Dating service for businesses looking for more clients
26 May 2003
The Auckland Regional Council’s RENEW waste exchange is celebrating its eighth year of successful match-making for
businesses with bits to spare with organisations who want what they’ve got – and looking for more clients.
RENEW can claim hundreds of successful matches of organisations who have materials that they want to get rid of, with
organisations who can find a use for them.
“The more businesses on our books, the more chances that businesses will get the match they’re looking for,” said RENEW
co-ordinator Jocelyn Rennie.
RENEW enables organisations to get in touch with each other through a published catalogue, which is also available on
the ARC website. Then RENEW leaves it up to the organisations to forge an ongoing relationship.
“The ARC acts as the marriage maker. We are very pleased that many successful waste exchange relationships have formed
and continued over the years due to our service,” said ARC’s Environmental Management committee chairman, Brian Smith.
“It saves organisations money and cuts out a large amount of good materials otherwise going to waste. This is a
match-making service with long-term benefits for all parties,” said Ms Rennie.
“With this match-making service you don’t have to limit yourself to one partner and it’s quite safe to have many casual
encounters.”
Corban’s Viticulture has used RENEW to source wooden pallets from two companies on the North Shore. “It’s quite a useful
service,” said Corban’s Robyn Steward. Corbans Viticulture also has on offer large, high-density polyethelene plastic
bags to give to others.
RENEW’s current catalogue lists 577 organisations that have materials available for others to pick up and take away –
most of them for free. The list ranges from wooden pallets to cardboard packaging to second hand carpet, fabric
off-cuts, metal drums and plastic containers.
It lists 645 organisations that want materials. Many school art departments have joined, on the hunt for glass,
ceramics, cork off-cuts, wire, steel off-cuts – anything that they can make art from. Other businesses are looking for
all kinds of things from plastic containers, wooden pallets, computer equipment, and concrete and rock waste.
Many more people and businesses can participate, by phoning 366 2000 for a copy of the catalogue or viewing the listings
on the ARC website, www.arc.govt.nz.
RENEW stands for Resource Exchange Network for Eliminating Waste and is run by the ARC as a service to the region to
encourage organisations to offer materials they no longer need to others rather than have to send them to a landfill.
There are 319 organisations listed in Auckland city, 108 listed in Manukau city, 106 in North Shore city, 89 in
Waitakere city, 33 in Rodney district, 25 in Papakura district and 18 in Franklin as well as others from other regions.
Organisations wanting to join RENEW can contact Jocelyn Rennie, ph 366 2000 x 8263 or jocelyn.rennie@arc.govt.nz
Waste exchanges in other parts of the country can be accessed through a new portal, www.wasteexchange.org.nz
Businesses who have had happy matches as a result of RENEW:
Robyn Steward, Corbans Viticulture
Grant Jones, Caulfield and Smeal, Avondale cabinetmakers – regularly get rid of customwood off-cuts
John Dutton, Instant Office Products, East Tamaki – people pick up his unwanted pallets
Dave Wilson, Amcor Cartons Australasia, Mt Wellington – found a company to send unwanted pallets to through RENEW