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Thursday, June 17th, 2010 by Admin
It seems to be a bit of a mantra but to reduce your waste you need to reduce your consumption. And then if do need to buy something see if you can get it vintage or second hand. Today we visited the Super Shed in Pages Rd (Christchurch) to see what they had to offer (and also to do a bit of vintage foraging). If you can’t make it to Christchurch see if your local District Council or community group runs a Re-Sell shed (or check out TradeMe and other second hand stores for bargains).
The Super Shed is super full of a mix of homewares, furniture, electronics, old suitcases, crockery, cutlery, books, plastic (lots of plastic), vacuum hoses and heads, bags, beds, bed heads, tools, garden ware (lots of great outside seating for the summer), personal entertainment and lighting. You do really have to pick through it to find the gems. I picked up a retro/industrial light shade (very utilitarian) for only $5 and I know others have picked up things like fake gilded mirrors, egg cups, glass jars, frames (that were repainted) and even placemats (the Super Shed has three bins just for placemats). Outside you can also find toilets, sinks, umbrellas and lots of plastic pots for gardening. As we were leaving the next customer was buying an old style push mower that only had a bit of rust on it and someone else had a bag of Retro Christmas decorations.
If you are willing to pick through some of the dross there are definitely bargains to be had. With some creativity you can even update old furniture just with new paint and handles. Worth a look before you buy new. And to think that all that is contained within the Super Shed was “thrown out” by someone. The items are pulled out of the waste to landfill stream and sold on to people in the community for a new life. We wonder where people thought their goods would go or if they even thought about it!
You can read more about the Super Shed here.
Here are a few photos from the visit:
Tags: homewares, landfill, second hand, SIFT, Super Shed, vintage, waste
Posted in Sustainability Resources, Sustainability in Action, Waste Management | No Comments »
Wednesday, June 16th, 2010 by Admin
 Source: Flickr speckled_beckle's photostream Yesterday, most of the 164 applications for funding for waste project(s) from the Ministry for the Environment’s Waste Minimisation Fund would have received a letter telling them their application has been turned down. Congratulations to the 29 who did make it through to the next stage – we are interested to see what these projects are. If this was you and your project is based in Canterbury have you thought about approaching the Sustainable Initiatives Fund for assistance?
The purpose of the Waste Minimisation Fund is not too dissimilar to the objectives of the Sustainable Initiatives Fund Trust. The WMF was developed to boost New Zealand’s performance in waste minimisation through educational, promotional, technological or infrastructure projects. The objectives of the Sustainable Initiatitives Fund Trust are about reducing or avoiding waste that goes specifically to Canterbury’s landfills through new technology/process or recovering new waste streams or by developing new products or technologies out of recovered materials. Other sub-objectives include creating useful sustainable educational applications from the products or technologies that are developed and/or creating sustainable energy products out of waste and/or creating sustainable job opportunties and contributing positively to Canterbury’s economy. The Sustainable Initiatives Fund Trust is apart of a new generation of social lenders with the primary motivation of reducing negative environmental impacts – decreasing waste to landfill.
We have a number of projects on the go at the moment that are a mix of grants, loans and equity investments and cover a range of waste streams and issues. You can check out more of our past projects here.
We had a board meeting yesterday and again the board reiterated that projects need to show their reduction in environmental impact first and foremost. We are super keen to see the waste reduction numbers for the waste stream your project deals with.
If you have an idea that requires financial assistance we may be able to help. Call myself (Olivia Day, General Manager) to discuss if you are eligible and if we can help. Our number is 03 3655655.
Tags: financial assistance, funding, landfill, ministry for the environment, SIFT, sustainable, waste, Waste Minimisation fund
Posted in SIFT, Waste Management, social lending | No Comments »
Monday, June 14th, 2010 by Admin
First thing last Tuesday morning I arrived at the CCC2 Materials Recovery Facility in Parkhouse Road. The sky was super dark and it was really cold (arrived in a hail storm) but the tour of the massive recyclables sorting machine was still very informative (the MRF machine is housed in a 4000 square metre building). The photos are not the best due to the bad light but it gives you an idea. It was put in place about 15 months ago and can process all of Christchurch, Selwyn and Waimak’s recyclables. Each stage of the machine does a different process and there is still some hand sorting in some areas (like pulling out clothes, floppy plastic and in one case a toy plastic gun!). Clothes are the biggest contaminant of recyclable bins – we as yet have no facility to recycle textiles and fabrics.
