Green Jon, the zero waste king
Jon Morgan, 56, runs the McLaren Park and Henderson South recycling centre.
How did the name Green Jon come about?
Mostly from working with young kids. I guess they were having a bit of fun, but also Jon is a pretty common name, so I guess I created a bit of an identity. Kids want somebody to lead them, and that’s always a funny position to put yourself in – because I’d rather promote them as leaders of projects.
Why is the recycling centre getting a community work partnership award from the Department of Corrections?
We have the Corrections crew here once a week, so we’ve given them a specific area and set that up for their task, so they can come here and they know exactly what they are doing. Things are really clear for them and I think people like that. We are often told by the probation service that the crews really enjoy coming along here. We also do an education session with them, and it might only be 10 or 15 minutes, but a question I love to ask them is what is waste? I believe in zero waste.
It must be heartening?
Yes it is – I remember one of
‘‘Kids want somebody to lead them, and that's always a funny position to put yourself in – because I'd rather promote them as leaders of projects.’’ Jon Morgan, aka Green Jon
the comments from a guy doing community probation. He said he was talking to his parents about green waste, and suddenly he realised: ‘‘Bloody Green Jon, he’s turned me into an environmentalist.’’ The guy told me he couldn’t believe it because he always thought I was full of it.
How can we get to zero waste?
It comes down to the manufacturers. They have to stop making the waste to begin with. And we know they can do it, there are other products they could be using out there. It’s just they cost a little bit more, but if it was a level playing field with central government rules like in Europe then it can be done.
Where do the items at the recycling store come from?
Probably 98 per cent of the stuff here is stuff that is destined for landfill. Ideally people come to us before they go to the tip floor and we can quickly identify if it’s something we can take or do up.
How have things evolved since the store opened 18 months ago?
I think the big thing we’ve noticed is that people now know that we are here and they appreciate what we are doing so they are actually bringing us the good stuff. We are also building up a good base of volunteers with skills to help us recycle more.
How much profit do you make now, and what do you do with it?
We diverted 160,000 tonnes and converted it into $350,000 in one year. As a not-for-profit what we make is put back into the community. MPHS see this particular project as having the scope to be a fully-fledged social enterprise. A good social enterprise will make a profit that can be invested in other projects that don’t get that opportunity. One of our big aims is to employ people.
Are there any plans to expand?
Right now things are kind of happening in Auckland. There are also community recycling centres in Waiuku, in Devonport, in Helensville, just starting up on the Hibiscus Coast – and the council I believe has plans for another 10 of these.