What happens to the banana peel from your morning tea, or the leftovers from lunch in the staff kitchen? Thanks to the Second Bite Composting Programme, those food scraps can have a second life, helping grow fresh produce right here in The West.
The Trusts Support Office has joined the Second Bite Composting Programme, a food waste initiative run by EcoMatters Environment Trust. The programme helps local businesses divert food scraps from landfill and turn them into nutrient rich compost that supports community food growing projects across The West.
Recently we were invited to learn more about the programme and its impact at a special event hosted by the Rosebank Business Association in partnership with EcoMatters. The visit was a chance to see firsthand how small actions in the workplace can add up to positive environmental outcomes and a more sustainable local food system.
As part of the experience, we rolled up our sleeves and baked a delicious banana cake using bananas grown locally in Avondale. The bananas had been cultivated using compost produced through the very programme we contribute to, which made for a rewarding full circle moment. It was a tangible reminder that the food scraps collected from our office are helping nourish local gardens and produce fresh food for the community.
Food scraps make up a significant portion of what is sent to landfill. When food waste breaks down in landfill it produces methane, a greenhouse gas that contributes to climate change.
The Second Bite Composting Programme, operated by EcoMatters, offers an alternative. Participating businesses collect their food scraps, which are then processed into compost and returned to local growing projects. That creates a circular system where waste becomes a resource, helping improve soil health, support food production and reduce environmental impact.
It is the sort of practical, local mahi that quietly makes a difference. The compost stays here. The gardens it feeds are here. The kai those gardens grow goes to whānau here. Nothing travels far, and nothing goes to waste.
Credit for that belongs to EcoMatters, the Rosebank Business Association and the many local businesses taking part. Through programmes like Second Bite Composting, local businesses, community organisations and residents are helping create a cleaner, greener and more sustainable West, one food scrap at a time.
To learn more about Second Bite Composting, visit ecomatters.org.nz/zero-waste/secondbite.
Learn more about EcoMatters Environment Trust at www.ecomatters.org.nz or follow them on Facebook.
If you or your organisation could use support from The Trusts, find out how to apply at thetrusts.co.nz/our-funds.
