Co-ordinated in Dunedin by Blair and Nicky Camplin, of Office Furniture Specialist Ltd, the scheme has been running in the city since late 2023 and sent its first compressed bale of cartons to Tauranga-based recycling company SaveBoard in November, 2024.
Since then, the recycling programme — which includes the cardboard-and-plastic containers used for a wide variety of products such as non-dairy milks — has gone from strength to strength.
Last month, Mr Camplin was thrilled to announce that a total of 10,448kg of containers had been deposited by the community at collective points hosted by supportive local businesses and organisations.
Supporting organisations include Taste Nature, The Link at the University of Otago, Otago Polytechnic, Rembrandt Cafe, South Dunedin Community Network and Bin Inn Dunedin.
Mr Camplin said several had been involved since the beginning, and Taste Nature consistently collected the majority of the cartons, although the other collection points were steadily getting busier.
Taste Nature owner Clinton Chambers said the success of its collection for the SaveBoard project was due to the support of the community and their diligence.
"People come in every day with their containers ready for recycling — cut open, washed out, and with the lids still attached," he said.
"So we really thank them for that."
As the collections of cartons build up, they are collected by Mr and Mrs Camplin and stored in a container at Cargill Enterprises until enough has been gathered to be compressed into a bale.
Mr Camplin said the bales of containers, which were sent to SaveBoard about three times a year, were then shredded and put through a high-temperature compression process to be made into a versatile board for use in construction.
"This is a great example of circular recycling within New Zealand — taking the waste containers and turning them into a fantastic product, which is sold by Bunnings," he said.
Mr Camplin paid tribute both to the Dunedin community and to the businesses supporting the scheme for its success.
"The success belongs to you all," he said.
"Every individual, organisation and business involved plays an essential role.
"Reaching this milestone is a testament to what we can accomplish together, when we work together towards creating a healthier, more sustainable environment for our community."
