More than 22,700 items have been rehomed by Port Macquarie locals, saving participants $282,000, during Australia’s biggest second-hand shopping event, the 2024 Garage Sale Trail.
Funded by the NSW Environment Protection Authority (EPA), the Garage Sale Trail is an annual nationwide event held across two weekends and involves individual households, community groups, schools and businesses hosting garage sales.
The 2024 Impacts Report showed New South Wales was the best performing state during the November 2024 event, reusing 178 tonnes of items. Port Macquarie residents, reused a staggering 13 tonnes, closely following Central Coast.
Alexandra Geddes, NSW EPA, Executive Director of Programs and Innovation, said the data shows how the seemingly small act of choosing second-hand delivers powerful economic, environmental and social benefits.
“Thirteen tonnes of items have been saved from ending up in landfill thanks to the Port Macquarie community embracing reuse and shopping at garage sales,” said Geddes.
“The average Port Macquarie garage sale organiser took home $519. With cost-of-living pressures, we know second-hand shopping is a popular, affordable and savvy way to turn things you no longer need into extra cash.”
Geddes said what’s more encouraging is the shifting attitudes across the community.
“Results showed 88 per cent of participants are more likely to resell items at future garage sales or online marketplaces and 90 per cent of sellers have said they avoided sending items to landfill,” she said.
“New South Wales is on the cusp of a waste crisis. Greater Sydney’s landfill space is predicted to run out by 2030 and initiatives, like Garage Sale Trail, highlight how we can all take steps and work together to transition to a circular economy.”
The report follows the National Guidelines for Measuring Reuse created by Monash University and draws on research recently completed by Charitable Reuse Australia and the NSW EPA.
Port Macquarie Hastings Council funded, co-ordinated and promoted the event to its community.
To view the report and for more information, visit: www.garagesaletrail.com.au/
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