Food waste minimisation programme supported in Waikato

The Government’s Waste Minimisation Fund has awarded $150,000 to the Waikato Environment Centre to help expand its Kaivolution programme, Associate Environment Minister Scott Simpson announced today.

“The goal of Kaivolution is to reduce edible food waste going to landfill, and redistribute it to charities and community groups. Since Kaivolution launched in October 2014, nearly 245,000 kilograms of food have been redistributed in the Waikato community,” Mr Simpson says

“This funding will support the purchase of suitable vehicles, a fork lift and a chiller room that will allow Kaivolution to meet demand from a growing number of food donors, community groups and food recipients in the region.

“Redistributing food that is good enough to eat, but not good enough to sell, provides a sustainable solution for managing food surplus and reduces strain on landfills.

“This is a great example of local businesses and communities working together. It’s good for the environment, good for our community, and good for businesses who work with sustainability values in mind.”

The Waikato Environment Centre also receives $45,000 annually from the Community Environment Fund, to support its activities and services that empower Waikato communities to improve their environmental quality.

The Waste Minimisation Fund was established in 2009, and is funded by a levy of $10 per tonne charged on waste disposed of at landfills. The fund’s purpose is to boost New Zealand’s performance and innovation in waste minimisation by reducing waste and increasing the recovery of useful resources from waste. Over $80 million has been awarded to more than 130 projects to date.