Hawkes Bay businesses are proving they can play their part in reducing the amount of rubbish that gets sent to landfills.

One of the latest success stories comes from the C J Pask winery, where 13 Km of trickle line (irrigation piping) had been removed from the vineyards because it was not meeting the exacting standards required to ensure top rate crop irrigation. As a member of a number of environmental groups, the idea of getting rid of 13,000 metres of plastic to a landfill didn't really fit with C J Pask's policies, says vineyard manager Bruce Smith. "We take a lot of care and pride in the way we manage our vineyards, and obviously along with that goes our waste management. It's part of our policy to ensure we do what we can to take care of the environment".

So a call was placed to the Hawkes Bay Waste Exchange. The Waste Exchange is living proof that 'one man's trash can be another man's treasure'. The free service provides a forum for connecting unwanted materials with new owners, thereby reducing the amount of rubbish unnecessarily ending up in a landfill.

Any business, community group or individual is welcome to register with the Waste Exchange, contributing to a vast network of 'trash and treasure' traders. Coordinator Alice Hughes is in charge of facilitating exchanges in Hawkes Bay. While some exchanges are easy to make, others, such as 13,000 metres of trickle line, take a fierce determination.

"I would have sent at least 30 emails regarding this material to community project groups, orchards, vineyards etc. You name it, I tried it. I could have simply organised a plastic recycler to collect it but I thought there must be someone out there who wants this waste material. No luck," says Alice.

After months of trying however, persistence paid off and the trickle line was eventually happily accepted by Andrew Taylor, a self-proclaimed 'broken-down orchardist', for use on his own property.

This positive action has saved both companies a great amount of money whilst also benefiting the environment. The Hawkes Bay Waste Exchange has helped make 85 exchanges in the past 12 months, and saved many tonnes of materials from being tipped into a landfill. Its success however is directly dependent on local business people and individuals thinking twice before throwing out materials that could still have a productive life elsewhere. "Think before you throw," says Alice. "A call to the Waste Exchange could be a better solution."

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