GET INVOLVED AND MAKE THE MOST OF YOUR WASTE 

Ae Ka Taea e Koe focus on providing safe spaces, opportunities, knowledge and skills to whānau who have slipped through the gaps. This includes providing practical support to whānau to reduce waste through reusable nappies and sanitary products.

Aotearoa Sustainability Group (ASG) is a charitable trust empowering South Asian and migrant communities in Tāmaki Makaurau to live waste-free and sustainably.

The Beautification Trust inspires communities to love and protect the environment. This includes educating communities on how to minimise waste and working alongside community groups to prevent illegal dumping. The Beautification Trust also operate the Manurewa Community Recycling Centre, turning waste into resources.

CCET helps Chinese Aucklanders engage in conservation and waste minimisation, encouraging behaviour change for a sustainable future.

CNSST Foundation offers comprehensive services and support to the Asian migrant community, delivering waste minimisation workshops for families with new babies in a culturally appropriate context.

The Compost Collective exists to engage, empower and encourage the community to start to compost, worm farm, bokashi or garden at home. 

Earth Action Trust is a New Zealand charitable organization working for environmental awareness and protection. 

EcoMatters is a charitable trust based in Auckland with a mission to nurture kaitiakitanga and help restore the whenua. They deliver a diverse range of nature, food, bike and waste minimisation initiatives. Check out their page for ideas, tips, events and workshops.

English Language Partners (ELP) teaches English to migrants and shares practical waste minimisation tips.

Located on Auckland’s Hibiscus Coast Auckland, HCZW supports and leads a variety of zero waste and sustainability initiatives including the Whangaparāoa Community Recycling Centre, City to Farm, Zero Waste Early Childhood Education project and Zero Waste Zero Carbon programme in schools.

Kaipātiki Project runs a native plant nursery, restores bush and waterways, and provides conservation volunteering, education, and zero-waste initiatives.

Kate Fenwick, once known as the The Nappy Lady, has partnered with 40 councils to run workshops where she empowers the community to reduce waste and save money.

Love Food Hate Waste NZ helps households reduce food waste and save money with tips, tricks, and tasty recipes. Visit their website to book a free workshop.

Mahurangi Wastebusters provides waste minimisation education to the North-East Rodney community. They also operate Less, the community refuse and recycling centre at Snells Beach.

Friends of the Farm foster a caring, connected waste wise community in Mangere, reducing waste through events, public place engagement, communications, and providing support to businesses and community groups.

Manurewa Waste Champions undertake direct household engagement and work with local groups and volunteers to prevent illegal dumping.  They also help residents and groups to manage and reduce their waste.

ME Family Services works to regenerate local ecosystems and to nurture positive, reciprocal relationships between people and place in Māngere/Ōtāhuhu. They provide waste education and support to reduce and regenerate waste, a recovery room and Resource Recovery Network, as well as Te Puna Oranga, a community garden and makerspace.

Pacific Vision Aotearoa engage Pasifika communities throughout Auckland and have a strong presence in Ōtara- Papatoetoe. PVA have a unique approach to creating community-led solutions to manage and reduce waste. With awareness of Fonua, faith and the cultural wisdom of our ancestors, everyone has the navigational wayfinding skills for health and wellbeing.   Strengthening our collective eco-consciousness has a positive social and economic impact in Aotearoa and the Pacific.

Papatūānuku Kōkiri Marae is an urban marae in the heart of Māngere, holding fast to the vision of organga whenua, oranga tangata; restoring the relationship between people and the whenua to create thriving communities and a healthy environment. This includes providing para kore workshops and engagement with schools and community groups.

Para Kore educates and advocates from a Māori worldview for zero carbon, zero waste whānau, hapū, iwi, and hapori Māori.

Trash Free Taiaotea is a zero-waste initiative in the East Coast Bays, led by Recreation Solutions, who specialise in behaviour change programmes, feasibility, and project design.

Sustainable Papakura works with the community to nurture and protect Papatūānuku. They team up with individuals, families, groups and organisations to re-imagine and remake lifestyles that will support Mother Earth to sustain us into the future. 

Talking Trash Manurewa educates the community of Manurewa on waste minimisation practices. Working particularly with Māori and Pasifika peoples, Talking Trash create a tailored approach to help these communities manage and reduce their waste. This includes supporting a network of waste champions and supporting local groups and businesses to minimise their waste and prevent illegal dumping.

Tāmaki WRAP is a charitable trust educating the community on waste reduction and supporting local initiatives in Maungakiekie and Tāmaki.

Waiheke Resources Trust celebrates and protects the island’s resources while helping residents, groups, and businesses reduce waste. Serving Waiheke since 1998.

The West Auckland Resource Centre turns waste to resources by redistributing resources back out to the community, especially to schools and early childhood centres across Auckland. The centre is open to be used by everyone.

Zero Waste Network represents community enterprises across Aotearoa New Zealand who are working towards zero waste. 

Tread Lightly, founded in 2007, inspires New Zealanders to live sustainably. Their e-van and caravan deliver mobile, interactive environmental education across Tāmaki Makaurau.

Banana Boat Trust embeds zero-waste practices in Pacific communities through churches, supporting local wellbeing and development in Tāmaki Makaurau.

Taulanga Ū supports Tongan churches and communities in Auckland to reduce waste through culturally responsive, sustainable practices.

Marama Hou Ministries Trust promotes green living, encourages behaviour change, and returns kai waste to the whenua (land).

Local Making fosters creative, zero-waste living by transforming waste into useful objects through reuse, repair, and frugal innovation.

The Re-Creators is a social enterprise in Tāmaki Makaurau and Waikato promoting upcycling through DIY workshops, locally made products, and circular design.

Para Kore educates and advocates from a Māori worldview for zero carbon, zero waste whānau, hapū, iwi, and hapori Māori.

Localised grows community-led resource recovery, offering training and skill-sharing. They operate three Community Recycling Centres that serve as Zero Waste Hubs.

MPHS runs The Tipping Point CRC at Waitākere, diverting waste from landfill and supporting the community with zero-waste solutions.

Onehunga Zero Waste operates the first Māori/Pasifika-led CRC in Tāmaki Makaurau, educating communities and maximising landfill diversion.

Everybody Eats transforms rescued food into pay-what-you-can dining, reducing food waste, food insecurity, and social isolation.

Fair Food rescues surplus food and supplies it to community groups such as schools, shelters, and food banks, feeding people instead of landfills.

KidsCoin teaches financial and tech literacy to young people and partners Auckland youth with pen pals in South Korea to share waste-minimisation learnings.

Auckland Library of Tools is a community hub providing access to tools and equipment, reducing consumption and supporting sustainable creating.

REAF provides English learning for refugees and teaches practical waste minimisation tips.

ACRA broadcasts in 29 languages, giving communities access to the airwaves and promoting waste minimisation in multiple languages.

RNA supports repair skills and businesses across NZ, advocating repairing over replacing to reduce waste and strengthen the economy.

The Hononga ki te Whenua project promotes circular kai practices that reduce waste, save money, and nourish both people and the planet.

Te Ahiwaru Trust combats illegal dumping in their rohe through the Parahanga Kore Pilot, exercising kaitiakitanga to protect the whenua.

Earth Action Trust (EAT) is a migrant-led organisation fostering harmony with Mother Earth. EAT empowers communities to promote environmental stewardship, cultural inclusivity and sustainability.