After an 11-year-old Noosa boy turned a roadside timber pallet into a functional wheelbarrow and claimed last year’s local prize, the search is on for the region’s next reuse champion.
Noosa residents are invited to enter their repairs, makeovers and creative transformations in the 2026 Reviva Reuse Competition, with a $300 national prize and a $200 Noosa prize up for grabs. Entries are free and close on Sunday 15 November 2026.
Run by not-for-profit social enterprise Resource Recovery Australia, which operates the Reviva Reuse Shop at the Noosa Resource Recovery Centre in Doonan, the annual competition celebrates practical ways of giving unwanted materials a second life instead of sending them to landfill.
The competition is open to anyone who has repaired, restored, repurposed or transformed an item using reused materials. Entries could include furniture, artwork, garden projects, home improvements, clothing makeovers or something completely unique.
Resource Recovery Australia’s Deputy General Manager Ally Glendenning said entries did not need to be large, complicated or perfect.
“If you have repaired something, given an old item a makeover or found a new use for materials that might otherwise have been thrown away, you already have an entry,” Ms Glendenning said.
“Take a photo, briefly tell us what you made and what you reused, and submit it online. Every entry can inspire someone else to rethink what they throw away.”
Now in its seventh year, the Reviva Reuse Competition welcomes entries from across Australia and celebrates the creativity and practical skills found in local communities.
Last year’s Noosa prize winner, 11-year-old Gene Young, built a functional wheelbarrow from a timber pallet he found on the side of the road.
“I built this wheelbarrow from a timber pallet I found on the side of the road,” Gene said. “It’s very functional and useful for the work I do around the yard. I am 11 years old and used a saw that I bought from the Reviva Tip Shop.”
Gene’s project shows that reuse can be practical, achievable and rewarding at any age.
The 2025 national prize went to Mike Tikkeros for his true-to-size violin sculpture made from salvaged metal and household items. Nuts, washers and hooks recovered from gurneys, bicycles, microwaves and food processors formed the body, while the neck was made from a halved pipe and the strings from stainless steel wire salvaged from an old balcony. Parts from a drum kit, golf club and horse bridle were also incorporated.
“The bow consists of a golf club, a horse’s bridle and a wire tensioner for the handle,” Mr Tikkeros said. “I welded together many types of nuts, washers and hooks, then ground and polished them to make them shine.”
Past entries have included repurposed clothing, furniture makeovers, mosaic art, garden creations and entire kitchens made with salvaged materials. Together, they show how creativity can transform unwanted or overlooked items into something useful, beautiful or unexpected.
To enter, submit a photo of your project and a short description of what you created and the materials you reused at www.resourcerecovery.org.au/competition.
Entries are free and close on Sunday 15 November 2026, at the end of National Recycling Week.
