Vol. 36, No. 30 - August 6, 2020 52 Ingestre Street, Whanganui - ‘NZ’s Most Beautiful City’. Phone 345 3666 or 345 3655, email [email protected] Easy Earth - doing something good for the environment to go to Melbourne Zoo to BY DOUG DAVIDSON see one in operation. Ours Back in 2018 Derek and Sarah Pickering [- wanted to do something good for the envi- land.” ronment. Derek was then factory manager They had done their re- at Mars Petcare, which aimed to minimise search. There was no sim- the sending of waste to landfill. ilar service in the region whereby food waste and He had the skills and chased a HotRot in-vessel compostable packaging experience to launch composting system. It is a was collected and turned Easy Earth with the aim long cylinder machine that into compost. Once they of diverting food waste will turn the food waste start selling the compost (not green waste) from and compostable packag- to the public, they will not [ ing into compost within compete with the major compost. two weeks. operators. They received support Derek says, “The HotRot Easy Earth is currently from the Council’s Waste [ collecting food wastes Minimization Fund which Although they are made in from more than 50 loca- allows them to lease land Christchurch, I’m aware tions around Whanganui in Karoro Street and to of only one other in New and has recently expand- buy a tractor and truck. Zealand, composting dis- ed into South Taranaki. In April 2019, they pur- posable nappies. We had Derek explains, “The South Taranaki Council ƽ to cover the travel costs through their Waste Mini- misation Fund to help us set up.” In the mean- time a large commercial Co-owner of Easy Earth, Derek Pickering customer has contracted companies want to pay wastes and also because ƽ In Whanganui three ca- Easy Earth allowing for a for this service, Derek re- they believe in the cause. the right thing and increas- fes have come on board second trip each week to plies, “They do it in part There are other factors ingly, the public wanting – Honest Kitchen, Elixir South Taranaki. because it saves them hav- such as enhancing their something to be done to and SourBros Bakery. When asked why do ing to dispose of their food corporate reputation, their [P Continued on page 3 Your New Kitchen Elegant, Unique, Handcrafted Harete Hipango Whanganuiganui E: [email protected]@national.org.nz W: haretehipango.national.org.nzngo.national.org.nz FB: @HareteHipangoMP FB: @HareteHipangoMPpangoMP Joinery | Kitchens | Stairs Authorised by H. Hipango, SuiteAuthorised 7, 210 Victoria by H. Hipango, Avenue,o, Whanganui. 06 344 5040 | okjoiner.co.nz Doors | Windows | Commercial Suite 7, 210 Victoria Avenue,ue, Whanganui. 368 Heads Road, Wanganui RIVER CITY PRESS, THURSDAY, AUGUST 6, 2020 - 1 Check out what’s Addictive Eaters Anonymous - in this week’s RCP 12 step recovery fellowship L'= Addictive Eaters Anony- ?' mous (AEA) is an inter- their money where national 12 Step recovery their environmental fellowship, patterned on "" the Alcoholics Anony- up Easy Earth (see our mous fellowship. AEA is /M [ - tion with no membership 3 fees or costs. Their sole purpose is to try and help of compost bins but it others to recover from ad- ' people with a small or Tony Smith from the ! - Y bership includes people Earth service. who have found recov- I had not heard of the Doug Davidson, " Founders Charitable email: journalist@ anorexia, bulimia, other Trust until recently rivercitypress.co.nz will view the complex and compulsive exercise.” ƽ # $ % Y- now on. " ans in the town. They % that meet face-to-face in operate three houses 67"3 & %- of addiction; I stole food soul what I did with food future or the past. help anyone who may '[\ never attempted to and hid food from an early – I had a lot of shame Addictive Eaters Anony- " ƽ with mild to moderate play the Chinese based ' % - 3 mous has both face-to- ƽ + intellectual disabilities ?3 which people in other are- ways plenty of food in the :[ welcome to attend. Just *]/ as of New Zealand can at- house, I just had to have ' ' '"- I wondered why the members of the club % more. now free of shame and touch with addictive eat- clearly love it and it "- In adolescence and adult- ' ers in our local areas and %6 R'ƾ hood my irritability mor- about secrets I had never around the world and ' Centre would win an 3 ' [ shared, and who weren’t architectural award but *q/ ! " depression and sullen re- $- +M Jill, wrote this account of 3 R more. Wrong address... calling plained by Gerald from 3' their experience with ad- usually see myself that < [ BSM Group of Archi- about – Addiction Eat- *+"/ 67 life I had hope. I learned Larissa Anderson tects, I was suitably +* I’m an addictive eater 8 about this 12 step pro- *[_/3 {/3' =>&?'