Repair is Better than Recycling – Making our things last longer is both more efficient and more cost effective than mining them for raw materials.
Repair saves the planet. Earth has limited resources and we can’t run a linear manufacturing process forever. The best way to be efficient is to reuse what we already have!
Repair saves you money. Fixing things is often free, and usually cheaper than replacing them, doing the repair yourself saves serious dough.
Repair teaches engineering. The best way to find out how something works is to take it apart!
If you can’t fix it, you don’t own it! Repair connects people and devices, creating bonds that transcend consumption. Self repair is sustainable.
Repair connects you with your things. Repair empowers and emboldens individuals. Repair transforms consumers into contributors. Repair inspires pride in ownership. Repair injects soul and makes things unique. Repair is independence. Repair requires creativity. Repair is green. Repair is joyful. Repair is necessary for understanding our things. Repair saves money and resources.
We Have The Right: To open and repair our things without voiding the warranty to devices that can be opened, to error codes and wiring diagrams, to troubleshooting instructions and flowcharts, to repair documentation for everything, to choose our own repair technician, to remove ‘Do not remove’ stickers, to repair things in the privacy of our own homes, to replace any and all consumables ourselves, to hardware that doesn’t require proprietary tools to repair, to available, reasonable priced service parts.
Put either one of these in your kitchen junk drawer and garage and remember that to repair something you own stops waste going to landfill and creat that bond that transcends consumption.
Beth from Fake Plastic Fish is a wealth of information on monitoring and reducing plastic waste and just general cool things to inspire us all to change our plastic habits. Today her blog features this great video “Plastic State of Mind- Parody with Purpose” from Green Sangha. It is very well done, fun and entertaining and has important messaging.
Isn’t it great!
Earlier this week I attended the Signs of Change conference. Immensely informative, inspiring and really hopeful that grass roots, community and business led change is happening all around our fine country. You can read more about the conference here. Key highlights to come…
Annie Leonard, who brought the world the wonderfully informative animated video called the Story of Stuff has just released a new one on e-waste called the Story of Electronics. Again she has researched how e-waste is produced in the first place, the design elements that need to be changed and the problems with how e-waste is disposed of. E-waste is “designed for the dump” she says. Although the videos have an American focus they are still relevant to New Zealanders. We import tonnes of electronic goods each year that all have been designed with relatively short lives (due, mostly, to new product coming in all the time) and dispose of approximately 80,000 tonnes to landfill each year. 80,000 tonnes! Think of what happens to the toxins and heavy metals contained in the those items while they sit in a landfill.
The New Zealand government has recently announced funding from the Ministry for the Environment’s Waste Minimisation Fund into two key e-waste collection programmes. The first one was e-Day held last Saturday around the country. They received $750,000 to hold e-Day at 40 locations around New Zealand and for the first year I heard and saw advertising. And this helped. This year’s e-Day was a success with around 900 tonnes of e-waste (computers and phones) being dropped off (around 110 shipping containers). More here. There were over 17,000 cars and over 76,000 items dropped off. This e-waste will be sent to other countries for proper disposal. New Zealand does not have the facilities to process e-waste on shore. As with other waste streams it is cheaper for it to be sent off shore.
The other project that has received funding from the government is $400,000 to the RCN Group and the Community Recycling Network who are planning to set up a nationwide network of 20 e-waste drop off depots and 3 recycling facilities in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch. This is so e-Day can be everyday!
The solutions that need to come in order to reduce the amount of e-waste that is polluting our environment is to 1) consume less (always #1), 2) businesses to take responsibility for the products that they produce (Product Stewardship Schemes), 3) redesign products with less toxins and longer lives, 4) develop urban mining offshore so that the e-waste can be disposed of safely (and not negatively impacting the environments of other countries) and 5) finding solutions to old e-waste (can it be reused in new ways). There are solutions but we just need to start focussing on using them and building them.
At SIFT we like to have ongoing relationships with those people that we have funded or given some financial assistance to especially during the course of the project with regular meetings and catch ups (especially if there are milestones associated with the project). I visited the lovely and hard working team of Robert & Stephanie Fowler of Comspec, in Hornby, this morning to catch up on how they going with recycling the majority of the South Island’s plastic milk bottles and to just say hi. To quote Martha Stewart what they are doing is “a good thing”.
