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Founded by Max Farndale 1947 - 2018
Saturday, 16 February 2019 15:11
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Wednesday, 28 November 2018 09:00

More than 40 brands pledge to cut waste

Some of Britain’s biggest companies have pledged to reduce waste throughout their businesses at a major summit in London.

  • Source A SupplyManagement release
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Sunday, 25 November 2018 17:12

Plastic bag phase-out will help form better waste minimisation habits

LGNZ is delighted by the Associate Minister for the Environment’s announcement today of a six month phase-out period for single-use plastic bags.

  • Source A LGNZ release
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Thursday, 22 November 2018 19:59

The new biological economy

The new biological economy
From milk and merino to wine and tourism, a new book talks about how New Zealanders are transforming how we make a living off our land. The New Biological Economy is the second book that has come out of a project funded by the Marsden Fund in 2009. The first book Biological Economies: Experimentation and the politics of agri-food frontiers (Routledge Hardback 2016, paperback 2018) had a more academic focus but this one is written for a public audience. It poses some key questions: Do dairy and tourism have a sustainable future? Can the primary industries keep growing without destroying…

  • Source/ReadMore A Royal Society Te Apārangi release
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Thursday, 22 November 2018 14:39

Studying the microplastics pollution of Auckland beaches

Studying the microplastics pollution of Auckland beaches
A Scion-led study is applying a New Zealand lens to the worldwide ecological impact of plastics by examining the extent of microplastics pollution of Auckland waterways and coastlines.

  • Source A SCion Release
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Tuesday, 20 November 2018 10:15

International Governments and European Union call on New Zealand to protect Māui dolphins

At the recent International Whaling Commission (IWC) meeting, governments highlighted the plight of Māui dolphins, expressed concern over their lack of protection, and called on New Zealand to do more.

  • Source A WWF-New Zealand release
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Monday, 12 November 2018 07:43

Draining the swamp kauri swamp

  "Stumps" can be legally exported in their raw form. Photo: Official Information Act
A long-awaited Supreme Court judgment says rough sawn slabs of indigenous timber and lightly carved logs are not “finished” items and their export is illegal writes Farah Hancock for Newsroom.

  • Source/ReadMore Newsroom with Farah Hancock
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Wednesday, 07 November 2018 12:57

Detpak’s award-winning cup recycling solution launched in New Zealand

In a New Zealand first, coffee cups across the country will be collected and recycled into paper, thanks to the introduction of Detpak’s RecycleMe™ System.
Detpak have closed the loop, with a collection system providing a solution for the coffee industry by guaranteeing all collected paper cups will be recycled into copy paper.

  • Source A Detpak release
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Wednesday, 07 November 2018 08:56

Waste Management NZ Launches Inaugural Sustainability Strategy

Waste Management NZ Limited, a which operates one of the largest refuse collection fleets in New Zealand, is moving towards electric trucks from EMOSS Image: EMOSS
New Zealand’s largest waste and environmental services provider, Waste Management NZ, has launched its inaugural sustainability strategy, For Future Generations, which sets out the its sustainability goals.

  • Source A WasteManagementWorld release
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Tuesday, 06 November 2018 09:17

New innovative rat lures attract global interest

New innovative rat lures attract global interest
Wellington researcher Dr Michael Jackson is a step closer to seeing his innovative, sustained-release rat lure products on the global pest control market, with assistance from the KiwiNet Emerging Innovator Programme.

  • Source A Kiwinet release
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Friday, 02 November 2018 08:29

Independent voice on urban water welcomed

02 Nov: 0830  |  A new report released today by an independent Urban Water Working Group is a great step toward integrating urban and infrastructure design with improvements in environmental, social and cultural wellbeing, said the Associate Minister for the Environment, Hon Nanaia Mahuta.

  • Source A Beehive release
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Monday, 22 October 2018 15:18

Climate Change Minister heads to Poland

The Minister for Climate Change is travelling to Poland to take part in preliminary talks around deciding the rules for meeting Paris Agreement obligations to reduce global greenhouse gases.

  • Source Out of The Beehive
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Monday, 22 October 2018 15:05

No ceiling on recycling opportunity

Auckland-based business Asona is getting $185,000 from the Waste Minimisation Fund to help develop a recycling system for acoustic ceiling panels, Associate Environment Minister Eugenie Sage announced

  • Source Out of The Beehive
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Tuesday, 16 October 2018 12:39

Air New Zealand to lift plastic waste reduction to more than 24 million items per year

Air New Zealand will substitute a further 14 single-use plastic products from its supply chain over the next 12 months – lifting plastic waste reduction to more than 24 million items per year.

  • Source A Air New Zealand release
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Thursday, 11 October 2018 15:13

Bringing nature back to Hawke’s Bay

EIT and the University of Waikato are working together to increase educational opportunities in Hawke’s Bay after signing a deed of cooperation last year. As an initial collaboration, the two institutions are jointly offering a free public workshop focussed on ecological restoration.

  • Source An EIT release
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Thursday, 11 October 2018 08:03

Councils, business vital partners in climate change adaptation

LGNZ President Dave Cull told delegates at the Climate Change and Business Conference this morning that while businesses have led the charge to quantify the financial impact of climate change on their balance sheets, they need to expand their risk awareness to whether they will be able to operate at all.

  • Source A LGNZ release
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Wednesday, 10 October 2018 14:55

Award-winning, life-saving ideas to beat antibiotic resistance, create near-zero waste, and test for pre-eclampsia

The University of Canterbury’s 2018 Innovation Jumpstart winners (from left to right) are: Dr Aaron Marshall, Associate Professor Mathieu Sellier, Dr Jennifer Crowther, Dr Matthew Cowan, and Associate Professor Renwick Dobson. (Photo credit: University of Canterbury)
An innovative biological treatment to overcome antibiotic resistance, a pioneering technique to create environmentally friendly, near-zero waste processes in the galvanising industry, and a diagnostic test to save mother and baby from life-threatening pre-eclampsia are among the winners in this year’s University of Canterbury (UC) Innovation Jumpstart competition.

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Wednesday, 10 October 2018 07:21

47-year-old plastic bottle washes up among debris on British coast

47-year-old plastic bottle washes up among debris on British coast
A plastic washing-up liquid bottle dating back at least 47 years has washed up on a British beach, prompting calls for action to combat the “modern-day scourge” of man-made waste reports  Alice Cuddy for EuroNews.

  • Source/ReadMore A EuroNews release
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Monday, 08 October 2018 13:39

World’s top scientists confirm that it is 100% possible to keep warming below 1.5°C

WWF-New Zealand says that today’s new Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report on the science of keeping average global warming below 1.5°C shows both the real challenges we face and the opportunities we have to unlock a safe climate future.

  • Source A WWF-New Zealand release
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Friday, 05 October 2018 12:59

Overwhelming support for Zero Carbon Act setting net zero targe

05 Oct: 13:07 | WWF-New Zealand today welcomed the release of the over 15,000 submissions that New Zealanders made on the proposed new climate law, the Zero Carbon Bill.

  • Source A WWF-New Zealand release
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Wednesday, 03 October 2018 07:37

Death of critically-endangered Māui dolphin highlights urgent need for more protection

03 Oct: 07:42 | WWF-New Zealand says that today's announcement that a Māui dolphin was found dead near Raglan on Sunday highlights the urgent need for more protection throughout their habitat.

  • Source A WWF-New Zealand release
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Tuesday, 02 October 2018 08:43

Another approach to our freshwater crisis

  The Whanganui River was granted a legal personality in 2017.
Across Aotearoa New Zealand we are seriously concerned about declining river health: many are disappearing and others are no longer safe for fishing and swimming reports Dr Dan Hikuroa for Newsroom.

  • Source/ReadMore A Newsroom release by Dr Dan Hikuroa
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Monday, 24 September 2018 09:26

NZ's role in the Malaysian plastics dumping ground

NZ's role in the Malaysian plastics dumping ground
Thousands of tonnes of plastic that New Zealand used to send to China for recycling is now going to Malaysia, where illegal factories are burning and dumping the waste they can’t process.

  • Source/ReadMore https://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/insight/audio/2018663363/nz-s-role-in-the-malaysian-plastics-dumping-ground
  • Source A RadioNZ release
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Wednesday, 19 September 2018 13:08

Himalayan tahr culls an overreaction

Himalayan tahr culls an overreaction
DOC’s proposal to kill 17,500 Himalayan tahr over the next 10 months is rushed, based on slender evidence, and could spell the demise of a unique and valuable trophy herd, says NZ Deerstalkers’ Association spokesman Bill O’Leary.

  • Source A NZDeerstalkers Association release
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Wednesday, 19 September 2018 12:20

Native birds as potential alternative to pesticides

A team led by Plant & Food Research will undertake a pilot study this summer to determine if native birds can potentially function as nature’s pest control.

  • Source A Plant & Food Research release
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Thursday, 13 September 2018 08:56

DOC takes lessons from mining

  During a visit to Rio Tinto's Western Australia operations in June are, from left: DOC's deputy director general of operations Mike Slater, DOC director-general Lou Sanson, Rio Tinto's Dampier Ports operations general manager Jessica Farrell, DOC's director of health and safety Harry Maher, and Rio Tinto's Dampier Ports operations environmental manager Marty Buck. Photo: DOC
The Department of Conservation is taking safety tips from one of the world’s biggest mining companies, while spending millions on Australian consultants with strong links to the industry. David Williams reports for Newsroom

  • Source/ReadMore A Newsroom release with David Williams
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Monday, 10 September 2018 14:44

Research uses dust and dirt to reveal climate changes

Two Victoria University of Wellington-led projects are using dust and lake sediment to track past and present changes in the Earth’s climate and environment.

  • Source A Victoria University Release
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Wednesday, 05 September 2018 08:32

A long-term approach recognised to transition to a low-emissions economy

The Productivity Commission's final report reflects Local Government New Zealand's submission that good quality compact urban form, combined with good public transport, can contribute to the reduction of emissions.

  • Source A LGNZ release
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Wednesday, 05 September 2018 08:32

A long-term approach recognised to transition to a low-emissions economy

The Productivity Commission's final report reflects Local Government New Zealand's submission that good quality compact urban form, combined with good public transport, can contribute to the reduction of emissions.

