“Up until now, all Tetra Paks within Tairāwhiti have had to go to landfill. This is a huge step forward for diverting waste from landfill, while also creating building supplies for companies such as saveBOARD during a time with a huge plaster board shortage. It's a win-win.”
Whangara School student Waimania Callaghan-Wilson was the first Tairāwhiti person to bring in her Tetra Pak cartons to the environment centre.
She and her classmates came to Gisborne to visit the environment centre. Ms Phelps and council solid waste manager Phil Nickerson were on hand to answer their questions.
The students knew a lot about waste streams already. Whangara School have their own worm farm, compost and recently did a waste audit, separating the school's waste into four separate categories.
TEC manager Rena Kohere says the best thing about their space is that everyone learns from each other.
“We're all really connected. This Tetra Pak recycling has been a long time coming.
“We really wanted to be able to offer this new programme to Tairāwhiti,” she said.
Ms Phelps said she made her commitment to waste minimisation in March, 2019.
“It was on the banks of the Fox River, on the west coast of the South Island.”
An old disused landfill had spilt its contents into the river after a storm.
Ms Phelps was one of almost 1000 volunteers who helped collect around 14,000 bags of rubbish across 21 kilometres of river and 64 kilometres of coastline beside Fox Glacier.
“I was finding prescription medicine bottles and could still read the names of who they were prescribed to from 40 years ago.”
Seeing the amount of rubbish, mostly plastic, and seeing how long it hung around on earth changed how she lived.
“It's all about finding alternatives, and the best control we all have is when we buy things.”
Ms Phelps said she buys second-hand clothes and fruit and vegetables not wrapped in plastic.
“I reduce food waste by shopping in my pantry first before writing a weekly grocery list.”
She's also hopeful.
“Lots has changed. Fifteen years ago you would have had a plastic bag when you went grocery shopping.
“Every day things are changing to minimise waste.”
Since the landfill in Tairāwhiti closed in 1988, waste is transported to Waikato where it goes into a landfill.
The district council is investigating replacing the kerbside waste collection system with wheelie bins, to reduce the amount of organic waste that goes into landfills. Three bins would be provided for recycling, organic waste and rubbish. A decision on the proposal is expected on September 29, at the council's last meeting before the local body elections on October 8.
