Welcome to Jack’s Shed

recycling, skills and community connection!

Jack’s Shed is a MWCLA social enterprise supporting people with disability to build skills, connect with community, and contribute to a meaningful local recycling initiative.

Originally established in 1995 by the Aquarena User Group, Jack’s Shed has been a valued newspaper recycling facility for over 30 years. During this time, dedicated volunteers collected and processed newspapers, with funds raised reinvested back into the Aquarena and wider community. These contributions have supported important facilities such as the BIFF, outdoor shade areas, and assistive lifting slings.

Midwest Community Living Association are proud to be continuing this wonderful community minded initiative. Today, MWCLA customers, alongside their support workers, volunteer to collect newspapers from local businesses, while community members continue to drop off papers for recycling. Our customers play an active role in sorting, bundling, and stacking newspapers onto pallets, preparing them for transport to Perth and Bunbury, where they are repurposed into Hydromulch. We are also fortunate to have ongoing support from members of the Aquarena User Group, who continue to volunteer their time bundling papers.

Jack’s Shed remains a fantastic example of community collaboration—creating meaningful opportunities, supporting sustainability, and giving back to local facilities for everyone to enjoy.

Jack’s Shed creates valuable opportunities for our customers, including:

• Exposure to local business and meeting new people
• Developing and fostering ongoing community connections
• Opportunity to develop skills for potential future employment
• Opportunity to contribute to our community by reducing landfill and recycling
• Sense of achievement volunteering to enhance opportunities for people with disability in our community
• Having fun working with fellow volunteers!

All proceeds raised from the recycling will be put directly back into initiatives to enhance opportunities and experiences for people with disability in our local community.

We are very fortunate and grateful to have the support of Geraldton Transport, who have very generously jumped on board to transport our papers to Perth for us.

This community minded spirit is priceless and makes our social enterprise possible! Since we commenced in February 2023, we have already saved 125 tonnes of newspaper from local landfill and we have had a lot of fun learning new skills and meeting new people along the way so far!

Be sure to follow us on Facebook to keep up to date with our recycling efforts.