What “Sustainable Communities Begin with Compost” means to Kaicycle

Written by WasteMINZ | May 5, 2025 12:00:00 PM

Kaicycle are one of hundreds of small composting initiatives around Aotearoa New Zealand. Diverting food scraps from landfill and converting them into valuable compost has allowed them to grow into the thriving community food hub they are today. Find out what does this year's ICAW theme "sustainable communities begin with compost" means to them.

It’s the first Saturday of the month, and the urban farm is buzzing with activity. People are chatting while weeding a bed of leafy greens and sunflowers, turning compost and enjoying freshly picked herbal tea. Tamariki are learning how to plant seedlings and picking baby carrots to take home.

Kaicycle Urban Farm and Compost Hub is just off one of the main streets of Pōneke | Wellington. It used to be a grassy park that was hardly used. From 2015, it was steadily transformed into a thriving food garden that hosts visitors of all ages. The crucial resource needed to do this: Compost! Tons and tons of compost, made onsite from food scraps from local businesses and households, combined with arborist mulch.

Most of the food scraps that Kaicycle collects and composts would have otherwise gone to landfill, creating potent greenhouse gases. Instead, through composting, these valuable nutrients are recycled back into soil, increasing soil health and function, and growing healthy kai that goes to local community centres and kitchens. The diversity of plants grown also supports urban biodiversity – insects and manu abound.

There are hundreds of small composting initiatives around Aotearoa that are capturing and composting food scraps and using the nutrients locally to build soil and grow kai. Collectively, the positive impact is huge, and very broad – from reducing landfill and waste transport emissions, to making healthy kai more accessible, providing learning opportunities, acting as community hubs and places for people to participate in climate action, boosting biodiversity and so much more. The mental health benefits of community gardens are well-documented – which are built on compost.

As just one example, Kaicycle’s impact for 2023-24 included:

Over 40 tons of food scraps diverted from landfill and composted
28 tons CO2-e of landfill emissions avoided
19,000 litres of living compost donated to community gardens, māra kai, schools and marae
844 volunteer hours hosted
38 group visits, events and workshops hosted for learners of all ages

Imagine the collective impact if we had compost hubs, urban farms and community gardens in every town and suburb!

When we have the ability and systems to make good compost within our communities, it enables us to create local food systems, keep food growing knowledge alive and bring people together by getting hands in the soil. In this way, compost plays a big supporting role in growing sustainable communities that are connected, resourceful (instead of wasteful), wellbeing-focused and thriving.