The road to Mamaku should be looking a lot cleaner this week after Rotorua Canopy Tours staff spent more than three hours picking up rubbish from the roadside.
The staff cleared rubbish from 5.7km of Dansey Rd, from the turn-off at State Highway 5 to Dansey Rd Scenic Reserve wherethe business is based.
Some rural Rotorua roads have been plagued by rubbish dumping, as recently reported by the Rotorua Daily Post, but general manager Paul Button said the business had always planned to do a clean up of Dansey Rd in the first part of 2019.
"Dansey Rd is dear to our hearts because we bring our clients up here every day so we wanted to start here.
Rotorua Canopy Tours general manager Paul Button. Photo / Andrew Warner
"Part of our ongoing sustainability plan is to improve our surrounding environment through both pest removal and waste eradication. For local businesses such as ours to thrive, it's important that Rotorua is looking as best as it can be."
Six canopy tours staff were picking up rubbish yesterday and in just more than 3km they had filled 10 bags with rubbish.
Button said the big contributors were bottles, cans and cigarette butts but he had also found lino and a cutlery holder.
Button said the business aimed to be sustainable and cleaning up the roadside was part of that.
"My mission is for us to do an amazing job in all parts of sustainability: health and wellness, social sustainability, dealing with what really matters.
"Rotorua is one of the premium tourist destinations so it pays to look spick and span," he said.
The Rotorua Canopy Tours team picked up more than 10 bags of rubbish. Photo / Andrew Warner
"We're encouraging our suppliers and other local businesses to do whatever they can to keep our local area beautiful."
Tour guide Halee Smith has worked with canopy tours for three months and said she was surprised by how much rubbish the team found because a lot was concealed by the grass.
"We strive to be sustainable and we drive this road every day so it's good to do something for the community."
