Festival aims for zero waste
The upcoming XTERRA Wellington Festival, to be held in Queen Elizabeth Park and Whareroa Farm, will be very environmentally friendly.
The international festival, on February 1, featuring a range of off-road running, mountain biking and triathlon events, hopes to drastically reduce the waste it creates and is aiming for zero waste produced by participants throughout the day.
This means that no product supplied or purchased on site will create general waste.
“We believe we should protect where we play,” said Gillian Barsanti one of the two race directors from Barefoot Sport.
“In fact, we go one step further and say it is our duty to improve and safeguard our land for the generations to come.
“We can only run this event because of the amazing landscape New Zealand and Ka¯ piti has given us and therefore how could we not protect it?
“We will have two bin options on site — compost and recycle.
“Nothing sold on site will require it to be disposed of as general waste.”
Envirowaste are providing recycling bins for us to help us obtain our goal of zero waste.
“It’s great to have them on board as they demonstrate their commitment to reducing the country’s general waste.
“It’s all pretty exciting. “All our participants and supporters will get reusable cups and eco vegetable reusable bags that they will be able to keep and use proudly at home.
“It’s like another little collectors’ item.”
Bengy Barsanti, event director and Gillian’s husband said, “This is one of our favourite initiatives.
“I always hated ending up with a bunch of useless paper and soap testers in my race pack that always ended up in the bin.
“We love that we have a small ability to change that.
“Our participants will still get the goodies they are looking for but all via a digital experience they can then use with our generous sponsors.
“Much better value and much more relevant.
“Our vendors have been amazing at coming on board with our vision and we now have full agreement for all vendors to sell no single use plastics and all food stuff provided on fully compostable plates and cutlery.”
And all participants and supporters have the ability to purchase native trees that will be planted on the land at Whareroa Farm, one of the key pieces of land competitors will run and bike over, and the trophies, pictured, for all are made from reclaimed totara that was going to rot on the farm and has been lovingly transformed by the Ka¯ piti Menzshed.
Ann Evans from the Whareroa Guardians Trust was pleased to see another group take an interest in the land.
“We have had a number of school and community groups plus our huge group of volunteers help out at our planting days over the last 14 years but never a combined gift of trees and planting.
“It’s great to have a commercial group enhancing the environment.
“What is exciting is that in years to come participants will see the land transform around them thanks to their generosity and effort.
“We hope some of them will become volunteers at Whareroa in the future.”
Alan Muxlow from Ka¯ piti Menzshed was also excited to be part of the initiative.
“Our team have really enjoyed the challenge and have done a really great job.
“When we saw the wood come in our eyes lit up and what a great chance it was to work alongside the XTERRA crew to create something truly unique.”
Bengy said the trophies represented what the XTERRA Wellington Festival was about.
“Rough, rugged steeped in history, an international event that has our community engrained in its heart.”
For more info on XTERRA Wellington Festival go to www.xterrawellingtonfestival. co.nz or follow them on the usual social media channels.