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Choose to Reuse with RGQ!
We're Queensland's only eco arts and reuse co-operative specialising in the collection of clean industrial discards and other high quality materials for re-sale back to the public. Every week we're saving approximately 2 tonnes of reusable 'waste' from landfill.
Visit us at our warehouse at 20 Burke Street, Woolloongabba
We're open to the public from 9am to 5pm Monday to Saturday (except for public holidays and between xmas and new years)
Holiday Trading Hours: Our last day of trading in 2024 will be Saturday the 21st of December (closing early at 4pm) and we will reopen on Saturday the 4th of January, 2025. Happy Holidays!
We champion grassroots reuse, repair and refashion!
RGQ was established in 1998 by Friends of the Earth Brisbane (FoEB). The original aim was to provide meaningful and ecologically sustainable local employment, whilst providing financial and infrastructural support to FoEB. You can read about our early years from one of our founding directors, John Hepburn. More than 20 years later, our little co-op remains true to those original aims.
Our original warehouse was based in West End until January 2011 when it was relocated to Woolloongabba, where we still reside today.
In order to distinguish our organisation as a separate legal entity from our friends at Reverse Garbage in Sydney, and more clearly relate ourselves to our local community, we rebranded in 2015 to what we're officially known as today - Reverse Garbage Queensland Co-op Ltd
We strive to achieve Environmental, Social, and Financial sustainability by minimising our Eco footprint and supporting others to reduce theirs.
We are a worker-run cooperative, as such, we encourage workplace equity through our decision-making and day-to-day practices.
As a not-for-profit organisation, any surplus are reinvested back into the business and Friends of the Earth Brisbane.
We do not accept funding from external sources for our ongoing operational costs. However, we will consider donations and grants for one-off projects.
Facilitate reuse: we collect industrial discards from over 300 businesses around Brisbane, diverting them away from landfill and making them available at low cost to the community.
Workshops: We run environmental education workshops and tours for schools, festivals and community groups both in-house and externally.
Postage: we mail our exciting materials Australia-wide, an inexpensive and environmentally responsible alternative to mainstream art supplies.
Supporting Local Artists: our Reverse Emporium stocks high-quality art, jewellery, homewares and more. All Items are upcycled from salvaged materials.
