Talking rubbish might not appeal to everyone, but is something Waitaki businesses need to start thinking about.

Waitaki District Council waste minimisation officer Lucianne White, through Business South, is running a free workshop to help local businesses be more planet-friendly.

The one-hour workshop is 8am next Friday (February 17) at Ōamaru’s Business Hive, on Thames St.

Lucianne said the workshop was aimed at all businesses, both large and small, and would provide a forum to ask questions, help businesses find out more about the current and proposed waste environment, and encourage them to think about taking the first steps towards reducing waste.

Business South Waitaki navigator Rebecca Finlay said changing business practices to lessen waste was not only better for the environment and businesses' reputations, but would also help ensure they were ahead of any legislative changes, which were destined to particularly impact the hospitality, construction and manufacturing industries.

Proposed changes to legislation, following the Transform Recycling consultation carried out by the Environment Ministry last year, already included separation of business food waste, a container return scheme and improvements to household kerbside recycling, Lucianne said.

“These proposals are aligned with a shift to a more circular economy, where more resources are kept in use for longer, there is less impact on the environment, and packaging has better recycling potential and longevity.”

Becoming more sustainable as a business was important, she said.

“We’ll all need to start thinking about how we currently do things and what we can do better. 

“Sending less to landfill is not only about proposed legislated requirements though – it is about looking at what you do as a business, how you do it, what improvements you can commit to, and connecting with your staff and your community. 

“It can be a really inspiring journey and a great selling point.”

Everybody needed to start somewhere, but the key point was to start, and help was available every step of the way, Lucianne said.

“What we’ve found is that there is a lot of appetite amongst staff groups to do the right thing, we just have to create the opportunities. And even the people that think rubbish is a bit of a rubbish conversation topic, once we start, they are quickly converted to rather passionate advocates.

“It’s a fun and inspiring world to work in and we are just keen to share that passion with our community.”

Businesses could register via the below link, and were encouraged to do so by this Friday (February 10) for planning purposes.

https://businesssouth.outreach.co.nz/forms/register?token=ce89f0e0c0f1&event=195020