Waste reduction initiatives at Tauhara

Document Management Specialist Stephanie Mayer has been the driving force behind this, asking our our client Sumitomo and partner Fuji Electric to talk to their suppliers about using more sustainable packaging. Where this was not possible, she has set up systems for sustainably disposing of packaging.

We have several bins around the site for polystyrene packaging. Once full, these are collected by Expol, who recycle and re-purpose the polystyrene.

We are also working with saveBOARD to recycle what could be five tonnes of soft plastics that is coming to site as packaging. This will be collected and delivered to their production facility to be turned into a multi-purpose panel suitable for medium term use for such things as formwork, site hoardings, fencing panels or temporary flooring. This also has end of use recycling, where it can be sent back to saveBOARD and recycled again.

In the site village, which includes a lunch room and site offices, we have set up recycling bins to separate out glass, plastic, cans and cardboard. It’s a work in progress to get everybody to use the right bin – we’ve tried to help by setting up the same bins that locals have at home in Taupō, then sorting everything into the big bins supplied by Waste Management.

A local worm farm, MyNoke, have supplied us with bins for food scraps – our shredded paper can go in too. This will progress to also including our cardboard, and later to a trial for GIB plasterboard recycling. Our next step is to work with the on-site canteen to use PLA (plastic) free coffee cups and food packaging, which can all go into the MyNoke bins too.