What is Sustainable Taranaki all about?? Have you heard their name before?

Wendy Richards from Volunteering New Plymouth

There are many faces to Sustainable Taranaki firstly they are a Not-for-Profit Organisation or as I like to say For Purpose – and today this column will focus on just one of those faces that of Zero Waste Events
As we come into summer there are so many more events that are on offer for us to attend. With these events comes the need to divert waste from landfill and clean up after the event and therefore this time of year is a very busy time for Sustainable Taranaki and their Zero Waste team and volunteers. There are great opportunities for you as a volunteer to attend an event and also ensure that the venue is left clear of rubbish. There are two types of roles with this – there is the educating the public with the waste stations and which bin to put the rubbish– this is a great way to educate yourself, friends and family after you have learnt the current waste and recycle requirements. Then there is the cleanup the day after the event.
The key reason for these roles is to reduce the amount of waste that goes into landfill. Sustainable Taranaki Zero Waste value volunteers time and skills and believe that you can play a significant role in helping Taranaki become more sustainable. Sustainable Taranaki considers every volunteer vital and would be honoured to have you join the team! The following events are looking for volunteer support:

Festival of Lights (FOL) - this started on December 21st,2024 and is on each night till January 26th, 2025 – each night there is a need for people to educate the public in where to put your rubbish.
December 29th and December 30th - Rock the Bowl – I know it is short notice – however there is a need for educators and clean up people
December 31st ,2024 - NYE Party at Butlers Reef – enjoy the local concert and help reduce waste
January 1st, 5th, 19th, 25th and 28th - Seaside Markets at either Ngamotu Beach or Pukeariki Landing. A beautiful, relaxed day out to help reduce waste
January 4th, 2025 - Drax Project & Mitch James at Butlers Reef - again enjoy the great local concert and help reduce waste
January 9th, 2025 - Summer Thieves at Butlers – join the waste warriors and help make this great event the closest possible to Zero Waste
January 11th & 12th 2025 - LAB concert at the Bowl – join the waste warriors to help make this concert the closest to Zero Waste as Possible
January 13th, 2025 - BNZ Breakers at TSB Stadium – join the team and check out this Basketball game while supporting the game to be the best Zero Waste yet
January 16th & 17th 2025 - Timeless Summer Tour at the Bowl help create a Zero Waste record to support more sustainability.
January 25th, 2025 - George FM / DnB at Butlers Reef help reduce waste while enjoying this local concert
February 5th, 2025 - Freestyle Kings at Yarrow Stadium help make this event the closest to Zero Waste possible.
February 21st, 2025 - Faded Friends, Odds On at Butlers Reef – support volunteering for this event will help Taranaki towards our sustainable goals

For all of these volunteer roles there is great support, training, food and plenty of chances to enjoy the event. Plus, it is a great way to meet new people
Sustainable Taranaki provides you with:
• Relevant learning materials and training opportunities
• A safe and friendly volunteering environment
• Acknowledgement and recognition of your contribution to the organisation
Are you home from Uni and looking for volunteering to put onto your CV?
Are you on school holidays and looking for something cool to do to support our environment?
If you are interested in any of these opportunities, then please email taranakiwastewarriors@gmail.com or check out their
website: www.sustainabletaranaki.org.nz...