  • Source A LGNZ release
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Wednesday, 05 September 2018 07:54

UK Minister for Asia and the Pacific unveils plans to curb Pacific Ocean plastic pollution

Henderson Island Breaks the World Record for Plastic Pollution
Britain has pledged to champion Climate Risk and Resilience at next year’s UN Secretary-General’s Climate Summit, and has confirmed that its three missions in Samoa, Tonga, and Vanuatu will all be free of avoidable single-use plastics.

  • Source A UK.gov release
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Tuesday, 04 September 2018 09:31

It is now time to act

“The time for talking is now over and it is now time to take action” Brian Cox, Executive Officer for the Bioenergy Association says in a review of the report from the Productivity Commission into a low- emissions economy. “The Productivity Commission has set out in a very clear manner the main opportunity areas for taking action to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050. It has also identified key policy areas which should be addressed. We now need to act on these and many are low cost and easy to achieve.”

  • Source A BioEnergy Association release
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Monday, 03 September 2018 07:29

UK Minister Mark Field attends Pacific Islands Forum to lead global effort on climate change

Mark Field, Minister of State for Asia and the Pacific at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office will travel to Nauru for the three-day (3-6 September) Pacific Islands Forum where climate change is top of the agenda.

  • Source A UK.gov release
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Wednesday, 29 August 2018 14:08

Blocktexx joins forces with The Formary to develop textile recycling and waste solutions

On the eve of New Zealand’s first circular economy conference, Australian fashion technology company BlockTexx announces a working partnership with New Zealand textile research company The Formary to develop strategies and workflow models for recycling and repurposing the world’s tsunami of textile waste.

  • Source A joint release
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Tuesday, 21 August 2018 12:41

Turning coffee waste into coffee cups

A Macquarie PhD student believes he’s come up with a way to turn coffee waste into biodegradable plastic coffee cups.

  • Source A MediaNet Alert
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Friday, 10 August 2018 12:20

Single-use plastic bags to be phased out

Single-use plastic shopping bags will be phased out over the next year, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and Associate Environment Minister Eugenie Sage announced today.

  • Source A Beehive release
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Wednesday, 08 August 2018 09:53

Controversial sewage pond work gets extension

The long-awaited upgrade of a tiny West Coast town’s damaged sewage treatment ponds has a time extension – but the district council’s still being investigated for possible environmental rule breaches. David Williams reports for Newsroom.

  • Source/ReadMore A Newsroom release by David Williams
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Tuesday, 07 August 2018 09:32

Let’s get the facts straight on waste

LGNZ President Dave Cull has backed a WasteMINZ report calling for investigation into the broadening and progressive increase of New Zealand’s Waste Levy at this morning’s LGNZ Quarterly Media Briefing, and says that recent conversation around waste management has been hijacked by speculation on the rate of increase.

  • Source A LGNZ release
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Tuesday, 07 August 2018 07:24

Insight: Water - Who Pays?

The pipes under our cities towns and homes deliver not just drinking water they also take away our waste reports Laura Dooney, Local Government Reporter RadioNZ.

  • Source/ReadMore A RadioNZ release
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Monday, 30 July 2018 15:10

Recycling plastic for a practical purpose

Industrial design student Patrick O'Connor who has used computer aided design (CAD) technology to design playground equipment made from recycled plastic.
Coinciding with plastic free July, 48 Massey University industrial design students have worked with a local plastics recycling company to design and repurpose products for new-look public facilities.

  • Source/ReadMore A Massey University release
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Monday, 30 July 2018 14:13

IN DEPTH: Engineering Enzymes to Reduce Plastic Wastes

Could a PET eating enzyme engineered by scientists from three countries be the answer plastic waste and pollution?
Patented as a plastic in the 1940s, polyethylene terephthalate, or PET, has become ubiquitous. Virtually shatterproof it offers an extremely high strength-to-weight ratio and does not react to food or water. Throw in its low production costs and you have an almost perfect packaging material – and we’ve not even touched on its uses for fabrics and textiles.
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Wednesday, 18 July 2018 10:30

Help near for councils, as water changes loom

  Westland District is hundreds of beds short for tourists, Mayor Bruce Smith says.
Councils are screaming for financial help from central Government. The problem is, David Williams reports for Newsroom, they might get it sooner than they think.

  • Source/ReadMore A Newsroom release by David Williams
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Tuesday, 17 July 2018 08:30

Freshwater groups folded as Govt pushes ahead

  The issue of freshwater management is bubbling away under the surface for the Labour-led government.
Two groups charged by the last government with finding a solution to the freshwater management problem have been put on pause as the Labour-led coalition forges its own way ahead. Sam Sachdeva from Newsroom spoke to the groups’ chairs about their work, and the challenges in finding a way to resolve freshwater issues.

  • Source/ReadMore A Newsroom release
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Monday, 09 July 2018 11:47

NZ's plastics challenge: Four solutions to piling up waste

New Zealand has a problem with plastic. There's too much of it. It's filling up our landfills, our oceans, there are piles of the stuff at recycling plants waiting for a buyer report Newshub.

  • Source/ReadMore A NewsHub release
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Tuesday, 03 July 2018 09:09

Boomerang Bags is a community driven initiative tackling plastic pollution at the grassroots level.

Boomerang Hawkes Bay part of an australsian wide iniative
Dedicated volunteers, community groups, schools & businesses get together, or sew from home, to make re-usable ‘Boomerang Bags’ using recycled materials as a means to replace plastic bags.

  • Source/ReadMore A Boomerang Hawkes Bya release
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Wednesday, 27 June 2018 13:01

Student to supplier – award-winning Little Yellow Bird founder flies home

Student to supplier – award-winning Little Yellow Bird founder flies home
Ethical uniform company Little Yellow Bird, which hatched in the start-up incubator of the University of Canterbury’s Centre for Entrepreneurship, is flying home, fully fledged.

  • This Release From MSCVoxPop
  • Source Canterbury University
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Wednesday, 27 June 2018 10:56

More than 8 million hectares of NZ soil now digitally mapped

More than 8 million hectares of NZ soil now digitally mapped
Soil scientists have reached a new milestone, digitally mapping more than 8 million hectares of New Zealand soils. “Our latest progress shows the national S-map soil mapping programme has now covered 8 million hectares, or 30% of the New Zealand land area,” says Manaaki Whenua – Landcare Research Soil Scientist Sam Carrick.

  • Source Landcare Research
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Monday, 25 June 2018 14:19

Fonterra’s link to dirty secret in Indonesia

 Landcover deforestation and oil palm plantation development
Fonterra is about to take another hit to its international reputation, this time over rainforest destruction and cow feed.

  • Source Greenpeace
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Monday, 25 June 2018 07:52

Zero carbon will have ‘confronting economic costs’

  Climate Change Minister James Shaw.
The Government's proposed Zero Carbon Bill lays out three options for transitioning New Zealand to a low-emissions economy. But while the bill itself is a good idea, people haven’t absorbed the “confronting” economic costs they’ll face, lawyer Simon Watt tells Eloise Gibson writing for Newsroom.

  • Source/ReadMore Newsroom by Eloise Gibson
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Saturday, 23 June 2018 15:05

Call to end lubricant packaging waste

Call to end lubricant packaging waste
Major lubricant industry brands are calling on importers and distributors in the market to join them in tackling the issue of millions of lubricant packages being discarded every year.

  • Source 3R
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Friday, 22 June 2018 09:15

Online resource to combat litter and rubbish

A new online resource is helping to put people in touch with where and how they can get rid of their rubbish or do their recycling. 

  • Source/ReadMore Newsie
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Wednesday, 20 June 2018 12:33

How to Transform Plastic Recycling

Isabel Hilton explains that if we valued plastic differently we would recover its embedded energy and greatly reduce pollution both in the oceans and on land.

  • Source/ReadMore Waste Management World
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Wednesday, 20 June 2018 12:24

‘Sweeteners’ offered in conservation land deal

  The proposed hydro-electric project could reduce the flow of the Waitaha River to a trickle.
Westpower has offered to gift $250,000 to a struggling polytechnic if it receives approval to access the conservation land it wants to build a hydro-electric plant on reports Farah Hancock for Newsroom.
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Thursday, 14 June 2018 16:11

Industry ready to tackle New Zealand’s tyre problem

Industry ready to tackle New Zealand’s tyre problem
New Zealand’s tyre industry says it is ready to make mandatory stewardship for end of life tyres a reality, it just needs Government to get on board.

  • Source Tyrewise
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Wednesday, 13 June 2018 08:13

City of London Trials UK’s First All-Electric Refuse Collection Vehicle

City of London Trials UK’s First All-Electric Refuse Collection Vehicle
As part of an initiative to drive down air pollution in London’s Square Mile a trial of the UK’s first fully-electric waste collection truck has begun reports Ben Messenger for Waste Mangement world.

  • Source/ReadMore Waste Management World
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Tuesday, 12 June 2018 11:03

Auckland Airport recognised as leader in carbon emissions reduction

Auckland Airport has been recognised as one of the leading organisations in New Zealand in its efforts to reduce carbon emissions.

  • Source Auckland Airport
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Thursday, 07 June 2018 20:45

Consultation opens on government's Zero Carbon Bill

Climate Change Minister James Shaw today launched a six-week consultation on the government's Zero Carbon bill, legislation that will include a new 2050 emissions reduction target

  • Source/ReadMore Sharechat
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Thursday, 07 June 2018 11:14

Recycling a sitter at Ellerslie Event Centre

Recycling a sitter at Ellerslie Event Centre
Ellerslie Event Centre marked World Environment Day  – themed 'Beat Plastic Pollution' – by seating its guests on chairs covered in 100% recycled fabric made from used plastic bottles.

  • Source MeetingNZ
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Thursday, 07 June 2018 10:39

UC scientists use haybales to protect whitebait spawning

An artificial habitat installation on a degraded section of riverbank in the Avon catchment in 2015.
University of Canterbury researchers have been successfully locating, protecting and studying whitebait spawning sites in Christchurch city rivers with help from the humble haybale.

  • Source Canterbury University
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Wednesday, 06 June 2018 15:12

UNH researchers shine a light on more accurate way to estimate climate change

Artist rendering of OCO-2 Observatory used in the UNH research that measured the plant "glow ", or solar-induced fluorescence (SIF), produced during photosynthesis from different areas around the globe.
DURHAM, N.H. - It doesn't matter if it's a forest, a soybean field, or a prairie, all plants take up carbon dioxide during photosynthesis - the process where they use sunlight to convert water and carbon dioxide into food.

