2024 Tāmaki Makaurau Zero Waste Awards

Nominations are now open for the 2024 Tāmaki Makaurau Zero Waste Awards. The awards recognise and celebrate those outstanding leaders whose heart and soul is in their zero waste kaupapa, and are making a difference to reduce waste in our city. Nominations can be made online here from Monday 1 July to Wednesday 31 July in one of six categories, as follows. 

We look forward to hearing about the amazing mahi underway to reduce waste to landfill across Tāmaki Makaurau and recognising the people behind the stories.

A huge congratulations to all the nominees, and award winners at the 2024 Tāmaki Makaurau Zero Waste Awards evening on Thursday 24 October 2024. 

170 individuals, groups, schools, marae, local businesses and social enterprises were nominated and celebrated at this year’s awards for their efforts to help Auckland achieve its vision of zero waste by 2040.

We loved hearing all of the inspiring stories of people who put their heart and soul into zero waste, from how wonky cherries became cola, and fishing nets into kitchen panels, to a waste waka cleaning the streets, and community composting initiatives by businesses, schools and individuals.

Read more about the awards evening on OurAuckland.

See a selection of photos on Facebook or view the full album of photos from the evening here. Thanks to Logan West for the amazing photography.

If you attended the awards, please take a moment to fill in a feedback form about the event and nomination process here. 

Ngā mihi kia koutou, thank you again to everyone who made a nomination and those who helped make the event possible. We really appreciate everyone’s contribution.

2024 Winners and Highly Commended Awards

Rangatahi Leadership – Rangatahi, rangawhenua, rangatangata

Supported by Uru Whakaaro

This award celebrates ‘leaders in the making’ (individuals or groups of rangatahi / young people, 21 years and under) showing commitment and leadership to reducing waste in their communities.

Winner: Pacific Vision Aotearoa Food Hub Gang. The Food Hub Gang is made up of three young volunteers, Nazihah Buksh, Ayla Brockes, and Alena Lui, who are collecting food scraps from the local supermarket and making compost at the Papatoetoe Food Hub.  Despite busy schedules with university, high school, and other commitments, they show up each week with enthusiasm and dedication, and have contributed to diverting 1.5 tonnes of waste from landfill, and keeping these wonderful nutrients local. Their efforts have provided compost to community gardens, reconnecting people to the land and emphasising the importance of reducing waste.

Highly Commended: Anna Lightbody. Anna is helping reduce clothing waste by repurposing unusable garments into crochet baskets and pet beds. Earlier this year, Anna successfully ran a series of trial workshops with Tāmaki WRAP for kids aged 11 to 13, and now plans to expand her workshops, aiming to significantly reduce clothing waste in her community.

Highly Commended: Taylor Moore. Taylor began volunteering at West Auckland Resource Centre as part of a school leadership programme, which grew into a deep passion for environmental stewardship. From sorting recyclables to engaging customers with sustainable alternatives, Taylor consistently demonstrates leadership and innovative ideas, making her a powerful role model.

Growing the Movement – Whakakanohi i te kaupapa para kore

Supported by Zero Waste Network

This award celebrates ‘local heroes’ (individuals or groups – mostly working voluntarily) raising awareness, inspiring change, and spreading their tautoko/support of the pare kore kaupapa / zero waste purpose.

Winner: Brigitte Sistig. Brigitte co-founded Repair Cafe Aotearoa NZ and has been a key figure since 2013. She was involved in the Auckland Council funded 2016 Repair Café, delivering 18 events with 12 community partners across Tāmaki Makaurau. Now largely volunteering as co-founder of Repair Cafe Aotearoa, she helps manage 22 regular Repair Cafes in Auckland, at both permanent and pop-up locations, with the first Repair Festival having taken place in September 2024. Last year, from May to October, Repair Cafe Aotearoa NZ held 18 events, repairing almost three-quarters of the 40 items seen at each. Brigitte also leads the Right to Repair Aotearoa Coalition, advocating for the Consumer Guarantees (Right to Repair) Amendment Bill Campaign.

Brigitte Sistig of Repair Cafe Aotearoa NZ, winner of the Growing the Movement – Whakakanohi i te kaupapa para kore award

Highly Commended: Fashion Revolution NZ. The Fashion Revolution New Zealand volunteer team are exemplary leaders in the sustainable fashion movement. Since 2019, they have organised over 45 events, and engaged 11,000 people at these events, encouraging them to repair, mend, swap, rent, borrow, and shop second-hand before buying new. Their efforts over the past five years have made a significant impact on New Zealand’s fashion landscape, sparking vital conversations and driving positive change within the local community. 

