Phoenix Organics partners with Sustainable Coastlines

Phoenix Organics has set up a schedule of riparian planting days alongside polluted rivers throughout the country. Photo / Supplied

PROMOTION: After successfully removing over 5000 litres of rubbish from New Zealand beaches last year, Phoenix Organics has again partnered with Sustainable Coastlines - this time to clean up some of New Zealand's dirtiest rivers. The project, titled Love Your Water, aims to empower and educate communities on how to improve the health of their local rivers and waterways.

The Love Your Water project was born when figures were released by regional councils in July revealing that more than half of New Zealand's rivers were unsafe to swim in and that Waikato, Bay of Plenty, Wellington, Canterbury and Northland were the worst affected.

Through the partnership, Phoenix Organics has set up a schedule of riparian planting days alongside polluted rivers throughout the country. Riparian planting reduces the excessive nutrient run-off from over-intensive agriculture, extraction of water and human and industrial waste discharge.

With the goal of planting 7000 trees by September across Northland, Auckland, Waikato, Wellington, Canterbury, Otago and Christchurch now well underway, Phoenix Organics hopes the Love Your Water project will inspire and enable Kiwis to make a real difference to rivers and coastal areas.

"We make it a priority to educate people both within our business and throughout the community about sustainability and how they can look after the environment for future generations. We're proud to be working with Sustainable Coastlines for a second year and hope that this project raises the collective consciousness about river pollution throughout New Zealand," says Jen Campbell, marketing manager for Phoenix Organics.

Participants in the Love Your Water project have also been equipped with free online tools to encourage and educate their communities about how to look after the waterways and coastlines in New Zealand.

"Raising awareness about pollution and teaching people how to use creativity and practical solutions, like organic products, to look after their own backyard is the very reason we are supporting Sustainable Coastlines and the Love Your Water project," says Campbell.

"From day one we've been committed to sustainability, ensuring that we use nothing but the best organic ingredients in our drinks and that where possible, we always use local, home-grown organic produce free from fungicides, insecticides and soluble fertilisers.

"Supporting the Love Your Water project has given us an insight into the way communities back each other in times of need, providing us even more reason to get involved in more projects like this one. We believe it's not just about talking the talk it's about walking the walk and getting your hands dirty - literally," adds Campbell.

As part of raising awareness about the Love Your Water project in New Zealand and showcasing the beauty of our rivers and natural floral and fauna, Phoenix Organics has also been working alongside ephemeral artists Martin Hill and Phillippa Jones to create a sculpture that embodies the collective effort required to protect rivers from pollutants.

Made entirely from raupo stems and flax, the artists erected and photographed the eco-sculpture in Anzac Drive Reserves' waterway in Christchurch last month.

"We chose to work with Martin Hill and Philippa Jones as they share a lot of the Love Your Water project's values and philosophies around nature and the environment. One in particular that stood out for us was that nature is sustainable by design and that everything is recycled, returning to earth. This highlights the importance of running a sustainable business which considers principals learned from natural systems," says Campbell.

Given the title 'River Guardian', the sculpture is a poignant reminder that as a nation we are a part of nature, not apart from nature, and that together we are all guardians of the environment.

"We hope the Love Your Water project will continue to achieve great results in years to come and that we can support more community projects likes this in the future," says Campbell.

For further information on the Love Your Water project or regional community planting days, visit http://www.phoenixorganics.co.nz

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