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Posts Tagged ‘environment’
Friday, April 16th, 2010 by Admin
 Autumnal Colours of Lewis Pass, Canterbury A “co-mingled” blend of the interesting links from around the world that we have come across in the past week:
- A very good use of plastic bags – helping those without a roof in Haiti with plastic bag tarps.
- Artist Helga Steppan audits all her belongings and then groups them by colour in “See Through” on Junkculture. A really interesting way to look at your stuff. You can see more of her colourful work here.
- A very practical and useful article from Re-Nest on how to buy only what you love – conscious consumption tips and tricks.
- A quick history lesson on plastic here with some sobering stats.
Photo from here.
Tags: consumption, diverting waste from landfill, environment, recycling, waste
Posted in Friday favourites | No Comments »
Monday, April 12th, 2010 by Admin
 Picture window from spmaxi on Flickr 5% or 11,579 tonnes of waste that went to Kate Valley landfill the year to June 2009 was a metal. Types of metals that end up in landfill are broken up into two types 1) Ferrous (steel based metal products) and 2) Non-Ferrous (Aluminium, Copper and Lead based products). For the Christchurch figures we work from the amount of metal that was sent to Kate Valley landfill in the year to June 2009 increased 52% and nationwide metal represents 4.5% (4% Ferrous and 0.5% non Ferrous).
Interestingly, the Scrap Metal Association stated that for 2006 between 495,000 and 550,000 tonnes of scrap metal was diverted from landfill in New Zealand.
Types of waste table and Scrap Metal Industry figure sourced from MfE here.
**Source – Christchurch City Council, based on % breakdowns of waste sent to landfill as sourced from the Christchurch City Council’s 2008 solid waste survey conducted between July and December 2008. The figures are indicative only.
Tags: diverting waste from landfill, environment, ferrous, landfill, metal, ministry for the environment, non-ferrous, Scrap Metal Association, waste, Waste Management
Posted in Waste Management | No Comments »
Wednesday, April 7th, 2010 by Admin
Every couple of years for the past decade or so the Scape Biennial of Art in Public Space opens in Christchurch for a number of weeks showcasing “contempory art in public space” by a large and diverse group of artists from around the world. In the past they have showcased art works that have highlighted waste and/or sustainability issues and as we have showcased international waste artists before we thought it would be nice to see what has been showcased in New Zealand.
In 2006 Happy Happy by Korean artist Choi Jeong Hwa was positioned under the trees in the serene and picturesque Christchurch Botanical Gardens (lovely spot). It was an interactive piece that asked the public to bring in objects made of plastic in bright colours and attach them to a wire cage. The art was about recognising the number and types of synthetic elements in our lives, our plastic consumption and the “rapidly changing aspects of industrialised and consumer economies”. You can read more about the artwork here.
 Happy Happy (2006) Choi Jeong-Hwa  Happy Happy (2006) Choi Jeong-Hwa In 2008 Tea Mäkipää produced an artwork called Petrol Engine Memorial Park that “honours” the oil and petrol industries and the impact that they have had on the environment and human beings. You can read more here. This artwork was in the Christchurch Art Centre and included an old car covered in vines as well as memorial plaques placed to highlight our species ability to be destructive both to ourselves, our environment and others. Not strictly a waste related artwork it still had strong environmental, sustainable living and human survival messaging.
 Tea Mäkipää, PETROL ENGINE MEMORIAL PARK: For Mouring the Oil Era and its Victims
 Tea Mäkipää, PETROL ENGINE MEMORIAL PARK: For Mouring the Oil Era and its Victims  Tea Mäkipää, PETROL ENGINE MEMORIAL PARK: For Mouring the Oil Era and its Victims  Tea Mäkipää, PETROL ENGINE MEMORIAL PARK: For Mouring the Oil Era and its Victims Tea Mäkipää, PETROL ENGINE MEMORIAL PARK: For Mouring the Oil Era and its Victims – images by Brendan Lee and copyright Christchurch Art Gallery Te Puna o Waiwhetu
Tags: art, cars, Choi Jeong Hwa, christchurch, environment, oil, petrol, plastic, Scape Biennial, survival, sustainable living, Tea Makipaa, waste
Posted in art | No Comments »
Wednesday, March 31st, 2010 by Admin
Not just any movie of course. The best way to learn, recognise and to become aware is expand your knowledge of what has been done, what is being done so you can make changes in your own world – whether at home or in your work.
