Thursday, 29 January, 11am-12pm
Free for WasteMINZ members, $59 (+GST) for non-members
In September, a report commissioned by Waikato Regional Council was released that investigated reusable packaging systems on farms in the Waikato region. The report by Reuse Aotearoa focuses on packaging used on farms to contain products such as baleage, agrichemicals, fertiliser, veterinary products and animal feed, by undertaking desktop research as well as interviews with individuals across Waikato’s animal-based agricultural supply chain – including farmers, agricultural producers/suppliers, organisations that manage packaging logistics, and industry representatives – to understand attitudes to reusable packaging and the perceived barriers and opportunities to increasing these systems. With the recent government announcement on farm waste product stewardship, it is timely to look at what we can learn from the higher tiers of the waste hierarchy, to support farmers in managing waste.Join us for a webinar with the co-authors Polly Brownlee and Gosia Zobel, and Waikato Regional Council to hear key findings from the report including:
- Existing reusable systems and reusable products.
- Challenges and opportunities to scale up the range or products and size or systems– including those unique to agriculture.
- Opportunities and recommendations to enable further implementation and roll out of reusable systems in the region.
- How we can move agricultural waste systems beyond the “3 Bs” -bury, burn or bulk storage of waste.
About your speakers:
Valerie Bianchi, Waikato Regional Council
As Waste Prevention Advisor for Waikato Regional Council, Valerie focuses on developing cross agency collaboration, community skill development and research that will transition our economy from a linear to a circular model for the wellbeing of our people and planet.
Polly Brownlee
Polly Brownlee, one of the co-authors of the Reuse Aotearoa report, has five years’ experience in product stewardship and waste minimisation, including policy and advocacy. She currently works as a regional council catchment advisor and is speaking at this webinar independently.
Gosia Zobel
Dr Gosia Zobel is a researcher, who believes that scientific inquiry is more than just running well designed studies and publishing. With a belief that results must be disseminated in a thoughtful and accessible manner beyond the scientific community; most importantly, to be viewed as trustworthy sources of information, work must always be done with integrity. Growing from an interest in improving the lives of animals yet recognising that there are many facets that contribute to their welfare, Gosia has developed a diverse portfolio of research expertise, including goat, cow, sheep and rodent behaviour. With a strong interest in developing sustainable future systems, thus work closely with relevant stakeholders; Gosia considers the animal as the most important stakeholder in her work.