School Education

How the Education Centre was funded and developed

In 2000 the Zero Waste NZ Trust made funds available for the development of 2 model education centres in New Zealand to promote zero waste and organic waste solutions. Ashburton District Council was successful in gaining funding for the Education centre at the Ashburton Resource Recovery Park. The old landfill site was cleared and levelled and a low maintenance skyline garage lined with woollen insulation and featuring reused doors and windows was erected. Blue Forsyth Eco builder from Geraldine worked with Cynthia Bleakley, local mosaic artist and community members to develop the landscaping features including a straw bale solar couch with a plaster made from paper pulp, crushed glass sand, clay and cement and a telephone book wall, made from yellow pages, topped with drench containers, with a motorcycle tyre as a central feature all plasters and mosaiced by a YMCA youth working party. Schools and community groups visit the Education Centre which is open to the public 20 hours per week. The Education Centre aims to provide a strong focus on showing people how to compost their food waste at home in their own backyard. Handouts and information are available onsite on how to set up a worm farm, bokashi bucket composting system or a compost bin in your own backyard.
Further help and advice is just a phone call away:

Community Recycling Helpline Free phone 0800 627 824.

The ReShop Shed

The Reshop shed at the Ashburton Resource Recovery Park was originally an open shed, very exposed to the weather. Following a visit to Spain by Sheryl Stivens to see the amazing Gaudi architecture funding was sought to close in the building. The skills of Blue Forsyth eco Builder were once again commissioned and the building was closed in using steel framing, a range of found objects and inspiration from the famous Spanish architect Gaudi whose structures attract visitors from all over the world to see his creative use of mosaics, metal and building materials. Large volumes of carpet were used as the lining materials for the clay and straw plaster mix which was initially mixed and applied on Sunday mornings by groups of volunteers.

Landscaping at the Ashburton Resource Recovery Park

1000 native plants were supplied by Trees for Canterbury in 2004 to carry out a community planting at the Ashburton Resource Recovery Park to offset carbon, reduce noise, dust and odour and create a park like environment in the old landfill site. Initially the plants struggled to grow due to the unhealthy state of the soils but with ongoing applications of worm compost, mulch, carpet and EM effective Microorganisms the native plantings are now thriving.

Bakashi Bins

Zero Waste Lunch

Worm Farm

Composting

Tips for Garding

Waimak District

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Ashburton District

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