Zero Waste: Environmental Education and Resource Sustainability Trust (EERST)

EERST run a series of waste minimisation education programmes in schools and for businesses throughout the Bay of Plenty.

One of the most successful programmes run by EERST is the Paper for Trees project. Approximately 70 schools throughout the Bay of Plenty are part of this project.

EERST has supplied around 1400 plastic bins to school and preschool classrooms and offices for the collection of paper and cardboard.

This product is then placed in large wool fadges and collected by various recyclers. The schools are rewarded with a native tree for every four wool fadges filled each year.

In year one some 449 trees were given to schools .
In year three 1473 trees were given to schools as a reward for their efforts. The number of schools on the programme is increasing almost weekly.

EERST have placed worm bins in all schools in the Western Bay of Plenty and Tauranga District and annually make three visits to each school to monitor the programme.

In 2001 EERST also raised funding to have all school grounds and gardens in the Western Bay of Plenty and Tauranga Districts sprayed with liquid vermicompost, and encourage schools to use only natural fertilisers.

In 2003 EERST was able to encourage schools to remove their incinerators by giving them a grant to remove them and look at other ways of recycling the products previously burnt.

In 2000, 2001 and 2002 EERST have won Environmental Bay of Plenty’s Annual Environmental Education awards.

EERST now has three Cleaner Production advisors; one employed in Tauranga/ Western Bay of Plenty area since April 2001, and one employed in each of the Rotorua and Eastern Bay areas. The Rotorua and Eastern Bay positions are for a one year contract but EERST is looking to make them permanent.

EERST also has an Enviroschools Educator working in three schools in the Tauranga/Western Bay area.

While not part of the EERST’s programmes the Chairman of the Trust has contracts with Tauranga, Western Bay, Whakatane and Ruapehu District Councils to implement a Waste Education programme in their schools.

The programmes are aimed at the year 3 to 8 level and include Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, Compost and Resource Sustainability units as well as two Water conservation Units.

Four x 40 minute sessions are taken each year with each class.

Contact:

EERST
PO Box 2523
Tauranga
Phone: 07 578 7025
Fax 07 5787065

www.eerst.co.nz

Trustees

Bruce Trask (Chairman)
Ph 07 5787025/ 025 994281
 

Marty Hoffart
07 5771898