Reverse Garbage - Marrickville

Reverse Garbage, an overcrowded warehouse in Marrickville’s Addison Road Centre, is Sydney’s reuse institution. Established in 1974 by a collective of teachers looking for cheap classroom materials and a means to divert industrial discards from landfill, Reverse Garbage now offers recycled DIY, costume and art materials for crafty and environmentally conscious shoppers. “We get a huge range of people in, including home renovators, designers, artists and students, because our products are so varied,” explains general manager Narelle Mantle. “We’ve got everything from garden pavers to clothing, test tubes and sheets of canvas.” Every visit to Reverse Garbage is different and depends entirely on what has been donated that week. “A lot of the stock is industrial overruns and offcuts,” says Mantle. “A lot comes from film and set design, and Mardi Gras is a big donor.” Planning a backyard Midsummer celebration? A sack full of ribbons and a length of plastic tubing will only set you back about $30 - voilà, DIY maypole. Or, perhaps you need a roll of plastic for a photo shoot or Dexter-style vigilante mission ($20), or a mannequin for use as a quirky new housemate ($40). The strangest thing that Mantle has seen donated? “We’ve had a giant Sphinx head, skeletons, and even a vacuum-cleaner bag full of dust,” she laughs. “Actually, St Vincent’s hospital called the other day to say they wanted to donate an organ - luckily they were talking about the musical kind.”