Sustainable Whanganui Services waste study shows businesses the way

Hadi Gurton and Robin Williamson from Sustainable Whanganui Services are helping businesses cut down on landfill waste. Photo/ Stuart Munro

Some Whanganui businesses may be able to cut the amount of waste they send to landfill in half, according to a study by Sustainable Whanganui Services.

The organisation recently carried out a trial study - funded by the Whanganui District Council's waste minimisation working party - which surveyed the waste streams of five Whanganui businesses.

SWS went into Axiam Plastics Ltd, New World Wanganui, St John's Club, Department of Conservation and Mitre 10 MEGA to analyse waste and calculate how much waste could be diverted from landfill and how much money it could save.

The results were compiled in a report for each business.

The SWS team also consolidated waste items into a research list to help find as many opportunities to recycle, repurpose, re-use as possible, and to source environmentally-friendly alternatives where possible.

SWS's Hadi Gurton said the study had been a success and found of the five businesses surveyed between 10 and 50 per cent of waste could be diverted, the equivalent of close to a thousand 240-litre wheelie bins per year.

"It has raised awareness of the components of each organisation's waste streams, it has highlighted the volume of waste being sent to landfill which could be diverted and we have been able to offer alternatives which these organisations may have been unaware of, or too busy getting on with business to investigate themselves."

Robin Williamson, also of SWS, said businesses were pleased to have a waste report to share with staff.

"It was heartening to learn that our discussions and visits had already effected some positive change in a couple of our participant organisations, even before our final reports were received," she said.

"They have been able to engage staff, retune commitment and open up conversations about finding ways to recycle well and to deal with waste better."

Chairman of council's waste minimisation working party, Rob Vinsen, said the initiative was a good example of the environmental benefits that can be gained by identifying the various waste streams and diverting to recycling or reuse.

"It is now up to those businesses to take advantage of the savings that have been identified. Most importantly, they will be reducing their waste footprint and that is our goal."

The SWS team has been awarded funding to continue its business waste audits with a further five local organisations.

Any organisations wishing to be considered for the next round of business waste audits can contact sws.bwa@gmail.com.