Invest some time in these great films (some we are inspired to see) and it will help to build a more sustainable world:
- Garbage Warrior – eco-architect Michael Reynolds and his fight to build sustainable homes (also called Earthships).
- We Feed The World – Austrian filmmaker Erwin Wagenhofer looks into where his food comes from and where it goes. In Christchurch 23% of the waste that goes to landfill is “kitchen” waste or food. This is food from households and businesses (especially stock that is beyond it’s sell by and use by dates). This film looks into the flow of food in a world where there is enough but it is being wasted.
- Story of Stuff - can’t go beyond this for a great tutorial on how our “stuff” is produced and wasted. You will also find the recently launched The Story of Bottled Water here too – to help reduce plastic bottle usage don’t buy bottled water.
- Continuing with the Bottled Water theme is this movie Tapped – makes you think.
- No Impact Man – this one we are hanging out to see. A Manhattan man (Colin Beavan) and his family spend a year living with No Impact. A great look at the positive and lasting changes we can make to live more sustainably. If a New Yorker can do it we (in Christchurch, Canterbury) certainly can.
- Trashed – A look at America’s waste problem and Food Inc – a look at America’s food production industries – issues in both movies that we can learn from here in New Zealand.
Watch alone or with many either way watch and become more aware.
If you know of any other waste or sustainable living movies that are worth watching we would love to know.
*Image: Source: Flickr When I was a Bird’s photostream
Tags: environment, food inc, garbage warrior, learn, movies, No Impact Man, story of stuff, sustainable living, trashed, waste, we feed the world
Posted in News on Sustainability, Sustainability Resources | No Comments »
Tuesday, March 30th, 2010 by Admin
 As well as being able to donate to SIFT directly here you can now do so on the lovely New Zealand donations site Givealittle. If you haven’t already come across Givealittle it is a great online tool for any fundraising you might have to do or if you feel like donating to a worthy organisation then you can find them at Givealittle. All the donations transactions are handled by Givealittle – super simple.
As their website says there are currently 593 Givealittle causes, 50 events and 405 listed organisations “doing good” on the website. It’s easy to use and a great way to do something more for your community, environment, nation or even family member or friend who might be fundraising.
You can find the Sustainable Initiatives Fund Givealittle profile here and we are grateful for any donations that come our way.
Tags: causes, donations, environment, fundraising, Givealittle, SIFT, Sustainable Initiatives Fund Trust
Posted in SIFT | No Comments »
Wednesday, March 24th, 2010 by Admin
So SIFT was in need of a vacuum cleaner. Something small and not too pricey to keep the floors clean. After of a bit of research I found the Electrolux Ultra Silencer Green vacuum cleaner made of 55% recycled material. Now that would be a SIFT worthy vacuum cleaner – nice to dream. After doing the rounds at the local stores I found one and on special – so pleased, couldn’t believe that I wouldn’t have to settle for a lesser more environmentally impactful option!
 Electrolux Ultra Silencer Green Vacuum Not only is it made of 55% recyled materials but it is 90% recyclable and comes with minimal packaging – nearly all of which can be recycled. It is also energy efficient, small and quiet, which is great for an office.
We are not big consumers here at SIFT so when we do consume it is so great to be able to purchase a product that meets both your needs and the needs of the environment – as well as complementing your brand. And it does a great vacuum too! It should last us many years.
It is also great to see corporations that provide every day items adding a product that does have less impact on the environment and they are actually looking into its lifecycle. Maybe all of Electrolux’s vacuum cleaners could be like this.
The only downside is it does have bags. But, apparently the new design S-bag (we were given a long lasting synthetic version) will last 50% longer than a paper bag. But, it will need to go to landfill whereas a paper bag you could put in the compost (as long as you removed any non compostable items from the bag). With our low usage it is unlikely that we will be sending lots of bags to landfill.
Has anyone else come across an everyday item that is made from recycled materials?
