This Sunday,20 May, learn about the best and the worst of packaging in the FREE packaging workshop run by Wanaka Wastebusters at the Grey Lynn Farmers’ Market.  The workshop will cover green claims and myth busting, plus answer all your questions about PLA bottles, biodegradable bags, compostable bags and other things.

The workshop starts at 11.15am  in the oval room at the Farmers Market.

The weather and turnout were great for the Richmond Road School’s annual Gala held on Saturday, 31^st of March 2012. with many people getting into the community spirit to raise money for the school.

This year an additional aim was to reduce waste going to landfill.  This was initially discussed with the organisers and relevant information was provided for stall holders. On the day three waste stations were set up providing for three waste streams i.e. foodwaste and compostables, mixed recyclables and waste for landfill. The bins were supervised as much as possible on the day to prevent contamination of each waste stream.

An unexpected challenge was the use by some stallholders, with great intentions, of bio-degradable cups, because where to put these! The recycle stream would be polluted, composting unsafe (it is often unclear what ‘bio-degradable’  consists off and, if it is safely compostable, high temperatures are needed which can only achieved in commercial facilities) and it contributes to greenhouse gasses in landfills. We weren’t able to solve this issue on the day as no budget was available for a suitable contractor.

However, 100kg of food/compostables went to the worms and a further three to four bins of mixed recyclables were deviated from landfill.

It was a great first attempt at ‘zero waste’ with lots of insights for similar future school events.

Cardboard and paper, for example, could have all gone to the school’s ‘Papers from Homes’ bin but more people power on the day would have been needed for this.

The Paper from Homes scheme allows for optimum recycling of this resource in New Zealand with money earned by the school for each filled bin.

Richmond Road School has a permanent bin on site for this scheme. To support this scheme please bring your newspapers, junk mail, flattened cardboard boxes to the green large bin beside the clothing bin in Richmond Road School’s car park. The school will receive $5- to $10- for each bin filled.

NB Did you know that both Seddon Fields soccer grounds and Western Springs Schools are on old, closed, landfills, with leachates seeps affecting Coxes Creek. Under City Vision/Labour council work commenced in 2007 to address this. (www.cityvision.org.nz-  Pollution of western Beaches).

Auckland Council is currently hearing submissions on the draft Waste Management and Minimisation plan. Colinda Rowe went along today to speak on behalf of the Grey Lynn 2030 Waste Away submission. Here is what she had to say:

“Grey Lynn 2030 is a community organization that facilitates and supports local focus groups working towards a positive, connected, sustainable, resilient community through practical action.

We take our terms of reference from the international Transition Town movement, which encourages local communities to respond to current environmental and economic challenges with positive solutions that tap into the skills and innovation available in the local community.

Grey Lynn 2030 is an active group, with over 1300 direct subscribers to regular updates.  We have focus groups that promote community gardens, traffic calming, waste reduction, regeneration of local streams and more.

One of the most active groups is Waste Away.  We are a group of community volunteers committed to promoting and taking action to reduce waste to landfill in our local community.

Some of our actions to date include:

• A local e-waste drop-off collection event held in 2009 prior to the inorganic collection which reduced hazardous computer waste disposed of to landfill and enabled its reuse/repair
• Setting up café/restaurant food waste diversion from landfill by setting up onsite worm farms and a collection/composting system
• A weekly education stall at the Grey Lynn Farmers Market since 2009, which encourages composting, worm farms and bokashi as well as offering a household battery collection, promotion of reusable coffee cups and information on other waste related matters. We receive real interest from residents wanting access to information about waste minimisation/recycling services or products, for example, options on what to do with foodscraps at home, where they can take e-waste or batteries or lightbulbs, how to set up recycling services at events, when a haz-mobile service or create your own eden course is next happening etc. We provide this sort of information at the farmers market etc but having local facilities, that operate as resource recovery centres, would enable residents and businesses to have access to waste minimisation information and services year round and enable greater engagement with the public on resource efficient initiatives etc etc….
• Provide recycling at local events such as street parties and festivals

We are currently working with the Grey Lynn Farmers Market to create a zero waste market, which will include recycling options for items such as batteries, light bulbs, mobile phones.  and provide a re-use depot for items such as glass jars, plastic and reusable shopping bags. We will also be working with stall holders to reduce or eliminate packaging that is not recyclable.

