Waste Exchange's Time in the Sun

TerraNova’s Waste Exchange service has recently added two new regions to its domain. In April Marlborough joined the Waste Exchange service, currently also offered in Christchurch, Waimakariri and the West Coast, and on July 23^rd Tasman also came into the fold.

Waste Exchange Co-ordinator Jim Forsman visited the Marlborough region in late April to introduce the service to local businesses. In one week Jim visited 71 businesses, and generated 22 listings. People he spoke to in the region were very positive about the service, and Jim is sure Marlborough businesses will embrace the scheme.

Jim’s referrals from Marlborough reflected the three main industries that stoke the region - wine making, aquaculture (mussel and salmon farming in particular) and forestry. Offerings to the Exchange service included fishing nets of all sizes – from four metres square up to 25 metres square. The nets might be used as soccer or hockey nets, for bird protection for fruit trees or gardens, landscaping or stage props.

Another common waste product of the region is broken fence posts, made of treated wood. One large wine company alone estimates that between its various vineyards it has 16,500 broken posts between 1.6 and 1.8 metres long. They have begun collecting them in one location, and sorting them into large rounds, small rounds, half rounds and quarter rounds. Currently some of the quarter-round posts are available for collection, and they would be ideal for use in landscaping, fencing or in low retaining walls.

TerraNova’s service is the biggest in New Zealand and, thanks to its proven success, it continues to grow. From July 2006 until the end of April 2007, Waste Exchange had already saved around 6,000 cubic metres of material from landfill, and put those resources back to work in their local communities.