Tags: compost, Electrolux Ultra Silencer Green, environment, landfil, S-bag, SIFT, vacuum cleaner, waste
Posted in Sustainability in Action | No Comments »
Monday, March 15th, 2010 by Admin
 Tim Burnside, Deloitte This week’s Green Collar Job Q&A is with Tim Burnside from Deloitte. Again, not strictly a green collar job but Tim has helped SIFT out with financial modelling for various projects over the past couple of years. Here are his answers to our Green Collar job questions:
1. What do you do to live more sustainably (with a low impact) in your life?
I separate and recycle my rubbish. Also, I buy lots of things second hand, although my family would say that’s got more to do with me being an accountant than a greenie.
2. How do you live more sustainably at work?
I think before printing whether it is really necessary and in addition all our printers are set by default to print duplex to minimise paper usage. I turn off lights in areas not being used and when I leave my office. We also try to teleconference as much as possible, rather than travel to meetings.
3. What do you think is the biggest environmental issue we need to deal with in Christchurch/New Zealand?
How we manage our water resources more effectively. New Zealand is lucky to have a plentiful supply of water at present but I feel it needs to be managed to ensure it is put to the best possible use and also that it is not contaminated for future generations.
4. What makes you smile?
My family and in particular my youngest daughter Jyla who is 7 months old, her lovely smile is infectious.
5. What is your biggest pet peeve?
Dead cabbage tree leaves that fall and make our backyard look untidy and then the fact that they can’t be put in the green bin and therefore have to fill up our red bin (which is only emptied every second week).
6. What is your favourite colour and why?
Blue and Gold – something to do with being born and bred an Otago boy I think.
7. Do you have a favourite place in the world? Describe why?
No particular favourite comes to mind but I really enjoy the outdoors, whether it is mountain biking, walking or hiking, on the golf course, or working on the family farm.
8. What’s your connection to the Sustainable Initiatives Fund Trust?
Deloitte is SIFT’s preferred supplier for financial advisory services, particularly in relation to potential investments they are looking at making. I am responsible for managing the relationship with Linda and the team and ensuring SIFT receives the advice and service they require.
9. Do you remember your favourite teacher and why they were your favourite?
I can’t recall a favourite teacher but I do have a lot of respect for a university tutor that had a particular knack of being extremely challenging and therefore ensuring that you were always well prepared, top of your game, and striving for bigger goals. All good attributes that serve you well in life.
10. What do you want to leave behind?
A world where my children and their children can live happily and safely.
11. What do you think the future will bring?
Far greater environmental challenges than anything we currently imagine.
12. Who is someone you really admire and why?
My wife – after finding out she was pregnant in the first week of university she went on to complete a four year first class honours degree, get a great job, while bringing up a wonderful daughter, Brooke. She is extremely passionate and is currently doing a wonderful job of being a stay at home Mum for Jyla, while also setting up a home based web business and being a great support for Brooke & I.
13. What is happening outside your window right now?
Not a lot that I can see. It is dark but I can hear the wind blowing down more Cabbage Tree leaves.
14. What is your favourite breakfast?
Weetbix with Rhubarb – you can’t beat it.
15. What is the best piece of advice you can give us?
Always plan your work then work your plan.
Tags: community, Deloitte, environment, Green Collar Job, SIFT
Posted in Green Collar Jobs Q&A, SIFT | No Comments »
Monday, March 8th, 2010 by Admin
 WasteMinz CEO Marion Short Marion Short is the CEO of the Waste Management Institute of New Zealand (WasteMinz). WasteMinz are an incorporated not-for-profit organisation that seeks to bring all the different interest groups together to “enable the achievement of an environmentally and economically sustainable waste minimisation strategy for New Zealand.” You can read more about what they do here. Below are Marion’s answers to our Green Collar Job questions.
1. What do you do to live more sustainably (with a low impact) in your life?
We do all the usual good things at home and also try to buy well – a sort of smart shopping philosophy: buy quality (and environmentally friendly products) so that they last longer and also items that have less packaging.
2. How do you live more sustainably at work?
At WasteMINZ we live and breathe our environmental policy in everything we do. Plus I also try to work from home during peak travel times so I can be both more effective and minimise the time I spend driving my car and adding to Auckland’s traffic congestion. The time saving for me is slightly over an hour a day (unbelievable)!