Our submission on the draft Auckland Waste Minimisation and Management plan congratulates the council on the plan and we endorse many of the waste minimisation proposals included.

I would like to focus on three points in particular today, being the reduction of waste, a separate organic collection and the inorganic collection.

Reduction of Waste

Reduction of waste is at the top of the waste hierarchy and we believe there should be an emphasis on waste reduction.  We therefore support the council’s aim to reduce waste to landfill by 30% by 2018 and support such schemes as

• Product stewardship schemes and Container Deposit Legislation (could help reduce some of the issues around comingling of waste)
• Waste wise school programme assisting schools to reduce their waste and educating students
• Behaviour change programmes

Separate Organic Collection

We are in agreement with a separate, rates funded organic collection – as per 69% of submissions.

As food and green waste make up around 50% of waste currently going to landfill, a separate bin for food and green waste would contribute greatly to reducing waste to landfill and council’s target to reduce domestic kerbside refuse by 30% by 2018.

We emphasise that good processing options need to be in place, such as composting for re-application back to the land, or energy generation.

We also support the current promotion of home composting should continue such as the Create your Own Eden courses.

Inorganic Waste

Although 72% of submissions agreed with a rates funded inorganic collection, we are against this for the following reasons:

• Rates-funded inorganic collection goes against disposer-pays philosophy
• It does not provide any incentive for residents to reduce amount of waste they produce
• Inorganic collection does not encourage Product Stewardship schemes while councils fund an easy alternative
• Surveys show that 30% to 50% of inorganic material is reusable or recyclable while a rate of less than 10% is achieved and that is achieved by scavenging
• Commercial scavengers break and damage and take items to remove valuable metals.  The breaking of fridges, air conditioners and dehumidifiers creates environmental hazards by releasing toxic pollutants such as CFCs, HCFC, and HFC into the atmosphere
• If taken to Resource Recover Centres (which are not yet set up), some items could be resold helping pay for recycling services and provide community with access to low cost goods
• Cost – It costs the Auckland region $5.3 million annually for inorganic waste.
• We support reallocating the funds used for inorganic collection to develop infrastructure in the region that supports maximum resource recovery. Savings made by cancelling inorganic collections, waste levy funds, and the sale of recovered materials, could be used to support Resource Recovery Networks across the region
  where businesses and residents could drop off unwanted materials

Should the inorganic collection continue, we believe this should be under a booking system and only until a Resource Recovery Network is established.

Lastly, we firmly believe in localised solutions for communities.  We should foster new ideas for community waste minimisation initiatives and if particular communities are able to provide collection services that offer local jobs and support community based systems, council should enable these to be considered.”

The Grey Lynn 2030 Waste Away team are one of our most active groups who really know their stuff. They understand how waste can be avoided, minimised and “rubbish” turned into a valuable resource.  They have done a great job drafting our submission to Auckland Council on the proposed Auckland-wide draft plan to deal with waste in Auckland and to provide consistent services across the region.

There are many proposals in the Plan that Waste Away strongly support and have come up with many suggestions to make it even better.

You can have your say on the plan until 4pm on Tuesday 31 January. A submission only takes a few minutes using the online form. Please use what you support from the Grey Lynn 2030 submission (the answers below and comments follow the online qusestions).

Submission to the Auckland Council on the draft Auckland Waste Minimisation and Management Plan by Grey Lynn 2030: Transition Community

Introduction
Grey Lynn 2030 would like to congratulate the Auckland Council on the draft Auckland Waste Management and Minimisation Plan (the Plan). We endorse many of the waste minimisation proposals presented in the Plan and hope that our submission also draws focus to the key task we all have to avoid waste creation in the first place. As a community organisation, Grey Lynn 2030 is encouraged by Auckland Council’s proposed support for local waste minimisation initiatives and we would like to see this Council lead the way in establishing local resource recovery facilities throughout the region as proposed in the Plan. We believe national product stewardship schemes are a critical next step to help address end-of-life options for many of the products and packaging types consumers use and discard every day. We therefore encourage Auckland Council to advocate for this national product stewardship legislative change.