  • Source The MSCNewsWire Network
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Wednesday, 06 June 2018 08:17

Two hundred businesses, communities and Kiwi leaders call for climate action

WWF-New Zealand and Generation Zero today delivered an open letter signed by over 200 New Zealand businesses, community organisations and leaders to climate minister James Shaw.

  • Source A WWF-New Zealand release
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Tuesday, 05 June 2018 15:19

Irrigation NZ: Andrew Curtis taking the lead on water

Irrigation New Zealand has been involved in the development of Good Farming Practice: Action Plan for Water Quality which will be launched tomorrow. Sally Rae talks to Irrigation NZ chief executive Andrew Curtis about water — and his varied career.

  • Source/ReadMore The Country
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Tuesday, 05 June 2018 08:52

New Zealand’s productivity commission charts course to low-emission future

A recent report issued by the New Zealand Productivity Commission has found that this is an achievable goal, even under modest forecasts of technological progress and increases in carbon price reports Robert McLachlan. Professor in Applied Mathematics, Massey University.

  • Source/ReadMore The Conversation
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Tuesday, 05 June 2018 08:18

Carbon sinks for bathrooms and kitchens

Carbon sinks for bathrooms and kitchens
New Zealand faces two massive challenges: reducing carbon emissions and creating a circular economy reports Bernard Hickey for Newsroom on World Environment Day.

  • Source/ReadMore Newsroom
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Tuesday, 05 June 2018 07:52

Twelve firms pledge to tackle plastic waste in NZ by 2025

Twelve international and New Zealand-based businesses have signed a declaration to tackle plastic waste in New Zealand by 2025 report Newshub.

  • Source/ReadMore Newshub
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Thursday, 31 May 2018 07:57

Summit explores solutions to New Zealand’s water issues

Attendees at LGNZ’s Water Summit in Wellington are discussing potential solutions to improve New Zealand’s freshwater and three waters delivery.

  • Source A LGNZ release
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Thursday, 31 May 2018 07:42

Water service mergers floated as small local councils struggle with funding, provision

The government is actively considering whether the water services currently supplied by local government should be merged into a number of larger jointly owned entities to help both fund and ensure the quality of drinking water, wastewater and stormwater services

  • Source/ReadMore Sharechat
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Thursday, 31 May 2018 07:31

Big changes ahead in fight for water quality

Big changes ahead in fight for water quality
The strains on New Zealand’s water infrastructure were a hot topic at a local government summit this week. Everyone is preparing for change, but concrete decisions from the Government still appear some time away. “What we can be absolutely certain of is change.”

  • Source/ReadMore A Newsroom release by Sam Sadcheva
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Wednesday, 30 May 2018 09:16

Water quality framework needs improvement says LGNZ

LGNZ’s Water 2050: Quality – Review of the framework for water quality discussion paper released today has identified three key issues for New Zealand’s framework for water quality, and points to opportunities for change that could be a focus under the Government’s Three Waters Review.

  • Source A LGNZ release
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Wednesday, 30 May 2018 07:59

The Space of Waste

The Space of Waste
London currently uses over a billion single-use plastic water bottles every single year. To raise awareness, an art installation showing the drastic damage humans are doing to the environment by discarding plastic bottles was unveiled at London Zoo.

  • Source/ReadMore A EuroNews release
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Tuesday, 29 May 2018 20:08

Big grant announced for e-scrap and plastics recyclers in New Zealand

The New Zealand government has provided NZ$ 80 000 (or US$ 55 600) worth of funding to Mint Innovation so the chemistry and microbiology specialist can explore new ways to recover valuable metals from used electronics.

  • Source A Mint release
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Tuesday, 29 May 2018 08:11

Birds at out back gate

The Anderson's Back gate
|| A back gate that opens up an environmental vista for the Andersons who having lived on the fringe of Napier over the past 10 years  have taken the time and the interest to observe the number of native and introduced birds living in the immediate area of their back gate.

  • This Release From Gordon & Jan Anderson
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Sunday, 27 May 2018 16:02

McDonald’s shareholders reject plastic straw proposal

McDonald’s shareholders reject plastic straw proposal
Campaigners have failed in an attempt to force fast food chain McDonald’s to reveal its use of plastic straws. The proposal was put forward by a small shareholder and backed by pressure group SumOfUs. However, 92% of shareholders rejected the idea. McDonald’s reportedly said that the measure would be “unnecessary”. Plastic straws have been targeted by environmental pressure groups as part of a wider effort to cut single-use plastic packaging. This week, hotel group Hilton announced it would be eliminating plastic straws and bottles worldwide. Tottenham Hotspur’s new stadium, which is set to open later this year, will also ban…

  • Source/ReadMore A PackagingNews release
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Friday, 25 May 2018 10:40

Compost - a hidden source of plastic pollution

The extensive use of all kinds of plastic in food production is a ticking time bomb because of the risks it poses to the environment and human health, says ESR Environmental Scientist Olga Pantos.

  • Source Institute of Environmental Science And Research
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Friday, 25 May 2018 07:56

Recycle smart with bright new bins

Recycling just got smarter and brighter with new cleverly designed bins to improve recycling and collection launched by Associate Environment Minister Eugenie Sage today.

  • Source The Beehive
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Thursday, 24 May 2018 12:49

Tackling reasons for New Zealand’s failure to address our biggest environmental issues

Tackling reasons for New Zealand’s failure to address our biggest environmental issues
A new book, Beyond Manapouri: 50 years of environmental politics in New Zealand, traces the history of environmental governance in Aotearoa New Zealand since the heady days of the 1969 Save Manapouri campaign and tackles the reasons for our failure to address our biggest environmental issues.

  • Source Canterbury University
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Thursday, 24 May 2018 11:26

CCATWG report a step in the right direction

Local Government New Zealand welcomes the release this morning of the Climate Change Adaptation Technical Working Group’s final report on how New Zealand can adapt to the impacts of climate change.
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Thursday, 24 May 2018 08:23

Earthcoating the in-flight paper cup

Earthcoating the in-flight paper cup
Smart Planet Technologies has sealed a license agreement with Linstol, a leading distributor for the airline cabin industry, to use EarthCoating.

  • Source/ReadMore A PackagingNews release
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Tuesday, 22 May 2018 08:53

UC researchers invent Storminator™ weapon in battle for survival of healthy waterways

UC researchers invent Storminator™ weapon in battle for survival of healthy waterways
In a world-first, University of Canterbury Hydrological and Ecological Engineering researchers have filed a patent application for their invention the Storminator™, which could be exactly the weapon that our waterways need.
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Thursday, 17 May 2018 20:54

National geographic: Why We're Giving Up the Plastic Wrapper Around Our Magazine

Photograph by Andy Olson
National Geographic is launching a multiyear ‘Planet or Plastic?’ campaign to encourage consumers to reduce single-use plastics.

  • Source/ReadMore A National Geographic release
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Tuesday, 15 May 2018 09:01

Technology will make NZ rivers cleaner

Technology will soon help make New Zealand’s farms more productive while also making lakes and rivers cleaner, NZTech chief executive Graeme Muller says.
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Monday, 14 May 2018 11:42

NZ buildings create more emissions than previously thought- report

That's a huge increase from the Productivity Commission's estimate of between 2 to 5 percent. The carbon footprint of New Zealand's buildings currently takes into account operational emissions like heating and lighting. But the author of the Thinkstep report, Jeff Vickers, said their approach only took into account what was produced, not what was consumed. "If you factor in the whole life cycle so taking account of production of the building products, also the operational energy and end of life, you get to a number that's 20 percent of New Zealand's total. "It changes the game on how significant the…
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Monday, 07 May 2018 08:45

Go slow with NZ mangrove clearances, says expert

The researcher from the University of Waikato's Coastal Marine Group says mangroves play important roles in North Island estuaries and New Zealand should be conservative about clearing mangroves because they will almost certainly help fight climate change, sea-level rise and coastal inundation.
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Sunday, 06 May 2018 20:02

China has stopped taking our recycling and waste. Here’s where it’s ending up

  Duncan Gillies is shocked by the ever growing mountains of plastic at the Huntly Transfer Station.
In the year to November 2017, China purchased almost $26 million of waste and recyclables from New Zealand, according to data from Stats NZ. That was almost half of the $57.25 million that went overseas that year. In 2016 we sent $21m worth of waste to China, made up of $8.2m of plastic, $3.1m of …
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Wednesday, 02 May 2018 10:08

Fonterra-EECA partnership drives 25 per cent reduction in emissions at Brightwater site

Fonterra’s Brightwater dairy factory is set to reduce its carbon dioxide emissions by 25 per cent following an industry first move that will significantly reduce the site’s reliance on coal.
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Tuesday, 01 May 2018 15:20

NZ’s total greenhouse gas emissions

New Statistics New Zealand data shows carbon dioxide emissions reached its peak in 2006, with the country producing about 37,500 kilotonnes. In 2016, this reduced to about 34,400kt.
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Monday, 30 April 2018 15:13

Group wants to turn food waste into clean energy

Apr 30 - An option which came up is using our food and agricultural waste on a wide scale across the country. Environment Conservation Organisations of New Zealand Co-Chair Barry Weeber told Mike Hosking we can put our food scraps to good use. "Using our waste more effectively. Methane is a waste and …
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Monday, 30 April 2018 14:32

Warnings over NZ’s kerbside recycling

Warnings over NZ’s kerbside recycling
Apr 30 - New Zealand previously sent most of its recycling to China. Spokesperson Graham Christian for waste company Smart Environmental said paper and plastic stocks had started to build up since the ban.
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Wednesday, 18 April 2018 09:48

Pipeline fight ramps up at southern farm

  An irrigation pond being built at Simons Pass Station, in the Mackenzie Basin.
A Mackenzie Basin farm is again the battleground for two seemingly opposed arms of Government – one trying to protect conservation values and the other happily approving agricultural intensification on Crown-owned land.
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Tuesday, 17 April 2018 10:01

