| 3 T TSue Russell Building community connection Renée Wentzel, Hauraki Council’s Waste Manager, taking recycling to the next level. Hauraki Council REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT “You know I would like it to get to the place where ‘waste’ is like a coffee-table conversation, bringing a bit of the responsibility back to consumers.” Not everyone would declare a passion for recycling to the same extent as Renée Wentzel, Hauraki Council’s Waste Manager, but through stoic determination and a commitment to delivering better environmental outcomes, she’s certainly leaving her mark. Renée has been with the council for 10 years and says the work she undertakes feels very rewarding. “I’m the contract manager for the curb side collection, plus I oversee two transfer stations and a couple of landfill sites. My role is also in the strategic space where I align services to meet future needs and I have quite a strong focus on collaboration with the private sector, so there’s plenty to keep me busy and that’s what I love,” Renée says. And in her role as strategic leader Renée ensures a focus on waste minimisation is always to the fore. “You know it’s not just about recycling. It’s about building a connection with the community,” Renée says. “I love having feedback from people as to how they think we can improve services and by minimising waste, the added benefit of keeping waste collection costs as low as possible, is something I really care about.” Breaking down the common perception that waste is a ‘council problem’ to instead build a sense of ownership by people living in the community is a priority and that, Renée says, only comes about with lots of opportunities to discuss, engage and educate. “You know I would like it to get to the place where ‘waste’ is like a coffee-table conversation, bringing a bit of the responsibility back to consumers.” All the good work and very positive energy Renée has for helping reduce the waste footprint, have this year been acknowledged as a finalist at the WasteMINZ + ALGA Awards, , something she is very humble about. “It was my group manager at Council who nominated me and it was wonderful to attend the conference which brought together the private and public sectors aligned to waste control in a very collaborative space. Judges noted that Hauraki Council’s waste management achievements were driven by strong value-led leadership, an engaged frontline built from the ground up and a strong focus on practical systems that worked for people, staff and the environment. Staff have moved from desk-based roles to active community educators and special mention was made of the positive outcomes that have been achieved in redesigning transfer station operations and workflow. “That’s been a really positive change. By reconfiguring the layout of parts of the transfer station, we’ve been able to engage better with residents, build trust and education around recycling. We’ve also worked closely with local businesses.” And there’s a proactive approach taken by Council in order to better understand current waste practices by its citizens, Renée says. “We sample 150 bins each week to understand just how much that could be recycled is being thrown out. That was a real eye-opener because we realised with better waste management practices by people at home, they could essentially reduce how often they need to put their rubbish out.” That link between good practice and direct savings for people is one that Renée is keen to push. In Hauraki, district waste is collected by a user-pay tag system, so any reduction in volume means consumers benefit and with an ageing population, many of whom are on fixed incomes, any saving is important. Bringing discussion into a very practical approach is something Renée is keen to foster. An example of this are her food workshops. Half of the time is used discussing food storage and using food scraps followed by practical cooking demonstrations. “Things like this start conversations and get people thinking.” With a lot of infectious enthusiasm for all things ‘waste’ Renée says there’s plenty of work ahead and ideas evolving to push the message out even further. “I feel very lucky to have a job I just love, working with people that really care and bringing positive messages out into the community we serve.” Providing Comprehensive Hazardous Waste Management Solutions We specialize in the identification, collection, transportation, and management of hazardous waste materials from household, to workshop to commercial. Haz-Tech Environmental Hazardous Substance Management 0274 751 134 ray@haztech.co.nz haztech.co.nz We are proud to have worked along side the Whakatane District Council on the Henderson Street Stormwater project, delivering local electrical and automation expertise while supporting our community. 38a Valley Road, Whakatane 07 308 5620 accounts@electrocare.co.nz
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