Recipients named for $500,000 ‘zero waste’ fund

Media release

18 July 2013

Recipients named for $500,000 ‘zero waste’ fund

A project to divert 20,000 tonnes of food waste from landfill every year has funding from a new Auckland Council grant scheme supporting ‘zero waste’.

Eco Stock Ltd, based in Wiri, was awarded $50,000 from the first ever round of Auckland Council’s Waste Minimisation and Innovation Fund, with a $500,000 pool for projects.

The grant was the highest awarded, and will go to equipment that converts food waste into stock feed.

“Eco Stock diverts around 42,000 tonnes of food waste from landfill every year,” says Councillor Noelene Raffills, who led the hearing process for the council’s Waste Management and Minimisation Plan (WMMP), adopted in 2012.

“The purchase of this plant will help the business increase its contribution to waste minimisation in a significant way.”

A total of 47 businesses, community groups, iwi/Maori organisations and educational institutions were successful in the April funding round.

Among the successful applicants was the Project Litefoot Trust, awarded $35,700 to help implement a waste minimisation programme in community sports clubs throughout the region.

A study into a recycling network in the business precinct of East Tamaki, and an initiative to have waste minimisation systems on marae each received around $10,000.

A number of applications responded to one of the actions of the WMMP, which is to develop a resource recovery network in the region.

“This fund gives opportunities for people to make something of their great ideas, and help our region reach our aspiration of ‘zero waste’.”

The fund is one of the first actions to emerge from the WMMP.

The fund is provided from the Waste Levy, administered by the Ministry for the Environment. Recipients need to show they have resources to meet at least half of the cost of the funding requested.

The $500,000 fund for 2013/14 will be disbursed through funding rounds in October and April.

1. Small grants

ApplicantProject namePurpose of fundingFunding allocationA'oga Fa'a SamoaWorking towards sustainability at the A’oga Fa’a SamoaFunding to support the Aoga's strategy to become more sustainable by introducing reusable nappies to be used at the school.$3,525.00Sancta Maria CollegeReducing our waste to landfillFunding to help create a system to sort organic, landfill and recycling rubbish and reduce waste to landfill. $3,410.00Alfriston CollegeAlfriston College school wide waste reduction and reuse projectFunding for bins for organic and recyclable rubbish and worms to process organic waste. $3,437.65Falepipi he Mafola Niuean Handcraft Group IncLakaaga ki Mua (Next level of living)Funding to help raise awareness of the importance of waste minimisation within the Niuean community through visits to other groups.$500.00Te Atu EnuaCLOVER projectFunding for equipment to make useful household items out of discarded wood pallets and to renovate discarded furniture.$4,744.13Cameron Leisure LimitedISO 14001Contribution towards purchase of separate bins for waste materials from the facility to work towards the ISO 14001 environmental award . $1,225.18Waiheke High SchoolRecycling StationsContribution towards waste stations around the school which have clear signage and separate bins for waste, recycling and organic matter.

$3,522.00Glenfield CollegeOrganic waste minimisation ay Glenfield CollegeContribution towards purchase of equipment to enable organic waste produced by the school to be composted.$1,400.00One Tree Hill CollegeOne Tree Hill College Waste Recycling Contribution towards cost of a chicken run, compost bin materials, and a worm farm to divert organic material from landfill.$1,002.00YMCA Mt AlbertOSCAR Worm Farm

Funding for worm farms to take organic foodwaste from the after school care and holiday programmes at the YMCA. The worm farms would also be used to process food waste from staff working in the office.$250.16Warkworth Primary SchoolWorm bath, compost bins to nourish edible garden produce

Funding for the school to become a WasteWise efficient school through completing a waste audit and also to create a worm bath and utilize compost bins to encourage recycling of food scraps and some paper material. Finally, to educate children and their families on making better choices about how food is brought to school.$1,096.00Flat Bush SchoolFlat Bush School compostingFunding to purchase waste stations and compost bins to divert food and greenwaste from landfill.$267.41St Francis Kindergarten and Childcare Centre LtdA gift for our garden our friends and ourselves

Funding to support the project which involves giving talks and running workshops with the community and children to educate them about the benefits of recycling organic waste into compost for gardens. Also, to purchase containers and seeds to make vegetable box gardens with people who come to talks so as to provide instant gardens. Finally, to purchase 8 Hungry Bins for the kindergarten to divert it’s organic waste from landfill.$1,051.84Auckland Kindergarten AssociationWorking Towards Zero Waste at Head Office

Contribution towards purchasing equipment for composting of organic waste in AKA office, and to recycle plastics and paper. Also to educate staff and change waste management behaviours. $545.00Weymouth PrimaryWeymouth Primary Whanau Waste Minimisation Project

Contribution towards purchase of additional worm farms to supplement those the school already in place .$1,600.00The Prema Charitable TrustZero Organic Waste at Kawai Purapura

Funding to support purchase of worm farms and bokashi systems. The resulting compost will be used to nourish gardens and orchards located on the premises. $3,262.00Waiheke Primary SchoolRecycling RestartFunding to support establishing and sustaining effective systems that will educate staff and students to recycle properly. This would include purchasing a three-bin system for organics, recycling and refuse, and setting up worm farms and compost bins to process organics.$830.81Flanshaw Road SchoolFlanshaw Compost Extension ProjectFunding to support expansion of the school’s composting system to create different types of compost.$2,112.88Horan Design LtdEastern Bays Mums Recycle SaleContribution towards the facilitation of local families selling their used toys, clothes, household goods through "Recycle Sale" market events. $3,500.00Faculty of Creative Arts , Ngā Pūkenga mō Toi-Auaha , Manukau Institute of TechnologyCreative Arts Reuse Centre

Funding to support development of a Creative Arts Reuse Centre out customised shipping container. $4,500.00Bea LorimerThe great plastic planFunding to support initiation of a pilot project to train two people in the production of upcycled plastic goods. $3,120.00Reclaim LtdNZ Recycling WeekFunding to support the NZ Recycling Week project.$2,000.00Otara Network Action Committee Charitable TrustOtara Network Action Committee Charitable Trust

Contribution towards the project which includes educational sessions on waste minimisation, community waste audit to gain an understanding of how Otara Whanau currently dispose of waste and some zero waste events.