New £60m UK government fund to tackle global plastic pollution

New £60m UK government fund to tackle global plastic pollution
A fund intended to tackle plastic pollution has been set up by the UK government raccording to a report in PackagingNews.
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Monday, 16 April 2018 16:31

Reducing emissions by using food waste can also make money for manufacturers

Reducing emissions by using food waste can also make money for manufacturers
In response to the Government’s policy of achieving zero emissions by 2050 the Bioenergy Association says “Reducing greenhouse gas emissions from food processing sector waste should be at the top of the list for encouragement from Government if we are to achieve zero emissions by 2050” Brian Cox, Executive Officer of the Bioenergy Association said “Using food processing wastes as a source of energy for the manufacturing plant is so obvious that it is no wonder that more and more food manufacturers are starting to install equipment that turns waste into energy. The equipment and processes are proven and can…
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Sunday, 15 April 2018 21:14

Piles of recyclables mount in wake of China's waste ban

 New Zealand previously shipped 15 million tonnes of waste plastic alone to Chinese processing plants each year.
Piles of plastic are mounting around New Zealand as companies look for other destinations for the millions of tonnes of waste that China no longer wants .
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Friday, 13 April 2018 14:20

Volvo introduces its first all-electric truck

Volvo introduces its first all-electric truck
Swedish commercial vehicle manufacturer, Volvo, has announced its first all-electric truck, the Volvo FL Electric, for urban distribution and refuse operations, with sales and series production starting in Europe next year.
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Thursday, 05 April 2018 09:02

UC PhD student to work on UN Sustainable Development Goals

UC PhD student to work on UN Sustainable Development Goals
University of Canterbury doctoral researcher Emily Laing has been selected as a ‘talent’ to take part in UNLEASH, a global program for innovation, hosted in Singapore.
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Thursday, 05 April 2018 08:38

The Polish company that is revolutionising solar panel production

The Polish company that is revolutionising solar panel production
Saule Technologies has created a new kind of printable solar cell that offers almost infinite possibilities for its installation. Working with experts from across the globe, Olga Malinkiewicz and the Saule Technologies team have improved on existing technologies to create a panel that is not only lightweight, flexible and cheap to produce, but also incredibly efficient. By using perovskite, the solar cell is not only more effective in sunlight, but can also produce energy from artificial light, helping to ‘recycle’ indoor lighting. The versatility of this printable design opens the door to a huge number of innovative uses. “We can…
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Friday, 30 March 2018 11:01

Short Documentary Series on Plastic Waste in the Oceans

Short Documentary Series on Plastic Waste in the Oceans
The Plastic Oceans Foundation has published a series of videos explaining how plastic waste gets into the oceans, breaks down into microplastics and enters the food chains.
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Monday, 19 March 2018 19:38

Fonterra manufacturing site to reduce water use by 70%

Fonterra manufacturing site to reduce water use by 70%
Dairy company Fonterra is constructing an advanced plant that is set to reduce the amount of groundwater extracted for its Darfield manufacturing site by around 70%. Based on New Zealand’s South Island, Darfield is already considered a world-leading facility, according to Fonterra. Now the company is investing $11 million in new water processing technology for the site, which is expected to have a significant impact on its environmental footprint. “Thanks to the new plant we’ll save the equivalent of around 100 tanker loads of water every day,” said Robert Spurway, head of Fonterra’s global operations. “As well as reducing water…
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Friday, 16 March 2018 14:17

UC Eco-marathon team wins the Innovation Award at Singapore contest

UC Eco-marathon team wins the Innovation Award at Singapore contest
The University of Canterbury Eco-marathon team is again coming home from Singapore triumphant, after beating more than 100 teams from 21 countries at the Shell Eco-marathon Asia 2018 event. The student team has won this year’s Technical Innovation award, an off-track prize which includes a trophy and US$3000, in UC’s second Eco-marathon competition entry after competing in the international event for the first time last year at Changi race track. The judges said the UC team “was awarded the Technical Innovation Award for the self-designed 3D-printed titanium engine in their UrbanConcept car, which makes for a stronger engine with finer,…
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Tuesday, 06 March 2018 08:15

Lego to launch its first sustainable, plant-based plastic bricks this year

Lego says the new pieces made with sugarcane ethanol make up between one and two percent of the total plastic pieces it produces
After ramping up its efforts to shift towards more sustainable materials in 2015, perennial purveyor of plastic blocks Lego is making good on that promise and is set to launch a new form of eco-friendly playthings this year.
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Monday, 05 February 2018 20:27

World’s largest cruise line vows to cut plastic - will they

World’s largest cruise line vows to cut plastic - will they
Feb 05, 2018  -  It’s Monday, the week has just begun and already we’ve been handed some pretty incredible news.  One of the world’s biggest cruise lines, Royal Caribbean International, has vowed to cut single-use plastic on its cruises.  This is a pretty phenomenal step forward by a major industry player, and we imagine the transition to environmentally-friendly materials won’t be easy.
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Saturday, 03 February 2018 12:00

Ryanair pledges ‘plastic-free’ flights

Kenny Jacobs, Ryanair chief marketing officer
Feb 03, 2018  -  Europe’s largest airline by passenger numbers has vowed to eliminate use of nonrecyclable plastics on aircraft and at head offices and bases. It will also introduce a voluntary carbon offset payment for customers when booking.  The low-cost carrier said it planned to switch to biodegradable cups, wooden cutlery and paper packaging onboard, and make its head offices, bases and operations plastic free.
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Friday, 02 February 2018 08:30

Dassault Systèmes recognised as most sustainable company in the world

Dassault Systèmes recognised as most sustainable company in the world
Feb 2, 2018  -  Dassault Systèmes has been ranked first by Corporate Knights in the 2018 Top 100 Most Sustainable Corporations in the World (Global 100) index.  The Corporate Knights Global 100 index is recognised globally as the gold standard for corporate sustainability analysis.
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Wednesday, 24 January 2018 07:55

Amcor makes recyclable and reusable packaging pledge

Amcor makes recyclable and reusable packaging pledge
Jan 24, 2018  -  Amcor has revealed ambitious plans to make all its packaging recyclable or reusable by 2025.The company, which manufactures a wide range of packaging including PET bottles and films, has claimed that it’s the first global packaging firm to make such a pledge.
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Wednesday, 24 January 2018 07:48

Unilever wants more action on plastic packaging waste

Unilever wants more action on plastic packaging waste
Jan 24, 2018  -  Unilever is the latest big name to weigh in on the plastics packaging debate calling for the consumer goods industry to step-up its efforts to tackle ocean pollution. The company also called for a circular economy for plastics. Unilever’s chief executive Paul Polman urged more companies to pledge to make its plastic packaging 100% reusable, recyclable or compostable by 2025. Unilever made this commitment last year.
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Friday, 19 January 2018 13:53

Wellington building obtains New Zealand’s first 6 star rating

Wellington building obtains New Zealand’s first 6 star rating
Jan 19, 2018  -  33 Customhouse Quay in Wellington has been accredited by the New Zealand Green Building Council (NZGBC) with a 6 star NABERSNZ rating for energy performance – the first New Zealand building to achieve the top 6 star rating.
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Tuesday, 09 January 2018 09:56

May could consider tax on single use plastic packaging

May could consider tax on single use plastic packaging
Jan 9, 2018  -  The government could introduce a charge on single use plastic packaging such as plastic drink bottles, the Prime Minster has said.  Appearing on BBC1’s The Andrew Marr Show, the Theresa May spoke of the success of the 5p carrier bag charge introduced a few years ago and said a similar levy could be slapped on plastic bottles, as well as bubble wrap, cutlery, and polystyrene takeaway boxes in a bid to reduce single use plastic packaging and reduce pollution in the world’s oceans.
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Friday, 22 December 2017 08:26

Former retail chiefs call for plastic free aisles

Former retail chiefs call for plastic free aisles
Dec 22, 2017  -  The former heads of the UK’s biggest retailers have called for the introduction of a plastic free aisle at supermarkets.  Plastic free aisle Former chiefs of Asda, Tesco, Marks and Spencer, and Argos, along with current bosses at Debenhams and Weleda said in an open letter that while aluminium and glass can be reused easily, plastic packaging cannot be recycled ad infinitum. “Most plastic packaging items can only be recycled twice before becoming unusable,” they insisted. “Regardless of how much is invested in Britain’s recycling infrastructure, virtually all plastic packaging will reach landfill or the bottom…
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Wednesday, 20 December 2017 13:02

Antarctic expedition to uncover impacts of global warming

Antarctic expedition to uncover impacts of global warming
Dec 20, 2017  -  Victoria University of Wellington geologist Dr Rob Mckay is leading an international expedition to Antarctic waters in January to discover how warming oceans will affect the West Antarctic Ice Sheet, and what that could mean for rising sea levels, global weather systems and marine life. An associate professor at Victoria’s Antarctic Research Centre, Dr McKay will head a 30-strong team of scientists from the International Ocean Discovery Programme (IODP) on the JOIDES Resolution, a 140m long scientific research ship operated by the IODP. “We plan to spend nine and a half weeks down in the outer…
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Tuesday, 19 December 2017 07:35

The Creators Of This Algae Plastic Want To Start A Maker Revolution

The Creators Of This Algae Plastic Want To Start A Maker Revolution
Dec 19, 2017 -  A new bioplastic made from algae could replace oil-based plastic completely according to its inventors, potentially turning the manufacturing industry from a source of CO2 into a destroyer of the greenhouse gas writes Jesus Diaz for Fast Company. The designers behind the material imagine a world in which shops can locally produce all kinds of objects on demand, from plates to furniture, using 3D printers and the bioplastic. To demonstrate their material’s qualities, they’re producing it in small batches and using it to print designer products. The Dutch designers Eric Klarenbeek and Maartje Dros spent three…
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Wednesday, 13 December 2017 08:00

Marine life can tear a single plastic bag into 1.75 million tiny pieces

Scientists have found the crustacean Orchestia gammarellus can tear a single plastic bag into 1.75 million different pieces of microplastic
Dec 12, 2017  -  Considering we pump millions of tons of plastic into the oceans every year, there is a hell of a lot we don't know about its whereabouts and its impact on the marine environment. A study examining how the material is torn apart by ocean life has uncovered some eye-popping evidence, finding that a single plastic bag is literally broken into millions of microscopic pieces before being spread throughout the seas. It's hard to overstate the gravity of our plastic problem. Recent research tell us there is somewhere between 4.8 and 12.7 million metric tons of the…
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Thursday, 07 December 2017 11:39

