Reverse Garbage

What Reverse Garbage does

Reverse Garbage is a not-for-profit environmental co-operative founded in 1975 in Sydney's inner west, operating as Australia's largest creative reuse centre. Its core function is to accept donated industrial discards, commercial over-runs, and consumer materials from businesses and individuals — approximately 35,000 cubic metres per year — and redirect them away from landfill (69,326 kg diverted in 2024/2025) into reuse through a combination of retail sales, education programs, and community engagement.

The organisation runs a tri-channel distribution operation: a 7-day retail warehouse at 30 Carrington Road in Marrickville (relocated in 2021 from its 46-year base at Addison Road), a nationwide e-commerce online shop, and an offsite workshop delivery service operating across Sydney and regional NSW. The product portfolio spans donated craft supplies, fabric, haberdashery, stationery, furniture, theatre props, and tools at unit prices from $0.50 to $250, alongside a comprehensive education program covering early learning through tertiary levels, professional development for teachers, corporate workshops, and community events. Signature pedagogy includes the Loose Parts Play program and 90-minute Creative Reuse professional development sessions for educators.

The business model is a hybrid not-for-profit structure with four revenue streams: one-time retail sales (also offered via $12 fill-a-bag and $100–$250 kits), recurring membership fees ($15 annual), fee-for-service education workshops, and tax-deductible donations. The organisation is registered with the ACNC, certified by Social Traders, and funded in part by Inner West Council, with no disclosed venture, private equity, or institutional investors. It is governed by a volunteer Board of Directors and operated by a small staff team led by CEO Kirsten Junor, serving educators, artists, makers, families, and corporate clients across more than four customer segments with limited concentration risk.

Name

Reverse Garbage

Legal name

Reverse Garbage

Website

https://reversegarbage.org.au

Company type

Private

Founded year

1975

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Reverse Garbage is a not-for-profit cooperative and Australia's largest creative reuse centre, diverting donated industrial discards from landfill and reselling them via a Marrickville warehouse, online shop, and sustainability education workshops for schools, artists, and community groups.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Creative Reuse & Recycling Services

NAICS

Waste Management and Remediation Services (562)

akta.pro primary industry

Donation, Reuse & Sustainability Returns Programs (TLAIAHAJ)

Keywords

• Creative reuse centre
• Waste diversion retail
• Sustainability education programs
• Reused craft materials
• Circular economy retail

Headquarters

HQ city

Marrickville

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Retail Sales: Sale of donated creative reuse materials including art supplies, fabric, haberdashery, stationery, furniture, theatre props, tools and more through physical warehouse and online shop
2. Membership Fees: Annual membership fee of $15 providing 10% discount on personal purchases, voting rights at AGM, and bragging rights
3. Education Programs: Fees from workshops including incursions, excursions, professional development sessions, corporate workshops, and public programs for all ages
4. Donations: Tax-deductible donations supporting creative reuse education and operations; funds help offset costs of teaching programs

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Reverse Garbage is a creative reuse centre that accepts donated industrial and commercial discards from businesses and individuals, sorts and processes them, and resells the materials as affordable creative resources through a Marrickville warehouse and an online shop. Alongside retail, it delivers a portfolio of education and workshop programs including school incursions and excursions, public workshops, professional development for educators, corporate team-building workshops, and signature Loose Parts Play sessions, reaching approximately 16,000 people per year.

Product overview

Reverse Garbage is Australia’s largest creative reuse center operating as a not-for-profit co-operative since 1975. The organization offers a unified portfolio of retail and education services centered on creative reuse: a physical retail warehouse and online shop selling donated creative materials (art supplies, fabric, stationery, furniture, theatre props, tools, haberdashery, and craft items), alongside a comprehensive education and workshop program spanning Early Learning, Primary, Secondary, and Tertiary levels, Professional Development for educators, Corporate Workshops, and Events & Festivals programming. Signature programs include Loose Parts Play, Creative Reuse workshops, and the Fill-a-Bag surprise offering. The core value proposition is diverting commercial and industrial waste from landfill while providing affordable materials and hands-on sustainability education to the community.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Retail Warehouse Physical retail warehouse in Marrickville, Sydney, selling donated creative reuse materials including art supplies, fabric, stationery, furniture, theatre props, tools, and more. Open 7 days a week.
• Online Shop E-commerce platform selling reuse materials online with categories including All Products, For Educators, Merch, and New items. Features products like corks bags, fire hose, zippers, leather samples, buttons, and craft supplies.
• Education & Workshops Program

