After a Darth Vader firepit made from a discarded gas bottle claimed Rockhampton’s local prize last year, the search is on for the region’s next reuse success story.
Rockhampton and Gracemere 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 Rockhampton prize available.
Run by not-for-profit social enterprise Resource Recovery Australia, which operates Reviva Ibis Reuse Shops at Rockhampton and Gracemere and The Tinkerage at Rockhampton, the annual competition celebrates repairs and creative projects that give 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, whether it is a piece of furniture, artwork, garden project, home improvement, clothing makeover or something completely unique.
Resource Recovery Australia’s Deputy General Manager Ally Glendenning said the competition showed that anyone could take part in reuse, with entries not needing to be large, complicated or perfect.
“Rockhampton people are practical and creative, and we see that every day through the items given a second life at our local Reviva Ibis Reuse Shops at Rockhampton and Gracemere, and through the upcycling workshops held at The Tinkerage,” Ms Glendenning said.
“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. 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.”
Last year’s Rockhampton prize winner, Bruce Channells, transformed an unused gas bottle into “Darth”, a Darth Vader-inspired firepit that can also be used for camp-oven cooking.
“I found that an unused gas bottle could be used as a warming or cooking implement,” Mr Channells said. “When not used as a firepit, Darth is used to cook a hearty slow-cooked meal in a camp oven. It makes for a happy family.”
The 2025 national prize went to Mike Tikkeros for a true-to-size violin sculpture made from salvaged metal and discarded household items, including parts recovered from gurneys, bicycles, microwaves, food processors, a drum kit, golf club and horse bridle.
Now in its seventh year, the Reviva Reuse Competition welcomes entries from across Australia. Past projects have included repurposed clothing, furniture makeovers, mosaic art, garden creations and entire kitchens made with salvaged materials.
To enter, participants simply need to submit a photo of their project and a short description of what they created and the materials they reused at www.resourcerecovery.org.au/competition.
Entries are free and close on Sunday 15 November 2026, at the end of National Recycling Week.
