Getting to Zero

A new garden is taking shape in Fergusson Domain, where food will be grown by the community, for the community. Cardboard and mulch are already laid, planting beds are being prepared, the compost hub is up and running and the community can drop off their food scraps.

The Beautification Trust’s Tread Lightly programme is taking sustainability education into new spaces and creating opportunities for people to learn practical skills that can make a difference long after a workshop ends. Their crafting and creating workshops with the Department of Corrections give wāhine completing community service hours the chance to learn skills like hand sewing, machine sewing, knitting and other creative techniques.

When Angelica opened her café and bookshop in Matakana, she was determined not to add to the millions of single use coffee cups that end up in landfills every day. And her waste minimisation efforts don't stop with coffee cups. 

On 2 September 2026, Trash Free Taiaotea launched a new community initiative to reduce kai going to waste in a way that also looks after our neighbours: a community food pantry at the Rangitoto Kindergarten’s community garden site in Mairangi Bay. The launch was exactly two years to the day since the ribbon cutting of the fantastic Browns Bay Pātaka Kai.