Waste sustainability is a global challenge that intersects with various disciplines including science, engineering, education, and marketing. While recycling often takes the spotlight in conversations about waste, it's crucial to recognise that it's just one piece of a much larger puzzle.
In 2021, New Zealanders alone sent an average of 700 kilograms to landfill per person. This staggering statistic underscores the urgency of waste education.
At UC, we're committed to tackling waste in all its forms. We focus on diverting rubbish from landfills, reducing food waste, minimizing single-use plastic packaging, promoting circular economies and supporting community initiatives such as repair cafes and clothes swaps. For our waste awareness campaign this May, we’re sharing our researchers’ valuable insight and holding events and activations for staff and students on campus.
Join us in our journey towards a cleaner, greener future. Together, we can make a difference.
Waste education news
Waste education events
Low waste living can be simpler than you think. At the recent UC event ‘Let’s talk waste’, Kate Hall (Ethically Kate) shared the following steps you can take:
- Treat your stuff with respect – Be conscious about the stuff you let into your home, think about the responsibility of using, repairing, storing, and cleaning that each item of stuff holds.
- Refuse and reuse over recycle – Before you buy something that is “recyclable”, think about what you already have and whether you actually need it. Consider that only 9% of recyclable items have ever been recycled.
- Compost – Food waste is a precious resource can be turned into lush soil that can grow more food. Don’t have access to a compost heap? Connect with your friends and neighbours to create a community compost!
Our Repair Cafe event helped to support and promote the Ōtautahi Repair Revolution - a movement away from throwaway culture and promoting product stewardship through the art and practice of repair.
Over 60 UC students and staff joined us at UC Library's Te Rua Makerspace with their broken treasures, ready to breathe new life into them.
During the 2-hour workshop almost 30kg of items were repaired and diverted from landfill, and 317kg of CO₂ saved - that’s like growing 5 tree seedlings for 10 years*. The most popular items bought in for repair were shoes, bags and winter clothing.
We intend to hold a repair cafe style event each term to give more people opportunities to learn and enjoy repair skills.
*Measured with Restarters.
