Emma Horgan-Heke, HB Environment Centre and Al Borrie of FirstHand coffee dropping off a bag of cartons used in his cafe to be turned into building materials. Photo / Warren Buckland
Emma Horgan-Heke, HB Environment Centre and Al Borrie of FirstHand coffee dropping off a bag of cartons used in his cafe to be turned into building materials. Photo / Warren Buckland
A sustainable partnership between Otis Oat Milk and Hawke's Bay Environment Centre is a first for Hawke's Bay and New Zealand.
Otis Oat Milk funded a baler to help the Environment Centre recycle Liquid Paper Board (LPB) beverage cartons turning them into low carbon building materials.
ECHB, as part ofits specialist recycling service, is calling for Hawke's Bay residents to drop off their LPBs to the centre.
The new baler will 'ram and flatten' the cartons into compact 75kg cubes, and once 10 cubes worth have been created, they'll be upcycled at saveBOARD in Hamilton.
Once at saveBOARD cubes will be made into New Zealand building code materials including roofing substrate and wall and ceiling linings.
Emma Horgan-Heke, who runs the Hawke's Bay Environment Centre, said the centre already does a lot to try and encourage more local business to upcycle and recycle, and hopes the ability to upcycle will see more business involved.
"(They) already have a small carbon footprint. While that is great, upcycling them with us is decreasing your footprint further," Horgan-Heke said.
Al Borrie from Havelock North café FirstHand has been working with Otis for a few years to find a way to recycle
"I have been collecting cartons from our cafes and wholesalers and have been sending them to saveBOARD, but now to have something local makes things easier," Borrie said.
Tim Ryan co-founder of Otis Oat milk who are on a sustainability journey has a much lighter footprint than its dairy equivalent. Photo / Supplied
Otis, which funded the baler, is a New Zealand oat milk company using 100% NZ grown with an underlying philosophy to reduce emissions, create value for oat farmers and create a circular economy.
Hayley Pardoe, head of Otis marketing and sustainability, said the company invested in a baler to recycle LPBs like theirs as another significant moment in their sustainability journey.
"We encourage other companies who are using LPB cartons to seriously consider supporting their local councils and recycling centres," Pardoe said.
"Now there is no excuse to throw them in the bin," Borrie said
Pardoe said they hope, as government legislation evolves, this style of recycling initiative becomes the norm and as a country New Zealand can move towards a more circular economy.
• Hawke's Bay residents can drop off their used, cleaned and flattened Otis, Tetra Pak and other LPB packaging to ECHB, 1004 Karamu Rd North, Mayfair, Hastings, Monday to Friday, 10am to 5pm.
