Reuse and rehome

Did you know over 40% of items put out for Council clean-up still have a lot of love to give? 

Here are 3 handy tips on how to give your items a second life, instead of putting them our for council clean-up:

1. Try giving things that you no longer need to your family, friends or neighbours. Alternatively, try The Bower's Reuse Database for inspiration about where you could rehome your items.
2. Get ideas for how to transform your item into something new by searching the 'upcycling' hashtags on socials.
3. Turn your items into cash on Gumtree or Facebook Marketplace. 

By giving your unwanted items a second life you are helping to reduce waste and keep items out of landfill. 
 

In some cases, The Bower Reuse and Repair Centre may be able to collect unwanted furniture or other household items for free. If they do not have capacity to accept your donation they may refer you to the thousands of organisations or charities within their rehoming database. These organisations can help you repair, reuse or resell your unwanted goods, keeping them out of landfill.

Just because you don't want your item anymore doesn't mean someone else might not like it. Instead of throwing away unwanted items try selling or giving them away online. There are also plenty of local opportunities to donate your items including clothing and other textiles. 

Check out the map below to find out what options are available near you: 

The following donation bins are operated by the private organisation King Cotton in partnership with the charity Youthsafe, and accept wearable clothing, shoes, accessories and usable manchester:

• Cintra Park, Gipps Street, Concord – (car park Gipps Street end)

The following donation bins are operated by charity organisation Ted Noffs Foundation and accepts all the above items, and also accept kitchenware, soft toys, books and other media:

• Henley Marine Drive, Drummoyne – Council car park next to Drummoyne Swimming Centre
• Five Dock Leisure Centre – car park, corner William Street and Queens Road

The following donation bins are operated by charity organisation Anglicare and accepts clothing, bags and shoes:

• Hospital Road, Concord
• Kokoda Track - Council carpark 

The following donation bins are operated by the private organisation SCR Group, and accepts wearable and non-wearable clothing, fashion accessories (swimwear, hats, gloves, handbags, belts, jewellery), shoes, towels and manchester (excluding pillows, cushions, doonas and doona covers. No wet items please.  

• Crane Street, Concord – St Lukes Oval car park.
• Kings Road, Five Dock – Council car park, corner Kings Road and Thompson Lane.

 Please do not leave items outside or around the base of charity bins. This is illegal dumping and penalties apply.

The City of Canada Bay has partnered with HomeCycle to pick up your reusable clothing and textiles for recycling from your property. For more information and to book in a free collection please visit their website.  

For more information and further options for clothing recycling, visit the RecyclingNearYou clothing and textile recycling website.

When things become worn out or break, they don't always need to end up in the bin. Learn how to repair your things to give them a longer life with The Bower. Visit their website for upcoming repair workshops!

Plus, this month Council is hosting a bicycle repair workshop at the Rhodes Amphitheatre. Sign up to learn how to maintain your bike's tyres, chain, brakes and more!