Highly Commended: Etū Rākau. Etū Rākau takes an innovative approach to reducing illegal dumping and street rubbish with the help of their “Waste Waka”. A customised trolley equipped with the tools needed for a DJ station and siren, and a planting station, the Waste Waka is also a mobile education unit. Each street clean-up is live streamed to their 35,000 TikTok followers. In 2023, Etū Rākau completed 60 Waste Waka pickups, collecting over 20,000 litres of street rubbish, addressing illegal dumping, and hosting educational events. 

Cultural Connection – Whīria te ahurea, whīria te kaitīakitanga

This award celebrates individuals, organisations, or groups ‘keeping it local’ using culturally-specific approaches to educate, inspire and manāki/care for their communities to reduce waste.

Winner: Planet FM. PlanetFM, a not-for-profit community radio station, amplifies the voices of Tāmaki Makaurau’s minority and special interest groups. It has supported the zero waste campaign by broadcasting programmes and ads in multiple languages, including Arabic, Nepali, and Tamil, to reach ethnically diverse communities. Volunteers were trained to promote zero waste and used their networks to extend the campaign’s impact, delivering messages in culturally relevant ways through trusted community leaders.

Highly Commended: Aotearoa Sustainability Group. Aotearoa Sustainability Group (ASG) does an excellent job of connecting Auckland Council with the South Asian population of Tāmaki Makaurau, by delivering important messages in a culturally and linguistically respectful way. Understanding the cultural backgrounds of the community, ASG’s culturally attuned messaging is tailored to the diverse languages and needs of the community’s ethnic groups. They played a key role in supporting the Food Scraps collection service rollout and continue to collaborate with Auckland Council to promote the three-bin system.

Community Collaboration – Hā ora, Hāpori

Supported by Be a Tidy Kiwi

This award celebrates local businesses, social enterprises, NGOs, and charitable organisations (e.g. marae, churches, and other community groups with mostly paid workers) ‘walking the talk’ demonstrating commitment in building community partnerships to reduce waste.

Winner: Junk2Go. A rubbish collection business, Junk2Go, focuses on diverting usable items to people in need instead of sending them to landfill. Truckloads of items collected are sorted and as much as possible is donated to partner charities through their ‘Junk2Go turning Junk2Good’ initiative. At least once a week their depot is opened to charity partners, and sometimes families, to take whatever items they like that have been collected to help turn their house into a home.

Highly Commended – Anamata Community Enterprise: In 2023, Anamata Community Enterprise had the idea to rid Aotea/Great Barrier Island of single use plastic cups, and keep an eventual 50,000 cups out of landfill. A team of local businesses, local politicians, resource recovery centre reps and general island waste busters came together to make this a reality by summer. Anamata also runs a number of other waste reduction projects such as their local Community Recycling Centre.

Highly Commended: EcoMatters Bike Hubs. A network of nine EcoMatters Bike Hubs make up a community not-for-profit operation that has prevented thousands of bikes from ending up in landfill. With free access to tools and advice on basic bike maintenance, staff and volunteers work beside visitors to develop their skills and knowledge to empower individuals to keep bikes in use. The bike hubs also sell restored second hand bikes and new bike parts and accessories, plus offer safe cycling advice and guidance. 

Innovation – Anga whakamua

Supported by TROW Group

This award celebrates zero waste initiatives ‘making it happen’, demonstrating innovation, the circular economy in action, and promising results.

Winner: Clevaco. Clevaco created New Zealand’s first circular building foundation with its CLEVA POD® system, made from 100% recycled plastic. This system replaces polystyrene pods and can be fully recovered during demolition, avoiding landfill waste. CLEVA POD® offers the building industry an easy, sustainable alternative. Clevaco partners with companies committed to environmental practices, helping them adopt circular construction and sustainable building methods.

Highly Commended: Critical Design. Rui and the team at Critical have been working tirelessly for almost ten years to tackle Aotearoa’s plastic waste problem. Every month they turn six tonnes of hard-to-recycle plastic into Cleanstone, which are panels used in interior design and kitchens. Their products are made from 100% waste plastic from the likes of fishing nets, single-use plastics, and bin lids, all which are fully recyclable. Their recent projects include the fit out of the Christchurch Art Gallery and of the Eventfinda Stadium’s canteen.


Community Engagement – Food Scraps Service Rollout  – Rukenga kai

This award celebrates the outstanding contributions carried out by individuals and organisations to educate and inspire the public to use the rukenga kai service and keep kai out of landfill.

Joint Winner: A Fool’s Company. A Fool’s Company helped roll out the Food Scraps service with an interactive theatre show for primary schools in Tāmaki Makaurau. “Freddie’s Food Scraps Quest: A Rukenga Kai Story” is a 45-minute performance combining storytelling, comedy, music, and audience participation. Teaching children the importance of rukenga kai, 75 shows have reached over 11,000 children and 500 adults since August 2023. The success has led to renewed funding, allowing free performances across the region and expansion into recycling education. 

