Workplace waste

New Zealand is experiencing a significant shift in the expectations of customers which means that environmental sustainability is now a key part of doing business. Reducing the waste that is created in and by your business is an important part of your environmental impact, and offers numerous benefits.

This helpful guide will enable local businesses to think differently about the waste they are generating and empower them to make simple changes that result in a big impact.

Download: Reducing your workplace waste pamphlet [PDF, 5MB, 16 pages]

Download: Reducing Food Waste (catering and events) pamphlet [PDF, 3MB, 4 pages]

Local business case studies

Little Thinkers

Little Thinkers, a kindergarten in Cambridge, received funding to purchase two CarbonCycle compost bins.

The compost bins will allow for onsite composting of food scraps, garden waste and compostable packaging.

Little Thinkers owner Alicia Oliver said the composting system would act as a community hub, with nearby offices, cafes and residents encouraged to drop off their organic waste to the kindergarten.

“We’re excited to inspire and educate the next generation to protect our environment by reducing the impact we are currently having.”

She said children will get hands-on experience transforming waste into a resource.

“With our new compost bins, children will be involved in the process of collecting waste, seeing the full compost cycle and then using the compost in future projects.”

Each year Council has $40,000 available through its Waste Minimisation Community Fund to support local projects that rethink, reduce and reuse waste.

The fund is provided to Council by the Ministry for the Environment from the Waste Levy.