Palmerston North’s Resource Recovery Fund 2024 recipients announced

Mason Brothers’ Honey has identified sustainability improvements for its business. Photo / 123rf

Four projects have received grants from this year’s Resource Recovery Fund.

It empowers Palmerston North organisations and businesses to take a more active role in minimising waste.

The fund is administered by the city council. Resource recovery group manager Bryce Hosking said it was great to see such creative and practical solutions being put forward to make Palmerston North a greener place.

“We are excited to see the positive impact these projects will have on our community and hope they inspire others to take action towards sustainability.”

This year, a total of $40,000 was awarded, funded through the Ministry for the Environment’s waste levy funding.

Green tech company Precycle NZ received $7500 for introducing the Sustainable is Attainable programme to Manawatū.

Already active in South Canterbury and Hawke’s Bay, the programme helps primary industry and food production businesses reduce waste by diverting manufacturing by-products from landfills.

Precycle is gathering data from Manawatū businesses to identify various waste streams and develop strategies to repurpose these materials.

Mason Brothers’ Honey, between Bunnythorpe and Hiwinui, has recognised the need to clean and reuse honeycombs instead of throwing them away after honey extraction.

The business plans to purchase equipment to wash and reuse plastic combs, which might also be offered as a service to other apiarists.

It received $15,000.

Palmerston North Repair Cafe received $12,000.

It provides a space for the community to repair broken items and creates connections within the community.

Hosking said the cafe has become a staple in Palmerston North, emphasising the value of repairing things rather than throwing them out.

As the amount of food delivered to Just Zilch grows, so does the need for additional storage space. It received $7335 for its project to expand warehouse capacity, allowing it to rescue more food from going to waste.