About Grey Lynn 2030
Grey Lynn 2030 is a participatory community organisation that facilitates and supports local focus groups working towards a positive, connected, sustainable, resilient community through practical action.

We take our terms of reference from the international Transition Town movement which encourages local communities to respond to current environmental and economic challenges with positive solutions that tap into the skills and innovation available in the local community. There are currently 55 Transition Town groups throughout New Zealand, Grey Lynn 2030 being one of the most active.
Grey Lynn 2030 has over 1300 direct subscribers to regular updates and 3500 “friends” on facebook. We host regular meetings and have active focus groups promoting community gardens, traffic calming, waste reduction, regeneration of local streams and a range of innovative activities that contribute to the community. One of our most active groups is Grey Lynn 2030 Waste Away. This is a group of community volunteers committed to promoting and taking action to reduce waste to landfill in our local community. Waste Away’s actions to date include:

• A local E-Waste drop-off collection event held in 2009 prior to the inorganic collection which reduced hazardous computer waste disposed of to landfill and enabled its reuse/repair.
• Foodwaste Action by encouraging households to reduce foodwaste to landfill by avoiding foodwaste in the first place and using at-home worm farms, composting and/or bokashi systems for food waste recycling.
• Setting up café/restaurant food waste diversion from landfill by composting/worm farm onsite and a collection/composting system and holding Bokashi bucket demonstrations at a local cafe.
•  A weekly education stall at the Grey Lynn Farmers market since 2009, once a month at the Parnell Farmers Market since April 2011, and each year at the Grey Lynn Park Festival since 2009.
• Provision of street-side recycling facilities and an education stall at the West Lynn & Grey Lynn Street Parties in 2010 and 2011 and at Grey Lynn’s Rugby World Cup Adopt a team events
• Collection of 6 x 240L wheelie bins full of glass and aluminium cans from the Grey Lynn Park Festival 2010 with the support of Visy.
• Provision of a household battery collection at the weekly Grey Lynn Farmers Market and the promotion of rechargeable battery use.
• Promotion and sale of reusable cups to replace single use disposable cups and lids and home-composting systems.
• Education via the Grey Lynn 2030 monthly meetings, newsletters and website.

Grey Lynn 2030 is based in Grey Lynn, Auckland, encompassing the surrounding neighbourhoods that are in the west side of the Waitemata Local Board area (including Westmere, Ponsonby, Freeman’s Bay, Herne Bay and St Mary’s Bay).

Our submission
Q1. Target of 30% reduction in the amount of domestic kerbside waste sent to landfill, per person, by 2018
Answer: Agree.
Comment: We want to encourage not only households but all sectors of the community to reduce waste to landfill. Having a challenging yet measurable target will help to focus Council efforts and encourage collaborations with different sectors and groups.

Q2. Disposer-Pays Refuse Collection
Answer: Agree
Comment: We want to encourage user-pays for refuse disposal as it provides consistency across the region and an economic incentive to reduce waste.

Q3. Wheelie Bins vs Bags
Answer: Agree
Comment: The wheelie bin option has distinct advantages from a health & safety perspective, however we note their use would limit the range of service providers who will be able to tender for the Council collection contracts. A wheelie-bin collection service would need to be flexible enough to effectively cater to the range of property types throughout the region, for example multi-unit dwellings, rural properties, and difficult to access properties. If particular communities (such as in rural areas or on Waiheke Island) are able to provide collection services that offer local jobs and support community-based systems, Council should enable these to be considered. While the benefits of creating a uniform council-owned waste collection system are multiple, there is also the risk of becoming dependent on a single private provider which has vested interests in waste creation rather than waste reduction. We also believe that we should be first using those wheelie bins that are currently being used by households in order to reduce waste and cost to the rate payer, and would advocate for the proposed RFID tags to be retrofitted to existing bins instead if possible. The manufacturer of new wheelie bins should be undertaken in New Zealand.

Q4. Organic Waste collection from every household
Answer: Agree
Preferred option: Food waste plus green waste.
Comment: Food waste plus green waste, provided good processing options are established. Biodegradable packaging and food-contaminated paper would therefore be able to be included in the proposed organic waste bin also.

