Chermside Kerbside Collection 2021: Breathe New Life Into Old Items With These Upcycling Tips

Attention, Chermside residents! Brisbane’s kerbside collection is back and it’s Chermside’s turn soon. Before you put things out on the kerb, take a second look at everything and consider upcycling. Here are some useful tips.


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The kerbside collection date for Chermside is on 15 November 2021. If you’re planning to join, make sure your items are on the kerb by 6:00 a.m. at the start of the collection period.

Upcycling requires a bit of creativity but it can be fun to give a fabulous new life into old items. If you’re new to upcycling, here are some tips to get you started:

Plan Ahead

Photo credit: Pinterest/birdzofafeather.ca

The secret to successful upcycling is planning ahead. Gather all the tools and equipment that you will need for the job. For instance, if you’re planning to upcycle a piece of old furniture indoors, you may want to consider using a cordless tool to help you manoeuvre easily. 

Just Have Fun

Photo Credit: Facebook/L’Atelier d’Orel

Anything goes in upcycling because there are no rules in doing it. The best part of upcycling is it encourages creativity. A great example is this project by Art studio L’Atelier d’Orel where they took the spinning drum from an unrepairable washing machine and converted it into a beautiful industrial table. Here’s an instruction on how you can create one yourself from home.

Photo credit: Pinterest/mypurposedlife.com

Be Bold

Photo credit: www.charlessturt.sa.gov.au

Don’t be afraid to take risks and experiment with colours and materials. If you have an old bike that you can’t throw away because it reminds you of your first cycling years, consider turning it into a planter. You can paint it with something bright like yellow or pink to match your garden. 

Photo credit: Pinterest/homesthetics.net

Other Upcycling Tips from BCC

Brisbane City Council encourages reusing and upcycling. You can also follow these tips from Council to ensure an efficient reusing & upcycling process:

  • Donate quality items to local charities. Supported by the Queensland Government, GIVIT is a charity that receives donation from donors and privately passes it to people in need.
  • Drop them off council’s free resource recovery centres. Donated items are turned over to Council’s Treasure Troves (formerly tip shops) which are located in Acacia Ridge and Geebung.

Finally, don’t forget to install Brisbane Bin and Recycling App. in addition to helping residents stay up-to-date with collection days, the app also helps make recycling quick and simple with an alphabetical list of materials with information on how to recycle or dispose of them.