Auckland recycling projects get Govt Support

Environment Minister Nick Smith today announced and visited new Auckland initiatives to reduce waste and enhance the Auckland environment.

“These three projects are about the Government working with schools, businesses and community groups to reduce the amount of waste going to landfill and to better protect the environment, Dr Smith said.

The first grant is to the Environmental Education for Resource Sustainability Trust for up to $199,500 to expand the Paper4Trees programme into at least 1000 more schools and preschools in the Auckland area and was announced at Bayswater Primary School on the North Shore.

“Schools generate a huge amount of paper and cardboard waste and it is of educational benefit to teach children how this can be recycled. This innovative project enables schools to trade used paper and cardboard for recycling for native trees for their school grounds. It helps ensure we build a recycling culture amongst the 200,000 pupils of participating Auckland schools and early childhood centres,” Dr Smith said.

The second grant is to Ecostock Supplies for up to $180,000 to buy more machinery to process waste food into stock food.

“Ecostock Supplies was the supreme winner at the 2011 Green Ribbon Awards and is an exciting new green growth business. It now processes up to 900 tonnes a week of food waste into stock food and has created 35 jobs in South Auckland. This business is not only reducing waste going to landfill but is enhancing New Zealand’s reputation as an environmentally sound producer of quality food products,” Dr Smith said.

The third grant is for Abilities Incorporated, an employer of people with disabilities, to receive $110,000 to buy Cathode Ray Tube glass separation equipment.

“This equipment will enable Abilities to bolster its operation, and separate leaded from unleaded glass in TVs and computer monitors,” Dr Smith said. “Abilities’ expansion comes at a time when pressure to recycle TVs and computers is increasing, due to ever changing technology and falling prices for new TVs and computer equipment,” Dr Smith said.

These three grants totalling $489,500 are being funded from the Government’s Waste Minimisation Fund that was established from the introduction of the waste disposal levy in July 2009 with the objective of reducing waste going to landfill.

This is the second round of grants made from the Waste Minimisation Fund. The third funding round is currently open and closes at 5pm on Monday 12th September.

For more information on the Waste Minimisation Fund see http://www.mfe.govt.nz/wmf