In this member spotlight, we talk to Alisa Atkins, founder of Waste2Worth
"Twenty years walking onto construction sites taught me how much usable material goes to landfill simply because there's no easy way to redirect it — and I wanted to learn from people already working on that problem at scale, while sharing what I'm learning building Waste2Worth from the ground up."Waste2Worth makes doing the right thing with unwanted stuff easy. Its an online platform that connects New Zealanders with community organisations, charities and recyclers that can reuse or recycle the things households and businesses no longer need. Search by item and location to find where it can go, turning everyday waste into something genuinely worthwhile.
Why did you want to join WasteMINZ?
I wanted to be part of a community that's genuinely trying to solve this, not just talk about it. Twenty years walking onto construction sites taught me how much usable material goes to landfill simply because there's no easy way to redirect it — and I wanted to learn from people already working on that problem at scale, while sharing what I'm learning building Waste2Worth from the ground up.
What topic/issue are you most passionate about when it comes to waste, resource recovery or contaminated land?
Verified, honest reporting — not greenwashing. Businesses want to do the right thing with surplus materials, but self-reported diversion claims mean nothing without real accountability. I'm passionate about building infrastructure where a donation is actually confirmed by the organisation that received it, not just claimed by the business that gave it away. Small New Zealand subcontractors are increasingly being asked by main contractors to prove their sustainability credentials — they deserve an easy, honest way to do that
What are you reading or listening to right now?
The Cold Start Problem by Andrew Chen
Describe your perfect day outside of work
Hanging out with my husband and 2 boys eating homemade sourdough bread