3. What do you think is the biggest environmental issue we need to deal with in Christchurch/New Zealand?
I still believe there is a lack of understanding and action in regards to living in a more environmentally manner. This requires a significant attitude shift by individuals, communities and industry. We need to encourage people to make that change now and preserve our beautiful country and the value of New Zealand as a brand.
4. What makes you smile?
I smile and laugh alot – I guess I enjoy the little things and am an optimist by nature. I love taking my dog for a walk – he is always so thrilled. I love sitting down to a big family dinner – my husband is one of six boys and family is really important to us. I love the huge hugs from my boys who are both over 6 foot tall. And I love results – when you look around and you say – wow that is done – great job!
5. What is your biggest pet peeve?
People throwing rubbish out of their cars, or just leaving it behind – what is up with that!
6. What is your favourite colour and why?
I love orange – I think because it is so bright and happy – you can’t feel miserable wearing orange.
7. Do you have a favourite place in the world? Describe why?
My favourite place is with my family and closest friends, enjoying their company, great New Zealand food and a glass of fantastic New Zealand wine (either a chardonnay or a pinot noir). Hopefully it is a sunny day (I live in Auckland – so that doesn’t always happen) and we have a nice shady spot to sit and tell each other all our news.
8. What’s your connection to the Sustainable Initiatives Fund Trust?
Sift are members of WasteMINZ and we share linkages in a network focused on great good outcomes!
9. Do you remember your favourite teacher and why they were your favourite?
My favourite and first teacher was my Dad and to this day he remains my favourite teacher. Growing up we had a saying ‘it can’t be that hard’ which was always said as we plunged into difficult and exciting projects and journeys. I think I was only 8 years old when Dad let me paint the VW combi van that he restored – so I always felt he had so much faith in my abilities to give something a go and not completely bugger it up. I hope I am teaching my children that lesson.
10. What do you want to leave behind?
I want to leave happy memories, I want to have made a difference in people’s lives and I want my children to grow up happy, healthy and strong contributors to a positive and more improved society/world.
11. What do you think the future will bring?
I believe that collaborative operating models are the way of the future. That in order to achieve the best results it requires multiple stakeholders working together on greater good (or at least common good) outcomes.
That in the future. closer attention and value will be placed on the importance of relationships, and that we will move away from having a short term focus to being focused on longer term sustainable strategic outcomes.
I want to have faith and believe that we will get it together and make the changes necessary for a sustainable world.
I want to believe that people will recognise that being environmentally sustainable is the only way, not just a green choice.
12. Who is someone you really admire and why?
I admire many people for many different reasons. It is possible to admire someone for what they have achieved but not necessarily for who they are.
The group of people that I admire the most are the ones that make an effort to ‘pay it forward’. These people give something of themselves without expecting anything in return, in order to make a positive difference in the lives of the people around them.
A challenge – what can you do to ‘pay it forward’?
13. What is happening outside your window right now?
Sunny Auckland day – and I feel like everything is right in the world – but of course I haven’t hit the traffic yet!
14. What is your favourite breakfast?
Coffee
15. What is the best piece of advice you can give us?
Sit down and think about who are your stakeholders – then think of them in terms of high and low interest and high and low power.
Those that have both high interest and high power are really important to what you are trying to achieve. Likewise those with low interest but high power need to be actively managed and kept informed, otherwise they could be potential roadblocks.
Are you communicating with your stakeholders? How often and how? Are there other communication tools that you could use, or leverage off your stakeholders communications tools (remember we are all part of a big network – you just need to use it).
Are the relationships working? Could they work better?
Do you have a communications strategy?
Do you know what your key messages are and your key points of differentiation?
People are so often scared of communication – and for no real reason.
Communication is such a powerful tool. Reach out and start improving your communication with your stakeholders today.
That’s two challenges (pay it forward and improving your communication) – good luck.
