KOE KOE Ā
On track for zero waste by 2028
Helping Wakatū reach its zero-waste goal by 2028 is Blair Taylor, our wānanga food and logistics specialist. He’s been looking at ways to reduce waste on the outdoor-focused programmes like the annual taiohi and ahi kaa wānanga.
During one of our wānanga we
of vacuum-packing and using
waste products go. During the
provide all meals and snacks
plastic snap-lock bags.
wānanga we remind all the
for around 30 people for five
Because we’re quite often
participants about the need to
days, and around 100 people
eating on the move, we provide
reduce waste and recycle where
for the final hākari, so our food
packed breakfasts, lunches and
we can. We have one rubbish bag
requirements are substantial.
snacks. We’ve been using paper
per van, and at the end of each
We aim for healthy kai that
bags for a while, and last year
day, it is someone’s responsibility
fuels people for the physical
we switched from clingwrap to
to sort the waste to make sure
activities on the wānanga, so
beeswax wraps and this has made
it is all separated into compost,
this means heaps of fresh fruit
a huge difference. Beeswax wraps
recycling and landfill.
and vegetables. In the past we
can be used for almost anything
used plastic bags for everything
you would use clingwrap, from
water, each participant on the ahi
– which added up to quite a
wrapping sandwiches to covering
kaa gets a Camelbak. A reusable
few bags! We now do our fresh
food bowls. The only things you
drink bottle is also now on our
fruit and vegetable shop at our
can’t use them for is meat or fish.
gear list for all our wānanga.
local greengrocer, and don’t
With the right care, the wraps
use any plastic bags at all. Fruit
can be used again and again.
and vegetables are weighed
We do most of our food prep
Instead of plastic bottles of
These are some of the steps we have taken so far, and we’ll refine what we’re doing each
as we go, and then put into a
in the wharekai of the different
time we run a wānanga. It’s good
large cardboard box. The box is
marae around Te Tauihu. Most
for the participants to see that
then used for transporting kai
of the marae have already been
we’re taking the zero-waste goal
throughout the wānanga, and
separating their waste into
seriously, and to involve them
is recycled at the end. Through
recycling and composting for
in what we’re doing. They share
experience, we’re also getting our
a while now – so we make sure
their ideas with us, and they take
quantities just right – so there is
everyone who is on clean-up duty
on board some of the things
less waste overall.
knows where all the different
we’re doing as well.
We looked at what else we could buy in bulk that would also reduce packaging and found that going to places like
Beeswax wrap starter-packs giveaway
Bin Inn helps.
We’re got five beeswax wrap starter-packs to give away. Each pack contains pinking shears, cotton fabric for sandwich-size wraps and beeswax. To go in the draw, email hono@wakatu.org with Beeswax wrap in the subject line, and write what you and your whānau are doing to reduce waste at home, work, or on the marae. Winners will be drawn at random from all the entries and we’ll share the best tips on our Facebook page. The draw closes on 1 July 2019.
The way we prep and transport the food has changed, too. We’re using glass or ceramic bowls that can be washed and reused to transport our food now instead
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