Trash to Treasure: Foxton waste hub opens up at old racecourse building

Plastic bags are no problem for the Greenheart Hub Trust. They turn them into useful items.

A organisation giving waste items another life is now operating out of a new building at the Foxton Racecourse that opens today.

Greenheart Hub will open its Art Recycling Shop to the public in an effort to attract creative and practical minds into taking rubbish and transforming it into something that has secondary value.

Greenheart project manager Amba Wright said one example was turning old net curtains into fruit and vegetable shopping bags.

"People love to come and forage, and its proving a great resource for schools and kindergartens," she said.

"There's all sorts of quirky bits and bobs. Sometimes people have craft supplies and they think 'oh we don't want that anymore' and donate them."

Yesterday Ms Wright had a paint brush in hand and was putting the finishing touches on the collection bins before they were placed at designated drop-off spots.

There were plans to put a collection bin at Te Takere to make it easy for Levin residents to use the service.

"We have a great spot in Palmerston North, so people who used this service when the Art Recycling Centre was there can continue to do so," she said.

"We are looking for more further ideal spots around the Horowhenua. Big thanks to all who are supporting this project."

Ms Wright said the recycling shop needed a healthy dose of imagination and hoped that there would be production lines for waste materials to become usable items again, like their plastic bag line of products.

"Greenheart is very excited that momentum has taken off and the vision is all falling into place," she said.

People were travelling from Palmerston North to look at what was on offer. Opening hours are Fridays 10am-5pm, and Saturdays 10am to 3pm.

"These workshops are so popular, they fill up the day they are listed," she said

Greenhub's plastic bag recycling meeting will be held at the Art Recycling shop from Friday February 22 and people were encouraged to join the organisation.

Meanwhile, Greenheart would start its popular natural soap making workshops in March.
The natural soap workshop will be run every second Sunday of each month, while Greenheart would also run bees wax wraps on last Sunday of each month.