Lifeafterwaste - “closing the resource loop”

About Lifeafterwaste

Vision and goals

How lifeafterwaste fits in

Who is lifeafterwaste?

Who can join?

Actions and projects

Funding

Events

Contact us

Links

 

What is lifeafterwaste?

lifeafterwaste is an initiative of the Waste Management Institute of New Zealand aimed at achieving a resource efficient and sustainable New Zealand.
lifeafterwaste brings industry, government and community sectors together under one umbrella to work together as a coalition. It is a unique opportunity for each sector and its representatives to embrace the principles of resource efficiency and sustainability through leadership and collaboration.

One chance to get it right

New Zealand relies greatly on its “clean and green” image, both nationally and internationally. To keep it that way, we must be committed and work together in an integrated and holistic way. We have only one chance to get it right, and that chance is NOW.


lifeafterwaste: a vision for the future

The lifeafterwaste vision is based on the principle of “closing the resource loop”. This makes it every New Zealander’s personal responsibility to see, think and act. It is a vision for a society that values and protects its people, environment and resources.
The lifeafterwaste programme is a blueprint for action: it outlines a series of core principles, change actions and sector challenges to achieve this vision. lifeafterwaste is now developing a strategic direction and specific actions to take lifeafterwaste into the future for the benefit of sectors and individual New Zealanders alike.

Download the lifeafterwaste Programme (pdf)
Full booklet (1.67MB). Acrobat PDF Reader is required to view the document.
Download the lifeafterwaste Brochure (pdf)
Full brochure (1.73MB). Acrobat PDF Reader is required to view the document.

top

lifeafterwaste vision and goals

lifeafterwaste vision:

"To achieve a resource efficient and sustainable New Zealand"

lifeafterwaste mission

To promote and facilitate resource efficiency and in the longer term, work towards a sustainable New Zealand through sector collaboration and partnerships.

lifeafterwaste goals

  • promote and facilitate sector collaboration and partnerships across industry, government and the community
  • support and enable individual sectors to provide leadership in resource efficiency and sustainable practices
  • give effect to the lifeafterwaste programme through a range of innovative actions and projects
  • actively contribute to and support relevant government policy, strategies and actions
  • foster relevant knowledge and skills through relevant communications, and information and educational resources

lifeafterwaste values

Commitment: Be responsible, accountable and always willing to listen and actively contribute to the vision and mission of lifeafterwaste.
Co-operation: Within the lifeafterwaste framework, be co-operative and non-competitive, and assist and educate other sectors, initiatives, communities and individual New Zealanders.
Communication: Propose ideas, share information widely, dialogue with others, develop trust, and act openly, honestly and with integrity.
Innovation: Experiment, take chances, try new ways, learn from mistakes, be open to change.

top

How lifeafterwaste fits in

Recognising the value of existing initiatives

Several sectors and organisations have already taken up the challenge of achieving a resource efficient and a sustainable New Zealand through a range of initiatives.
This includes for example the New Zealand Business Council for Sustainable Development, New Zealand Packaging Council, Zero Waste Trust, Sustainable Business Network, The Natural Step, BusinessCare National Trust and a range of other initiatives.

At government level, both the Ministry for the Environment and Ministry of Economic Development play a vital role in developing relevant policy and strategies for a resource efficient and sustainable New Zealand.

lifeafterwaste recognises the value and importance of existing initiatives, but also the importance of better collaboration towards common goals, and the synergies and opportunities that can be derived from that. The Government’s Waste Strategy has acknowledged the important role lifeafterwaste can play in this context.

 

Collaboration

lifeafterwaste’s focus is not on duplicating or pre-empting the efforts of existing initiatives and programmes, but to enhance and support these by encouraging collaboration and seeking joint opportunities to achieve common goals.

lifeafterwaste will act as a forum where information and initiatives can be shared and multiplied through the sectors and New Zealand communities.

Sustainable behaviour is vital in building a new well informed national conscience towards the environment.

lifeafterwaste is about changing the way we act.

top


Who is lifeafterwaste?

Governance

Currently, a Steering Group comprising a number of representatives of key sectors governs lifeafterwaste. This Steering Group is responsible for taking lifeafterwaste to a point where a formal structure will be set up and beyond.

lifeafterwaste will be set up as a Foundation in the form of a Charitable Trust. This will be governed by an appointed Board of Trustees and supported by an Advisory Board made up from lifeafterwaste Partners. Initially, these boards will be supported by management and administrative staff based in the offices of the New Zealand Waste Management Institute.

The operational structure of lifeafterwaste will be set up to also enable input from individual businesses and New Zealanders through local or topic-based lifeafterwaste networks.

lifeafterwaste Steering Group

Members of the Steering Group currently represent the following key organisations:

  • BusinessCare National Trust
  • Consumers’ Institute
  • Environmental Institute of Australia and New Zealand
  • NZ Water and Wastes Association
  • Ministry for the Environment
  • Ministry of Economic Development
  • Packaging Council of New Zealand
  • Recycling Operators of NZ Inc.
  • Unitec New Zealand
  • Waste Management Institute NZ
  • Zero Waste New Zealand Trust

Proposed lifeafterwaste structure

click here to view

top

Who can join?

lifeafterwaste Partners

Any organisation representing an industry sector, Government department or community group can join lifeafterwaste by committing to the lifeafterwaste objectives. At present, a lifeafterwaste Partnership Agreement is under development that comprises a summary of commitments made by both lifeafterwaste and Sector Partners. Both lifeafterwaste and the Sector Partner will sign this agreement.

Other ways of participating

lifeafterwaste also wishes to enable individual businesses and New Zealanders to participate in the overall lifeafterwaste vision and associated actions and projects, mainly through lifeafterwaste networks which will form part of the overall lifeafterwaste structure.

Actions and projects

lifeafterwaste work programme

The lifeafterwaste Steering Group is in the process of developing a two-year work programme to achieve the vision and strategic goals of lifeafterwaste. This work programme focuses, among other things, on:

  • building networks
  • forming sector partnerships
  • developing a communication strategy
  • identifying gaps in the area of resource efficiency and environmental sustainability
  • developing a range of innovative actions and projects with Sector Partners
  • seeking funding

top

lifeafterwaste milestones

The diagram below outlines the milestones for the implementation of the lifeafterwaste work programme.

1 RECOGNITION 2 PROGRAMME 3 RAISE FUNDS 4 IMPLEMENTATION

Achieve national recognition with all sectors

Develop programme plan / integration of activities

Raise funds from government and private sectors

National and sector-wide contributions to lifeafterwaste programme

Funding

lifeafterwaste will seek funding principally from corporate and government sources.
However, it is intended to create many other opportunities to support and fund lifeafterwaste’s work through events, joint actions and projects, in kind contributions, and working through lifeafterwaste networks.

top

Events

lifeafterwaste sector presentation

The lifeafterwaste Foundation will host a sector presentation in Wellington on 22 September 2004. This is the first step in the lifeafterwaste work programme to develop sector partnerships and build networks.

WasteMINZ conference

The Waste Management Institute of New Zealand will hold its annual conference in Auckland from 9-11 November 2004.

During this conference, the Institute will provide an update on lifeafterwaste to its Members and seek feedback.

top

Contact us

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT:

Carol Inglis

Links

 


website by InfoAge