Cementing its commitment to sustainable practices, Te Pae Christchurch Convention Centre has partnered with the local Canterbury Community Garden Association (CGA) to supply them with “soil food” generated by the Centre’s onsite food dehydrator.
The partnership was launched at CCGA’s recent annual general meeting and marks a key step in Te Pae’s move towards more sustainable operations.
Te Pae Christchurch general manager Ross Steele said the Centre was delighted to partner with CCGA, the Just Dirt Trust and City Care in the distribution of the soil food.
“Sustainability is a key tenet of operations across the Centre, and something we committed to very early on in our journey. With operations now well underway, it’s exciting to be able to recognise an initiative that we have been working towards since pre-opening,” Steel said.
“The partnership also aligns well with our parent company ASM Global’s corporate social responsibility program ASM Global Acts, particularly the key program areas of protecting the environment and strengthening our communities.”
“With the Centre now in full swing, it’s fantastic to see weekly pick ups of soil food underway and to hear about the benefits local gardeners are finding as they use the soil food.”
CCGA capacity builder, Rachel Vogan, said the organisation was proud to be partner in the project.
“Creating connections, reusing of waste products to make compost is huge for our organisation. Currently, the CCGA is actively engaged with 52 community gardens in the region. This type of relationship is what community gardening is all about, sharing knowledge, and turning waste into something nutritious to feed our soils, it’s a win win,” Vogan said.
The “soil food” dehydrator used at Te Pae Christchurch is provided by Sustainably. It has the capacity to process 200 kilograms of food waste a day and works by heating the Centre’s excess food (food that is unsuitable to be donated to Foodbank Canterbury) to a set temperature over nine hours, reducing the food to a soil-like consistency which is rich in nutrients.
“I love that it’s recycled from a waste product that may have ended up in landfill,” Vogan said.
