Reducing waste is key for three local business who have had a little helping hand towards achieving their waste reduction goals.

The Good Tonic, Fusion Fire Collective and the Ōhope Golf Club were recipients of this year’s Whakatāne-Ōhope Community Board $2500 Waste Minimisation Business Grant.

The Good Tonic will be using their grant to fund Little Yellow Bird clothing collection services in their own and other businesses in Whakatāne.  

Little Yellow Bird is a sustainable clothing brand that collects second-hand cotton clothing to turn into new items.  

Within six months it has saved over 8000kgs of clothing from entering landfill.  

Customers of The Good Tonic and other host businesses can drop-off cotton clothing to be recycled.  

“Donna and I felt it was important that other local businesses also hosted the boxes, they may have customers visit their stores that may not visit ours, which means we’ll be able to reach more people,” said Mr Stobie 

“Globally the fashion industry produces 13 million tonnes of clothing, the majority of which ends up in landfill, this is a toxic industry that contributes to our climate crisis.” 

“This is why we believe it’s so important to choose clothing you know the full lifecycle of the garment.”  

Fusion Fire Collective used their slice of the grant to purchase stainless steel lunchboxes and reusable coffee mugs and drink bottles for all their staff to reduce waste from buying lunches.

Lidi Schiefelbusch of Ōhope Beach Golf Links said the club is committed to becoming more sustainable and, as a not-for-profit club, every bit of support helps.

The golf club will be using their grant to build new recycling bin housing to be placed on the course in two sets of two.

“Optimising our club’s recycling system is not only good for the environment but reduces the amount we spend on waste disposal ensuring that money goes towards the sport instead,” said Ms Schiefelbusch.

“We have other sustainable initiatives like pest-eradication with 40 rabbit hutches on the course, irrigating the course from our own pond, eradicating invasive pest plants, and only having electric golf carts.”

Moira Hanna of the Whakatāne-Ōhope Community Board said she was pleased to see businesses taking advantage of the fund to achieve their waste reduction goals.

“A lot of businesses in our area are working hard to reduce their waste and we are happy to be able to support them in any way we can,” she said.

Donna and Colin Stobie of The Good Tonic are committed to running an environmentally sustainable business.