A basic run down is that all of the trucks come in to the park and dump the recyclables that have come from the yellow bins into a big pile at one end. This is then scooped up and placed on a movable floor. At different points there are different types of screens and separators so that different types of waste drop down onto another conveyer to go into their respecitive piles and there are even magnets to pull out the metals. Small items like bits of glass also drop down into their own conveyer belt and there is a large glass pile at the end of the process. This glass is used for such things as grit blasting and filtration systems. Nearly at the end of the process there is an optical sorter that can determine the different types of plastic (HDPE, PET etc) through the use of infared scanning and group them so they are separated (making it easier to on-sell) and then right at the end is the baler to bale up all of the different types of wastes (for local and international recyclers).
CCC have done a great video of the whole process which shows you much better than the photos below. You can watch a video of the process here.
Here are the photos from the site visit:
 Pile of Rubbish for Recovery  Pile of rubbish behind an 7ft metal wall  Rubbish moving up the conveyer belt (there were about 4 of these inclines)  Rubbish moving through the recovery sorting process  The separate glass conveyer  Looking back from the baler end of the process  A final conveyer belt  The pile of glass outside
Tags: CCC2, clothing, glass, landfill, materials recovery facility, paper, plastic, recycling
Posted in Waste Management | No Comments »
Tuesday, June 8th, 2010 by Admin
Last Friday I visited the Becon Dry Waste Recovered Materials Facility in Woolston. The Becon Dry Waste RMF is the only one in New Zealand and is housed in one of the remaining buildings from the old Anderson’s Foundry. It is an impressive building with its old industrial peaked roofing and large industrial hanging lights. The waste processing machine doesn’t seem to fit right with the old style of the building but as Director Richard Lloyd agreed it is good to reuse an old building rather than build new – in-keeping with his business of reuse and recycling.
Richard Lloyd estimates that of the total amount of waste going to Kate Valley Landfill approximately a third could still be recovered and recycled. Richard has developed a site that has the potential to process more dry waste than they are currently taking (Becon is only processing 30% of the current Christchurch market at the moment). The Becon RMF focusses on construction, demolition and industrial dry waste streams. When asked what the spilt between household waste and commercial waste is Richard stated a surprising 3.8% for just households! Although, Richard stated that “kerbside recycling punches above it’s weight class…as it is a valuable educational tool.” So, the bulk of waste that the citizens of Canterbury produce is business, construction or demolition related. Items such as concrete, glass, untreated timber, packaging and plastics are all included.
Richard Lloyd is passionate about his business, about recovering wastes and making the environment a better place for his children.
Here are some photos from the visit:
 The Start of the Recovery Process  The sorting machine  Sorted piles of plastic and timber  Baled Paper  Becon Director Richard Lloyd with chipped timber  What can't be recovered goes to Kate Valley Landfill You can see more photos from the visit on our Flickr site here.
*All images Copyright SIFT
Tags: Becon, cardboard, diverting waste from landfill, Dry Waste, landfill, plastic, recovery, recycling, reduce, reuse, Richard Lloyd, Rmf, timber, waste
Posted in Business & Sustainability, Waste Management | No Comments »
Wednesday, June 2nd, 2010 by Admin
On Monday afternoon I attended the opening of Mastagard and Southern Demolition’s new Eco-Recycling Plant. Centrally located just down from AMI Stadium on Wilsons Road the new transfer recycling facility is a joint venture between Mastagard and Southern Demolition. It will take paper, cardboard, magazines, plastic film, plastic bottles, timber, steel, Gib board, concrete and green waste “leaving the bear minimum going to landfill”. Mastagard sees this new transfer facility as a solution to increasing recycling and reuse of waste products. The eco-recycling transfer station is open to businesses, waste operators and the community.
It was a rather chilly afternoon for the opening but the highlight was the Hon. Rodney Hide (National MP) arriving in a Canterbury Waste Services truck! He said that he is “proud and pleased to declare the new transfer station open” and “it is good to see businesses making money while doing good”.
Mastagard’s General Manager Sebastian Stapleton sees the need for “responsible and progressive leadership within our industry”. We agree that the waste industry does need start taking the lead (and to work collaboratively) on providing solutions for reducing our impact on the environment – this new eco-recycling transfer facility is a good example of this. Ofcourse as we have said before the best way to reduce waste is to reduce consumption.
