Volunteers needed at clean up at Waitangi Day events in Bay of Islands

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

On February 6 the eyes of the country will be on Northland, with thousands expected to descend on the Bay of Islands for the 185th annual Waitangi Day commemorations.

And with the bumper crowd will come plenty of waste generated by the tens of thousands attending the February 6 commemoration event in the Bay.

But organisers are hoping a team of environmentally conscious waste-busters will pitch in to help with the tonnes of rubbish expected to be generated and have put the call out for those keen to give up some time to keep the Waitangi Treaty Grounds - the birthplace of the nation - clean and tidy.

The team at EcoSolutions are getting ready to again support the celebrations in their zero-waste goals and are keen for more volunteers to join the efforts.

“Last year was the biggest [Waitangi Day] event to date and this year we are gearing up for another big one,” Lucretia Charan, EcoSolutions Environmental Educator 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, caring for our taiao and only using what we need and giving back to Papatuanuku so we can continue to celebrate for generations to come.”

Last year the EcoSolutions team, Waitangi staff and volunteers made sure the day ran smoothly overall, with many trained volunteer recycling ambassadors from all over the Far North 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 toward travel are given to volunteers.

“All compostables were taken to Waipapa Landscape Supplies in Waipapa for commercial composting, ensuring all compostables are turned back into soil. Honda Northland also provided a quad bike to help out,“ said Charan.

“Almost 90% of waste was diverted from landfill last year and this year we are aiming for even more. The EcoSolutions team is also very excited about the close collaboration with Para Kore, who will be working with Te Tii Marae and the Shippies reserve on the zero waste kaupapa.

“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 3.5 hours of volunteering so there is still plenty of time to enjoy the day.

If you are keen to get involved check out EcoSolultions on Facebook or Instagram or contact Charan on 0272574674 or email lucretia@cbec.co.nz