This was a first for our club, the guest speaker Yolande Brophy, spoke to us over Zoom.
Yolande is a Waste Minimisation Advisor for KCDC. She's been in the role for just under a year and previously spent 5 years as a waste minimization contractor delivering education programmes, waste audits, and events waste systems around the region.
A resident of Raumati South where she raised two sons, she has an extensive backyard garden and orchard with over a dozen producing fruit and nut trees. With a heart of service, Yolande has volunteered over the years at the Paekakariki Surf Lifeguards, Kapiti Coast United Football Club, SPCA and Te Rito Organic Gardens to name a few. She has also been involved with planting restoration programmes in QE Park, Taupo Swamp and Whareroa Farm.
Yolande talked about how organic waste forms nearly half of all waste going to landfills in Kapiti when you consider kitchen/food waste and green waste together.
Yolande told us that the KCDC had a target to reduce the total amount of kerbside waste per person per annum going to landfill from approximately 200kg to 143kg by 2026. Targeting organic waste can easily achieve this target.
Removing organic waste from landfill also reduces the amount of methane gas created, which is 28 times more harmful than CO2 in terms of greenhouse gas emissions
She described many options for dealing with organic waste. Households can create worm farms, composting sites. Two collectors pick up garden waste, and a new business has begun for processing food waste. You can sign up for one of these collection services. Sharewaste is a website that connects people who want to recycle their kitchen scraps with their neighbours who are already composting, worm-farming, or keeping chickens. The idea is to divert waste from landfill while getting to know your neighbours!
Community gardens are also sites for receiving food waste /green waste/compost. The Waikane Community garden in Weggery Drive is thriving.
There are several organic waste receivers in Waikanae and across Kapiti.
Unfortunately, Yolande confirmed that Composting NZ has found the Waikanae green waste site uneconomic to operate and although running on reduced days/hours per week will close in June 2022.
There were a number of questions for Yolande, including one from founding member Dave Murton asking to confirm the number of hectares in Waikanae park. when created under Horowhenua Council, it was 83 acres in size, according to Dave's memory. Yolande confirmed that currently, it is 77.95 acres.
Steve Botica thanked Yolande on behalf of the members.