- in recovery. I believe I everyone else’s fault. @#'+G=# was born with the disease I started to realise there a way of life that has ena- '=@- "[ sa Anderson and without any return address available, with me. It wasn’t just the of that endless obsession [- 3 R with food and secondly, to L@#'= ' live comfortably and hap- #PMU' the rest of the human race; did for us and the beautiful hamper.” I became aware of my I’ve learned in Addictive ='"'' own misery. Suicide at- Eaters Anonymous to just '<"'= tempts followed. live a day at a time, a con- @ = I was eventually intro- cept that has really made #' duced to other addictive ƽ 3' eaters. I had never told a 3 people, could you phone Sheryl on 027 244 7022. free phone 0508 ENLIVEN with Enliven in Whanganui Enliven creates elder-centred communities that recognises elders as individuals and supports them in a way that’s right for them. Set amongst lovely picturesque landscapes, all Enliven facilities in Whanganui are purpose built with strong community connections. In the Whanganui region, Enliven offers: Kowhainui Home and Village, Otamatea • Abingdon Village, St John’s Hill retirement villages rest home hospital dementia short term respite health recovery day programmes For more information please visit: www.enlivencentral.org.nz 2 - RIVER CITY PRESS, THURSDAY, AUGUST 6, 2020 Easy Earth - doing something Long serving JPs honoured good for the environment Continued from page 1 ""QR 6"& They have given some away and have used it on their Commercially Compostable” written on the bottom. own garden but it needs to be “consistent.” He says, L'R “We will be able to process two tonnes a day which compost but will do so in the HotRot. will convert to one tonne of compost. Our focus will 3"$ be on bulk orders but we may consider other options HotRot has a sieve which will prevent them from like the Saturday Market or online.” going any further. Derek says, “We have had very few Derek is combining Easy Earth with being the problems - the occasional plastic bottle top and a blue >R@ glove. People who get involved are more aware of the in Levin, travelling three days a week, and relies on issue.” Sarah to do much of the administration work. But What about individuals signing up to Easy Earth 3" L'%ƽ of Easy Earth to the point of planning for a second bin sizes – 10, 40 and 120 litres. The 10 litre size is HotRot machine. suitable for most homes. We can collect them and re- People and organisations are coming to Easy Earth ! ƽ at Whanganui Resource Recovery Centre or at Crazy amount of horse manure which can be used. And he Pumpkin on Taupo Quay.” All the bins are lockable. is succeeding in his aim of keeping food waste and “The home service”, Derek adds, “is for people who "' R"3 Peter Warnock with the President of the JP Association, Jim O’Neil also allows them to avoid having messy and sticky Four local JPs were hon- been a JP for 60 years. Oth- There are other JPs who rubbish bins, while cutting down on the waste going River City Press - proud to be oured in a recent luncheon ers honoured were Edwin have also served for a long 3' for JPs. Top of the list is Churton for 36 years, Tre- time and they will be hon- He hopes that they will be ready to sell the compost locally owned and operated Peter Warnock who has vor Dicksenson and Nick oured in a future lunch- Tripe – both for 30 years. eon. Okoia School helps in planting at Gordon Park Scenic Reserve Gordon Park Scenic due course other taller Reserve on the corner of species will take over. No 3 Line and Kaimatira Other species included Road in Whanganui cabbage trees, houhere or East is known for its lacebark and mahoe. collection of lowland The Friends of Gordon native forest trees. How- Park Scenic Reserve ever, there is more space meet twice a month available next to No 3 on the second Tuesday line to plant more. and the 4th Thursday So the Department to do planting, weed- of Conservation, the ing, seed collecting and Friends of Gordon Park unfortunately, picking up and the students at the rubbish. Colin said, “We nearby Okoia School have supplied 3 to 4,000 have combined to col- seeds to the Prison to lect, look after and now grow into seedlings.” plant the seedlings. About 18 months ago with the help of Colin Ogle from the Friends, the students collected the seedlings – about 15cm tall - growing alongside the tracks.