S2 Ep 20 - Community Champions and Common Queries - Rowan Cooke
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What is the purpose of the episode and who is the guest Rowan Cook?
This podcast was produced by RFM Duneden with support from New Zealand on the Air.
Today, we're talking to someone who spent more time answering curbside questions than most of us spend putting the bins out. After years of frontline recycling education, he's got stories, shout-outs, and a few surprises about what really happens on the other side of the curb. So buckle up, because when Rowan talks rubbish, it's genuinely worth listening to.
Welcome to Rethinking Waste, the podcast dedicated to reducing, reusing and recycling in Otipoti Dunidin. I'm Lisa De Clark, and with me is my co-host Rob Brittle Tiger. Each episode we explore innovative approaches, practical tips, and the latest trends in recycling to help you rethink and refine your waste practices. Join us as we challenge old habits and discover new ways to make a meaningful impact on our environment. Let's dive in and start rethinking waste recycling. So in this episode we are chatting with a Rowan Cook, the education officer for Enviro NZ. Welcome back to the show, Rowan.
Thanks, good to be here.
So you've previously been on um our show before um and have worked with us quite a bit on on some of these episodes. But for those who perhaps haven't heard from you, can you introduce yourself and tell us a little bit about yourself?
Okay, yeah, cool. I think it was episode two, I might have been on so a wee while ago. Um yeah, so I've got a background in teaching and a passion for for the environment, um particularly around waste. And so my role is uh waste minimization and education advisor, bit of a mouthful, and that is for EnviroNZ. who service the Dunedin City Council with curbside uh recycling and waste. And um really I just get in front of any group, whether it's schools or community groups, um, businesses, to promote waste minimization and also um to clarify things around the curbside system, but not solely that.
So um so you've been you've been at this a while and we know that out there they've got lots of community groups doing incredible waste minimization Mahi. Uh so what groups have you been working with lately and um who deserve a shout out? And what what is it about them that inspires you?
Oh well, probably too many and I'll I'll miss some. But um you know, s so many groups. Like r recently just chatting with one of the the sheds, the Tairi um shed out there, I think maybe the men's shed, but they're not solely men. Um and just uh like the the passion, the grassroots work, the volunteerism, uh if that's a word, um just all of that kind of work that's just doing little bits um all across the city. So I guess I was gonna shout out a few. I I wrote a few down, but like I say, um apologies to those I haven't don't mention. But places like um Comtu Tech, you know, who are doing not only recycling but they're looking up that waste hierarchy, which is something I think I talked about the first time I visited.
Um where you're looking to make the biggest impact. So not just recycling something, but seeing if there's a repair or a reuse or or something like that. What? Um reduction. So, you know, they're trying to close the digital divide as well. So a lot of these groups, yes, there's a environmental outcome that's positive, but they're also helping communities. Um, social cohesion, you know, all of those things. So the curtain bank. It's amazing with the amount of material that comes in for the Curtain Bank. You know, they provide an awesome service, but they just manage they're they're in innovative. They find ways to Firstly make it into a curtain, you know, is the main priority and a a good quality curtain, but then they'll look at the offcuts, see what they can do there, whether it make it into a bag or a phone kind of holder or just um a doorstop, uh draft stopper, curtain draft stopper if if you will, um, all sorts of things.
So places like Pregnancy Help haven't had a huge amount to do with, but you see these organizations around there. And they're just they're looking to support people, but they've also got that sustainability um push as well.
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