Battle brewing over water treatment cost

  New Zealand's drinking water supply could be mandatorily treated if the Government accepts recommendations from the Havelock North water inquiry.
Dec 7, 2017  - A damning report on the state of New Zealand’s drinking water has called for mandatory treatment of the country’s water supply — but a battle is looming over the cost of making that a reality.  The previous Government launched a two-stage inquiry into drinking water in September 2016, following an outbreak of gastroenteritis in Havelock North linked to contaminated drinking water which made over 5000 people sick. A report from the second stage of the inquiry, released yesterday, highlighted “a widespread systemic failure” to supply safe drinking water to the country, with 20 percent of Kiwis…
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Tuesday, 28 November 2017 08:56

Agrophotovoltaics: Solar Farms that Produce Food and Electricity

Agrophotovoltaics: Solar Farms that Produce Food and Electricity
Nov 28, 2017  -  Agrophotovoltaics - Agriculture and renewable energy have worked together for more than fifteen centuries, ever since ancient Persians began using windmills to pump water and grind grain. Today, in the Midwestern US, we see cornfields sharing acreage with megawatt-scale wind turbines that produce minimal shading effects on crops, significant power enhancements to the grid, and additional income for farmers. Researchers in Baden-Württemberg, a region in southern Germany, are looking for ways to increase sustainable energy production in an area where wind speeds are relatively slow, making solar the preferred electrical generating technology. But plants need sunlight…
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Thursday, 23 November 2017 13:50

Students’ plastic creations spread environmental awareness

Students’ plastic creations spread environmental awareness
Nov 23, 2017  - Ara Institute of Canterbury Certificate in Creativity students are turning their art into environmental action. Tomorrow on Friday 24 November, they will wheel their concerns about plastics affecting our environment to the Christchurch City Council, and to Christchurch Mayor Lianne Dalzell. For the past six weeks the students have been working on a group project, incorporating donated shopping trolleys, recycled plastic and plastic bags into three magnificent sculptures that represent their concerns for the planet’s future. Tutor, Henry Sunderland has overseen the creative process. “The students have done research on plastics around the world and how…
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Wednesday, 22 November 2017 07:22

Recycling Robots

Zen Robotics
Nov 21, 2017  -  Robots are now being developed to sort household recyclables and differentiate between construction wastes. What will this mean for the human workers?  Matt Clay in Waste Management World writes about  the  increasing presence of robots in industry, in particular recyclables and waste, that robots once suitable for only niche applications, are now being developed that can sort household recyclables and differentiate between construction wastes. What will this mean for the human workers? Does it mean the start of robot revolution? How accurate is the technology? British pre-eminent scientist Prof Stephen Hawking once warned that the “development…
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Tuesday, 21 November 2017 19:51

Air New Zealand and Government scope new afforestation fund

Air New Zealand and Government scope new afforestation fund
Nov 21, 2017  -  Air New Zealand has today announced it will work with the Ministry for the Environment and the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) to explore the establishment of a private afforestation scheme, providing funding to landowners to plant trees in return for the carbon benefits this will create. Building on the success of MPI’s existing Afforestation Grant Scheme, Air New Zealand is working with Government to scope a complementary private afforestation fund, with the airline to engage landowners to plant up to 15,000 hectares of new native and exotic trees. If the fund goes ahead, Air New…
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Thursday, 16 November 2017 08:57

Fonterra Launches Plan to Improve Waterways

Fonterra Launches Plan to Improve Waterways
Nov 16 2017  -  Co-operative announces ambitious water commitments; invites Kiwis to visit farms and see what’s being done to promote healthy rivers.  Fonterra today launched an ambitious plan to help improve the quality of New Zealand’s waterways. Based around six strategic commitments, the plan will underpin Fonterra’s efforts to promote healthy streams and rivers, including a strong focus on sustainable farming and manufacturing. In parallel, the Co-operative’s farmers will open up their farms around New Zealand to give Kiwis the chance to see first-hand the efforts farmers are making to increase water quality. The release of the plan signals…
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Tuesday, 14 November 2017 11:05

New index shows human-induced global warming is happening faster than ever

New index shows human-induced global warming is happening faster than ever
Nov 14 2017  -  Human-induced global warming is happening faster than ever and accelerating, according to a new measurement index developed by an international team that includes the Director of Victoria University of Wellington’s New Zealand Climate Change Research Institute, Professor Dave Frame. The researchers’ real-time Global Warming Index will be updated continuously on the website www.globalwarmingindex.org and provides improved scientific context for temperature stabilisation targets, with the potential to reduce climate policy volatility. The index and its data have been announced in a paper for the Nature research journal Scientific Reports. Warming exceeded 1°C above mid-nineteenth-century levels in 2017…
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Friday, 10 November 2017 15:26

Even more leading businesses commit to shaping a clean economy

Even more leading businesses commit to shaping a clean economy
Nov 10 2017  -  BONN: As Energy Day gets under way at the 2017 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP23) in Bonn today (Friday, November 10), influential and international businesses from a wide range of sectors are driving emissions cuts by leading the way on electric transport, energy productivity and renewable power.  Four major businesses from three different continents have today joined The Climate Group’s global electric vehicles campaign (EV100), and pledged to transition to electric transport by 2030. They include the airline Air New Zealand, Mercury – the New Zealand electricity retailer and generator, Dutch engineering and project management…
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Friday, 10 November 2017 15:18

Air New Zealand first airline to join global EV movement

Air New Zealand first airline to join global EV movement
Nov 10, 2017  -  Reinforcing its leadership position in the shift to electric vehicles, Air New Zealand has been announced as the first airline to join The Climate Group’s EV100 initiative. The global not-for-profit works with businesses and governments around the world on initiatives that help to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. EV100 is its new global programme which aims to fast track business uptake of electric vehicles, encouraging organisations to use their buying power and influence to build demand and ultimately help reduce the cost barrier to mainstream use. Earlier this year Air New Zealand completed the transition of its…
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Thursday, 09 November 2017 07:43

No new mines on conservation land signalled

No new mines on conservation land signalled
9 Nov 2017  -  The Minister of Conservation Eugenie Sage has today confirmed that the new Government will strengthen the protection for public conservation land by making it off-limits for new mining. The announcement was made as part of the Speech from the Throne given today at Parliament, which outlined the Government’s policy and legislative proposals. “Public conservation lands are set aside for nature to thrive and for New Zealanders and visitors to enjoy. Mining, especially open-cast mining runs counter to that. It destroys indigenous vegetation and habitats, permanently changes natural landscapes and can create sizeable waste rock dumps with…
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Tuesday, 07 November 2017 11:14

Global financial implications of transitioning to low-carbon economy

Global financial implications of transitioning to low-carbon economy
7 Nov  -  Sustainable finance and central banking expert Professor Dirk Schoenmaker from the Netherlands is giving a free public lecture at Victoria University of Wellington later this month, as the 2017 Reserve Bank of New Zealand Professorial Fellow in Monetary and Financial Economics.  His lecture, ‘Climate Change and Financial Sustainability’, will examine the global financial implications of transitioning to a low-carbon economy.Keeping global warming below 2°C will require substantial reductions in global greenhouse gas emissions. Professor Schoenmaker will consider a benign scenario where the transition to a low-carbon economy occurs gradually, adjustment costs are manageable and the repricing of…
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Monday, 16 October 2017 08:21

‘Open your eyes to create a climate legacy’

Air New Zealand CEO Christopher Luxon and Sir Rob Fenwick have called on any new Government to take climate change and sustainability more seriously
Rod Oram notes a growing mood among New Zealand business leaders for any new Government to create a climate commission. Those calling for change include Air New Zealand's Christopher Luxon and Sir Rob Fenwick. Last Wednesday week, Air New Zealand laid on a big breakfast for 400 business people – enough to fill more than one of its Dreamliners – at the cavernous Viaduct Events Centre in Auckland. The event – longer than a flight to Wellington and back – was not to celebrate a new aircraft, bumper profits or other conventional business milestone. It was for the launch of…
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Wednesday, 04 October 2017 09:15

Air New Zealand leads the way with inflight waste

Air New Zealand leads the way with inflight waste
Air New Zealand, its catering partner LSG Sky Chefs and the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) have teamed up to tackle inflight waste from Air New Zealand’s international services arriving in Auckland with a world-leading partnership expected to divert 150 tonnes of waste from landfill annually. The waste reduction initiative Project Green has enabled 40 Air New Zealand inflight products that were previously sent to landfill due to biosecurity controls, to be reclassified so they can be reused on future flights if removed from aircraft sealed and untouched. Products approved to date include sealed beverages and unopened snacks with further…
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Tuesday, 03 October 2017 08:06

New Zealand needs a climate change plan

New Zealand needs a climate change plan
Dennis Barnes, Chief Executive of Contact Energy is urging New Zealand Inc to move past debates on technicalities and act on the climate change challenge. “As a country I firmly believe there’s a real opportunity for us to innovate, to work together and do more to tackle climate change and Contact is keen to play a key role”, says Dennis Barnes. Contact agrees with the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment’s recommendations that depoliticising New Zealand’s response to climate change is a key step to be taken. Decisions on how we move to a lower carbon economy need to be made,…
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Friday, 29 September 2017 08:24

Fly on garbage

Fly on garbage
GreenSky London arrived on the scene a few years ago, an ambitious project led by British Airways to produce renewable aviation jet fuel from East London’s garbage. Now, a group of four companies established a new partnership to prepare the business case for a commercial scale waste-to-renewable-jet-fuel plant in the UK. Subject to the successful completion of all development stages, the aim is to achieve a final investment decision in 2019. British Airways spokesperson Cathy West said: “The government needs to support innovative aviation biofuels projects such as this if they are to progress. Aviation fuels are not eligible for…
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Monday, 18 September 2017 07:37

