Council’s sustainability adviser Emma Brockie says the fund’s about empowering the community to work together towards a zero-waste future, built on the principles of a circular economy.
Previous projects include upcycling old uniforms, school community composting, repair and reuse hubs, reusable packaging trials, sustainable period workshops and food waste education campaigns.
Last year, Naylor Love used funding to create a Community Upcycling Station at their Queenstown yard, in Hawthorne Dr, aiming to divert 70% of waste from landfill and promoting community reuse — it offers leftover construction materials to the community, for free, that would otherwise have gone to landfill.
Naylor Love’s regional environmental manager Hayley Stockdale notes they’re "just getting started", but says the initiative’s a "small step towards zero waste" and sends the right message to their teams and the wider community.
"Everyone in the company is really proud. We strive to be environmental sustainability industry leaders, with a big focus in the waste minimisation space.
"The Upcycling Station ... promotes the right message for us and the wider community, which all 120 of our local staff are very proud of."
Stockdale says materials are weighed at the station to monitor progress, such as their carbon footprint, and also enables Naylor Love’s teams, including carpenters and quantity surveyors, to better understand the types of surplus materials being generated.
Other Whakatipu recipients last year include Tiki Studios Ltd, which offers an affordable after-school programme to teach the next generation about textile sustainability, by providing sewing classes to teach students how to work with, mend and upcycle textiles.
To apply for funding, visit qldc.govt.nz/wmcf, by May 25.
