Recyling project sweeps schools

Bruce Trask could see value in introducing a recycling programme that reduced costs and helped the environment. What he didn't know was how big it would become.

His trust's Paper4Trees programme - which rewards paper and cardboard recycling with native plants - is now operating in 3025 schools and preschools throughout New Zealand. Another 1131 will come on board next year.

The programme, the only one of its type in the country, caught on during the last four years. But over the past decade the Tauranga-based Environmental Education for Resource Sustainability Trust (EERST) has sent 35,000 plastic recycling bins and 70,800 trees, shrubs, grasses and flaxes to schools for planting.

There are 7700 schools and preschools in New Zealand - and participating schools are rewarded with a tree for every two cubic metres of paper and cardboard they recycle and dispose of. This year 23,800 trees will be delivered.

The programme has recycled 17,700 tonnes of paper and cardboard, saved 141,600cu m of landfill space, stopped 300,900 trees from being cut down, saved 469,000 litres of water, 72.57 million kw/h of energy and 5.63 million litres of oil, and stopped 44,600 tonnes of carbon dioxide being produced in the landfills.

That's quite an achievement. But the trustees, Mr Trask (chairman), Marty Hoffart and Brendon Thomas, are especially delighted about the past week's success.

EERST's Paper4Trees programme received the New Zealand Packaging Council's supreme award. "We didn't even know there was a supreme award ... a little trust in Tauranga formed in 2000 won it," said Mr Trask.

The trust also won the Cadbury Community Education Programme category in the bi-annual environmental packaging awards. It headed off the new Love NZ campaign which promotes the recycling of glass, plastic and paper in public places - with heavy advertising on the back of buses.

The judges said Paper4Trees was an outstanding example of a waste minimisation education programme that has delivered compelling metrics of waste reduction.

After the awards night, EERST learned it was receiving its biggest government grant - $199,500 from the Waste Minimisation Fund. The trust is able to expand its programme into more than 1100 schools and preschools in the Auckland region - the only area it hasn't covered in New Zealand.

Environment Minister Nick Smith said schools generated a huge amount of paper and cardboard waste, and the innovative Paper4Trees project enabled them to trade the used paper and cardboard with native trees for their school grounds.

"It helps ensure we build a recycling culture amongst the 200,000 pupils of participating Auckland schools and early childhood centres," Mr Smith said.

EERST, a not-for-profit organisation, buys the distinctive 30-litre green recycling bins from Tauranga's Payless Plastics at wholesale price, and it organises a range of sponsorship to pay for the trees, grown at 36 nurseries. The government and local grants also help run the recycling programme.

In the Western Bay, Bayfair Mall covers 50 per cent of the cost of trees, and slat bed manufacturer Design Mobel and car hire firm Rent-a-Dent have been national sponsors.

Next year, EERST expects to supply more than 40,000 trees. "The programme is just exploding," said Mr Trask. "I must admit six months ago I wondered where we would get the funding from to buy the trees. But a wide range of businesses from real estate to supermarkets, you name it, are supporting us."

The former chief executive of Sport Bay of Plenty, Mr Trask started thinking about the sort of environment he and his partner Iris Thomas' 17 grandchildren would have.

"The planet is chewing up resources and we wanted to leave something for them. We are not zealots. We just wanted to educate people to make their own decisions on reducing waste and recycling," Mr Trask said.

"It's easy and simple and saves you money. By putting the education programme in the schools the children can go home and educate their parents.

"The children see the green bins and know they are for recycling."

EERST is now looking at introducing Water4Schools and Energy4Schools programmes. Schools would be given a water tank as a teaching tool for using and consuming water.