The reuse blog, We Choose Reuse, brings you stories from the frontlines of reuse, in the hope it provides inspiration to others. We will be publishing this blog on a quarterly basis so send any reuse initiatives to fiona@wasteminz.org.nz to be included in the next one.
Scrub a dub-dub, all the cups in the (large industrial scale sanitiser) tub
FillGood, Wellington’s move to reusable
There have been a number of forays into the reusable space across Aotearoa, but Wellington has had a greater concentration of successful reusable programmes. It’s not surprising that a larger scale reusable programme would start there.
Events can generate large volumes of waste, and the main event providers in Wellington use two million single-use cups per year, and many more food containers and accessories, e.g. cutlery, creating plastic waste. Some events try to look for alternatives such as compostable and biodegradable products, but these products can be problematic, with inconsistent standards meaning that many of these products will still end in landfill.
This is where FillGood comes in providing a fully serviced reusable serviceware system that all Wellington event holders can book and use. With both a wash trailer to use on site at events, and a wash plant set up at Sky Stadium, FillGood can deal with drop off, collection and washing of cups and other serviceware needed. At the recent Beervana festival they were turning over 900 cups per hour! FillGood provides the all the vessels, as well as all logistics, comms, marketing and branding support.
The long-term goal is to replace all single use serviceware at events in Wellington. With the current initial trial underway planning to transition 80-90% of large events to reusable cups for cold drinks in Wellington; expanding capacity to operate well-run trials of food and drink in reusables at outdoor events; testing the system’s viability and further innovating to meet the city’s needs.
The wash trailer is already operational and has a regular event every Friday night in Karori. Once the last sign offs are received for the washplant at Sky Stadium, there are plans underway to work with venues and outdoor events to deliver reusable solutions. Overtime the plan is to build on this infrastructure with more nodes for washing and servicing larger areas of the region and different product times.
FillGood is run by a collective of partner organisations, being delivered by Sustainability Trust.
To find out more about FillGood, check out their website!
Where technology meets community, sustainability and education
Digital Future Aotearoa (DFA) and Recycle A Device (RAD)
RAD repairs and refurbishes laptops for communities that would otherwise struggle to access technology. Repair, refurbishment and repurpose all sit with reuse on the waste hierarchy.
In a not-so-pleasant flashback, let’s remember early 2020. We were faced with a lockdown and delivering education to our children at home (which we were not prepared for), alongside the uncertainty of an international pandemic. For many of us, it was uncomfortable, but for some whānau, saying it was a challenge was a complete understatement. Never had the digital divide been more apparent. Tamariki that did not have access to a digital device struggled to learn and connect with their school and their friends. But in the middle of this, two students at Aotea College in Porirua saw an opportunity, and set about collecting and refurbishing laptops for their peers.
This brilliant idea was the foundation of Recycle A Device (RAD), a programme led by youth, training their peers to refurbish laptops to support everyone to have access to devices. In steps Digital Future Aotearoa (DFA), who were able to support the scaling of this programme nationwide. Working with schools from Queenstown to the far north, the RAD team train students in what they need to know to get started with the programme. They identify someone who can lead the group with the assistance of an adult mentor.
Laptops are largely donated from corporates and make their way to the groups. Only about 4% of the laptops are not salvageable, but can still be stripped for parts for repairing other machines. RAD does not happen in isolation, tamariki can work their way into the programme through DFA Code Clubs that are run for those up to 13 years old.
From an environmental standpoint, our society needs to make sure that those people most affected by our changing climate can have their say in the future of our country. Unfortunately, many of these people are in areas of higher economic deprivation and don’t have the technology skills and access to make their voices heard. Getting technology into their hands means they can be a part of the conversation.
The feedback from participants and those receiving the devices is nothing less than inspirational:
"The laptop has made learning easier. It is handy and convenient"
"It has been a life-saving change for me"
"I can prepare for and organise my life and that makes me excited because my dreams feel more achievable"
"The laptop helps me to embrace my responsibilities as a young adult because I am empowered thanks to this tool (laptop)"
So, diverting waste from landfill, teaching the next generation to be leaders, educators and technologically literate, building a culture of sustainability and repair…. What’s not to love!
Do you want to be a part of the future of RAD? If your organisation does not already donate your old laptops to RAD, then get in touch. They should be less than 10 years old and include a charger.
To find out more about RAD and DFA, check out their website!
Supporting communities to reuse – Bringing zero waste to the middle of the city!
New Zero Waste store opens in Te Aro, Wellington
A new resource recovery centre for people to drop-off goods has opened in Forresters Lane, Te Aro, Central Wellington.
Alongside traditional resource recovery activities, Te Aro Zero Waste offers several services focused on the reuse tier of the waste hierarchy. These include:
Alongside these services Te Aro Zero Waste also runs workshops such as RepairED - a programme that aims to increase access to repair, rebuild local resilience and strengthen community connection and self-sufficiency.
Te Aro Zero Waste is a partnership between Wellington City Council and the Sustainability Trust. Find out more about Te Aro Zero Waste here.
This blog is proudly brought to you by the WasteMINZ Reuse Working Group. The Reuse Working Group is an initiative of the Product Stewardship Sector Group but is supported by other WasteMINZ sector groups. Its main purpose is to raise the profile of reuse and make it more talked about than recycling.