Baycrest residents divert 1.4T of textiles with pop-up shop

Aged care residents have literally unearthed a tonne of good deals by shopping sustainably, hosting their first pre-loved pop-up shop.

Bolton Clarke Baycrest residents teamed up with the Wide Bay Waste Services team this month, intercepting items from local op shops before they head to landfill while offering a free shopping experience.

The shop was the first of many the home aims to host for residents from the co-located residential aged care home and retirement village, as well as the local community.

Baycrest Lifestyle Coordinator Mel says every item that finds a new home is one less in landfill – as well as an opportunity for attendees to update their wardrobes.

“It’s all about educating people on how we can better dispose of unwanted items,” Mel said.

“Things like this are always on the forefront of our mind here at Baycrest as many of the residents and team have children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren and we want to make a better future for them.

“It’s estimated that Australians send 800,000 tonnes of textiles to landfill each year so offering this opportunity to our residents is hopefully doing our little bit.

“We want to host more of these pop-up shops throughout the year – we had a sausage sizzle and free cuppas for anyone who came along to have a browse.”

 Wide Bay Waste Services Education and Engagement Officer Ash says it was a heartwarming event to be a part of.

“Together, we diverted an absolutely massive 1,408kg of textiles and books from landfill – that number alone is incredible,” Ash said.

“Many residents walked away with full wardrobes, including brand-new items, and the impact of that was visible everywhere you looked.

“The success of the day wasn’t just measured by the kilograms though – it was the smiles, conversations and gratitude of everyone who came!”

The Baycrest team are aiming to hold another free pop-up shop closer to Christmas offering residents and the community a chance to grab pre-loved items for the festive season.