Soft plastics recycling scheme for Nelson

Soft plastics recycling scheme for Nelson
The roll-out of a soft plastics recycling scheme in Nelson today means New World, Countdown and Pak’nSave supermarkets in the South Island will offer the service, Environment Minister Dr Nick Smith says. “The Love NZ Soft Plastics Recycling Programme is the next logical step for households in reducing waste. It means people can take the likes of bread bags, shopping bags and frozen vege bags to these supermarkets for collection, re-manufacture and re-use,” Dr Smith says. “Most households now recycle paper, cardboard, glass, metal cans and hard plastic containers, and the extra challenge with soft plastics was finding a practical…
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Wednesday, 13 September 2017 08:26

Sea salt around the world is contaminated by plastic, studies show

 Two fragments of blue microplastic surrounded by diatom phytoplankton (seen under a microscope) after being collected from the sea in a fine mesh trawl net.
New studies find microplastics in salt from the US, Europe and China, adding to evidence that plastic pollution is pervasive in the environment Sea salt around the world has been contaminated by plastic pollution, adding to experts’ fears that microplastics are becoming ubiquitous in the environment and finding their way into the food chain via the salt in our diets. Following this week’s revelations in the Guardian about levels of plastic contamination in tap water, new studies have shown that tiny particles have been found in sea salt in the UK, France and Spain, as well as China and now…
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Saturday, 09 September 2017 09:13

Rare bird sighting at our Maungaturoto site

The Australasian Bittern, or Matuku
Fonterra’s Maungaturoto manufacturing site in Northland, New Zealand has recently become home to a rare Australasian Bittern. The Australasian Bittern, or Matuku as they are known, is a large, heron sized bird. They are rarely sighted because of their secretive behaviour and camouflage technique and are usually most active at dawn, dusk and through the night. Long serving utilities operator at the site Gary Sosich said he had seen the rare bird while doing routine checks on the site’s stormwater diversion system. He then realised that there was two of them, indicating that there may be a breeding pair living…
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Wednesday, 06 September 2017 11:15

Wood boiler - saving time and emissions at Timaru campus

 Ara Timaru Facilities Manager Roger Luscombe with the wood boiler that heats the campus and reduces CO2 emissions.
The Ara Timaru Campus is continuing to successfully reduce carbon emissions after converting the main heating system from coal to wood pellets. The campus is mitigating 248.04 tonnes of CO2 every year; that’s a possible 6,201 tonnes of CO2 emissions saved over the 25 year life of the boiler. The move three years ago to a wood pellet boiler has several other benefits too, Facilities staff have reported. Unlike coal, wood leaves no toxic ash behind. Formerly, two to three 40 litre drums a day of coal ash containing toxic heavy metals such as mercury and cadmium had to be…
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Wednesday, 06 September 2017 09:05

Irrigation changes needed to deliver prosperous and resilient rural areas

Irrigation changes needed to deliver prosperous and resilient rural areas
 "The change to the constitution of Crown Irrigation Investments Limited (CIIL) to allow it to fund water storage projects that directly lead to environmental benefits is a very positive step and should be extended to recognise resilience and social benefits as well," says Infrastructure New Zealand, Chief Executive Stephen Selwood. "To date, existing rules guiding the government's irrigation investment arm have placed a too narrow focus on direct economic benefits. "This has resulted in disproportionate emphasis on maximising land use productivity and insufficient recognition of wider economic, social and environmental benefits. "Widening the criteria to include the full scope of…
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Wednesday, 06 September 2017 08:41

Getting around town has never been greener or easier for Cantabrians

Getting around town has never been greener or easier for Cantabrians
The largest transition of combustion engines to pure electric shared vehicles in the Southern Hemisphere is set to get underway in Christchurch from November. Canterbury organisations and residents will soon have access to a pool of 100 pure electric vehicles, only one of a few cities internationally to offer a 100 percent electric-powered car share service. Kiwi fleet management company, Yoogo, known for its innovative approach to fleet management and leasing, was selected by the Christchurch City Council to implement the service. Yoogo has been leading the way in its use of GPS data to monitor the efficiency of its…
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Tuesday, 05 September 2017 14:27

EV green technology arrives at Automotive programme

EV green technology arrives at Automotive programme
Investment in a new learning tool for Automotive Trades students at Ara shows the Institute is anticipating and adapting to new and emerging technology in the field. Students training as Electrical and Mechanical Automotive Engineers in Canterbury now have access to a hybrid car, exposing them to the swift technological developments in the industry. Partly powered by an internal combustion engine, partly by electric motors, hybrid cars require less petrol than traditional motor vehicles. As such, these environmentally, and economically, friendly cars are becoming an increasingly common sustainable transport alternative. While the current Automotive courses on offer at Ara focus…
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Wednesday, 30 August 2017 09:00

New scholarship to support greenhouse gas research

New scholarship to support greenhouse gas research
A new $400,000 scholarship programme to build global expertise on climate change, agriculture and food security will boost New Zealand’s contribution to agricultural greenhouse gas research say Climate Change Minister Paula Bennett and Primary Industries Minister Nathan Guy. The scholarship, announced today at the Global Research Alliance on Agricultural Greenhouse Gases (GRA) Council meeting in Tsukuba, Japan, is a joint initiative of the GRA and the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research. “Finding new ways to reduce agricultural greenhouse gas emissions is crucial to meeting our ambitious 2030 Paris Agreement targets. This scholarship builds on the $20 million a year…
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Thursday, 24 August 2017 08:55

New technologies helping clean up NZ’s waterways

New technologies helping clean up NZ’s waterways
New Zealand farmers and companies are starting to use Internet of Things (IoT) sensors, data analytics and automation to decrease impact on New Zealand rivers, a leading national tech expert says. In countries, right across the world the IoT devices are being used to help clean up water, New Zealand IoT Alliance executive director Kriv Naicker says. Irrigation is by far the largest use of water in New Zealand, making up 65.9 percent of water use between 2013 and 2014, the Ministry for the Environment says. Places like Israel and California have had to learn how to manage their farms…
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Tuesday, 15 August 2017 08:24

A water quality probe too dangerous to fund?

Recreational users, farmers and councils would all be able to use the RiverWatch water monitoring system. Photo: Lynn Grieveson
The creator of an inexpensive floating water monitor suspects the Government is unwilling to fund a device that would show how bad our water is Lynn Grieveson reports.  Lynn  writes on environment and education, is sub-editor at Newsroom Pro and a contributing photographer to Newsroom. Regional councils are eyeing up an experimental floating water monitor that would enable them to "stake out" rivers and pinpoint polluters - but only if the developers can raise enough through donations for beta testing and commercial release. Wairarapa farmer Grant Muir yesterday launched a PledgeMe campaign to raise cash for beta testing of the…
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Sunday, 06 August 2017 17:15

Most Kiwis do not want to follow President Trump’s lead

Most Kiwis do not want to follow President Trump’s lead
A total of 92 percent of New Zealanders do not want their nation to follow President Donald Trump’s lead and withdraw from the Paris Climate Change Agreement set in 2015. Moreover, six in ten Kiwi’s believe we should work harder with other countries to achieve the goals of the accord after the US withdrawal in June. This is the outcome of a Climate Change survey released today by Pure Advantage, a national organisation comprised of business leaders who believe the private sector has an important role to play in creating a greener, economically stronger New Zealand. New Zealanders are even…
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Monday, 31 July 2017 09:10

Plastic bag ban plan gets a boost

  Greenpeace is launching its video campaign against single-use plastic bags today. Video: Greenpeace
The campaign to ban single-use plastic bags has been boosted by the big guns of environmental activism. Greenpeace New Zealand is stepping up, having launched a video and petition calling on the Government to ban supermarket bags. Getting plastic bags banned is a world-wide, 10-year strategic aim of the group and campaigns have been running internationally for 18 months. However Greenpeace NZ has decided it's only now that the time is right to push the issue. "A lot of good work has taken place by local groups," says spokesperson Elena Di Palma. "It's time to add our weight to the…
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Wednesday, 12 July 2017 13:35

Database holds Earth’s 2,000 year climate history

Database holds Earth’s 2,000 year climate history
Climate scientists will be able to more accurately study Earth’s temperature changes, thanks to a global database compiled with the help of a Victoria University of Wellington and GNS Science researcher. The database has been released today in the Nature Scientific Data journal by a large international team of scientists, including Associate Professor Nancy Bertler. Associate Professor Bertler says the database—which expands on a version released in 2013—provides a rigorously assessed compilation of temperature reconstructions for the past 2,000 years. “The database gathers information on past temperature based on evidence from a number of sources including tree rings, corals, glacier…
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Tuesday, 11 July 2017 09:58

Six months in a (slightly) cooler climate

Six months in a (slightly) cooler climate
Now the first six months of the year are done and dusted, NIWA forecasters have been analysing the country’s weather statistics to see where we stand compared to last year’s record breaker. If you’ve been feeling a little cooler, it’s because temperatures are notably down on average. The first six months of last year set up 2016 to become the hottest year on record, with an average temperature of 15.2°C. For January to June this year that figure has dropped to 13.8°C. NIWA forecaster Ben Noll says while the first six months of 2017 were 0.02 degrees above the long-term…
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Tuesday, 11 July 2017 09:26

New buoy for Wellington Harbour to boost water quality information

New buoy for Wellington Harbour to boost water quality information
A buoy with the ability to “phone home” has been deployed in Wellington Harbour today to monitor currents, waves and water quality in the harbour. The buoy is part of a joint project between NIWA and Greater Wellington Regional Council (GWRC) around monitoring Wellington Harbour health. The buoy can deliver real time data of currents, waves, salinity, temperature, oxygen, chlorophyll, ocean acidification and wind. Named WRIBO (Wellington Region Integrated Buoy Observations), it was deployed from NIWA’s flagship research vessel Tangaroa this morning, south east of Matiu/Somes Island. Real time data delivery NIWA coastal physicist Dr Joanne O’Callaghan has been leading…
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Friday, 07 July 2017 09:43

A new approach to emissions trading in a post-Paris climate

A new approach to emissions trading in a post-Paris climate
Despite the US withdrawal from the 2015 Paris Agreement on climate change, other countries, including New Zealand, remain committed to cutting their greenhouse gas emissions. In our report, we explore how New Zealand, a trailblazer for emissions trading, might drive a low-emission transformation, both at home and overseas.Turning off the tap Emitting greenhouse gases is a lot like overflowing a bathtub. Even a slow trickle will eventually flood the room. The Paris Agreement gives all countries a common destination: net zero emissions during the second half of the century. It is also an acknowledgement that the world has only a…
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Thursday, 06 July 2017 07:54

