Waitangi Day zero waste volunteers wanted to keep celebrations eco-friendly

Last year the EcoSolutions team, Waitangi staff and volunteers took care of rubbish and recycling at Waitangi Day commemorations at Waitangi. They need more people to help this year.

Waitangi Day is fast approaching and the team at EcoSolutions are gearing up again to support the celebrations in their zero waste goals.

Last year the EcoSolutions team, Waitangi staff and volunteers made sure the days ran smoothly overall, with trained volunteer recycling ambassadors from all over the Far North assisting.

They were allocated stations providing assistance to the public, ensuring waste materials were placed in the right bins. All-day refreshments, a koha for lunch and a contribution towards travel were given to volunteers.

The EcoSolutions and Para Kore teams are looking for volunteers who are keen on making this day a truly zero waste event.

Volunteers are offered training, petrol money for shared rides, free parking and lunch money, all in exchange for three-and-a-half hours of volunteering, so there is still plenty of time to enjoy the day.

EcoSolutions environmental educator Anouk Van Donzel said zero waste is a holistic way of looking at waste minimisation at events.

“It is much more than recycling. It is about kaitiakitanga, treading lightly on our whenua, care for our taiao and only using what we need and giving back to Papatūānuku so we can continue to celebrate for generations to come.”

After last year’s event, all compostables were taken to Waipapa Landscape Supplies in Waipapa for commercial composting, ensuring that all compostables are turned back into soil. Honda Northland kindly supported the celebrations with a quad bike that helped with the operational side.

“Close to 90% of waste was diverted from landfill last year and this year we are aiming for even more.”

The EcoSolutions team are also very excited about the close collaboration with Para Kore, who will be working with Te Tii Marae and the Taumata Mohi reserve on the Zero Waste Kaupapa.

EcoSolutions will also be running their Wash-Not-Waste trailers in different zones to push towards a reuse model as that is the only way to zero waste.

If you plan on joining the celebrations for the day, don’t forget to bring your own reusable cup and water bottle, as water stations are available on-site.

If you are keen to join as a volunteer, visit the EcoSolutions Instagram or Facebook pages or contact Anouk by text or phone on 0272545462 or email anouk@cbec.co.nz.