Waste No More: Tamworth Challenge refurbish trash to treasure at op-shop

Opened on Friday, the aim is to employ people with disabilities and reduce landfill in one fell swoop.

Shopping at the centre is an opportunity to reduce waste at a good price, Waste Management coordinator Steve Raynor said.

"Hopefully at the end of the day our clients can walk away with some life skills, experience around tools, broaden their knowledge on cash registers and talk to the public to benefit themselves later in life," he said.

It's the brainchild of Challenge chief executive Barry Murphy, and has been in the works for about two years.

Tamworth residents create about 102,000 tonnes of waste each year.

The partnership between Challenge and Tamworth Regional Council means the council staff will sort through rubbish to find treasure for the Challenge employees to sell back to the public.

At least 53.61 per cent of waste is being diverted from landfill at the moment, the council's waste sustainability officer Angela Dodson said.

"This diversion rate has been achieved through the community recycling centres at our local landfills, kerbside recycling and green waste and a variety of other resource recovery activities that take place at our landfill," she said.

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The centre is funded with money from the cans Challenge employees recycle at the tip, and Mr Murphy is encouraging residents to crush their cans and recycle them.

"This is the fulfillment of a personal dream of mine, about 20 years ago I was keen to have this started," he said.

Mr Murphy hopes to extend the program to offer it to at-risk youth in the future.

Waste No More is open for sales Friday and Saturday from 8:30am to 3:30pm and is at 6 Belmore Street, Taminda.

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