NZ food network helping fast rising water extractor

NZ food network helping fast rising water extractor
New Zealand’s top food innovation network is helping fast rising clean-tech company Hydroxsys with its amazing water extraction technologies aimed at mining, dairy and other industries that need water extraction or remediation. New Zealand Food Innovation Network chief executive Alexandra Allan says new membrane technology created by Hydroxsys will increase productivity throughout many industries in New Zealand such as dairying, to produce high value-added products, such as whey protein, more efficiently. This new membrane technology created by Hydroxsys will increase productivity throughout many New Zealand industries, including the dairy industry, to produce high value-added products like whey protein more efficiently.…
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Wednesday, 05 July 2017 16:06

Over 39,000 Demand Waikato Regional Council Reject NZ Pure Blue's Putaruru's Blue Spring Extraction Bid

After Successfully Pushing Ashburton District Council to Call off Secret Backroom Water Deal with NZ Pure Blue, Consumer Watchdog SumOfUs Pressures Waikato to Follow Suit In response to NZ Pure Blue Springs’ consent application this month to the Waikato Regional Council for permission to extract 6.9 million litres a day from the Putaruru Blue Springs in the Waihou River, 39,000 SumOfUs members in a new petition campaign urging the council to reject the company's bid. VIEW THE SUMOFUS PETITION HERE: https://actions.sumofus.org/pages/nz-pure-blue-wants-to-build-the-largest-water-bottling-plant-in-the-southern-hemisphere-in-putaruru/SumOfUs’s first victory against the company came In 2016, when the organization garnered enough public pressure to block NZ Pure…
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Thursday, 22 June 2017 10:46

Waste tyres to be used in cement manufacture

Waste tyres to be used in cement manufacture
Millions of waste tyres each year are to be used to manufacture cement as part of a wider Government plan to address the environmental problems of end of life tyres, Environment Minister Dr Nick Smith announced at the Golden Bay Cement works in Whangarei today. “New Zealand has a long-standing problem, with five million waste tyres generated each year. We have dozens of tyre stockpiles around the country posing a fire risk, leaching contaminants, providing a breeding ground for rodents and insects, and blotting the landscape. This initiative proposes controls on new stockpiles, establishes a nationwide collection and shredding operation…
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Thursday, 15 June 2017 08:38

New National Environmental Standard for marine aquaculture proposed

New National Environmental Standard for marine aquaculture proposed
A proposed National Environmental Standard for Marine Aquaculture to make re-consenting existing marine farms more consistent and efficient has been released today by Primary Industries Minister Nathan Guy and Environment Minister Dr Nick Smith. “The aquaculture industry is an important part of New Zealand’s diversified primary industry, earning $500 million a year and employing over 3000 people. This proposed National Environmental Standard for Marine Aquaculture is needed to increase certainty and industry confidence, improve biosecurity management and reduce compliance costs,” Mr Guy says. “The problem this new environmental standard addresses is the bow wave of 750 nationwide marine farms, or…
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Friday, 09 June 2017 09:00

The seven steps to healthier New Zealand waterways

The seven steps to healthier New Zealand waterways
A consortium of groups across a variety of sectors has created an alternative plan to get New Zealand's rivers back up to scratch after what they say is lack of urgency on the issue by the Government. The Freshwater Rescue Plan was launched in Wellington on Thursday and is aimed at countering the Government's Clean Water Package which aimed to have 90 percent of the country's rivers and lakes swimmable by 2040. Continue to full article on Newshub   |  June 8,  2017   |||
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Tuesday, 06 June 2017 10:08

Emirates showcases environment friendly aircraft cleaning technique

Emirates showcases environment friendly aircraft cleaning technique
Emirates has celebrated World Environment Day by showcasing an environmentally friendly aircraft cleaning technique that has enabled the airline to save millions of litres of water every year. Emirates uses the ‘aircraft drywash’ technique to clean its aircraft. As indicated by the name, little or no water is involved in cleaning the aircraft, which is in contrast to conventional methods of aircraft cleaning which typically use thousands of litres of water per wash. During the course of every flight, an aircraft accumulates dust and grime on its external surface. In addition to making the aircraft look dirty and less appealing,…
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Thursday, 01 June 2017 08:44

Three million paint containers recycled

Three million paint containers recycled
Resene has recycled over three million paint containers and found innovative uses for leftover paint, with its PaintWise scheme, Associate Environment Minister Scott Simpson announced today at Resene’s factory in Lower Hutt. “Often consumers buy more paint than they need for a project and the leftover paint is stored in sheds and cupboards, or is taken to the local landfill for disposal. Resene PaintWise provides New Zealanders with an environmentally responsible way of disposing of their waste paint,” Mr Simpson says. Resene PaintWise accepts all brands of paint and paint containers and finds alternative uses for them. These include recycling…
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Thursday, 01 June 2017 08:02

Algae harvested and made into shoes

To get enough algae to make one pair means cleaning 57 gallons of water, which are then returned to the lake. [Photo: courtesy Vivobarefoot]
After a massive explosion of algae growth in China’s Lake Taihu a decade ago left more than two million people in the area temporarily without safe drinking water, the government started spending hundreds of millions of dollars a year to try to solve the algae problem. One part of the solution: working with a company that harvests algae from the lake before it grows out of control, and turns it into a flexible, rubbery material that is now being made into shoes. Vivobarefoot’s water-resistant Ultra III shoes are usually made from a petroleum-based version of the same material, ethylene-vinyl acetate…
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Friday, 12 May 2017 07:28

Clean Water reports released

Clean Water reports released
Two reports released today by NIWA and the Ministry for the Environment on the technical background to the Clean Water proposals will help inform input into the plans to clean up New Zealand waterways, Environment Minister Dr Nick Smith says. “The Clean Water plan is very ambitious in nationally grading our rivers and lakes for water quality for recreation and requiring 90 per cent to be swimmable by 2040. This has never been done before in New Zealand or overseas, but it is an important step in addressing our water quality issues. “The grading system has generated significant debate and…
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Monday, 08 May 2017 07:33

“Bio-concrete” set to revolutionise the building industry

“Bio-concrete” set to revolutionise the building industry
Dutch inventor of self-healing concrete named finalist for European Inventor Award Hendrik Jonkers' bio-concrete takes inspiration from nature Concrete automatically seals cracks caused by tension Ground-breaking approach: healing bacteria survive up to 200 years in concrete and self-activate when damage occurs EPO President Benoît Battistelli: "Forward-looking innovation that opens up completely new perspectives for concrete production" Munich/Delft, 21 April 2015 - Buildings and structures made of concrete that can "magically" seal and fully repair cracks caused by tension? What may have seemed a utopian scenario just a few years ago will soon become reality, thanks to the invention of microbiologist…
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Tuesday, 02 May 2017 20:35

Productivity Commission to look at low carbon economy

Climate Change Minister Paula Bennett and Finance Minister Steven Joyce have asked the Productivity Commission to review how New Zealand can maximise the opportunities and minimise the costs and risks of transitioning to a lower carbon economy. “This next step in our climate change work programme will enable us to properly assess the economic trade-offs that we’ll need to make to meet our ambitious 2030 Paris Agreement target,” says Mrs Bennett. “In the long-term – 2030 and beyond – New Zealand will likely need to further reduce its domestic emissions in addition to the use of forestry offsets and international…
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Thursday, 27 April 2017 15:08

Fresh water environment report welcomed

Fresh water environment report welcomed
The Our Fresh Water 2017 report released today confirms the direction of the Government’s reforms for improving the management of fresh water, Environment Minister Dr Nick Smith says. “This is the first comprehensive and independent report on the state of New Zealand’s fresh water and arises from the Government’s Environmental Reporting Act that came into effect last year. The issues identified in respect of nutrients, E. coli, sediment and fresh water ecology are not new and are being addressed as part of the Government’s fresh water improvement programme. The value of the report is in providing a robust, independent baseline…
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Wednesday, 12 April 2017 09:05

Top scientist: Fixing freshwater issues an 'enormous challenge'

Top scientist: Fixing freshwater issues an 'enormous challenge'
The Prime Minister's chief scientist, Sir Peter Gluckman, has highlighted harsh realities about the state of New Zealand's fresh water in a new report released today. The report urges politicians to address freshwater issues, which he says are clearly linked to intensive farming and urbanisation. It found clear evidence the freshwater estate was under pressure in terms of both water quality and quantity. There was a link between farming and declining water quality in pastoral areas, and contamination of urban waterways by expanding cities. Professor Sir Peter Gluckman says farming intensification has contributed to water quality issues. You can read…
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Thursday, 06 April 2017 09:25

Walki develops new biodegradable mulching paper

Walki develops new biodegradable mulching paper
/INS. Walki has developed a new fibre-based soil mulching solution that is completely biodegradable. This organic mulch type, which is used for weed control and to optimise soil conditions and crop yield, is the first of its kind on the market. Walki, a leading global producer of technical laminates and protective packaging materials, has developed the first-ever organic mulching solution that is based on natural biodegradable fibres instead of plastic. Mulch is a layer of material applied to the surface of an area of soil. It is designed to conserve moisture, improve the fertility and health of the soil and…
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Wednesday, 05 April 2017 05:17

Graphene membrane separates the salt from the seawater

Graphene membrane separates the salt from the seawater
Water may cover the majority of the planet's surface, but thanks to a huge helping of salt, it's hard to tap into as a source of drinking water. Once again, graphene could come to the rescue. Researchers at the University of Manchester have developed a graphene-oxide membrane with a scalable, uniform pore size that can filter out even the smallest salts, without affecting the flow of water too much. Desalination plants already use a variety of techniques to produce safe drinking water, including shocking the salt and water into separating, using salt-attracting membranes, or harnessing the power of ocean waves…
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  • environment
Tuesday, 21 March 2017 09:35

OECD environment report welcomed

OECD environment report welcomed
The Government has welcomed today’s release of the OECD 2017 Environment Performance Review, saying it highlights New Zealand’s green credentials and the strong progress we have made over the past decade, as well as the challenges we need to address, Environment Minister Dr Nick Smith says. “This report highlights that New Zealand fares well in terms on environmental quality of life. We have good air quality, an exceptionally high proportion of renewable electricity, easy access to pristine wilderness and an advanced and comprehensive natural resource management system,” Dr Smith says. “This report shows how far we have come over the…
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Tuesday, 21 March 2017 05:15