Joint Winner: EcoMatters Food Scraps Team. The EcoMatters Food Scraps Team spent 10 months educating Tāmaki Makaurau residents on using the rukenga kai service. A team of 25 canvassers held over 35,000 conversations across 98 areas, putting in 3000 hours. They engaged the public at community events, door-knocking, and even beside sports fields. The team also received received individual nominations, including for Wei Pudney, Suzanne Kendrick, SJ Murray, and Marjorie Maclean.

The te reo Māori framing for our category descriptions was generously undertaken by Reno Skipper, who as a kaiako (teacher) is dedicated to the well-being of his community of Kaipara and inspiring people of all ages in their journey of rediscovery of te reo Māori. Ngā mihi Reno. To learn more about Reno, watch this short video.

2024 Nominees – Rangatahi Leadership

2024 Nominees – Growing the Movement

2024 Nominees – Community Collaboration

2024 Nominees – Cultural Connection

2024 Nominees – Innovation

2024 Nominees – Community Engagement – Food Scraps Service Rollout 

SUPPORTERS

The 2024 Tāmaki Makaurau Zero Waste Awards evening is generously supported by:

KIA ORA AND THANKS TO 

We sincerely thank everyone who has supported and contributed to the awards over the years, especially the steering and advisory group members, nominees, nominators, judges, MCs, presenters and sponsors.

The 2024 awards advisory group is Bernard Gomes (Ministry for Ethnic Communities), Charmaine Bailie (Uru Whakaaro), Sera Schwalger (Pacific Vision Aotearoa), Vivien Verheijen (Auckland Council Community WasteWise team) and Emily Harris (EcoMatters).

The 2024 awards judging panel is Charmaine Bailie (Uru Whakaaro), Ngarimu Blair (Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei), Parul Sood (Auckland Council) and Carla Gee (EcoMatters).

EcoMatters Environment Trust is organising the 2024 awards, thanks to support from Auckland Council, as part of its aspirational goal for Tāmaki Makaurau to be zero waste by 2040.

Photos from the 2021 and 2022 awards can be found at the link below, as well as the nominees, highly commended, and winners from each year.

💚 2022 Tāmaki Makaurau Zero Waste Awards

💚 2021 Tāmaki Makaurau Zero Waste Awards

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If an online form is not an option, please call Ana on 021 394 447 or email at [email protected] to have a paper form sent to you, or to arrange for us to transcribe answers via a telephone call or video conferencing.

NOMINEES aND POSTERS

Click on the category below to see all of the 2024 nominees:

Rangatahi Leadership

• Anna Lightbody
• Dan Percy
• Destiny Harris, ME Family Services
• Ellerslie School’s Waste Reduction Action Program
• Fern O’Cleirigh
• Green Bay High School’s Green Impact Group
• Kelston Girls College
• Konini School
• Liam Bankier, Papakura High School
• Logos Eco-Justice Advisory Group

Click here to view all the posters in the Rangatahi Leadership category:
POSTERS – RANGATAHI LEADERSHIP

Growing the Movement

• Accelerating Aotearoa
• Arnaud de Tourettes, Fletcher Living and Environmental Innovation Centre
• Beautification Trust Zero Waste Volunteers
• Brigitte Sistig, Repair Café Aotearoa New Zealand 
• Cath Bathe-Taylor, I Love Avondale
• Courtenay Hunt, Auckland Council WasteWise Advisors
• Emma Wingrove, The Clean Up Crew & Wairau Zero Waste Hub
• Etū Rākau
• Fabric Rescue
• Fashion Revolution New Zealand 
• Francis Coutinho
• Give a Kid a Blanket
• Glen Eden Pataka Kai Volunteers
• Grant Routen
• Hibiscus Coast Zero Waste
• Jackie Muller
• Judy Keats, Green Sister
• Kaurilands Primary School
• Kevin Golding
• Kris Ross, West Auckland Resource Centre 
• Lucy-Mae Goffe-Robertson, Fashion Rebellion Aotearoa
• Malaina Taufa, Te Papapa School Parents Group
• Marama Hou Ministries Trust
• Melanie Jack, Love Soup Hibiscus Coast
• Naomi Roberts, Tāmaki Wrap
• Nigel Zhang, Pest Free Howick
• Oranga Community Garden Volunteers
• Robyn Hoffman
• Ronja Schipper, re:purpose
• Sai Centre Howick and Pakuranga
• Sarah Fearnside
• Shelly Aiyaz, New Windsor Community Hub 
• Shuchita Jain
• Sophora Grace, Regeneration Army
• Tāmaki Makaurau Composters Network 
• Tineswari Maruthamuthu, The Mindful Mender 
• Tricia Joe, The Patchwork Gardens 
• Waiheke Resources Trust’s Kai Conscious Cafe
• Warkworth Primary School 

