How the Wānaka community eliminated plastic produce bags

Since 2000, Wānaka Wastebusters has been committed to  resource recovery. They work closely with local businesses and the community to push towards a zero-waste future bringing reuse, recycle, and repair initiatives to life.

Known locally as Wasties, their zero waste hub welcomes more than 130,000 people a year. From a much-loved reuse shop to recycling services for businesses and events, to  zero waste education campaigns for schools, their work makes it easier for people to take simple steps towards a low-waste lifestyle.

A long-time supporter of Plastic Free July, Wasties has hosted events, workshops and community challenges that help locals reduce their single-use plastic consumption.

In 2023, new legislation banning several single-use plastics in New Zealand provided a perfect opportunity to explore practical solutions for reducing plastic waste.

By participating in Plastic Free July, they were able to create a series of events and initiatives that brought  the community together around the single-use plastic bans, driving  a culture of shared responsibility for sustainability.

A Simple Community-Led Produce Bag Initiative

One of the standout events of Wasties’ Plastic Free July campaign was their produce bag giveaway. This aimed to make it easy for shoppers to move away from single-use plastic bags.

Leading up to the ban, Wānaka Wastebusters hosted “Sip and Sew” events, where community members could gather, enjoy a drink, and sew reusable produce bags. These sessions were not only practical but also social, bringing people together around a common cause.

Ruth Blunt, Wastebusters Communications Manager said:

“Creating the reuse produce bags, along with learning new skills, and giving back to the community, made Sip n Sew a really fun, social event. We wanted to help our community adjust to the new produce bag ban and with the help of our Sip n Sew volunteers we were able to do just that by making and giving away hundreds of reusable bags that are still in use today!” 

On July 1, the Wasties crew handed out these handmade produce bags at local supermarkets, creating a simple but tangible and immediate solution for shoppers. It also sparked important conversations and brought wider attention to the benefits of reducing single-use plastics.

Many Steps That Add Up 

While the produce bag initiative was a huge focus, Wasties’ involvement in Plastic Free July  went even further. Throughout July 2023, they hosted various activities and workshops designed to educate and inspire. These included:

• Green Drinks events: Informal gatherings where community members could discuss sustainability topics over drinks.
• DIY workshops: Hands-on sessions on making beeswax wraps, natural deodorants, oat milk, and more.
• Education: They distributed posters and materials to local cafes and businesses that explored simple alternatives to single-use plastic items. A key shift was focusing not just on avoiding plastic, but on reducing single-use items overall, showing people a wider range of easy swaps. . 

These initiatives were all aimed at making sustainability accessible and engaging.

As Sophie, a key organiser, remarked: 

“Plastic Free July is great because it really gets momentum on an issue. It really focuses people and allows the community to come together and have great conversations.”

What’s Next?

Wasties, along with their community, continues to grow, driven by popular initiatives like:

• Repair Revolution: free, regular workshops that support people to renew, revive and repair their belongings 
• Slow Fashion Month: an alternative to fast fashion excess 
• Compost Collect: a food scraps collection service currently developed in  partnership with Wānaka Greenwaste.

Now, after 25 years, Wasties is looking ahead to even bigger plans: Wastebusters 2.0. This involves expanding their  reuse shop  creating more space for their resource recovery services (building materials too), and designing a centre for engagement and education that will grow with the community’s needs for years to come.

The Impact of Plastic Free July

For Wānaka Wastebusters, Plastic Free July is more than just a month-long campaign. It’s an opportunity to spark lasting change. 

The global movement provides a shared time  to introduce new ideas, test initiatives, and build community engagement around sustainability. By focusing on small steps and solutions, Wasites has kept the conversation going year-round, encouraging residents to consider other ways they can reduce their waste.