Thirty Wānaka businesses learned from local pioneers earlier this week at a workshop designed to inspire waste reduction.

At ‘Measure What Matters’, organised by Wastebusters and Lake Wānaka Tourism with funding support from Queenstown Lakes District Council, attendees heard from businesses who have made measurable reductions in their waste.

“It was quite something to hear businesses from very different sectors come up together with clear and practical ways that they could tackle waste,” Wastebusters project manager Sophie Ward said.

Those businesses included Fedeli, Glendhu Bay Motor Camp, Edgewater, and RealNZ.

Wastebusters project manager Sophie Ward (left) with Lake Wānaka Tourism destination development lead Molly Hope.

Glendhu Bay Motor Camp assistant manager Tyson Hunt said between January 2022 and 2023, the camp more than doubled its mixed recycling.

It also diverted over one tonne of food waste during that time, and the waste that went to landfill dropped by ten percent (even though visitor numbers were up 15 percent). 

After learning from the four businesses, the participants broke off into groups to discuss practical challenges and solutions to reducing and minimising business waste.

Later they all got together again to come up with action points. 

Sophie said the discussions were fruitful.

“The overarching message was clear: there’s strength in numbers, whether it’s in demanding change from suppliers or working together to establish a composting hub.”

After travel, landfill is New Zealand’s single greatest contributor to greenhouse gas emissions, including carbon.

Businesses can benefit from reducing their carbon footprint in a range of ways.

It’s also a keystone project of the district’s Destination Management Plan to achieve carbon zero in the visitor economy by 2023.

“We know the power of collaboration within the Upper Clutha community,” Sophie said, “and it’s incredibly exciting to think where this could go.”

PHOTOS: Supplied