Click here to view all the posters in the Growing the Movement category:
POSTERS – GROWING THE MOVEMENT

Community Collaboration

• A2Z Property Maintenance Ltd
• All Heart NZ 
• Auckland Library of Tools
• Anamata Community Enterprise 
• Aotearoa Sustainability Group
• ASEZ WAO World Mission Society Church of God
• Beautification Trust
• Chelsea Kitzen, Waiuku Zero Waste 
• Chinese Conservation Education Trust
• CNSST Foundation
• Community Networks Franklin and Waiuku Zero Waste
• Earth Action Trust
• Echo
• EcoMatters Bike Hubs
• Fiona Drummond, Green Bay High School
• Getting to Zero
• Gifts for Good Charitable Trust
• Good To Go, Waiheke Resources Trust
• Got to Get Out
• ReUse Market, Grey Lynn 2030
• Hannah Emson, West Auckland Resource Centre’s Community Education Programme 
• Henderson Demolition & Onehunga Zero Waste 
• Howick Schools Waste Minimisation Project
• Junk2Go Ltd
• Kai West
• Kaipātiki Project
• KEOLA Construction 
• KiwiHarvest Ltd
• Levela Deconstruction
• Mahurangi Wastebusters / Less
• Onehunga Zero Waste
• Repair Café Aotearoa NZ 
• Reusable Resources
• Rosebank Business Association
• Standard Issue
• Talking Trash Manurewa, Te Awa Ora Trust
• The Compost Co., Waiheke Resources Trust
• The Kai Rescue Project, Waiheke Resources Trust
• The ReCreators
• West Auckland Resource Centre
• Westhaven Marina, Eke Panuku Development Auckland 
• Zohra Amiri, Refugee Education for Adults and Families, Selwyn College

Click here to view all the posters in the Community Collaboration category:
POSTERS – COMMUNITY COLLABORATION

Cultural Connection

• Aotearoa Sustainability Group
• Awhi Mai Te Atatū
• Chinese Conservation Education Trust
• Chinese Herald
• CNSST Foundation
• Earth Action Trust
• English Language Partners’ Teachers
• Fair Food 
• Planet FM, Access Community Radio Auckland
• Shelly Aiyaz

Click here to view all the posters in the Cultural Connection category:
POSTERS – CULTURAL CONNECTION

Innovation

• Auckland Library of Tools
• Bea Lorimer, Heke Design
• Blaire
• Chip Packet Project NZ
• Citizen 
• Cladian Andugula, Circular Marketplace
• Clevaco New Zealand Limited
• Construction Waste Leadership and Enforcement Projects – Auckland Council
• Critical
• Eastern Busway Alliance
• Echo
• Fashion Rebellion Aotearoa
• Flo & Frankie
• Fongky 
• Greenlit Carbon Calculator
• Junky Monkeys
• Love Food Hate Waste NZ
• Martinus Rail NZ Ltd
• Mutu app
• Ofishal Leather
• Ronja Schipper, re:purpose
• Shrinkwrap Supplies
• Sime Group Limited
• Waste Free Celebrations

Click here to view all the posters in the Innovation category:
POSTERS – INNOVATION

Food Scraps Service Rollout

• A Fool’s Company
• Action Actors Ltd
• Aotearoa Sustainability Group
• Bethany Thompson, Te Awa Ora Trust
• Chinese Association of North Shore City
• Chinese Conservation Education Trust
• CNSST Foundation
• EcoMatters Environment Trust’s Food Scraps Team
• English Language Partners
• Etū Rākau
• Hannah Edwards, Ōtāhuhu Library
• Hye-Jung Kim, Compost Collective and EcoMatters Environment Trust
• Jai Singh
• Jo Holsted, Planet FM
• Marjorie Maclean, EcoMatters Environment Trust
• Mohammad Eid Murad
• Rākau Tautoko
• Rebecca Harrington, Auckland Council
• Refugee Education for Adults and Families, Selwyn College
• Onehunga Business Food Scraps Trial, Tāmaki WRAP, Triple Teez and The Roots   
• Suzanne Kendrick, EcoMatters Environment Trust
• Sophora Grace, Regeneration Army
• The Open Fort
• The Zero Waste Zone Experience Centre 
• Wei Pudney, EcoMatters Environment Trust

Click here to view all the posters in the Food Scraps Service Rollout category:
POSTERS – FOOD SCRAPS SERVICE ROLLOUT

PAST AWARDS

Photos from the 2021 and 2022 awards can be found at the link below, as well as the nominees, highly commended, and winners from each year.

💚 2022 Tāmaki Makaurau Zero Waste Awards

💚 2021 Tāmaki Makaurau Zero Waste Awards