You can read more of the good work that they are doing and how SIFT are helping them to do it here.
Organisations that received Waste Minimisation Funding
It is really exciting for SIFT to see which companies have been given funding through the latest Waste Minimisation Funding round. It demonstrates the direction of the Ministry for the Environment strategy, and that industry initiatives have a strong focus. We will keep updating this list as Nick Smith announces more successful applicants.
eDay (2020 Communications Trust, RCN Group and Community Recycling Network) – eDay is a community initiative designed to raise awareness of the benefits of recycling computers and the hazardous nature of electronic waste (e-waste), while offering an easy way for households and schools to dispose of old computers and mobile phones in an environmentally sound manner. eDay 2010 will be held in more than 40 centres throughout New Zealand on Saturday 6 November 2010. Organisers are aiming to divert as much as 1,300 tonnes of electronic waste (e-waste) from landfills, up from last year’s record of 976 tonnes. Total WMF funding $1.15million – The first grant of $750,000 is to the 2020 Communications Trust to run eDay on 6 November 2010 at more than 40 venues right across New Zealand. The second grant of $400,000 is a joint venture between the RCN Group and the Community Recycling Network towards developing a nationwide network of 20 permanent depots for e-waste as well as recycling facilities in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch.
http://www.eday.org.nz/
Envirocomp Solutions – The company which launched the first commercial plant to compost disposable nappies and other sanitary hygiene products e fund will enable Envirocomp Solution Ltd to conduct a feasibility study to assess demand and identify a suitable location for installing a 2nd plant in the Greater Wellington region. Kimberly-Clark New Zealand which markets HUGGIES® Nappies, will support the study by conducting research with its Wellington based HUGGIES® club database as part of its ongoing sponsorship. The plant processes 15,000 nappies or incontinence products per day into compost. WMF Funding totals $30,000
www.envirocomp.co.nz
Scion Research Limited – Innovative thermal oxidation technology developed by Scion Research Ltd is designed to break down this waste and greatly reduce the amount entering landfills as well as cut greenhouse gas emissions. I am pleased to announce that Scion will receive $1 million from the Waste Minimisation Fund to pilot a process that reduces this waste.
Scion has named this project ‘Waste 2 Gold’ as the thermal oxidation process also generates useable by-products.
http://www.scionresearch.com/
Tyregone Processors Limited
The Auckland based company will receive $300,000 total WMF funding to expand operation of its pyrolysis plant, which converts tyres into carbon, steel, oil and gas. Once expanded, the plant will process more than 2000 tonnes of tyres in the first year.
The Bay of Plenty Regional Council is to receive $100,000 to investigate expanding its vermicomposting facility so it can process a wider range of organic material, including wood waste from the Tasman and Carter Holt Harvey mills.
Glass Packaging Forum The Glass Packaging Forum – (GPF) is a non-profit organization, which aims to ensure the ongoing performance of glass as environmentally acceptable packaging. GPF will receive $1.6 million to increase the number of recycling bins and bottle banks across the country for the Rugby World Cup. http://www.glassforum.org.nz/
It is really exciting for SIFT to see which companies have been given funding through the latest Waste Minimisation Funding round. It demonstrates the direction of the Ministry for the Environment strategy, and that industry initiatives have a strong focus. We will keep updating this list as Nick Smith announces more successful applicants.
eDay
eDay is a community initiative designed to raise awareness of the benefits of recycling computers and the hazardous nature of electronic waste (e-waste), while offering an easy way for households and schools to dispose of old computers and mobile phones in an environmentally sound manner. eDay 2010 will be held in more than 40 centres throughout New Zealand on Saturday 6 November 2010. Organisers are aiming to divert as much as 1,300 tonnes of electronic waste (e-waste) from landfills, up from last year’s record of 976 tonnes. 2020 Communications Trust to run eDay on 6 November 2010 at more than 40 venues right across New Zealand will receive $750,000.
