Flaxmere-based early childhood education centre Morgan Educare has been doing its bit to save the planet with a bottle top collection scheme.
With the help of Environment Centre Hawke's Bay in Hastings, Morgan Educare has collected nearly 15,000 bottle tops in one month.
Each week throughout November, Morgan Educare, which won Keep New Zealand Beautiful's sustainability award in 2017, set the public a challenge of recycling different products, from dead cellphones to bread tags for wheelchairs to clothing to old batteries.
Morgan Educare centre manager Paula Mihaka said she was "overwhelmed" by the support from the community, but hoped the public "keep up the good work".
"Although we are only a small centre, we were overwhelmed to have collected 14,557 bottle tops in just one month. The only place in Hawke's Bay to take things is the Environment Centre in Hastings, which is a long way to travel for Flaxmere residents.
"When we realised how many bottle tops you could collect in such a short period of time, it really sent the message home of just how much there really is to be recycled."
Since the outset of the initiative, the Flaxmere Avenue-located Morgan Educare has been approached by a number of sustainable businesses like Office Products Depot, which has offered $1 off their art orders for every kilogram of recyclable pens and felts it provides.
"It makes sense to do," Mihaka added. "We not only support and encourage sustainability, but we also get a discount off our art orders."
Morgan Educare is still accepting a range of recyclable products.