Nelson Environment Centre team posing in front of van.

Food Hub Spotlight – Nelson Environment Centre

Championing sustainability since the 70’s, the Nelson Environment Centre holds the mighty title of being NZ’s oldest environment center, benefiting the Nelson community with environmental and recycling services for almost half a century.

Since the public meeting in 1976 that saw the Centre voted into existence, the team have remained leaders in the sustainability sector of New Zealand, finding new ways to reduce waste in the community, and provide education to businesses and the public to take us forward into a sustainable future. The Centre has evolved to encompass a community and social focus. They believe that when communities lead their own development, they are able to thrive and build the resilience needed to meet the environmental challenges of today and in the future.

NEC staff outside their delivery van holding food baskets

Kai Rescue Program

One of the more recent additions to the Centre was the creation of their Kai Rescue program in 2017, which picks up and redistributes food from local supermarkets, growers and other food outlets to help minimize food waste in Nelson Tasman. This is where our partnership comes in, and since 2021, the Nelson Environment Center has been part of our network of Food Hubs, helping to spread bulk food and essential items from our donors to their 50+ recipient organisations, feeding Kiwis throughout the region.

"Since we started in 2017 we have saved over a million kilograms of food from going to landfill. That is over 2 million meals for our community. We couldn’t do it without our amazing team of volunteers who have dedicated over 15,000 hours to the programme since we began.

We couldn’t do it without our donors like the New Zealand Food Network. Their support means that good kai is saved from landfill and our communities benefit."

- Nelson Environment Centre staff member

Unique services NEC offer

When it comes to the valuable services outside of food rescue that your food donations help to support, The Nelson Environment Centre certainly has a lot to talk about, so we thought we’d highlight a few of them below:

Group of kids learning electronics recycling outside on tables.

Education

The team provides educational services to communities, schools, and corporate groups, focusing on how to reduce their environmental footprints and minimize waste. They share valuable knowledge and practical skills, empowering participants to adopt new approaches to waste management.

E-Waste Recycling

In 2017 the talented team also started repairing, recycling and even upgrading broken electronic items to keep the materials out of landfill and in use. When possible, they resell items to help cover the cost of the programme, along with offering basic computer services to the public.

NEC staff next to some recycled construction materials.

Reconstruct Programme

A recycling service for construction and demolition waste, which provides a great option for builders and tradies to recycle left over materials to be repurposed and reused. It also opens up a sustainable approach for builders to source materials for new projects in the region.

Hapori Fruit and Veg

Working with wholesale retailers, the public are able to purchase fresh fruit and vegetables at the price of $15 per box. The same box has been found to be 35% more expensive to buy at the local supermarkets. Run by local communities (including community centres and schools) there are now 7 hubs across the Te Tau Ihu (Top of the South) allowing communities access to fresh produce without driving far.

Umbrella Support

The teams’ years of experience are also lent to smaller organisations through a support service that helps them gain access to funding and grants. One organization supported is The Perinatal Directory – A service supporting women in their transition to motherhood with opportunities for connection, workshops as well as an online holistic directory, raising up local services, businesses and shared resources.

These wonderful services and the others on their website are all connected in a way in which they not only provide support to the community, but also make each other possible, so your NZFN donations certainly go a long way with the abilities of this team!

NEC staff working in their food rescue space.

The current need

However, much like our Food Hubs throughout the rest of the country, the Nelson Environment Centre are feeling the weight of an increased need for food support as they try to keep up with the demand in the community.

"Our recipient groups have told us that more and more whānau are struggling to put food on the table. This has the knock on effect of kids not being able to concentrate in class. Our food goes to youth centres, schools and kindergartens to ensure that kids can be in the right state of mind to learn."

- NEC Recipient Group

What it means to the staff to do the work they do

"Working on the Kai Rescue programme makes me feel very proud. In the fight against climate change, this programme is dedicated to stopping carbon emissions from entering the atmosphere. At the same time, it ensures that no one in Whakatū goes hungry. Not many programmes can say they have such a lasting impact on the world."

- Nelson Environment Centre staff member

We’re proud to have the Nelson Environment Centre in our Network of Food Hubs and are grateful to know that with their help, our donors' donations are making a significant impact for both our communities and our planet.