Botany Town Centre is transforming food waste into a community garden, with a new initiative that converts compostable material from its retailers into nutrient-rich soil for on-site planting.
An unused patch outside Briscoes has been repurposed for the garden, which will expand over time to include a mini orchard, water capture and reuse, and full irrigation of the garden beds.
In the first five months of the program, the centre diverted more than 5.8 tonnes of food scraps, green waste, mulch and coffee grounds from landfill.
The initiative is part of the centre’s broader sustainability efforts, while also revisiting its original landscaping vision from 2001, which included vegetable gardens.
Centre manager Kerrie Hughes said the project reflects a long-term goal to embed composting into its operations.
“It has long been a goal of ours to establish a composting system and re-establish a community garden at the centre,” Hughes said.
“We would like to thank the retailers who have come on board to support the project, and we hope it can be used as a tool to empower and educate the wider community about sustainable waste management and the circular economy.”
The project was designed by sustainability consultancy Outside In and supported by participating retailers, including New World, Subway, Boost Juice, Tank, Buns and Rolls, and Mozaic Kebab.
Dumorah Mohammed, senior account manager at Outside In hopes the garden will resonate with the local community.
“Whether you have a green thumb or simply care about the planet, we are keen to share with older and younger generations how turning waste into growth can build a thriving, green community,” added Mohammed.
- This story was originally published on Inside Retail New Zealand.
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