Auckland City is wasting our waste

Its not often that I use this blog for "local" matters but this is really getting up my nose so I'm essentially reposting this here in case there are any locals reading. But also ...I reckon that this is an educational issue as well and education is one of the predominant themes of this blog. Waiheke Island has over the last 5 years taught me about recycling. The Waste Resource Trust, the local organization that deals with our waste has educated me about what it means to seperate out my recycling, enlightened me on just what it means to actually deal with an entire communities waste, how to re-use waste that would otherwise just get shipped to a landfill in Auckland, modelled how to run a not-for-profit organization that employs 22 people in a community enterprise, and made me think about how my choices as a consumer impact the environment and the economy ... and now some beauracrats in Auckland City want to take that all away from me (from us) and centralize it by giving the contract for what we do better to an Australian company who's share prices are plummeting! So ...

Join us in the protest and to bear witness at the council meeting
Thursday 14 May, 9am, meet at Aotea Square City. Outside the council
building we will be singing the Waiheke Does it Better song and beating
our procession drum.

It’s not too late to save our waste, every person helps.

This Thursday Auckland City Council City Development Committee will vote
whether or not to give our waste resource to multinational company
TransPacific Industries (TPI). By choosing TPI the council is
ignoring local democracy.

TPI is an Australian owned multinational that has recently suspended
trading on the Australian stock exchange and whose share prices have
plummeted from $14.00 to around $2.00.

Visy, another multinational, that will recycle our recycling is
struggling to find markets for their low grade products (because they
co-mingle recyclables and compact them together) and is wanting a
government bail out.

We will lose local jobs, local income, local innovative solutions and
local decision making and be forced to use an unsustainable recycling
system replacing one of New Zealand's leading recycling projects.

One of their plans is to freight our green waste to Puketutu Island in
the Manukau Harbour for mulching and then sell it back to us. We think
this is ridiculous because we already process our green waste on
Waiheke. This will cost more money and cost the climate.

Join us in the protest and to bear witness at the council meeting
Thursday 14 May, 9am, meet at Aotea Square City. Outside the council
building we will be singing the Waiheke Does it Better song and beating
our procession drum.

We will have spokespeople for media and we will then go up to the
meeting at 09.30 to bear witness to the Council decision. We are trying
to get speaking rights at the meeting.

If you can come, please take the 08.00am ferry, dress well and warmly
and we will gather together on the boat to be briefed. If you are in
town meet in Aotea Square at 09.00 sharp.

Go to www.waihekedoesitbetter.org.nz for more
information. Keep checking back - updated often.

Keep Your Wheelie Bins In Auckland Central from Scott Ewing on Vimeo.