Tags: environment, Green Collar Job, Marion Short, new zealand, sustainable future, waste, WasteMinz
Posted in Green Collar Jobs Q&A, Waste Management | No Comments »
Sunday, March 7th, 2010 by Admin
 Source: Flickr Ed's Photostream 11 Butterfly The Sustainable Initiatives Fund Trust is a catalyst for change. We know (roughly) how much waste is generated, how much goes to landfill, what the negative environmental impacts are of that waste (leachate, toxins, global warming from methane emissions etc) and the amount of work and cultural behaviour change that is required to reduce how much waste is generated and sometimes that can be rather overwhelming and depressing. But, everyday we are reminded of those individuals, businesses and community groups who are doing good work and we are uplifted everyday by those we are helping to make the numbers better and improve the health of our environment – one step at a time, one day at a time.
Sometimes it can take a few years from the start of the relationship to the final outcome of the project. And that final outcome may just be the first step in many steps to creating a sustainable and commercially viable process that can help to significantly reduce the amount of waste that goes to Canterbury’s landfills.
It is about having a long term goal for our future – a sustainable Canterbury future where any waste generated is reused, recovered or recycled on shore first and where landfill and sending it offshore is the last resort (for all waste streams). But it will take time, patience, innovative ideas, advancement in technology, sound investment, collaboration (public and private partnerships), commitment, affecting cultural behaviour change, walking the talk, leading and being the catalyst for change. That is what SIFT is about – being a positive force for good as a social lender.
We have profiled a few businesses that are leading in waste management on our blog in the past and you can see some of the good and impactful work that we have done here. We have a number of super exciting projects on the go at the moment that will make a difference to Canterbury’s waste and will let you all know in due course about what they are and what good they will do.
If you are looking for funding for a project that will reduce the amount of waste going to Canterbury’s landfill or have a new idea that we could help with you can apply here.
You can check out our Flickr photos here too.
And don’t forget to follow us on Twitter and Facebook.
Tags: business, canterbury, community, consumption, diverting waste from landfill, environment, environmental sustainability, funding, landfill, public private partnerships, recycle, recycling, SIFT, sustainable, sustainable future, waste
Posted in SIFT, SIFT Projects, Sustainability in Action, Waste Management | No Comments »
Monday, March 1st, 2010 by Admin
 One of our key contacts is Jane Parfitt from the Christchurch City Council. She is the General Manager, City Environment Group at the Christchurch City Council. Jane is responsible for the management of 300 staff, an operating budget of $154m and a capital budget of $120m.
Jane is responsible for such things as maintining the safety and quality of Christchurch City’s infrastructure services with a long-term sustainability view, maintaining our lovely parks and gardens, helping to ensure the Long Term Council Community plan is delivered and that there are organisation strategies, plans and structure to support it and the Civil Defence Emergency Management (CDEM) on behalf of the City.
Here are Jane’s answers to our Green Collar Job Q&A:
1. What do you do to live more sustainably (with a low impact) in your life?
Walk whenever I can, use a shopping basket instead of plastic bags and use solar heating.
2. How do you live more sustainably at work?
I don’t print emails and try not to make any more ‘copies’ than needed
3. What do you think is the biggest environmental issue we need to deal with in Christchurch/New Zealand?
Christchurch – to get people to use public transport, cycle or walk.
NZ – how and where we general energy.
4. What makes you smile?
Freddy – my new grandson
5. What is your biggest pet peeve?
Channel surfing!
6. What is your favourite colour and why?
Yellow because it’s a happy colour
7. Do you have a favourite place in the world? Describe why?
Christchurch of course! It’s a garden city by the sea, close to the mountains with an international airport which has great connections to the rest of the world.
8. What’s your connection to Sift?
Linda Norris
9. Do you remember your favourite teacher and why they were your favourite?
Miss Tait because she was an inspiring PE teacher who played music for us.
10. What do you want to leave behind?
A Scottish flavour for our family.
11. What do you think the future will bring?
This question is just too hard! – maybe pigs will fly
12. Who is someone you really admire and why?
The Queen because she’s gracious, works hard and copes with a modern, independently minded extended family.
13. What is happening outside your window right now?
Our dogs are trying to get inside!
14. What is your favourite breakfast?
Toast and avocado
15. What is the best piece of advice you can give us?
Be yourself.
Tags: Christchurch City Council, environment, Green Collar Job, infrastructure, Jane Parfitt, waste
Posted in Green Collar Jobs Q&A, SIFT, Waste Management | No Comments »
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