Denmark Green Skills tip shop celebrates more than 20 years of recycling and education

Over the course of 20 years, the Denmark Tip Shop has grown from humble beginnings to a popular destination for tourists and locals alike. The Tip Shop is a popular place for visitors hunting for a bargain or looking to furnish their home. Run by Green Skills, a not-for-profit organisation, the Tip Shop attracts up to 500 visitors a day and employs 10 staff and volunteers. The Green Skills Denmark Tip Shop and Recycling Education Centre opened in 2001 as a single open-sided ‘Ivor’ shed — named for volunteer Ivor Bell — with a vision to grow as a community recycling and education centre. Initially, the Tip Shop had an informal agreement with the Shire of Denmark for the lease of the shed with a formal lease signed in 2013. Since its humble beginnings, the Tip Shop has grown with new sheds constructed, and improved parking and access. It is now open every day of the week during Shire of Denmark tip hours, with four permanent part-time and two casual employees running the centre, assisted by three to five volunteers. A high percentage of employees at the shop are mature-aged workers. Supervisor Anita Cottle said common feedback from the community was that it was positive to have somewhere to donate valued goods, rather than just dumping them in the landfill. “The Tip Shop is not only a place of local employment for mature workers, it is where volunteers can do something meaningful that gives back to the community and the environment,” she said. “It also reduces costs to the Shire of Denmark by diverting tonnage from the landfill compactors and skip bins, thereby increasing funds that can go into other local government community priorities.” The Tip Shop is a local icon, educating the community on the value of recycling and upcycling. More information and opening hours can be found on the Green Skills website. General information on waste disposal can be found on the Shire of Denmark website.