RCN Group and Community Recycling Network
The second ewaste grant of $400,000 is a joint venture between the RCN Group and the Community Recycling Network towards developing a nationwide network of 20 permanent depots for e-waste as well as recycling facilities in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch. http://www.eday.org.nz/
Envirocomp Solutions
The company which launched the first commercial plant to compost disposable nappies and other sanitary hygiene products will be giving funding to enable it to conduct a feasibility study to assess demand and identify a suitable location for installing a 2nd plant in the Greater Wellington region. Kimberly-Clark New Zealand which markets HUGGIES® Nappies, will support the study by conducting research with its Wellington based HUGGIES® club database as part of its ongoing sponsorship. The plant processes 15,000 nappies or incontinence products per day into compost. WMF Funding totals $30,000 www.envirocomp.co.nz
Scion Research Limited
Innovative thermal oxidation technology developed by Scion Research Ltd is designed to break down this waste and greatly reduce the amount entering landfills as well as cut greenhouse gas emissions. Scion will receive $1 million from the Waste Minimisation Fund to pilot a process that reduces this waste. Scion has named this project ‘Waste 2 Gold’ as the thermal oxidation process also generates useable by-products. http://www.scionresearch.com/
Tyregone Processors Limited
The Auckland based company will receive $300,000 total WMF funding to expand operation of its pyrolysis plant, which converts tyres into carbon, steel, oil and gas. Once expanded, the plant will process more than 2000 tonnes of tyres in the first year.
Bay of Plenty Regional Council Vermi Composting
The Bay of Plenty Regional Council is to receive $100,000 to investigate expanding its vermicomposting facility so it can process a wider range of organic material, including wood waste from the Tasman and Carter Holt Harvey mills.
Glass Packaging Forum
The Glass Packaging Forum – (GPF) is a non-profit organization, which aims to ensure the ongoing performance of glass as environmentally acceptable packaging. GPF will receive $1.6 million to increase the number of recycling bins and bottle banks across the country for the Rugby World Cup. http://www.glassforum.org.nz/
Yet another week is over, and I do believe that it is nine weeks until Christmas (exciting or doom pending – depending on your level of Xmas spirit). I always think that Labour Weekend is perfectly timed in the Calendar, arriving just before we hit the busiest time of the year. To take some of the stress off, there are plenty of festivities and concerts on in Canterbury over the long weekend. Head to Hagley Park between 1pm and 8pm on Saturday, to catch a glimpse of some of New Zealand’s biggest music names, all to raise funds following the earthquake. There is the Rangiora A & P show, and also the Big Band Festival. Plenty of activities to get you out and about this weekend.
We are a patriotic bunch. One eyed Cantabrians, truly believing that we have ‘one up’ on the rest of NZ. So I really like it when outsiders compliment our wonderful city. I like it even more when the outsider is Saatchi CEO, Kevin Roberts. A feel – good blog, smile as he waxes eloquently about our marvelous Hagley Park and Botanical Gardens. Gosh we are a lucky lot.
Making organic dairy products hip. A two minute advertisement that we found through the
Futerra Sustainability Communications blog. Never did we think that a rap song would preach the benefits of organic dairy products. Look for the head bobbing cows. You will not be able to watch this without a smile on your face.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eOHAUvbuV4o
Annie Leonard’s Stuff for Kid’s Series – These videos are seriously cool. They take quite complex ideas such as recycling, and materialism – and convert it into short cartoon videos that are simple enough for little people to understand, but can still be enjoyed by big kids too.
Finally, the vuvuzela may actually become more resourceful than annoying. One competition that aims to find the most creative way to recycle the Football World Cup noise makers.
WWF has released the 2010 Living Planet Report. The conclusions are quite simple really, our demands are exceeding Earth’s capacity to sustain us. This is a great resource to show what we are using, how we compare to other countries, and what we can start doing better today.
Brazilian designers are paving the way for innovative homeware, with a collection made from entirely recycled aluminium. 98% of aluminium produced is recycled, and it is cheaper to produce a ton of recycled aluminium than it is the produce the same amount of new aluminium.
