What if the biggest mistake we make about waste is simply calling it waste?

This week on The Lexy Show, Lexy sits down with Kirsten Junor, CEO of Reverse Garbage, a creative reuse nonprofit in Sydney, Australia that has spent more than 50 years helping keep useful materials out of landfills and putting them into the hands of artists, educators, makers, and the community. Kirsten brings a unique perspective shaped by her background in theater, costume design, and a lifelong practice of reusing materials creatively.

In this episode, Kirsten shares how creative reuse became part of her life before she even had a name for it, from transforming costumes and fabrics to helping people see discarded materials as resources rather than trash. She explains why reuse should come before recycling, how overconsumption impacts sustainability, and why asking “Do I really need this?” can change the way we shop. Lexy and Kirsten also discuss repairing clothing, learning hands-on skills like sewing and making, the rise of community sharing spaces, and some of the unexpected materials Reverse Garbage has rescued and helped transform into something new.

Kirsten also talks about the importance of making sustainability feel accessible, creative, and community-driven rather than overwhelming or impossible. Whether you love thrifting, crafting, sustainability, or simply want to rethink your relationship with the things you already own, this episode is full of practical inspiration.

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Social Media Tags:
Reverse Garbage: @reversegarbage (Instagram/Facebook)

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