Q5. Rates funded inorganic collection every one or two years
Answer: Disagree
Preferred option: Other
Comment: Kerbside collections provide no incentive for residents to reduce the amount of waste they produce, do not encourage product stewardships schemes, cost ratepayers a lot, and scavengers break and damage items that could otherwise be reused or recycled via resource recovery centres. Even though there is a lot of community support for the kerbside service we believe there are better ways to maximise the value of unwanted goods without causing the myriad of environmental, health and safety problems kerbside collections bring to our streets. Annual or biennial kerbside collections also undermines efforts to put in place resource recovery centres which is our preferred option.
We support the establishment of a Resource Recovery Network as is proposed in the Plan, together with a user-pays booking system (collected from within a property not on the kerbside). Savings made from cancelling inorganic collections, the use of waste levy funds, and the sale of recovered materials, could be used to support a network of Resource Recovery facilities across the region where both businesses and residents could drop off unwanted materials all year around and a place to source used materials also.

Q6. Advocating for produce stewardship schemes
Answer: Agree
Comment: It would ensure both producers and consumers take greater responsibility for the environmental costs of the products and packaging they produce and/or consume and would keep products and packaging from entering the waste stream and facilitate better design that promotes recovery and recycling.

Q7. Implementation of a comprehensive communications, community engagement and community development programme
Answer: Agree
Comment: It is crucially important to encourage widespread uptake of the proposed waste minimisation changes to collections and services, and to promote everyday actions to reduce waste. Communication strategies should be specifically designed to reach and engage with the full range of Auckland’s diverse communities, sectors and groups.

Q8. Other feedback on the Plan

• We fully support advocating for mandatory Product Stewardship for packaging, e-waste, batteries and tyres and amendments to the Waste Minimisation Act to give industry the same waste minimisation obligations as local authorities. Also support developing and enacting a bylaw to support the aim and intent of this plan and cleanfill regulations
• We fully support recycling for schools and developing a Resource Recovery Network
• We fully support fostering new ideas for community waste minimisation initiatives
• We fully support public place recycling and zero waste events
• We fully support managing litter and illegal dumping
• We fully support the school Waste Wise programme and believe more resources should be put into it. Schools are ideal communities to trial and model zero waste practices, being relatively controlled by large organisations that use many products and include activities such as food preparation, wood and mental work etc. They also are often undergoing construction – therefore many of the domestic, industrial and public activities that produce waste in the community at large, happen at schools. The current Waste Wise team is dedicated and knowledgeable, and have been invaluable to the significant progress made in this area at Western Springs College and other schools over the past few years.
• Reinstate separate paper collection because the current comingling with glass reduces the quality of the paper/cardboard materials and is less likely to be recycled in New Zealand. Paper and cardboard can be recycled in New Zealand, when collected and sorted effectively, and this would support New Zealand businesses.
• Provide several collection points to drop off for example batteries and eco light bulbs.
• Install water fountains in all public places e.g. beaches, parks, main shopping areas, so people can drink water or refill their water bottle – which encourages people not to buy plastic water bottles
• Put resources into more education of the public, residential and businesses about ways to avoid excess packaging
• Support beverage container deposits and advocate for legislation for this
• Grant local community waste and recycling contracts rather than region-wide contracts and for the council to manage these services, which would allow them to be run without profit and enable pro-active employment strategies for disadvantaged groups and youth, in keeping with other aspects of the Auckland Plan.
• Advocate for legislation for an Organic Waste Ban to Landfill by 2020
• Help local rural communities to establish community-based or rural based composting or organic waste diversion to landfill operations
• Sponsor free consultation for Cleaner Production for Business and Industry
• Subsidise Worm Farm/Compost bins to encourage at-home food waste minimisation

We would like to speak in support of our submission at a public meeting.

Lynn Green
For the Grey Lynn 2030 Steering committee

Contact:
Lynn Green
E: GreyLynn2030@gmail.com
www.greylynn2030.co.nz
www.facebook.com/greylynn2030

Grey Lynn 2030 has a very active Waste Away group who are excited about the opportunity for Auckland Council to take a whole new approach to rubbish – the valuable resource that currently ends up in our landfill in alarming quantities.

