Plastic-Free July is a global initiative that challenges people to reduce their plastic consumption and waste throughout the month of July and beyond. Founded in Western Australia in 2011, Plastic-Free July has since grown into a worldwide movement, inspiring millions of individuals, communities, businesses, and organizations to take action against plastic pollution.

One of the key objectives of International Environment Day is to raise awareness about the impact of human activities on the environment and promote sustainable practices that minimise harm.

We catch up with Rachel Johnston, Co-owner of Hula Café in Whitianga, busy mother and passionate about sustainability in business.

Situated metres from the beautiful Whitianga harbour and beach front, Hula Cafe is a thriving business offering a range of food and beverages throughout the day, and to the delight of locals, also periodically host to the ever-popular music jam sessions.

In all the bustle of busy working day, Rachel still finds time to integrate thoughtful environmentally friendly steps into the café’s routines – no plastic straws, recycling juice and milk cartons (liquid paperboard) and most recently focusing on eliminating the use of single use plastics, like Coffee Cups.

Was it just me? But, there didn’t seem to be much of a song and dance made about the new national recycling standards the slipped into effect on February 1st. Personally, I think it’s great, no need to remember different rules when we are away from home as recycling is now standardised through out the whole of Aotearoa New Zealand.

Sometimes I read something and it just makes me fizz. New ideas, great human stories, tales full of emotion and effort…Today I discovered an article in the Guardian by Joseph Winter – and it got the fizz going for me – I will paraphrase and leave you to read it yourself if you want to know more.

Are you contemplating your own New Years resolutions? Maybe it’s to get out into your community and do something of meaning, that introduces you to locals and builds connections. Maybe its to live your values and make a difference? Our number one New Year’s resolution is to find an alternate interim site. We resolve to have a drop off centre up and running by the AGM in August – come hell or high water!

With a wee glimpse of sunshine comes a hint of spring as we wish it be – rejuvenation, growth and even hope of good things to come. I am sure that’s how our lovely Trustee Elvisa and her family are feeling as they head out of District to their new home. Elvisa shares her reflections and insights in the Question and Answers in this blog.

What a gorgeous sunny windless day we had for the inaugural Whitianga Cleanup Day on Saturday 16th September 2023. Inspired by the highly successful Keep New Zealand Beautiful annual Clean Up Week, our very own Tiffany Reid delivered a well-coordinated and high energy event – the Wāhi Tukurua/Mercury Bay Resource Recovery Centre team were delighted to be part of the support crew on the day.

In the olden days (50 or 60 years ago) my old Granny, bless her heart, used to impress upon her grandchildren never to waste any food. She grew up during a great depression and two world wars when food was scarce and never wasted. After weekly Sunday dinners with our family, she used to scrape all uneaten food into containers and pop them in the fridge, to be part of her meals for the next week. I don’t know what she created with the leftovers but without the fancy cooking gadgets that we have today, I am sure it was pretty simple but very edible kai.

The Global Battery Alliance has introduced a prototype of its Battery Passport, which aims to establish sustainable and responsible battery value chains. The Passport provides information about the sustainability and lifecycle requirements of batteries. It collects and shares trusted data among stakeholders in the battery industry, including details about material sourcing, chemical composition

Manus is a Trustee of Wāhi Tukurua and was interviewed on Altbays last year. Watch or listen to Manus as he talks about the Mercury Bay Resource Recovery Centre Trust and it’s plans.

2023 has certainly been a year of unprecedented upheaval, locally, nationally and globally. It has tested our resilience and illuminated our sense of community.

Amongst other things we have been challenged locally by the roading situation, which isolates us, complicates supply and drives complexity into our homes and businesses. I was struck by just this point in a recent conversation with a TCDC staff member about the kerbside collection service. She mentioned the impact our roading woes were having on those who did the rubbish collection services – extending their driving time enormously every day as they came to Mercury Bay from Thames and beyond, and inhibiting their ability to get to all our communities with enough time to complete their standard service run.

Summer is upon us again – with the pleasure of gift giving and summer holidays! Christmas is a time of joy, connection and tradition. Unfortunately, it’s often excessively wasteful. In fact, in the week after Christmas, New Zealanders send 50,000 extra tonnes of waste to landfill. As one site I visited said, that is enough to fill 14,286 twenty-foot shipping containers – which, if stacked one on top of the other, would stretch 105 times higher than the Sky Tower!

We rely on batteries to power everything from remote controls to our toothbrush. If you stop for a minute and look around your home or office, you might, like me, be uncomfortably surprised by the number of batteries living amongst your belongings – TV, radio, speakers, computer games, kid’s toys, pet toys, torches, smoke alarms, garage door remotes, car keys, calculators, mobile phones, DIY tools, hearing aids, fit bits, Garmin sport trackers, watches. The list goes on…

What is e-Waste?

Electronic waste, or e-Waste, refers to all electrical and electronic equipment (EEE) and its parts that have been discarded by its owner as waste without the intent of re-use.

Unsurprisingly, electronic waste is the fasting growing waste stream in the world - as the use of electronics such as phones, laptops, and PCs has grown rapidly in the last 30 years. The rate in which we replace our old electronics is also going up – we probably all know someone who regularly replaces their smartphone when the new version comes out…

New Zealand produces an estimated 98,000 tonnes of e-waste each year, and this is growing three times faster than any other type of waste stream.

Over 180 naming competition entries received in four weeks – what a strong indication of the connection our community already feels to the Mercury Bay Resource Recovery Centre!

Based at the new Refuse Transfer Station (RTS) on Moewai Road, Whitianga, the centre is on track for opening in March 2023. Once operational, volunteers and staff will work to reduce the volume of reusable and recyclable products sent to landfill. A drop-off centre will be integrated into the new RTS, providing the public with the option of off-loading goods before the RTS weighbridge. Recovered products will then be offered for sale to the public through a shop, which may be accessed via Moewai Road.