Friends of
the Farm headed west last week, for the annual Auckland Zero Waste Hui and
Awards at Zeal in Henderson. The hui was
a great opportunity to mix and mingle with fellow groups working to reduce
waste in communities across Auckland. It
also gave us plenty to think about, with some interesting speakers sharing
about waste reduction initiatives happening all over the country.
Of note was
Sustainable Salons- a new enterprise in New Zealand which works with hair
salons to recycle the waste generated by their products and treatments. And Mint Innovation- a start-up company that has recently
patented a process which uses bacteria to remove valuable metals from
e-waste. Great to see such innovation
and creativity springing up to address our waste challenges!
In the
evening, the red carpet was rolled out and the space transformed with some
glitz and glamour for the Zero Waste Awards.
Friends of the Farm was honoured to be nominated as a finalist in the Fair on all Fronts category, which recognises groups
or individuals that have started up a social enterprise to divert waste from
landfill. Our Tote All Recall initiative to reduce the
use of plastic bags in the Village received a special mention.
"It was wonderful to
be nominated for our work in the community over a number of years to reduce
waste to landfill. We acknowledge Auckland Council for supporting us to work
creatively and effectively with local businesses, the library, residents,
schools and community groups to reduce waste. Working together has made our
vision of a caring, connected and wastewise community not only seem more
possible but also become more tangible. We were proud to stand alongside many
other finalists at the Auckland Community Zero Waste Awards", said Frances
Hancock, co-founder of Friends of the Farm and the Mangere Bridge Wastewise
initiative
All in all,
the event was a real celebration of all the amazing work going on around our
city to reduce waste. It was encouraging to see that we’re not alone in our
efforts and that there are many ways to tackle the issue of waste. With a bit of creativity, passion, energy and
vision, we can definitely get to zero waste by 2040!
