South Auckland youth win award for diverting 1.5 tonnes of waste from landfills

A trio of young South Aucklanders have been recognised for repurposing food waste from local shops and have won big at the Tāmaki Makaurau Waste Awards.

Ayla, Alena and Nazihah, who’s group is called the Food Hub Gang, have been collecting food scraps from the New World supermarket in Papatoetoe to create compost for the Papatoetoe Food Hub.

Despite their busy schedules, they dedicate time each week to divert 1.5 tonnes of waste from landfills, as well as supporting the local community garden and advocating for the importance of waste reduction.

Ōtara-Papatoetoe Local Board chair Apulu Reece Autagavai says the group’s ability to find unique local solutions to lowering waste is admirable.

Ōtara-Papatoetoe Local Board Chair Apulu Reece Autagavaia commends local youth for finding solutions to community issues. Photo / Auckland Council

“Malo faafetai Food Hub Gang!” says Apulu.

“The Otara-Papatoetoe Local Board congratulates Pacific Vision Aotearoa’s Food Hub Gang - Nazihah Buksh, Ayla Brockes, and Alena Lui. These are young people finding solutions at a local level.

“The local board has long supported the Papatoetoe Food Hub in its work to repurpose food waste from nearby shops, such as New World, and provide affordable healthy kai for our community. The work of the youth has been important to how Papatoetoe Food Operates.

“There is a Sāmoan saying: ‘E fofo le Alamea le Alamea - we have the solutions to our own problems’. These young people are a great example of this.”

Auckland Council aspires for Tāmaki Makaurau to become zero waste by 2040. On Thursday, 24 October, over 170 individuals, groups, schools, marae, businesses, and social enterprises were nominated for their commitment to reducing waste and promoting sustainability throughout the region.

The Zero Waste Awards honour exceptional contributions to zero waste initiatives from across Auckland. Repurposing and transforming waste to minimize rubbish led to innovative creations, such as wonky cherries turned into cola, discarded fishing nets repurposed into kitchen panels, and a waste waka used for street cleaning. These creative composting efforts were celebrated at the awards.

The Papatoetoe Food Hub, now closed, once operated as a community garden with a food truck, where the trio of youth collected food scraps from New World supermarket to create compost. Photo / Auckland Council

Charmaine Bailie (Uru Whakaaro), Ngarimu Blair (Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei), Parul Sood (Auckland Council) and Carla Gee (EcoMatters) were the judges who selected the winners per category. There were also highly commended entries in each of the six categories.

The awards feature six categories:

Community Engagement – Food Scraps Service Rollout (Rukenga Kai)
The joint winners are A Fool’s Company and the EcoMatters Food Scraps team.

Innovation Award (Anga Whakamua)
The winner is Clevaco.

Cultural Connection Award (Whīria te Ahurea, Whīria te Kaitīakitanga)
The winner is PlanetFM, a not-for-profit community radio station.

Community Collaboration Award (Hā Ora, Hāpori)
The winner is Junk2Go, a rubbish collection business in Avondale.

Growing the Movement Award (Whakakanohi i te Kaupapa Para Kore)
The winner is Brigitte Sistig, co-founder of Repair Cafe Aotearoa NZ.

Rangatahi Leadership Award (Rangatahi, Rangawhenua, Rangatangata)
The winner is Pacific Vision Aotearoa’s Food Hub Gang.

This year’s awards were organised by EcoMatters Environment Trust, in partnership with Auckland Council.

Deputy Director Resilience and Infrastructure at Auckland Council, Parul Sood, says the awards celebrate the achievements of Zero Waste Award winners and nominees in reducing waste and supporting a circular economy.

“We had a record number of nominations this year which is a testament to the ingenuity and aspirations of every Aucklander working in this space. Auckland Council congratulates the winners and thanks everyone who is striving for a Zero-Waste future,” says Sood.

LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.