Recommendations in the draft Waste Management and Minimisation Plan will streamline the different waste management systems set up by the seven legacy councils, to help deliver waste services more efficiently, find better ways to reuse resources, and send less to landfill.  There is a lot to support in the plan but if the Council is serious about “Zero Waste”, to make Auckland the world’s most liveable city then there is still more to do strengthen the plan.

In making its submission Grey Lynn 2030 Waste Away urges Auckland Council to:

• be very proactive and stand up against the waste lobby to regain  control of Auckland’s resource stream
• push for mandatory product stewardship especially for E-waste, paint, hazardous materials, packaging, whiteware and furniture
• support beverage container deposits
• grant local community waste and recycling contracts rather than region-wide contracts
• look at shorter term contracts for internationally owned companies and longer contracts for NZ owned, or local, established waste companies
• help establish local resource recovery networks by providing training, helping with land and consenting
• encourage resource recovery networks in the direction of local control by community groups and local businesses
• encourage disposer-pays waste charges  (rates based for organic and recycling to encourage diversion)
• foster local solutions to local waste problems
• to have stronger regulation on cleanfills
• encourage the dismantling of buildings for C&D rather than bulldozing
• stop inorganic collections and instead redirect materials to resource recovery network.  Money saved from inorganic collections to go to establishing resource recovery instead
• advocate for legislation for an Organic Ban to Landfill by 2020
• help local rural communities to establish community-based or rural based composting or organic waste diversion to landfill operations
• change the target date from 40% reduction to landfill by 2040 to 80% by 2020
• advocate for container deposit legislation
• advocate for legislation to introduce the mandatory reduction in waste to landfill from business and industry, not just government
• purchase Living Earth Composting from TPI to help control organic waste stream
• have as a priority minimising wasted resources  to landfill,  and how to do that quickly.  Making it easy and profitable for waste companies should not be a priority, indeed, it should not even be considered.
• sponsor free consultation for Cleaner Production for Business and Industry

The plan is now out for discussion until 31 January 2012. Please use any of the points above to make your own submission – including what you strongly support and like.

Closing date for submissions: 31st January 2012 however, do it now, don’t put it off!

Have your say by 4pm 31 January 2012.

 Visit www.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/wasteplan to download a copy of the full plan, summary document and complete an online submission form. You can also pick up a copy of the plan, summary and freepost submission form, from your local board office, council service centre or library. For more information call 09 301 0101.

The Unpackit crew will be at the Grey Lynn Market on Sunday 17th April, encouraging people to have their say in the 2011 Unpackit Packaging Awards. The crew will be performing skits from their travelling roadshow which includes chip-pack juggling, wrapper rapping and bananas on stilts who break free from their packaging.

The 16 finalists in the 2011 people’s choice awards for the best and worst packaging in New Zealand will be on display at the market. People will be able to vote for their pick of the “Best” and “Worst” finalists at the market. Votes can also be made online at www.unpackit.org. More than 4,000 votes have been received since the shortlists were announced on 29th March.

Roadshow organiser Ivy Willmott said the crew was looking to visiting one of the partner communities for the project. We’ve been really lucky with the support we’ve had from the Grey Lynn 2030 Waste Away focus group, and it will be great to catch up with them in person.”

Ms Willmott said the Unpackit roadshow had had a great reception at schools and markets.
“We’ve found at the markets that we get a crowd around us, because people are so keen to talk about packaging and to vote in the awards” she said. “That’s what this project is about, getting people talking and thinking about good packaging so they can make good choices.”

Awards organiser Sophie Ward said the 16 finalists had been narrowed down from over 100 nominations. “We were surprised to find that nearly all of the eight “Best” finalists are from small to medium-sized New Zealand businesses, with the exception of Speight’s. “For most of the Best finalists, the packaging is part of the brand they’re creating and they’ve put a lot of thought into it. “Some of the best packaging is made from recycled materials, or from a waste stream – such as Potatopak which is made from starch waste from potato chip manufacturers.” All of the “Best” finalists are fully recyclable and/or home compostable.

In contrast, all of the eight “Worst” finalists are destined to end up in the rubbish bin, because they can’t be recycled or composted. “All of the eight “Worst” finalists use more packaging than they need to, most of them are what I would call excessive,” said Ms Ward. “I don’t know whose bright idea it is to individually wrap Sunsweet’s prunes, but I haven’t met one person on the roadtrip so far who doesn’t think that it is absolutely ridiculous.”

