Noosa residents turned their stash of unwanted items into over $17,000 in cash in last November’s inaugural Garage Sale Trail event.
This extended the life of 20,394 kilograms of pre-loved items, 37 per cent which would otherwise have gone to landfill.
Project officer Jo Ferris said the figures highlight Noosa’s commitment to reducing waste.
“We had 2270 people take part in the two big weekends of garage sales across Noosa,” she said.
“Programs like Garage Sale Trail are important in shifting perceptions of secondhand and supporting the transition to a circular economy by getting more people reusing items rather than sending them to landfill.”
Garage Sale Trail partnered with Taverner Research Group to compile a report, highlighting the outcomes of the waste reduction initiative made possible by Noosa Council.
The report showed a win-win for residents, with the average garage sale host taking home $456 and shoppers saving money too with access to cheaper, secondhand products.
Nationally, the event saw 419,705 Australians get involved in the council-powered circular economy event.
Across Australia, 4.8 million kilograms of items were sold over the two weekends, 35 per cent of which would otherwise have gone to landfill.
Organisers say it is likely the rising cost of living is driving an increasing appetite for secondhand.
“More and more people are looking for ways to generate some extra cash or save money on everyday items. Buying and selling secondhand is one easy way we can all do this, whether it’s hosting a garage sale or selling items online” General Manager of Garage Sale Trail, Barbara Gill said.
Residents keen to snag a bargain or turn their stash into cash, can now register their interest in the 2024 event, which takes place on November 9-10 and 16-17 November, at garagesaletrail.com.au/noosa
In the meantime, residents can find useful information including options for large household item disposal on council’s waste and recycling page noosa.qld.gov.au/environment-waste/waste-recycling
