Over time, we all accumulate lots of stuff – some things we use, other things we outgrow or don’t have a use for anymore. There are so many ways you can pass on things you no longer need to give them a new life. Here are a few tips to help your spring cleaning.
Donate to your local op shop
According to Charitable Reuse Australia, we donate over one million tonnes of clothing and goods to charity and social enterprise shops each year. Good quality donations translate to funds for vital programs and services across the country.
Op shops can generally accept donations of clothing, homewares, books and some furniture. Check locally to see what you can donate to your local op shop.
When considering donating to an op shop, Charitable Reuse Australia encourages everyone to consider the quality of the product. Broken, unsafe or unusable donations place a lot of pressure on op shops and volunteers and add to waste removal costs.
Visit the Charitable Reuse Australia website for more tips on and to find your local op .
Join the Garage Sale Trail
The Garage Sale Trail is an annual event across Australia encouraging people to sell or buy pre-loved goods from garage sales.
In 2023, more than 14,000 households took part in the Garage Sale Trail, attracting over 400,000 people seeking treasures. Together, they saved 3 million kilos of items from going to landfill.
Garage sales are a great way to give your pre-loved items a new life and add to your income. The 2024 Garage Sale Trail is happening on two weekends in November - Saturday 9 to Sunday 10 November and Saturday 16 to Sunday 17 November. You can take part on one day or more.
If you aren’t hosting a garage sale, you can shop at garage sales on near you.
For more information, visit the Garage Sale Trail .
If you don’t have the space to hold a garage sale, check out local second-hand markets and car boot sales in your area. Contact your local to find out what’s on in your area, or visit the Australian Markets and Fairs .
Recycling and disposal
For items that have reached the end of their life, find out if you can recycle them by visiting the Planet Ark . You can also contact your local about hard waste collection and e-waste recycling.
Reviewed 15 September 2024