Environment

Boomerang Bags

Boomerang Bags works to reduce the use of plastic bags by engaging local communities in the making of Boomerang Bags – community made, using recycled materials. Boomerang Bags provide a free, fun, sustainable alternative to plastic bags.

Conservation Events in your Region

Check out the Department of Conservation website for conservation events in your region.

Cool-Safe

Cool-Safe provides resources and support to promote and improve safety and health in the forestry sector, ensuring that industry practices are safe and sustainable. They will even pay businesses to pick up old whiteware from them. Visit their website to learn more.

Facilities that accept compostable packaging & food serviceware

Find out where commercially compostable packaging and serviceware can be processed in New Zealand with WasteMINZ.

Green Star

Green Star is a tool to support stakeholders in the property and construction sectors to design, construct and operate projects in a more sustainable, efficient and productive way. To rate a building or fitout's overall environmental impact, Green Star rating tools award points across nine categories: energy, water, materials, indoor environment quality, transport, land use and ecology, management, emissions, and innovation.

Kaivolution

Kaivolution is a Waikato Go Eco Climate Action Project which rescues edible and useable kai that would have otherwise gone to waste or landfill, and redistributes as free kai to registered community groups and charities.

Ko Tātou This is Us

Ko Tātou This is Us is an independent biosecurity brand that belongs to the biosecurity community. The brand has been developed as part of the Biosecurity 2025 programme. It is supported by Biosecurity New Zealand, a business unit of the Ministry for Primary Industries, and the wider biosecurity community. 

The movement shows all New Zealanders, both individuals and businesses, that they are essential in helping strengthen our biosecurity system and every small action towards better biosecurity is important. Check out their Facebook page.

Million Metres

Million Metres is on a mission to restore New Zealand’s rivers, streams, lakes and wetlands. A partnership between the Sustainable Business Network and the Department of Conservation, you can make a donation or get involved as a volunteer.

Ministry for the Environment

Useful information on the environment, including reducing greenhouse emissions, the Resource Management Act, climate change, and freshwater reforms. MFE’s website also has information on various funds to improve environmental performance, such as the Waste Minimisation Fund and environmental awards.

New Zealand Green Building Council

A not-for-profit organisation that promotes better buildings, because better buildings mean healthier, happier people.

Predator Free 2050

Predator Free 2050 is an ambitious goal to rid New Zealand of the most damaging introduced predators that threaten our nation’s natural taonga, our economy and primary sector. This initiative brings together central and local government, iwi, philanthropists, non-government organisations, businesses, science and research organisations, communities, land owners and individuals. The Department of Conservation has created tools and guidance to help you get involved, including funding resources. This project is also linked to the Predator Free NZ Trust, which also has lots of useful resources to help you contribute to Predator Free New Zealand.

Predator Free NZ

Predator Free NZ is an independent trust committed to dramatically reducing New Zealand’s predator populations, including rats, stoats, possums, weasels and ferrets.  They want to protect our native species and see their populations increase in our lifetime. It’s one of the most ambitious conservation projects undertaken in New Zealand – ambitious, but achievable.  Visit their website to see how you and your business can get involved. It includes tools and resources.

Project Janszoon

Project Janszoon is a privately funded trust set up to restore and preserve Abel Tasman’s rich wildlife for all to enjoy. It is a team effort involving conservationists, iwi, locals, scientists, tourism operators and volunteers. Volunteers do everything from dune restoration and tree planting to possum trapping and kākā monitoring.

Project Janszoon is getting rid of pests and weeds, bringing back native birds and bush, and inspiring a culture of care for Abel Tasman. The aim is to complete the restoration by 2042 – in time for the 400th anniversary of Abel 'Janszoon' Tasman’s visit to Golden Bay and the park’s 100th anniversary.

Pure Advantage

Comprised of business leaders who believe the private sector has an important role to play in creating a greener, wealthier New Zealand, Pure Advantage is a not-for-profit organisation that investigates and promotes opportunities for green growth, including bioproducts, waste to value and renewable energy.