It has been a busy time at the beehive lately – we have three fantastic links for you. One is the speech made by Nick Smith at the 2010 WasteMINZ conference last week, where he launched the 2010 waste strategy.
http://feeds.beehive.govt.nz/speech/speech+wasteminz+conference+auckland Click Here to link directly to the Waste Strategy Report.
A realistic take on our recycling efforts. We may be collecting more recycling waste, but how much of it is actually being recycled once it leaves the curbside? According to this article, it all comes down to our mingling of recyclable items.
http://www.celsias.co.nz/article/mingling-mayhem
I like to think I am creative. Sometimes my creative projects end up in the back of the cupboard or in the garage. Luckily, we came across re-nest.com – full of awesome ideas to reuse house hold items – and eco-revitalise your house. The wire-hanger idea is just too cool.
Lessons in consumerism – no this isn’t a blog teaching you how to become a better shopper. The writer has returned from travels in India, with a fresh outlook on Western consumerism and what we deem to be luxuries versus life necessities.
Yet another week is over, and I do believe that it is nine weeks until Christmas (exciting or doom pending – depending on your level of Xmas spirit). I always think that Labour Weekend is perfectly timed in the Calendar, arriving just before we hit the busiest time of the year. To take some of the stress off, there are plenty of festivities and concerts on in Canterbury over the long weekend. Head to Hagley Park between 1pm and 8pm on Saturday, to catch a glimpse of some of New Zealand’s biggest music names, all to raise funds following the earthquake. There is the Rangiora A & P show, and also the Big Band Festival. Plenty of activities to get you out and about this weekend.
We are a patriotic bunch. One eyed Cantabrians, truly believing that we have ‘one up’ on the rest of NZ. So I really like it when outsiders compliment our wonderful city. I like it even more when the outsider is Saatchi CEO, Kevin Roberts. A feel – good blog, smile as he waxes eloquently about our marvelous Hagley Park and Botanical Gardens. Gosh we are a lucky lot. Click Here.
Making organic dairy products hip. A two minute advertisement that we found through the Futerra Sustainability Communications blog. Never did we think that a rap song would preach the benefits of organic dairy products. Look for the head bobbing cows. You will not be able to watch this without a smile on your face.
Annie Leonard’s Stuff for Kid’s Series – These videos are seriously cool. They take quite complex ideas such as recycling, and materialism – and convert it into short cartoon videos that are simple enough for little people to understand, but can still be enjoyed by big kids too.
Finally, the vuvuzela may actually become more resourceful than annoying. One competition that aims to find the most creative way to recycle the Football World Cup noise makers. Click here to see some of the ideas.
WWF has released the 2010 Living Planet Report. The conclusions are quite simple really, our demands are exceeding Earth’s capacity to sustain us. This is a great resource to show what we are using, how we compare to other countries, and what we can start doing better today.
Brazilian designers are paving the way for innovative homeware, with a collection made from entirely recycled aluminium. 98% of aluminium produced is recycled, and it is cheaper to produce a ton of recycled aluminium than it is the produce the same amount of new aluminium.
It has been a busy time at the beehive lately – we have three fantastic links for you. One is the speech made by Nick Smith at the 2010 WasteMINZ conference last week, where he launched the 2010 waste strategy. Click Here to link directly to the Waste Strategy Report. We also have a press release from the Environment Minister, outlining the recycling initiative for the 2011 Rugby World Cup
A realistic take on our recycling efforts. We may be collecting more recycling waste, but how much of it is actually being recycled once it leaves the curbside? According to this article, it all comes down to our mingling of recyclable items.
I like to think I am creative. Sometimes my creative projects end up in the back of the cupboard or in the garage. Luckily, we came across re-nest.com – full of awesome ideas to reuse house hold items – and eco-revitalise your house. The wire-hanger idea is just too cool.
Lessons in consumerism – No this isn’t a blog teaching you how to become a better shopper. The writer has returned from travels in India, with a fresh outlook on Western consumerism and what we deem to be luxuries versus life necessities.
10 – 10 – 10 Cutting your emissions by 10% on 10th October 2010.