$2,000.00

2. Medium grants

ApplicantProject nameProjectFunding allocationWarkworth Wellsford HospiceResource recovery feasibility study Funding to support a feasibility study to assess viability of a resource recovery facility.$18,760Grey Lynn Park Festival TrustGrey Lynn Park Festival ProjectsContribution towards funding the Grey Lynn park festival projects such as front and back end systems for minimising waste at the event

$10,000.00CRN TrustCapacity building for the Auckland Resource Recovery NetworkFunding to support a year long programme of workshops and site tours of some of CRN's flagship resource recovery sites to build capacity of organisations wanting to operate in the resource recovery area. $16,890.00Friends of Ambury Farm & Foreshore (Umbrella: Mangere Bridge Residents & Ratepayers)Mangere Bridge Village WasteWise Initiative (MBVWI)Funding to support a 'whole of community' approach that inspires our 2500 households, village businesses and other local organisations to work together to make their area zero-waste. This will be achieved through community engagement, education and behaviour change campaigns.$10,079.27Greater East Tamaki Business AssociationEast Tamaki Commercial Recycling Feasibility StudyContribution towards the project which includes investigating the feasibility of an active recycling programme in the East Tamaki business precinct with an ultimate goal to create a recycling network between businesses in East Tamaki that minimises waste management costs, and reduces waste to landfill.$9,517.00Green Building CouncilWaste management in residential constructionFunding to support the engagement of the residential construction sector in Auckland in waste minimisation and mangement practices, by providing an education tool that speaks to on site staff- those who will be key in reducing construction waste to landfill. $21,500.00Urban Ecoliving Charitable TrustThe Big Picture booksFunding to support the "Big Picture" book series, and to take the exhibit to classes in schools.$10,495RekindleAuckland Rekindle PilotFunding to support establishment of a pilot site, completion of a feasibility study and business .$22,880.00Unitec Institute of TechnologyZeroing in on Waste in the Student VillageFunding to support establishing effective recycling and composting services for the Unitec Student Village, which provides accomodation for 350 students. $15,478.23Diabetes Projects TrustRefugee Waste Action WorkshopsFunding to support the delivery of experiential learning sessions for 100 recently settled refugee families in Auckland.$10,274.26Ngati Whatua OrakeiPara Kore ki TamakiContribution towards setting up waste minimisation systems at maraes.$6,703.20MPHSResource Recovery feasibility study and education pilotFunding to support a feasibility study to assess viability of a resource recovery facility.$10,804.25Auckland City MissionPrison Recycling ProjectContribution towards the project which includes sorting, washing and repairing poor condition clothes so that they can be on-sold by the Mission rather than being sent to landfill. The project will be delivered together with Mt Eden Prison . $10,000.00Ngati RehuaFeasibility study for the establishement of a resource recovery centre on Great Barrier IslandFunding to support a feasibility study to assess viability of a resource recovery facility.$24,000.00Counties Manukau DHBWorm farms for hospital food wasteContribution towards the purchase of worm farms to compost the organic food waste from the hospital. This would contribute to the overall goal of reducing Counties Manukau District Health Board’s carbon footprint. $20,000.00Migrant Action TrustCommunity Resource Recovery and Education ProjectContribution towards educational training modules to build capacity for community resource recovery.$20,000.00Waiuku Community Workshop TrustWaiuku Total Waste RecylingFunding to support a feasibility study to assess viability of a resource recovery facility.$7,500.00EcomattersWash Against Waste ProjectContribution towards construction of a Wash Against Waste trailer that contains all of the materials and accessories required to run a WAW stall at an event. $23,800.00Sustainable CoastlinesWaste Minimisation Workshops Pilot, Presenter Training and Awareness CampaignFunding to support delivery of workshops on the waterfront as a means to change behaviour and raise awareness in the community around waste minimisation. $22,500.00Ngati Whatua Orakei Whai MaiaATAMIRA Maori in the City 2013 waste management and education moduleContribution towards the project which includes integration of environmental sustainability elements into all aspects of the ATAMIRA Maori event's management and production values. This would serve as a template for all of their events in the future. $10,000.00

3. Large grants

ApplicantProjectFunding allocationProject Litefoot TrustLiteClub

Funding to support implementation of a waste minimisation programme in more community sports clubs within Auckland. $35,700.00EcostockFood Waste Manual Sorting Contribution towards the purchase of equipment that would allow mixed (pre-consumer) food waste, and mixed packaged and unpackaged food waste and sort it effectively for use as high quality stock feed.$50,000.00Crosspower Ministries TrustSouthside Recycling (Trash Mob)Funding to support a trial and reporting for a resource recovery facility.$35,000.00Appleseed Recycling TrustAppleseed RecyclingFunding to support a resource recovery trial.$25,000.00

ENDS