FOCUS 1
Environmental Sustainability for the Eastern Bay
CReW’s was specifically set up to divert local reusable resources away from the landfill by employing sound waste minimisation practices and alternatives.
This intent is in keeping with the Minister for the Environment’s Waste Minimisation 2008 Act (MfE) with the purpose to ‘encourage waste minimisation and a decrease in waste disposal in order to protect the environment from harm and to provide environmental, social, economical and cultural benefits.’ MfE Waste Management & Minimisation - Guide
Strategically located a few hundred meters before the Transfer Station in 40 Te Tahi Street Whakatāne, CReW encourages everyone in the region heading to the Transfer Station to drop into CReW first where the team will select items that have reusable value for the community. CReW recovers items to be reused, upcycled, resold in CReW’s Reuse Shop, whilst others are sent off to be recycled. Currently, CReW is the only local e-waste recycling provider in the Eastern Bay of Plenty.
CReW is also the only REUSE Centre in the Eastern Bay and contributes to diverting 312 tonnes of reusable resources away from the landfill annually. (as at 2019)
CReW’s ‘waste’ reduction activity primarily contributes to the Whakatāne District’s Council’s mission to “Valuing our Environment, Community Needs and Quality Services”.
FOCUS 2
Diversity, equity and community education
Equally as important is CReW’s focus on sustainable local employment and training opportunities, be it paid or voluntary and you will always find a diverse range of people from within the local community, busily working at CReW.
CReW is reliant on community donations to exist, and has become self supporting as an organisation, with all profits going back into shop operations, creating local employment and community waste minimisation education.