Here are a few key quotes from Mastagard General Manager Sebastian Stapleton:
- The goal is to be a professional, dependable, highly efficient environmental solutions provider.
- It is incredibly important that we are able to create a closed loop recycling process with accountability and integrity.
- It’s no longer acceptable for a person, business or waste collection company to put material in the right coloured bins and simply assume that someone has recovered it and processed it in accordance with environmental best practice.
Mastagard have recovered materials processing sites across the city (they also collect all of the recyclables from Westland). Their Wigram site processes construction and demolition materials such as Gib board which is turned into powder for use in fertiliser and concrete which is separated into grades for re-use in roading and construction. Their Bromley site processes cardboard and organics as well as plastics such as the Plasback Product Stewardship Scheme collection of baleage wrap. The plastics recycling facility was opened last year and you can see photos from that launch here. Southern Demolition is the South Island’s largest demolition and demolition waste recoverer.
Congratulations to Mastagard and Southern Demolition for taking Canterbury a step closer towards a sustainable future. Their work in waste recovery along with all the other industry players will help us to reduce our waste and the impact that has on our environment.
You can view photos of my site visit to Mastagard’s Bromley processing station here.
Photos below from the launch are from my phone so not too good. Good photos to come.
 Hon. Rodney Hide arriving  Emcee Jim Hopkins and Mastagard GM Sebastian Stapleton  Hon. Rodney Hide and Emcee Jim Hopkins  Baled Gloss Paper from Mastagard  HDPE Plastic Milk Bottles from Mastagard  HDPE Recycled Plastic Pellets from Mastagard  Plastic Waste film from Mastagard
Tags: cardboard, landfill, Mastagard, paper, plastics, recycling, Rodney Hide, Southern Demolition, waste
Posted in Events, News on Sustainability, Sustainability in Action, Waste Management | No Comments »
Tuesday, June 1st, 2010 by Admin
 Waitaki Resource Co-ordinator Maxine Woodhouse Maxine Woodhouse, Waitaki Resource Exchange’s Co-ordinator is our Green Collar Job interviewee this week. We met Maxine at the WasteMinz workshops in April and although Waitaki is just outside of the Canterbury region we still thought what she does everyday would be of interest to our blog readers. Three days a week Maxine works with businesses, not-for-profits and schools looking at waste as a resource with the aim to divert that waste from their local landfill and to show people how to utilise waste as a resource within the community. She has also assisted in the implementation of recycling in local workplaces. Maxine says “Our goal is to create lasting networks between those with excess resources & those seeking them, thus extending the life of usable materials & keeping them out of the landfill”.
When not focussed on waste Maxine is either in her garden or volunteering in other initiatives in the community such as local cycle groups and the Alternative Transport project which is run in conjunction with Sport Waitaki, the Rural PHO (Primary Health Organisation) and the local Transition Town movement. Maxine also writes a fortnightly column in the local Waitaki paper which is read by people from all walks of life in the community.
1. What do you do to live more sustainably (with a low impact) in your life?
There are a number of things: I recycle all my household items, choose wisely when shopping, grow my own Fruit and Veges, I walk to work, ride my bike or car pool to visit business owners and I volunteer for the Transition Town movement to help educate the community on low impact activities to help our environment & promote alternative means of transport for people to get to school, work and around the community.
2. How do you live more sustainably at work?
I work from home. So this means I just have to walk up the back of my house to my office. Sometime I choose to jog or ride my bike. ha-ha
3. What do you think is the biggest environmental issue we need to deal with in Christchurch/New Zealand?
There are a number of environmental issues that I think NZ is going to face in the future & some that are already being shown.
I think we need to be farming smarter (inc Beef, sheep, cows, crops etc) and changing our habits, in order to protect our water ways and soils here in NZ, Genetic Engineering and food labelling.
The amount of people that drive cars.
How we, as consumers, are consuming. We are creating problems that are making our rubbish problems bigger. We need to start taking ownership of our consumer choices, when it comes to quality and the end of line, for our products.
4. What makes you smile?
Interacting with community and seeing people being positive and happy.
5. What is your biggest pet peeve?
People making excuses for their behaviour and not having a consequence for their actions!
