Archie enjoys his “real job”, the repurposed skateboards feed the self-proclaimed “chilled out dude’s” creative spirit.

“It’s not going to landfill and I get to make stuff out of it, and the stuff looks awesome,” Archie says.

“I think it’s cool that they are just old broken boards that are turned into something that people will actually use.”

Prue Miller is The Fixer, here to answer all your home improvement and renovation problems. Email The Fixer with your questions: [e-mail]