This is a community action campaign that aims to reduce carbon emissions by 10%. Around New Zealand and the globe, this Sunday will be dedicated to demonstrating to world leaders that we are ready for climate solutions! The overall aim is to get carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gas levels in the atmosphere back down from 390 closer to 350 parts per million of CO2 equivalent, to limit warming effects on seas, polar ice and resulting weather instability.
Reducing waste means reducing emissions:
By being more aware of the waste that we are sending to landfill, we can actively reduce emissions and greenhouse gases. Few people are aware that organic waste that is included with landfill waste, releases methane over time! Small changes to our every day lives can really mean big reductions!
What you can do as part of the campaign:
There are plenty of activities such as bike rides, planting at South shore as well as an all day climate smart documentary film festival!
For more information on Sunday’s events and smart carbon – emission cutting tips, visit www.1010nz.com
What we are doing at the SIFT offices to reduce our carbon emissions in 2010 –
•Walking to and from work for short excursions during the day
•Turning off and unplugging all of our appliances at the wall
•Actively recycling and educating all staff on ambiguous recyclable items
•Buying second – hand. There are some great deals for office furniture and supplies in Canterbury.
•Using local caterers and suppliers for our functions
•Using our blog to promote sustainable living instead of printed media
We would love to hear what you are doing at home and in the office to cut carbon emissions in 2010.
This is a community action campaign that aims to reduce carbon emissions by 10%. Around New Zealand and the globe, this Sunday will be dedicated to demonstrating to world leaders that we are ready for climate solutions! The overall aim is to get carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gas levels in the atmosphere back down from 390 closer to 350 parts per million of CO2 equivalent, to limit warming effects on seas, polar ice and resulting weather instability.
Reducing waste means reducing emissions:
By being more aware of the waste that we are sending to landfill, we can actively reduce emissions and greenhouse gases. Few people are aware that organic waste that is included with landfill waste, releases methane over time! Small changes to our every day lives can really mean big reductions!
What you can do as part of the campaign:
There are plenty of activities such as bike rides, planting at South shore as well as an all day climate smart documentary film festival!
For more information on Sunday’s events and smart carbon – emission cutting tips, visit www.1010nz.com
Changes in the SIFT offices to reduce our carbon emissions in 2010 –
•Walking to and from work for short excursions during the day
•Turning off and unplugging all of our appliances at the wall
•Actively recycling and educating all staff on ambiguous recyclable items
•Buying second – hand. There are some great deals for office furniture and supplies in Canterbury.
•Using local caterers and suppliers for our functions
•Using our blog to promote sustainable living instead of printed media
We would love to hear what you are doing at home and in the office to cut carbon emissions in 2010.
After the events of 4th September, what better way to show how much we (still) love our landscape by embracing some of the events planned for Conservation Week, which kicked off yesterday with some events running until 30th September.
Conservation week offers the opportunity to join thousands of other people all across the country to celebrate our native plants and wildlife, our incredible natural areas, and the places that are part of our history
Some events planned in Christchurch City have been cancelled, but there are still plenty to choose from within the region. What a great excuse to get out of the house and breath in some of that delicious spring air!
We particularly like the sound of the Mt Somers Historic Walk, Sunday 19th September and the numerous community planting days.
Visit http://www.doc.govt.nz/conservation-week-home/whats-happening/canterbury/ and get involved with Conservation Week 2010.
After the events of 4th September, what better way to show how much we (still) love our landscape by embracing some of the events planned for Conservation Week, which kicked off yesterday with some events running until 30th September.
Conservation week offers the opportunity to join thousands of other people all across the country to celebrate our native plants and wildlife, our incredible natural areas, and the places that are part of our history
Some events planned in Christchurch City have been cancelled, but there are still plenty to choose from within the region. What a great excuse to get out of the house and breath in some of that delicious spring air!
We particularly like the sound of the Mt Somers Historic Walk, Sunday 19th September and the numerous community planting days.
Southern Pine Products Ltd was established in Christchurch in 1999, and fast became one of the South Island’s biggest producers of pine and medium-density fibre board (MDF) building products.