Recycle.co.nz

It's important to understand what items can and can't be recycled. This website provides a guide to how to identify different types of plastics and paper, as well as a list of New Zealand local council recycling guidelines.

RefillNZ - help to reduce plastic

Kiwis throw away 526 million water bottles annually according to RefillNZ, an organisation determined to reduce that number. Participating businesses have a RefillNZ sticker in their window to show consumers they are welcome to come on in and fill up their water bottle for free. 

Squawk Squad

Squawk Squad is a social enterprise that aims to connect and engage a country in the protection and growth of our native bird life. Squawk Squad connects people with sanctuaries via a web-app that gives them the ability to collectively fund sensor-connected traps in aid of sanctuary projects. The funders can see where their trap is deployed in the sanctuary and are notified in real-time when their trap activates. This indicates the positive impact that their investment is having on native birdlife. 

Sustainable Business Council

Guides on how to make your business more sustainable, including procurement, energy efficiency, climate change, zero waste, and successful business and school partnerships, from the Sustainable Business Council.

Sustainable Business Network

The Sustainable Business Network is a forum for businesses interested in sustainable development practice. Practical support and tools include:

  • resources sheets to help businesses get started  in the big five areas of business sustainability: transport, waste, energy, workplace and purchasing

  • a smart office guide providing practical information on sustainable office management
     
  • information on collaborative projects, including procurement and crowdfunding the planting of native plants and trees along New Zealand waterways 

Sustainable Coastlines

A New Zealand charity run by a team of staff and a network of passionate volunteers and collaborators. Their mission is to enable people to look after the coastlines and waterways they love. They coordinate and support large-scale coastal clean-up events, educational programs, public awareness campaigns and riparian planting projects. They also help groups run their own events. 

The Rubbish Trip

The Rubbish Trip is a zero waste roadshow offering free presentations and workshops to community groups, schools, businesses and households across New Zealand about how and why individuals can reduce their waste footprint. 

Trees That Count Te Rani o Tane

Trees That Count is a national project mobilising New Zealanders to plant millions of native trees to mitigate climate change. 

The project aims to keep a live count of the number of native trees being planted across New Zealand. But it’s also about planting trees that count – for climate change, biodiversity and restoring and enhancing our environment – native trees.

Trees That Count is being funded by The Tindall Foundation, and delivered by Project Crimson Trust in partnership with Pure Advantage and the Department of Conservation.

UYOC - use your own cup

UYOC is an online café guide. It stands for Use Your Own Cup and it is pronounced [you-yok] or any way you want to say it! It represents cafes that are committed minimising their environmental impact by welcoming clients to use their own cups when they take out. Every cafe listed will pour a brew into any vessel clients bring them.

WasteMINZ

WasteMINZ is the largest representative body of the waste, resource recovery and contaminated land sectors in New Zealand. A membership-based organisation, it has over 1000 members – from small operators through to councils and large companies. It is the authoritative voice on waste, resource recovery and contaminated land in New Zealand.

In May 2018, it released a discussion paper - Rebooting recycling WHAT CAN AOTEAROA DO?

What's Up Doc?

Sign up to DOC's monthly email newsletter to receive news and updates from the DOC website and conservation blog. You can also access newsletters from DOC offices around the country.

Your Sustainable Workplace

A workplace programme designed to kickstart your organisation’s waste minimisation efforts, saving you money and reducing your impact on the environment. Run by the Sustainability Trust. The Trust also runs workshops, has a fruit tree planting scheme and volunteer opportunities.

Valleys Conservation Project

The Valleys Project offers private individuals and corporates the opportunity to undertake significant yet affordable conservation projects in partnership with DOC and the NZ National Parks & Conservation Foundation. These projects aim to adjust the balance in favour of our birdlife by trapping predators in areas currently without any control measures.  They will combine strategically with DOC’s existing work and other VALLEYS Projects to become part of a greater whole.

Zero Waste Network New Zealand

The Zero Waste Network represents community enterprises across Aotearoa New Zealand that are working towards zero waste. Its mission is connect, educate, enable and inspire them to reach their goals and to be a unifying voice at local, regional and central government levels.