Earthwise Community Op Shop

315 Bagot Rd, Subiaco

earthwisewa.org.au | Facebook | Instagram

Opening hours:
Monday to Friday 9am-4pm
Saturday 8am-3pm

Textile Trail special offers:
Clothing deals: $2 adults clothing, $1 kids clothing & 50c baby clothing
+ Half price plants!

Our motto is caring for the earth and caring for each other. We are a not-for-profit, volunteer-staffed, community centre that undertakes a variety of community and environmental activities with an emphasis on utilising ‘wasted resources’ and ‘using what you have available’. Sustainable living practices are at the heart of our activities and we wholeheartedly promote the principles of reducing consumption, re-using and recycling. We do this by:

1. Giving items a second life. Opening 6 days a week, our op-shop is furnished with second-hand donations. All goods for sale have been recycled from the local area (clothes not sold are donated to other organisations).

2. Keeping food waste out of landfill. With food donated from Foodbank, Oz Harvest, FoodRescue, a Bakers Delight and Lawley’s Bakery, and two local Nandos, Earthwise volunteers distribute more than 250kg of food each week to more than 80 people. They also put on a communal-style lunch once a week. Any food left over is delivered to the wider metro network and perishable spoiled food is composted on-site or given to the chickens.

3. Educating others. The Earthwise garden showcases the philosophy of using local ‘rescued’ materials – everything from garden soil, to garden beds, structures, seating and even artwork has been sourced from discarded or no longer needed items. Volunteers and visitors are encouraged to spend time there, and it’s also used as a venue for workshops on topics like composting, worm farming, creating edible and productive spaces that are cheap to create but bountiful in harvest, and creative repurposing of unwanted materials. While Earthwise set out initially to ‘show by example’, today they encourage extensive user participation (activities and special projects can be initiated by anyone showing an ongoing interest). They also run workshops with an increasing emphasis on ‘rescuing wasted resources’.