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Sustainability
From trash to treasure: the best tip shops in Victoria
Forget eBay and Amazon – there is a new trend emerging for where to find the most undervalued and undiscovered treasures in Victoria.
“The tip? That’s where I go to dump rubbish,” is what you may be thinking. And sure, the tip is generally where our junk has gone to die. But what constitutes ‘junk’ has had a major rebrand over the past decade thanks to new eco-friendly initiatives, and a trendy revival of retro and vintage styles.
While many people look to donate goods they no longer want or need to charity shops or those in need, plenty of perfectly usable goods are still sent to the tip. According to Sustainability Victoria, Councils collected 2.37 million tonnes of waste from Victorian households between 2019-2020, even with the new rubbish bins aimed at reducing waste. Another study found that by 2041, we are expected to generate 63 per cent more waste across the state.
However, observant workers at some tips around Victoria are on the hunt to discover the treasure from the trash - recycling goods in a usable condition including furniture, art, toys, technology, e-waste and knick-knacks that can be upcycled and ready for a new home at tip shops around the state. Rather than landfill, these shops operate like your local charity shop - where you can help reduce, reuse, and recycle.
Here’s our pick of some of the best tip shops savvy bargain hunters and vintage lovers can hit up in a neighbourhood near you.
Plenty of usable furniture and goods are thrown into landfill everyday. These tip shops are looking to give usable goods another life and reduce waste. Image: Getty.
Best tip recycle shops in Victoria
Yarra Ranges Recycling Services, Coldstream and Wesburn
Going under the moniker of ‘Treasure Chest shops,’ the Yarra Ranges Recycling Services operate under the ethos of ‘one man’s waste is another man’s treasure.’ You can visit their Treasure Chest Recycled Goods Shops at Coldstream and Wesburn.
Knox Transfer Station (KTS), Knox and Frankston
Operated by the KTS, two Treasure Chest shops also operate at Knox Transfer Station and the Frankston Regional Recycling and Recovery Centre in an effort to reduce landfill waste. Part of proceeds from sales is donated to Variety Victoria, helping ill and disadvantaged children in need.
The Geelong Resource Recovery Centre, Geelong
In an effort to minimise what goes to landfill, a Resource Recovery Centre tip shop operates in Geelong. Electronics and white goods can be dropped off for free, and if in working order, can be sold at the recycle shop - run by people with disabilities.
The CopperRock Tip Shop, Cheltenham
Upcycling items in a usable condition, The CopperRock Tip Shop in Melbourne’s bayside aims to conserve the environment. With ever-changing stock such as jewellery, furniture, books, and collector’s items, the team aims to stop waste going into landfill by going into your home instead.
Buying recycled plants? That's got to be double points on the sustainability ladder. Image: Getty.
Darebin Resource Recovery Centre and Outlook recycled goods shop, Reservoir
The Darebin Resource Recovery Centre and Outlook recycled goods shop accepts items in good conditions such as toys, games, furniture, clothes and collectables. It is run by Outlook Environmental, whose mission is to give sustainable opportunities to people with disabilities.
Hume City Council Tip Shops, Campbellfield and Sunbury
The City of Hume runs two tip shops in their jurisdiction, the Warehouse of Wonders in Campbellfield, and the Sunbury Tip Shop. Stocking a large number of recycled goods, stock changes daily and people are encouraged to find ‘everything you can imagine.’
Kyneton tip shop, Kyneton
Items in good condition can be found at the Kyenton Tip Shop at the Kyneton Transfer Station, in an effort by the Macedon Ranges council to reduce landfill waste. Reusable items can be found at a bargain, helping provide locals with goods at affordable prices.
Tip Shop Bairnsdale
The Tip Shop Bairnsdale, the area’s ‘best-kept secret,’ has an ethos of recycle, reuse, repurpose. Run by the Bairnsdale Recycling Enterprise Inc (BREI), the aim is to ‘reduce landfill and provide local employment.’ BREI also runs workshops, pick-up, and delivery.
Tip shops are full of hidden treasures waiting to be found. Image: Getty.
Hepburn Hot Trash - Creswick, Daylesford and Trentham
Providing information on waste management, DIY tips on upcycling, and updates on treasures found in their midst, Hepburn Hot Trash run shops at Creswick, Daylesford, and Trentham.
Aimed to sell ‘used, recycled and second-hand products which have been salvaged before going to landfill,’ Hepburn Shire Council shows you never know what you might find.
The Recycled Goods Shop (Tip Op Shop) at Mornington
Selling pre-loved goods and plants, The Recycled Goods Shop (Tip Op Shop) in Mornington accepts donations and salvages items in good condition that would otherwise go to landfill.
With the aim of ‘reducing waste and providing opportunities,’ this tip shop is also run by Outlook Environmental.
Latrobe Waste & Recycling Recycled Good's Shop, Morwell
The recycled goods shop in the LaTrobe Valley gives regular sneak peeks on their Facebook page as to what has come into the store, from toys to furniture, potting plants, collectables and more.
Recycling Near You also runs a range of community reuse initiatives in the LaTrobe Valley, from garage sale trails to goods swaps.
Eaglehawk Recycle Shop, Bendigo
Running for over 28 years, the Eaglehawk Recycle Shop in Bendigo is ‘a not-for-profit social enterprise with the aim of diverting reusable items and recyclable waste from landfill and creating local jobs for people previously unemployed’.
Promoting reuse as a way of saving for the environment, the shop salvaged over 9,000 items from landfills in 2017, winning awards for their efforts and running tours on their environmental impact.
The City of Bendigo also has tip shops at Heathcote and Strathfieldsaye.
Some look more like an upmarket thrift shop than a tip, where there are plenty of treasures to be found. Image: Eaglehawk Recycle Shop.
Nillumbik Shire Council's Recycling Centre Reuse Shop, Plenty
Managed by the Green Wedge Christian Community and located at the Council’s Recycling Centre, items in good condition can be sent or donated to the Reuse Shop, where they encourage waste minimalisation through reuse.
Reuse Shop, Wodonga
Looking to ‘give new life’ to items brought to the recycling centre, the Re-use Shop in Wodonga aims to upcycle pre-owned items like white goods, records, electronics and furniture at bargain prices.
It is run by Aware, a team that includes ‘local people with disabilities, some long-term job seekers and people who are retraining for new careers.’
The Big Green Shed, Swan Hill
A place to drop off unwanted items that may have a second life, The Big Green Shed in Swan Hill takes donations in good condition down at Swan Hill Landfill. It’s run by EnviroX, whose aim is ‘reducing the region's environmental footprint through the efficient disposal of waste products and the recovery of recyclable materials for reuse’.
Greater Shepparton City Council Resale Shops –Shepparton, Ardmona, Murchison
The Greater Shepparton City Council has a host of resale shops in its jurisdiction, with Shepparton being the largest of the three. As part of their aims to reduce waste, the shops offer bargain prices for items in usable condition and aim to get locals to ‘play your part in the reuse/recycle revolution!’
You can also find other ways of recycling through Planet Ark.
