Sustainability
We have recently switched to 100% compostable serve-ware for public events!
Stage one of our Zero Waste Strategy is officially underway. We have replaced all single-use cups and hot food packaging with carefully-sourced plant-based alternatives from reputable local suppliers Innocent Packaging and Ecoware. Compostable waste, which includes cups, lids, straws, cutlery, napkins, food boxes and food waste, will be delivered directly to our friends at Envirofert (a local composting plant), where it will be transformed into quality compost in just three months!
We have brand new bins located around the arena thanks to Method, so you will have two options when at an event. Almost everything we give you will be compostable, with the unfortunate exception of lolly bags, chip packets, and ice cream wrappers, which will have to go in the landfill bins. To simplify things for all you concert goers out there, we will take care of all plastic, glass, and tin recycling behind the bars.
We have Greener Arena ambassadors around the arena to keep it sweet, and the compost clean, so if you have any questions feel free to seek them out and have a chat! If you don't know where to put your rubbish, the Greener Arena team will be able to tell you or, if in doubt, drop it in the landfill bin to avoid contaminating the compost.
The environmentally focused waste management company, Green Gorilla, have been instrumental in making this change possible for us. We are excited to get started with our new Zero Waste Strategy and are looking forward to seeing the positive shift that will result in the years ahead. There are more changes ahead, but we are taking it one step at a time and trying to get it right.
Our hope is that by stage two of our Zero Waste strategy, snack suppliers will have found a way to provide treats in compostable packaging, so we can do away with our landfill bins altogether. The arena bees (more on these guys to come) are busily making honey using nectar collected from our backstage garden and we can't wait to bring our first batch of compost back from Envirofert to this garden in December!
For more info on what our serve-ware is made out of, check out this handy fact sheet.
FAQS
What changes are being made to make food and drink packaging compostable?
We have designed and implemented an entirely new system for all drink and hot food packaging that touches customers. This includes sourcing packaging from reputable suppliers Innocent Packaging and Ecoware, working with design-thinkers Method to create a bespoke set of bins to enhance the arena foyers and facilitate new behaviours and partnering with waste management company Green Gorilla to facilitate composting, recycling and minimise landfill.
What do I need to do when I'm at an event?
The only thing that changes for you is that there are now just two bins in the foyers - compost and landfill. You can check what goes in which bin pretty easily, but in short - all drink containers and hot food packaging is now recyclable, and wrappers for ice creams, lollies and packets of chips go into the landfill bins.
What are the cups made out of?
Cups, straws and cold drink lids are all made from PLA (Poly Lactic Acid) or Plant Plastic! Plastic is simply many long chains of repeating molecules, and with PLA these molecules are derived from corn instead of from fossil fuels. PLA can break down fully, back into organic molecules.
What are the plates and other food packaging made out of?
The plates, burger containers, coffee cups and trays are made from wheatstraw and bagasse. Officially the waste products from wheat and sugarcane production, the result is a diverse and easily malleable plant material that can be moulded into loads of fantastic products. Using only heat and water in production, these materials are super sustainable, toxin free, and able to be easily composted after use. And don't worry, wheatstraw is gluten free and bagasse is much prettier than it sounds.
What are the knives and forks made out of?
The knives and forks, as well as coffee cup lids, are made of CPLA (Crystalised Poly Lactic Acid). This is the crystalised form of PLA, derived from corn. Its heat tolerant which means it maintains the same ability to compost fully but is opaque instead of clear, and a bit more hardy.
Are the hot chip punnets and other cardboard stuff compostable?
The cardboard and paper products are made by FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) grown forests or recycled paper, that can also be composted after use. The inks used are soy based and adhesives are made from plants too. Paper products are whitened without bleach - using non-toxic oxidation.
What's with the bee on the bins and packaging?
The bee design on the bins and packaging references the beehives that are part of the garden backstage here at the arena. The beehives have been in place since 2017, with the bees collecting nectar from the pohutukawa trees on Quay Street and our backstage gardens. The first honey harvest took place in early 2018, and with the gardens being some of the first to benefit from the composted waste, its good news for the bees too. The artwork is by John Reynolds.
Why can't you just give people plastic bottles and glass bottles?
The arena has to provide drinks in crushable containers to satisfy safety requirements and this has traditionally been in recyclable plastic cups. Despite best efforts, cross-contamination during events due to cups, food waste, and other packaging has seen disappointingly large amounts of recyclable material end up in landfill. The new plant-based cups will be composted, and plastic and glass bottles behind the bar will be sorted and recycled.
Why are there still bins for landfill in the foyers?
While we've been researching options for snacks such as lollies, packets of chips, and ice creams, they're not yet available in compostable packaging. Until this is the case we need to make sure that all non-compostable waste is kept separate from compostable waste, to avoid contamination. The recyclable packaging for drinks and hot food significantly reduces the amount of waste going to landfill.
What about the plastic and glass bottles behind the bars?
It's inevitable that some products such as soft drinks will come into the arena in non-compostable plastics. To ensure non-contamination, these bottles will be collected behind the bars for contamination-free recycling, and drinks will be served in plant-based cups which will be composted.
How do the plant-based cups and plates get turned into compost?
Compostable packaging will be transferred to Envirofert's Tuakau facility where it will be aerobically heat-processed and matured into quality compost for use on farms and gardens. This will only take three months!
What else are you going to do after phase one of the project?
We're talking to suppliers of snacks that so far only come in non-compostable wrappers to encourage them to explore new options for packaging. We know that chips need to stay crisp and that they can't just change overnight, but with the speed technology is changing were sure that there must new options not too far away. Were also looking at our processes backstage to see what we can do. We knew that with the majority of waste at the arena coming from food and drink packaging that we needed to tackle that first, and make sure that the new process was robust and working as well as possible.
Why are you doing this now?
One of the key reasons for the timing is that sustainability technology now makes it possible to roll out a robust process that includes working with trustworthy product suppliers.