Ms Ward said the eight “Worst” finalists had also failed to label their plastics with an identifying number in a triangle (with the exception of Cadbury Drinking Chocolate who did label their plastic lid). As a result, the plastics couldn’t be properly recycled.

Ms Ward said she encouraged everyone to come down and enjoy the roadshow. “Anyone who can’t make it, can view the finalists and vote by going to the Unpackit website www.unpackit.org.The winners of the awards will be announced May 6th.

The Unpackit Roadshow of Joy will be at the Grey Lynn Farmers Market on Sunday 17 April

S#!T happens – deal with it!

This month the Waste Away group present an informative and entertaining meeting of ideas, tips and practical advice on dealing with waste.

Guest Presenters
Sunshine Yates “Household Waste & Recycling in Auckland City”
Dorte Wray “Towards Zero Waste – Food Waste”

With updates from the Wasters on a range of exciting new initiatives.

Be in to win the Waste Away raffle with a fabulous range of goodies including Bokashi Bucket and Zing donated by the Waste Away group; Solar Monkey – portable solar charger for sml digital devices donated by PLANIT EcoStore; String bags and produce bags donated by ReThinkNZ; NiMH fast charger + rechargable batteries donated by EcoBatteries; KeepCup & Jute Bag donated by Ripe Deli.

Wednesday 12th May
7.30pm – 9.30pm
Grey Lynn Community Centre

Why not bring a long a friend to the meeting? All welcome

This event was a big hit last year with 30 tonnes of appliances taken to the Auckland F&P centre for recycling with a total of 48 tonnes nationwide. This was approx. 800 appliances from Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch. Many of these items would have ended up in landfill.

The event enables the public to bring along their appliances for recycling at no cost.

Items accepted are any brand of :

Refrigerator, Freezer, Washer, Dryer, Dishwasher, Overn, Cooktop, Rangehood, Waste Disposal Unit, Microwave.

www.fisherpaykel.co.nz

Dear all,

We fight for long to make giant supermarket take social responsibility and start a charging on plastic bags and it works! 12 millions of bags are saved over only 1 month.

We cannot let it fall back and we need to tell people Wellington guys are not selfish nor irresponsible for environment, we consume what we need and treasure every natural resources.

Please echo our call and simply use 3 mins to write a email/talk to shop manager of supermarket when you shopping.
Please help spread the word and take action in this critical moment.

1. Tell your local Foodstuff supermarkets (New World/PaknSave/4-Square) to keep the charging by email/comment card or in person. Give them more support!
http://www.foodstuffs.co.nz/about-foodstuffs/contact-us

2. Send a letter of support for charging and reduce plastic bag usage to Foodstuff on your organisation behalf.
Foodstuffs New Zealand Ltd
Level 8, 45 Johnston Street, Lambton Quay, PO Box 5401, Wellington
Fax: +64 4 472 6412
Attention: Foodstuffs Wellington managing director Tony McNeil
Foodstuffs (Auckland) Ltd is led by Managing Director Tony Carter
Foodstuffs South Island Ltd is led by CEO Steve Anderson

3. Progressive Enterprises have NO plan to start charging. Make sure they know what you want as a customer, email: customerinfo@progressive.co.nz

4. Letter to Minister for the Environment, tell him you want government to have legislation to reduce plastic bags which create a fair situation to supermarket who care our environment.
Email: nick.smith@national.org.nz
Phone: (04)817 6805 (Parliament)
Fax: (04)817 6805

Thank you very much for your help, use this chance to make a full implementation of plastic bag charging (just like so many other countries do), let everyone stop the wasteful lifestyle and think about using natural resources. Attached is GetReal press release and also Kiwi Plastic Bag Concern one for your reference.

Best Wishes,
Angus Ho
GetReal campaign
Wanaka Wastebusters

Address: PO Box 16, Wanaka
Land: +64 03 443 8606 Ext.5
Cell: +64 021 036 4855
Email: angus@wanakawastebusters.co.nz
Website: www.wanakawastebusters.co.nz