6. What is your favorite colour and why?
Ummm, blue at the moment. Representing Water in the world and how precious this is for our survival.
7. Do you have a favorite place in the world? Describe why?
Oamaru of course. It’s centrally located, over looks the ocean, has a great community of supportive people, is the end place for the new cycle way in NZ, great surfing and has big things on the way for the future!
8. What’s your connection to SIFT?
I met the Olivia and Chris [Pickrill, Chairman] at the Waste Minz conference in April and heard all about the great initiatives that they are doing.
9. Do you remember your favorite teacher and why they were your favorite?
Would have to be when I did my Outdoor Education course in Cairns (OZ), my teacher Amanda Smith. She was a great female role model and inspired me to pursuer my career as an Outdoor educator in Victoria, which I did for almost 3 years.
10. What do you want to leave behind?
A world full of people who care and take responsibility for their actions, as human beings and understand that we can’t just keep taking and nothing is going to happen.
11. What do you think the future will bring?
This is the year for change. So hopefully people will make wiser consuming choices, start to recycle better and write more letters to companies to let them know what they think about products and the packaging used.
12. Who is someone you really admire and why?
I don’t have anyone that comes to mind, but in general, people who take risks and give things they may never had done before a good go!
13. What is happening outside your window right now?
It’s really raining. We have flooding and no school today.
14. What is your favorite breakfast?
Organic Clearwater Yoghurt from Peel Forest, with fresh organic strawberries.
15. What is the best piece of advice you can give us?
“Don’t try to convince people to change the way they think. Just focus on how you can work with the positive solutions and the positives examples…” David Holmgren
I love this peace of advice and this is my motto for this year..(It’s working too)
Tags: landfill, Maxine Woodhouse, resource, SIFT, Transition Towns, Waitaki Resource, waste, WasteMinz
Posted in Green Collar Jobs Q&A | No Comments »
Friday, May 28th, 2010 by Admin
 Waimakaririr River Source: Teara.govt.nz A productive (but rainy) week this week. As well as progressing a number of projects SIFT also spent some time meeting a some more people who work with waste and waste minimisation in Christchurch and Canterbury. Notably I met with the Solid Waste Asset Manager, Kitty Waghorn, from the Waimakariri District Council and learnt all about the waste systems in place for that district. They have two transfer stations – Southbrook and Oxford and have big plans for a new Resource Recovery Park at the Southbrook station as well as expanding into organics (they promote the use of home composting and you can pick up an EM Bokashi system from Waimakariri District Council Service Centre) and providing a recycling solution for the rural residents of the district. Southbrook transfer station includes a Resell shed which they are also looking to expand in order to reduce the amount of rubbish that is sent to Kate Valley Landfill. They will also be launching a Hazardous Waste drop off point in July. And the general outlook for waste reduction in this district is positive with an increase in the amount of recyclables being collected and a reduction in rubbish.
You can find more information on Waste and Recycling for the Waimakariri District here.
Here are the interesting links for this week:
Tags: Fake Plastic Fish, Friday favourites, glass, Greenpeace, landfill, links, PattersonEnvironmental, recycling, rubbish, Waimakariri District Council, waste
Posted in Friday favourites, Waste Management | No Comments »
Wednesday, May 26th, 2010 by Admin
 Darren Patterson This week’s Green Collar Job Q&A is with Darren Patterson. SIFT caught up with Darren at last month’s WasteMinz Workshops and thought he would be great Green Collar Job Q&A candidate as he spends his days helping others to reduce their impact on the environment and has a wealth of experience in waste and environmental sustainability. Based in Christchurch Darren is a consultant specialising in helping businesses to operate sustainably. Darren aims to work with each client to seek pragmatic solutions that will work for both their business and the environment. You can see more of what he does at www.pattersonenvironmental.co.nz or his blog here. To make contact email him on
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or even speak to him one on one by phoning 021 440832. You can also follow him on twitter here, or Facebook here, or LinkedIn here.
1. What do you do to live more sustainably (with a low impact) in your life?
I walk or ride to work, compost at home, recycle, and reuse what I can. We have a solar hot water system and energy and water efficient appliances and monitor our energy use with a Centometer.
2. How do you live more sustainably at work?
Providing the right advice to businesses helps them reduce their impact on the environment and their liabilities. It can also reduce their operating costs.
