Operation Clean-Up Week 2024: Celebrating Industry Collaboration for a Cleaner New Zealand
Last week, Plastics New Zealand brought together industry players for our annual Operation Clean-Up Week. This initiative underscores the importance of environmental responsibility, reminding us of the impacts of improper waste management while promoting sustainable practices. Across the country, we witnessed incredible participation, highlighting the power of collective action.
Thanks to all who participated and made an impact this year. Special thanks goes out to; Aotearoa NZ Made for supplying us with 100% recycled content rubbish bags; Dutton Stormwater, EPL, and 3R Group for providing sausage sizzles to feed the hungry volunteers; Rosebank Business Association for supporting with the Rosebank Clean Up organisation; East Tamaki Business Association for promoting our event and driving participation in East Tamaki; The Hamilton City Council ‘Nature in the City’ team for providing guidance, support, and waste management at our Waikato event; Action Plastics for supporting with waste management at our Christchurch event; and Auckland Council for supporting with waste management and guidance for our Auckland events!
Plastics NZ national office commenced the week with a clean up of Freight Place. Three bags of rubbish and a bag of recycling were filled. Kelly Buchanan-Johns took the luckiest find – a $5 note!
Uniplas in Lower Hutt followed suit with a clean up of their local area. Taking a leaf from Kelly’s book, they hit the jackpot, discovering three $5 notes!
In the Hawkes Bay 3R Group led the charge in gathering a group of committed volunteers from the Hawkes Bay region. They collected over 100 kg of rubbish! Murray Murdoch, 3R Group’s Environmental Health and Safety Coordinator, earned a bag of chocolates for the "weirdest find" – a megaphone speaker.
At Rosebank, Plastic NZ partnered with the Rosebank Business Association. This event was a massive success with over 60 attendees, our largest turnout yet! Together, the group removed a significant pile of material from the environment including household waste, industrial waste, and tyres. Proof that by working together we can make a real difference!
In Christchurch, around 30 volunteers met at EPL to commence a clean-up spanning from the Heathcoate River to the top of the Tunnel Road cycle path. They collected an impressive 200 kg of waste, filling a trailer and a car. Grant Buckingham found the "weirdest" item – a gun barrel! Luckily, he was wearing gloves…
In East Tamaki, a heavy downpour greeted our brave volunteers from Plastics NZ and East Tamaki Business Association. Juan Fernandez of George Weston Foods recovered the weirdest item here – a large, portable power unit! This was in addition to lots of bags of material pulled from the estuary and surrounding walkways.
In Hamilton, light drizzle didn’t deter the Waikato team. With guidance from Hamilton City Council’s Nature in the City team, around 30 volunteers donned rain jackets and ponchos, and a skip was filled in no time. Cleaning up next to the driving range resulted in the collection of heaps of golf balls. The standout item? A truck tyre, found by Mathew Bell from Gallaghers, which defeated even four determined volunteers!
These efforts demonstrate that beyond tidying our environment, clean-ups can unearth unexpected surprises!
Join Us in Driving Change
The success of Operation Clean-Up Week reinforces the importance of Operation Clean Sweep (OCS), our programme designed to prevent the loss of plastic pellets, flakes, and powders into the environment. To amplify these efforts, we’ve launched the new Operation Clean Sweep website: https://operationcleansweep.org.nz/.
The OCS NZ programme is your opportunity to demonstrate leadership in environmental responsibility. Whether as a certified company, partner, or supporter, your involvement ensures a sustainable future for New Zealand’s plastics industry.
Why Join OCS?
- Showcase your commitment to sustainability.
- Minimise environmental impact.
- Collaborate with industry leaders to drive best practices.
Let’s build on the momentum of Operation Clean-Up Week and continue making meaningful change. Together, we can preserve the beauty of Aotearoa for future generations.