Southern Pine has a strong commitment to environmental sustainability within their business operations. Membership of the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC Certified), Telarc Sal registered and Environmental Choice New Zealand accreditation are strong selling points in an industry more readily associated with deforestation than environmental preservation.
Not only are Southern Pine Products’ forests responsibly managed, they are implementing innovative solutions to lessen their environment impact by reducing production waste that would otherwise be heading straight into Canterbury’s Kate Valley landfill. The dust resulting from MDF production was a major cause of economic and waste concern “the dust had been costing $15,000 a month to dispose of, which led the company to explore other options”*.
It was found that the MDF dust could be processed through a new alternative system into briquette form to become bio-fuel for industrial use. EECA (Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority) helped fund the build of a briquette press.
At the time, it was foreseen that there could be a potential reduction of approximately 600-900 tonnes of waste going into Canterbury landfill each year. Southern Pine Products then started to look at local companies who could potentially use the briquettes and discovered Moffatt’s Flower Company located nearby. Moffatt’s Flower Company chose to adopt Southern Pine Products latest waste reduction/bio-fuel technology, and had their burners (used to heat two hectares of greenhouses), converted to use the alternative bio fuel (instead of burning coal). The transfer process was also financially supported by EECA.
As a result there has been a reduction in annual CO2 emissions by 3,100 tonnes, while Moffatt’s Flower Company saves $98,000 a year in fuel costs*.
A financially rewarding business move, Southern Pine Products benefits by repackaging waste into a new revenue stream while Canterbury benefits from less waste to landfill, and fewer carbon emissions.
For information and case studies on how businesses can be more energy efficient, visit www.eecabusiness.govt.nz
Use egg cartons in the garden and then compost them.
Another week has flown by. The SIFT week has been full of a couple of new potential applicants, board papers, research, current projects management and some admin thrown in for good measure.
Lots of different things have popped up through our google reader and other newsletters, here’s the best links for you this week:
Past SIFT project Envirocomp has received $30,000 through the MfE’s Waste Minimisation Fund to carry out a feasibility study on expanding their nappy composting. More here.
Photos of dumped e-waste being searched through by Ghanians looking for the valuable metals to sell. Not the best photos – this is quite sad and should not be occuring. More here from The New York Times.
Waveney from Rubbish Free’s roundup of their weekend at the Nelson Eco Fest here.
Have you found your WalkScore yet? More here from World Changing. Walk Score is based on Google Maps so it you know there are more services and utilities in your area that would make your Walk Score better update Google Maps with the information.
Philipe Stark has designed home and urban usable wind turbines. From Greenpages. Now they would be a stylish addition to any home.
Creative ways to drink tap water from Re-Nest here.
Molly Eagen is a 25 year living in Minneapolis, USA and is attempting, as part of her thesis, to live 100 days without oil. This is a well researched blog that provides great ideas and new ways to live for all of us. Oil permeates nearly all facets of our 21st century lives so we are looking forward to seeing how she gets on living without it. Could you live 100 days without oil? (Originally via Re-Nest).
Interactive map that shows the Earth breathing – tracking global CO2 emissions in real time. It takes 14 minutes for New Zealand to clock up 1000 tonnes. It is very well done and you can scroll over each country to see the stats.
The United Nations Environment Programme has released a new report on sustainability and behaviour change. This is a great tool for all of you in communications, marketing and social change. Developed in conjunction with our favourite Sustainability Communications organisation – Futerra. You can download the report here (originally via Celsias).
Love this video celebrating the 2010 World Humanitarian Day here.
This has been one of the blog topics this week so we might as well add it to the list too – Japanese firm Blest is making fuel out of plastic. The video shows how it is all done. We like the way that the machine is portable and could be used for smaller or remote sites.
Also from the BBC Mexico has completely banned plastic bags and if you use them you go to jail! More here.
That will definitely keep you going for the weekend and we hope it is a waste free one!
P.S You might have noticed that our waste counter is lighter than it was last week. We have updated it to be in line with the waste statistics from the Christchurch City Council for the year to June 2010 which is 179,207 tonnes to Kate Valley Landfill. That’s a 20% drop on last year meaning our waste counter would have been way out. It was updated by the nice people at HairyLemon.
