Got a stack of old pallets gathering dust in the shed? Ballina’s Salvage Shed wants you to turn them into art, with its popular Recycled Art Competition back for another year and a tricky new category to test entrants’ creativity.
The competition features four design categories this year: Letterbox, Backyard Animal Habitat, Outdoor Furniture or Decor, and a new problem waste category, Pallets. The new category puts the spotlight on pallets, a common problem waste item received in large quantities at the Ballina Resource Recovery Centre, challenging entrants to transform leftover pallets into something useful.
“Recycled art is a brilliant fusion of creativity and sustainability,” Salvage Shed leading hand Jen Evans said.
“We were so excited by the quantity and quality of our entries last year, we have decided to add a fourth category for 2026 to show people what some of the most common waste items have the potential to transform into.
“Our community creators are always up for the challenge, transforming waste into wonder.”
Council’s Resource Recovery Education Officer Justine Rowe said the competition was an innovative way to reimagine how waste could be repurposed.
“Our recycled art competition is an innovative way to imagine how ‘waste’ can be repurposed into something creative and functional,” Ms Rowe said.
“We aim to normalise repurposing and upcycling, rather than the default of putting items in the bin or taking them to the Resource Recovery Centre.”
Entries are open to all artists, hobbyists, young people, community groups and schools, with prizes across five categories: Group (3+ people), $150; Open Award, $150; 12 to 18 Years Award, $100; Problem Waste Award, $100; and Under 12 Years Award, $50.
Registration closes Monday, 26 October. All entries must be physically on site by Friday, 6 November, with entries on display from 9 to 14 November in celebration of National Recycling Week. An awards ceremony, with a barbecue and other festivities, will be held on Saturday, 14 November at the Salvage Shed.
The Salvage Shed is Ballina’s “reuse shop”, operated by Ballina Shire Council. Last financial year, it actively diverted about 300 tonnes of quality items from landfill.
Entry forms and further details are available at ballina.nsw.gov.au/SalvageShed, or at the Salvage Shed at 169 Southern Cross Drive, Ballina.
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