A tiny sea container in Victoria Park packed with tools is helping to reduce electrical waste while bringing residents together.
Launched in October 2024, The Collective Shed allows members to borrow everything from lawmowers and puzzles to camping gear and party supplies for an annual $60 fee.
It’s run by The Vic Park Collective, a group made up of residents working together to connect locals and businesses, raise money and host events.
There has been huge interest in its latest project, with over 200 active memberships so far.
Shed volunteer Steph Costa says the initiative has both environmental and social benefits.
“Australians produce about 20kg each of e-waste every year,” she says.
“By providing all these tools and resources to borrow, we’re reducing that waste and strengthening community connections at the same time.”
The Collective Shed operates three days a week, with 15 volunteers manning the front desk, maintaining tools and engaging with the community.
Members might drop in to borrow an item but end up staying to chat with staff.
“We’re giant and yellow, so it’s hard to walk past and not want to stick your head in and say, ‘What’s going on here?’”
Steph Costa, The Collective Shed volunteer
The most popular items hired include an upholstery cleaner, chainsaws, and a cricut machine for vinyl cutting.
The Shed is part of a growing movement of tool libraries, with over 30 similar programs across Australia.
Curtin University sustainability expert Professor Peter Newman says the biggest impact of such libraries comes from extending the life of items that would otherwise go to landfill.
“The most effective thing people can do is not just throw out their stuff responsibly but share it and use it for as long as possible,” he says.
The WA Department of Water and Environmental Regulation says e-waste is one of the fastest growing types of rubbish.
As part of its Waste Avoidance and Resource Recovery Strategy 2030, the State Government banned many companies from sending e-waste to landfill in July 2024, although the rules do not apply to households.
“We tend to think that governments have got to fix everything and come in and regulate,” Professor Newman says.
“But I think putting money into these bottom-up processes will be more effective and communities are the ones at the right scale for sharing resources to reduce e-waste in communities”.
As The Collective Shed nears its six-month milestone, volunteers are eager to see the model expand into other neighbourhoods.
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