JJ’s recycling mission reaches 10,000 jars

John Jary (JJ) is the chief collector of glass jars at the Arvida Oakwoods Retirement Village in Richmond and he has now delivered close to 10,000 to the Salvation Army.

In the 86-year-olds’ Arvida Oakwoods Retirement Village home, he still has the original jar that set him on the path of recycling glass jars from the village and his fridge is covered with notes recording his tally.

JJ has three collection boxes around the village for residents to deposit their glass jars and every day he picks them up in his electric car, then once a week delivers them to the Salvation Army store in Richmond which sells them to people making jam or home preserves.

“I’ve just kept it going because it’s no trouble. The most I had in one day was 53 from one person. They must have decided they weren’t going to make any jam.”

He has been collecting jars since 2019 and averages 150 jars a month that he takes home and rewashes before loading them into his car for the trip to the Salvation Army where he says they are sold for about 20 to 40 cents each. A tiny price that mounts up over 10,000 jars.

Lately he has begun collecting brown paper bags from the village to take along as well so they can be recycled at the shop for its customers.

Salvation Army team leader Ash Maxwell says JJ’s jar collections have been a great effort over the years and his kindness has been really appreciated. In between his jar recycling job, JJ is still busy coaching table tennis at Saxton Stadium, a role he has had for several decades and earnt him recognition in the sport.

“I can’t play anymore, so I have a heap of balls and just keep putting them over the net. It’s called multi-ball practise – I’m like a table tennis ball robot. I’m very deaf, so I use hand signals.”

He suspects he is the oldest active coach in the country and he is coaching a wide range of ages, from talented youths through to a 92-year-old woman.

“I get quite a kick out of it. Otherwise I’d sit here and catnap all day.”