KAItiaki Composting

About This Project

Following our successful pilot of KAItiaki Composting in New Plymouth in 2022, BAF has partnered with Zeal Taranaki, Stratford District Council and the Stratford Business Association to run a 2nd pilot with businesses in the Stratford CBD.  This initiative will run across 2023 and 2024.

KAItiaki Composting is a social enterprise engaging a group of young people from Zeal so they can learn the operational side of running a small start-up enterprise.  It has been developed as a solution to mounting food waste.  Food waste is collected, composted and then used to grow more fruit and vegetables.  The compost in this 2nd pilot will be developed at Te Popo Garden and potentially other community partners within the Stratford area.

KAItiaki Composting provides a wheelie bin to collect food waste (with advice on what can and can’t go in the bin).  Each bin is collected once a week and replaced with a fresh, clean one.  By composting food waste we prevent it going to landfill and creating harmful gases as it decomposes.  We also use the compost we create to grow fresh fruit and veges for our local communities.

KAItiaki Composting is also providing valuable skills for young people learning how to establish and run a small business.

Our 2022 pilot ran in partnership with Marfell Community Garden and Sustainable Taranaki and worked with four New Plymouth businesses.  It removed around 200 litres of food waste from landfill each week.