Petra’s passion for the environment led her to start a coffee pod recycling initiative.
IT Projects Co-ordinator Petra Knights has always been a strong believer in recycling. She was saddened to see that aluminium coffee pods were going straight into the bin at her building’s tearoom.
Keen to find a better solution for the environment, she did some research and discovered that there were coffee pod recycling options available in Dunedin. She then talked to the University’s Sustainability Office and was supported to introduce a new coffee pod recycling process.
Once the new process was in place, she advised all those working in the building to do their bit for the environment and support it.
In her own time, she takes Nescafé and Starbucks pods to local collection points on the afternoon school run and the remainder of brands she sends away with a free Terracycle label. Before Xmas she took one and a half buckets of pods for recycling.
“It (recycling coffee pods) had been in the too hard basket, but there had to be a better way and after several months in action the new process is going really well,” Petra says.
She says that the new process has made her aware of the range of coffee drinking habits of her co-workers, with many using a variety of coffees and some opting for decaf drinks in the afternoon.
“The pod recycling bin kindly provided by our IT Admin team has the added bonus of requiring less effort than taking the pods all the way over to the rubbish bin.”
And what about Petra herself, is she a coffee pod consumer?
“No, I don’t use the pods myself. I don’t like all the waste from the packaging, manufacturing and shipping process. I prefer to use plunger coffee.”
Since she began the scheme in October she has saved two large bags of coffee pods from the rubbish bin. Petra hopes it will become a University-wide initiative, which would take advantage of greater efficiencies.
University Head of Sustainability Ray O’Brien says, “Petra is a great example of how we need everyone finding solutions across the whole University. This is clearly not just about the waste being recycled. It's about the conversation between staff, and being able to act in alignment with your values when you are at work.”
Petra’s manager IT Project Manager Rasha Abu Safieh says she’s very proud of the work that has been done and is very glad to see IT staff are supporting it.
ITS Administrator Lucy Gray says, “It’s really heartening that so many staff have decided to recycle. I’d like to thank Petra for taking the lead on this and taking responsibility for sorting all the different brands. Hopefully more will follow her excellent lead.”
Petra hopes after the success of coffee pod recycling in her office, that it might be trialled in other parts of the University along with other recycling initiatives.
~ Kōrero by Kerry Dohig, Communications Adviser (Projects)