McCain Timaru wins climate action award
McCain New Zealand’s Timaru plant has been crowned as the Climate Action Leader in the 20th national Sustainable Business Awards.
The plant was also a finalist for the Transforming Aotearoa New Zealand Supreme Award, which was won by ethical beverage company, Karma Drinks.
The organisation running the awards, Sustainable Business Network (SBN), said since 2020 McCain had undertaken ‘‘new initiatives and innovative technologies’’ to reduce energy use to identify ways the company could be more energy efficient and use less carbon.
‘‘The company has carried out heat recovery and boiler conversion projects which have resulted in a carbon reduction of 34,517 tonnes,’’ SBN said.
‘‘McCain worked in collaboration with EECA (Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority) to develop an Energy Transition Accelerator programme for its Timaru plant.
‘‘The main objective was to provide a preliminary indication of energy efficiency and energy-related carbon reduction opportunities.
‘‘The Energy Transition Accelerator programme has helped McCain Timaru to reduce its process heat demand and hence switch its boiler fuel to renewables.
‘‘McCain employed an energy graduate, with support from EECA, to identify energy efficiency and carbon reduction initiatives.’’
At the awards, the Timaru District Council received a commendation in the Communicating for Impact category alongside Priority Communications for their campaign called ‘What’s In Your Bin?’.
Ecotricity was the winner of the category. The company test drives every electric vehicle (EV) that comes into the New Zealand market and provides video reviews to give Kiwis the information they need to make an informed decision, and to remove any fear about the switch to EVs.
SBN, about the Timaru council’s commendation, said 15 years ago Timaru District was one of New Zealand’s ‘‘top performing regions for kerbside recycling’’.
‘‘After recycling temporarily stopped during the 2020 Covid-19 lockdown, Timaruvians became confused about sorting their rubbish and recycling.
‘‘By June 2020, 48% of Timaru’s recycling was being contaminated with waste and going to landfill, costing ratepayers more than $250,000 each year.
‘‘Redruth landfill was filling twice as fast as predicted, and if something wasn’t done, Timaru ratepayers would be footing the bill for a $55 million landfill 10 years earlier than expected.’’
To re-educate people on sorting their household waste, the council asked Priority Communications to ‘‘develop and deliver a dynamic and innovative’’ public education campaign.
The campaign, called ‘‘What’s In Your Bin?’’, identified three messages that would make the biggest impact on improving Timaru’s recycling – ‘‘1,2,5 plastics only in your yellow bin’’; ‘‘Sticky or Icky? Not in your yellow bin’’; and ‘‘In Timaru we recycle topless, lids go in the red bin’’.
‘‘The campaign was tied to these messages and promoted across a wide range of communications channels using local champions mayor Nigel Bowen, councillor Barbara Gilchrist, comedian Josh Thomson, and international skating star Nicole Begg.
‘‘Billboards, social media, newspaper advertising and media coverage featured the champions posing with recyclable plastics and items of rubbish, as well as tastefully topless for the message – In Timaru, we recycle topless.’’
SBN said the ‘‘saucy images, and a quirky recycling video with Josh Thomson,’’ went viral on social media and appeared on national media.
‘‘The people of Timaru responded by greatly improving their recycling. Within just six months, the level of contaminated recycling had dropped to 16%, with the campaign credited for a significant change in behaviour from Timaru residents.’’