Kerikeri Kindergarten head teacher Jo Johanson, parent Laurell Simm with son Arlo, 4, and Enviroschools coordinator Karen Martin with reusable coffee cups at Kerikeri's Packhouse Market.
Kerikeri Kindergarten head teacher Jo Johanson, parent Laurell Simm with son Arlo, 4, and Enviroschools coordinator Karen Martin with reusable coffee cups at Kerikeri's Packhouse Market.
A trip to the Cook Islands sparked an idea for a kindergarten fundraiser which is also helping reduce the amount of rubbish ending up in Northland landfills.
During a visit to Muri night market on Rarotonga, Laurell Simm, whose children go to Kerikeri Kindergarten, noticed a local school was raisingmoney through a rent-a-cup scheme.
Instead of drinking from a disposable cup, coffee stand customers could "rent" a ceramic cup for a small fee.
"I thought it was a really cool idea," Simm said.
Now the owners of Kerikeri's Old Packhouse Market have allowed the kindergarten to operate a similar scheme at the Saturday market, cutting waste and raising money for the kindy. Customers who opt for a re-usable cup make a small donation, typically 50 cents or $1.
Parents donated a range of cups and mugs — ''we wanted an eclectic mix, just like our community'' — and take turns to collect the used cups on Saturday afternoon, wash them, and return them the following Friday.
"They do hundreds of coffees a day in summer so it could be a good little fundraiser. And it's nicer drinking coffee from a ceramic cup," Simm said.
Head teacher Jo Johanson said the market's owners were "really on board".
"It's a bit more work for them but it's a win-win because it reduces waste and supports the community. We saw it as a way the kindergarten could raise money and send a message about living sustainably."
Kerikeri Kindergarten is part of the Enviroschools and Garden to Table programmes. Money raised by the rent-a-cup scheme will pay for more plants for the kindy's vegetable garden, new ferns for the fernery, and glassware to replace plastic cups.
