Recycling bins at the Michael Hill NZ Golf Open
Bis here, Wanaka Wastebusters events and business manager. I’ll be at most of the events in Wanaka and some more around Central Otago each summer; emptying bins and making sure everything’s clean and tidy.
Wanaka Wastebusters started doing recycling at major events in 2008. We look after the entire waste stream from recycling through to rubbish and food waste which means we can get fantastic results and minimise the amount of waste going to landfill.
We cut our teeth with 2008 Rippon music festival,one of New Zealand’s coolest music events which is held in Wanaka every two years and have moved on to bigger challenges since then.
In 2009 and 2010 we were invited to do the recycling Michael Hill NZ Golf Open at the beautiful Hills Golf Course in Arrowtown. Over seven days there are in excess of 30,000 spectators at the NZ Open and it is a huge step up from the laid-back atmosphere of music festivals. In 2010 we dealt with over 14 tonnes of waste and 87 percent of that was recycled or composted. Less than 2 tonnes of rubbish ended up in the landfill. We’re really proud of that result.
“I really appreciate the amazing effort that your organisation did for us and have been singing the praises all over NZ as to the standard of your work.”
Darren Burgess Event Manager for Michael Hill NZ Golf Open
Warbirds Over Wanaka now has the distinction over being the tidiest airshow in the world after Easter 2010. Wanaka Wastebusters took charge of both the rubbish and recycling for Warbirds for the first time in 2010, dealing with the waste created by more than 60,000 visitors.
The numbers are getting bigger, but the low-tech, high service system we’ve developed has coped well. We run a system of high visibility recycling containers which are cleared regularly throughout the day (and night) by our amazingly dedicated staff. Recycling, food waste and rubbish is removed from the site each night so that it doesn’t back up. Food waste is composted, and recycling is hand-sorted into different grades back at base. Only the real rubbish goes to landfill.
Events work is manic while it’s on, and success relies on a truly dedicated team who will keep going until the job is done. Anyone who has run a major event knows that it’s not a nine-to-five job and the show must go on. The pay-back for us is that our work behind-the-scenes helps make the event a success. Visitors expect good recycling services, especially when you live in such a beautiful place as Wanaka.
Organising an event? Give me a call on 443 8606 ext 5 or 0274 229 67. You can email our events team on recycle@wanakawastebusters.co.nz.
Our team can collect and process all recycling and rubbish for your event, and provide all the infrastructure you’ll need. We can also help with council event forms, diversion targets and event plans.
When it comes to total events recycling – we are the business!!
Major events we have worked with:
- Rippon 2008 – Wanaka
- Rippon 2010 – Wanaka
- AREA9 2009 – Lake Ohau
- Michael Hill NZ Golf Open 2009 – Arrowtown
- Michael Hill NZ Golf Open 2010 – Arrowtown
- Cromwell Races 2009, 2010 – Cromwell
- Upper Clutha A&P A&P Show 2010 – Wanaka
- Warbirds over Wanaka 2010 – Wanaka