Quantifiable outcome

• 69,326kg diverted from landfill annually
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Charitable Reuse AustraliacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerReverse Garbage is a member of this peak-body for Australian charitable reuse and recycling enterprises, providing networking and advocacy for the charitable reuse sector.
• Gateway BankcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerEthical and green-centred bank that sponsors Reverse Garbage's National Creative Reuse Competition for students called 'Reconsidered'. Also supports education programs and volunteering opportunities at the Marrickville warehouse.
• Social OutfitcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerA slow fashion label based in Marrickville that supports refugee women with career pathways in fashion, retail and manufacturing. They produce Reverse Garbage's fill-a-bags sewn from reused fabric and materials. Reverse Garbage provides donated fabric and commissions The Social Outfit to make bags.
• Inner West Creative NetworkminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMembership in local creative network connecting creative reuse with other artistic and sustainable initiatives in the Inner West area.
• Inner West Sustainable SchoolsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Inner West Council's sustainable schools network, supporting environmental education in local schools.
• The Reconnect ProjectminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership allowing Reverse Garbage to accept donations of pre-owned mobile devices for redistribution to people in need.
• Inner West CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProudly funded by Inner West Council, supporting the organization's operations and community programs in Sydney's inner west.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Upparel: Australian textile reuse and recycling business that collects unwanted clothing and textiles for resale or recycling into new products. Comparable as a circular-economy operator that diverts materials from landfill, though it is a for-profit business focused specifically on textiles rather than the broader creative-materials and education model.
• The Bower: Inner Sydney reuse and repair cooperative that collects donated household goods for resale, diverting waste from landfill. The Bower operates on a very similar donation-to-retail and community-engagement model to Reverse Garbage and is the most directly comparable peer in the same geography.

Emerging players

• BlockTexx: Australian textile-to-textile recycling startup that processes cotton and polyester blends back into raw inputs. A circular-economy emerging player addressing textile waste at scale, comparable in mission to Reverse Garbage but at a very different stage and focused on a different step of the value chain.

Broad incumbents

• Bunnings Warehouse: Australia's largest hardware and DIY retailer, with growing craft and maker categories. Adjacent to Reverse Garbage's DIY, repair, and maker customer base, but Bunnings is a for-profit national incumbent rather than a creative reuse centre.
• Officeworks: Australia's largest office, education, and art supplies retailer, with a strong 'For Education' customer segment. Competes with Reverse Garbage for educator and maker spend on art and craft supplies, though as a for-profit mass-market incumbent rather than a reuse-driven, community-focused co-operative.
• Vinnies (St Vincent de Paul Society): National network of Vinnies op shops reselling donated clothing, furniture, and household goods to fund community programs. Comparable as a donation-driven, charity retail peer but with a much wider footprint and a general-merchandise focus rather than creative materials and education.
• Save the Children Op Shops: Chain of charity op shops selling donated goods to fund Save the Children programs. Operates the same donated-goods retail model as Reverse Garbage but as a national, multi-category incumbent without the creative-reuse and education specialization.
• Salvos Stores (Salvation Army Australia): Large network of charity op shops reselling donated goods to fund welfare programs. Shares the donated-goods retail model and not-for-profit status with Reverse Garbage, but Salvos Stores is a much broader, multi-state incumbent focused on clothing and household goods rather than creative reuse education.
• Red Cross Shops: Australian Red Cross operates a national chain of charity op shops funded by donated goods sales. A broad incumbent comparable on the donated-goods retail and charity fundraising dimensions, but without Reverse Garbage's focus on creative reuse education and curriculum-linked programs.

Others

• Boomerang Bags: Australia-origin community movement that sews reusable shopping bags from donated fabric to reduce single-use plastic. Thematically aligned with Reverse Garbage's reuse and community-engagement model, but operates as a distributed volunteer network rather than a centralized retail and education centre.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/RevGarb
• Instagraminstagram.com/reversengarbage
• Xx.com/reversegarbage
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/reverse-garbage-co-operative-ltd

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Reverse Garbage