Hidden in a side street of Woolloongabba, is the creative oasis of Reverse Garbage QLD (RGQ). A home
for all kinds of second-hand and salvaged materials, here you are just as likely to find the missing piece
for your next DIY project, as you are to find colourful crafting materials. There is everything from perspex to PCB boards, textiles to timber, stationery to sound-proofing and more.
The vast majority of our products have had another life before they come to us, as offcuts and
second-hand materials from local industry. We collect these industrial discards from businesses all over Brisbane, re-packaging them for sale to the public in our warehouse. We’re able to save approximately 2 tonnes of reusable waste from landfill every week. As well as selling in store, we also post our materials Australia-wide in our mail order boxes.
At the heart of the RGQ ethos is sustainability – which we aim to achieve both environmentally, socially
and financially. Established in 1998 alongside Friends of the Earth Brisbane, we strive to provide an
ecologically responsible alternative to landfill – helping keep materials in circulation as long as possible.
We strive to meet our social and financial aims through our structure as a not-for-profit worker-run
co-operative, where we encourage workplace equity, and invest all surplus back into the business.
On top of this, we are advocates and educators within the reuse space – as we run environmental
education workshops in schools, childcare centres, community groups, festivals and in-house. In our
‘Reverse Emporium Gift Shop’ we give a platform to artists within our local community by selling their
handmade products on a consignment basis. Everything within our Emporium is made from at least 75% reuse materials.
A place where artistry, sustainability and purpose combine, Reverse Garbage QLD is a creative haven for all ages.