OECD: NZ must tackle cow emissions

OECD: NZ must tackle cow emissions
The first comprehensive OECD report on New Zealand’s environment in a decade calls for action on cows’ greenhouse gases and water pollution, better public transport and warmer housing, including cosier new-builds. It lands on the same day as another report outlining ways to cut emissions – by reducing cow numbers, reports Eloise Gibson. It’s all about cows, although our cars and cities could also use a tidy-up, the OECD has concluded. In their first comprehensive report on New Zealand’s environment in a decade, the OECD’s environmental review team called for agriculture to be brought into the Emissions Trading Scheme and…
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  • Agriculture
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Tuesday, 14 March 2017 05:33

LGNZ launches Water 2050 to develop cohesive water policy

LGNZ launches Water 2050 to develop cohesive water policy
Kids in river4Local Government New Zealand has launched a new piece of work to create a comprehensive framework that brings freshwater issues and water infrastructure into a coherent policy. Local government is at the heart of water issues in New Zealand, from the provision of drinking water and storm and waste water services to implementing standards for freshwater quality. LGNZ President Lawrence Yule says “Water 2050” will develop a framework for water that coherently integrates freshwater quality and quantity, standards, rights and allocation, land use, three waters infrastructure, cost and affordability, and funding while recognising that the allocation of iwi…
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Monday, 13 March 2017 13:30

Technology can reduce our homes’ energy use

Technology can reduce our homes’ energy use
I’ve been investigating the potential impact of technological change on building and construction in New Zealand over the next 15 years. It’s made me think, in particular, about how technology in buildings can help us reach our lower carbon targets – just what my colleague Nick Collins was talking about in February’s blog. Technology is at the forefront of improving building performance, particularly in leveraging the potential of increasingly ‘smart’ or ‘intelligent’ sensors, systems and analysis to provide data which can improve building operation. This often refers to commercial buildings with building managers, but technology has the capacity to help…
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  • Energy
Friday, 10 March 2017 09:34

Minister's Plan Threatens Economic Sabotage

Minister's Plan Threatens Economic Sabotage
The government’s Resource Legislation Amendment Bill (RLA) threatens changes to environmental legislation. The manipulations by Nick Smith pave the way for destruction of New Zealand’s economic advantage and further loss of valuable habitat. The RLA Bill’s aims are ambiguous but fundamentally change the ground rules to leave councils subject to Ministerial interference. The democratic process of consultation and civil society engagement will become vulnerable to the whim of the Minister. There was no cross party support for the Bill. Recently the Maori Party changed its position, but is now reconsidering it's backing. The threat to New Zealand's environmental legislation is…
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Monday, 06 March 2017 14:36

Tekam Closed Loop Tyre Granulation System Supplier Says Government is Main Culprit in Rural Tyre Mountain Landfill Contamination

Tekam Closed Loop Tyre Granulation System Supplier Says Government is Main Culprit in Rural Tyre Mountain Landfill Contamination
Other countries that are not even “clean-green” have dealt with the tyre problem  Governmental public hand-wringing over the rural mountains of old tyres must be tempered with the understanding that central and local government was quite literally upto its neck in creating the detritus, noted the nation’s foremost developer of tyre remediation machinery. Ken Evans (pictured) of Tekam Closed Loop is responsible for the New Zealand’s first all-size tyre granulator which converts discarded tyres into a variety of paving products. Neither central nor local government encouraged the use of these granulated paving products and in some cases even discriminated against…
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  • environment
Friday, 03 March 2017 05:07

New rules coming for storage of used tyres

New rules coming for storage of used tyres
Development of national regulations for the storage of end-of-life tyres, and the finding of alternative end uses, cannot come soon enough, says Waikato Regional Council. The need for these initiatives is being highlighted by a large site near Otorohanga now not able to take any more used tyres, said investigation and incident response manager Patrick Lynch. “Council monitoring of a large storage site near Otorohanga has recently determined that no more tyres can be placed there until the site can properly manage their environmental risks. The operator there has received a formal notice to that effect.” Due to a lack…
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  • environment
Tuesday, 28 February 2017 07:42

Major new litter initiative announced

Major new litter initiative announced
A major new campaign to stop people littering aims to change behaviour and to educate people, Environment Minister Dr Nick Smith and Parliamentary Private Secretary Scott Simpson announced today at National’s Bluegreen Forum in Auckland. “Litter is a risk to New Zealand’s clean green brand and the best solution is where everyone responsibly disposes of their waste. That is why the Government is investing $3 million in a behavioural change campaign, the development of education materials and a national litter survey to help ensure we keep New Zealand beautiful.” “The environmental harm from litter is not just the aesthetics but…
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  • environment
  • Political
  • Out of The Beehive
Monday, 27 February 2017 09:51

Cow Power Effluent to Energy Expert Peter Franke of Germany to Visit NZ---Will Focus on increasing threat of Dairy Waste to Potable Water

Cow Power Effluent to Energy Expert Peter Franke of Germany to Visit NZ---Will Focus on increasing threat of Dairy Waste to Potable Water
Will alert environmentalists, Greens, to renewable value , emissions reduction, organics Napier advanced agri process technology specialist TEKAM is bringing to New Zealand Peter Franke  a world leader in turning agricultural waste into electricity and in the process ridding farms of the effluent which increasingly threatens drinking water. Mr Franke is the founder of Germany’s Bio Ost which is a leading developer of closed loop systems which collect effluent, notably the dairy version, and convert it into energy for refrigeration and other milking systems, and also for distribution into the national grid. These closed loop effluent-to-power systems are commonplace in…
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  • Agriculture
  • The Reporters Desk
  • environment
  • Energy
Friday, 24 February 2017 10:43

Farmers ready for freshwater challenge

Farmers ready for freshwater challenge
New freshwater reforms will result in 56,000 km more fences protecting New Zealand waterways from stock – enough to go round the world one and a half times, says Primary Industries Minister Nathan Guy. The new rules on stock exclusion are part of the Government’s plans announced today setting a target for 90% of rivers and lakes to be swimmable by 2040. “Farmers have made huge progress in recent years to improve their environmental practices and this will be another important step forward. Dairy farmers have already voluntarily fenced off over 24,000km of waterways,” says Mr Guy. “We know that…
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  • environment
  • Energy
  • Agriculture
  • Out of The Beehive
Wednesday, 15 February 2017 10:24

Carbon emitters on way to paying full costs

Carbon emitters on way to paying full costs
Emitters are now on their way to paying the full cost of their carbon emissions in New Zealand, says Climate Change Minister Paula Bennett. “As part of our ongoing work programme to reduce domestic emissions we have started the three-year phase out of the one-for-two emissions trading scheme subsidy,” says Mrs Bennett. “This subsidy allowed some businesses to pay one emissions unit for every two tonnes of pollution they emit. Last year the Government announced we are phasing the measure out over three years to give businesses time to plan and adjust.” The initial 50 per cent unit cost increased…
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  • environment
  • Out of The Beehive
Tuesday, 17 January 2017 08:08

Ban on plastic microbeads proposed

The Government is proposing to ban personal care products containing plastic microbeads, Environment Minister Dr Nick Smith announced today. “We are proposing a ban on the sale and manufacture of personal care products in New Zealand containing microbeads because of the long-term risk they pose to our aquatic and marine environments,” Dr Smith said. “The problem with plastic microbeads is that they are too small to retrieve or recycle, they do not biodegrade, and that they are mistaken by marine life as food causing long-term damage to aquatic animals like fish and mussels. The use of plastic microbeads in personal…
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  • Out of The Beehive
  • environment
Thursday, 05 January 2017 12:54

Japan World Smart Energy Week 2017 - invites all green, clean tech professionals and companies.

Japan has been notable for its avant-gardism, its leadership, and its competitiveness in the area of green technology and clean energy, considerably in terms of its investment in research and development for Smart and Renewable Energy efficiency technologies. In addition, Japan also tends to be the world’s second-largest investor in renewable energy, reaching a threshold of 23 GW of installed renewable energy sources (including 9 GW of hydro power and 5.6 GW of solar power). World Smart Energy Week 2017, is organized by Reed Exhibitions Japan bringing 1,570 exhibitors including 9 renewable energy shows- FC EXPO 2017 -13th Hydrogen &…
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  • Events
  • environment
Thursday, 22 December 2016 06:20

ISTHMUS won world landscape of the year for 2016

ISTHMUS won world landscape of the year for 2016
Kopupaka Reserve in Auckland, New Zealand designed by Isthmus has been named World Landscape of the Year 2016 at the World Architecture Festival this year. The project is a hybrid park, where a storm water reserve has been combined with an urban park, playground and skate park, all made possible by dovetailing the masterplanning of the streets with the green infrastructure of the 22-hectare reserve. Judges praised the project as ”a successful translation of Maori traditions that succeeded in being both poetic and imaginative in its creation of a landscape that captures the soul and nature of the area.” ”Inspired…
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  • environment
  • architecture
Thursday, 01 December 2016 07:28

New timber sourcing platform launched

A new trading platform to assist buyers of timber in sourcing legal or certified products from all over the world has been launched. BVRio Environmental Exchange has launched today the Responsible Timber Exchange to facilitate the screening of timber products and their supply chains. The index, which features a due diligence system, aims to facilitate the procurement of responsible timber products and increase liquidity, supply and demand for this market segment while promoting transparency, legality and sustainability. The platform will also feature optional services such as grading and quality control, field audits and due diligence, receivables finance, insurance and logistics.…
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Tagged under
  • Trade
  • environment
Friday, 18 November 2016 05:31

Mike Underhill: Opportunities from climate change

After a career in the energy sector and nearly 10 years leading the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority, you'd think I'd be able to fix a few things before retiring. Unfortunately, there's still the small matter of international climate change - the most important energy-related issue facing us today. In fact, the symptoms have become steadily worse with 2016 set to be the hottest year on record. Around the world a concerted and serious effort is needed to tackle climate change and New Zealand has a role to play. I am excited about the opportunities in front of us. For…
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Tagged under
  • Latest
  • environment

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