3. What do you think is the biggest environmental issue we need to deal with in Christchurch/New Zealand?
The biggest global environmental issue would be climate change but more locally the poor management of waste and hazardous substances impacts directly on the water we drink and the air we breath.
4. What makes you smile?
My children.
5. What is your biggest pet peeve?
Apathy
6. What is your favourite colour and why?
The colour blue of the sky at sunrise and sunset. Reminds me of my travels.
7. Do you have a favourite place in the world? Describe why?
To live: Christchurch – sorry to the rest of the world buts its just right for me.
To visit: Pagan in Burma (Myanmar) amazing town with over 3000 Buddhist stupors/temples. However, it’s controlled by an oppressive regime that persecutes its people.
8. What’s your connection to Sift?
I’ve worked with Sift during my time at Environment Canterbury.
9. Do you remember your favourite teacher and why they were your favourite?
Miss Camsey: she was the deputy head of my junior school and had a very progressive approach to teaching 10 year olds.
10. What do you want to leave behind?
Two successful sons that live in a world that’s better than the one that I entered.
11. What do you think the future will bring?
Opportunities that we don’t yet know.
12. Who is someone you really admire and why?
John Campbell; I love his enthusiasm and his willingness to ask the questions that get him to the nub of the issue.
13. What is happening outside your window right now?
Leaves are falling off the tree and a bird is hunting through them for food.
14. What is your favourite breakfast?
Pancakes
15. What is the best piece of advice you can give us?
Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm. – Emerson
Tags: business, christchurch, climate change, community, environmental sustainability, Green Collar Job, landfill, Patterson Environmental, SIFT, waste
Posted in Green Collar Jobs Q&A | No Comments »
Monday, May 24th, 2010 by Admin
 Plasback Product Stewardship Scheme - Photo copyright Agpac Congratulations to the team at Plasback for achieving government accreditation of their Voluntary Product Stewardship scheme. They received their accreditation for on farm collecton and then recycling of agricultural plastics along with the Glass Packaging Forum who are focussed on reducing glass that goes to landfill. Plasback Product Stewardship Scheme is the first for the agricultural sector. SIFT granted Agpac (who administer the scheme) funds for a Canterbury focussed education campaign for farmers on the collection scheme. Along with the development of an easy to understand brochure for farmers there was also radio, tv and press advertising. Through the Plasback scheme Agpac are looking to collect 200 tonnes of agricultural plastics by the end of this winter from Canterbury farms.
When the plastics have been collected they are sent to Mastagard for recycling and then reused as recycled plastic feedstock for new products.
The Hon. Dr. Nick Smith, Minister for the Environment said in the press release ” I would encourage other industries to recognise the economic and environmental benefits of product stewardship and get accredited” – we agree.
Tags: agpac, agriculture, farm, landfill, Mastagard, mfe, Minister for the Environment, Nick Smith, Plasback, plastics, product stewardship
Posted in News on Sustainability, SIFT Projects, Waste Management | No Comments »
Friday, May 21st, 2010 by Admin
 Christchurch City Council Recycling Truck (Source: CCC) Lots of great and intersting waste and sustainability tid bits have been discovered this week:
- The glowing lamp made out of coffee cups from Re-Nest.
- Something we want to try – making our own paper.
- In the US it is prom (or formal) time and some high school girls are looking for green prom dresses – great idea.
- Bicycling as it should be – wouldn’t this be great for Christchurch – rush hour traffic on bikes from the Netherlands – could watch it for hours!
- Another Re-Nest find – covering chairs with old jersies.
- Thinking of switching from disposable razors for shaving to a snazzy metal one that will last years? If seeing who else does will help Satorialist Scott Schuman does.
- Another look at what we consume – Kate Bingaman Burt drew what she bought everyday for 3 years.
- And more locally there has been some recent media attention on the Christchurch City Council requesting all residents ensure their bin lids are completely down otherwise they will not be emptied. You can listen to Radio New Zealand National’s Jim Mora to talk Mayor Bob Parker here (choose the Panel segment #2 and it is about three-quarters through) or read it in the Christchurch Press here.
Have a lovely Autumnal weekend.
Tags: bicycles, christchurch, consumption, green prom, landfill, paper, razors, Re-nest, Satorialist, waste
Posted in Friday favourites | No Comments »
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