Our five Sustainability Commitments
1. Reduce Waste
Reduce, Repair and Recycle.
Waimarino purchases high quality gear from the industry's leading companies. By purchasing top of the line equipment, we are reducing the amount of times that we need to replace this gear, as it is long lasting.
When our gear does become worn or unfit for use. We send our gear to get repaired, or our skilled staff repair the equipment on site. This allows us to bring life back to gear, that could otherwise have ended up in landfill.
Throughout the Adventure Park we have Waste Stations that sort waste into food scraps, recycling, and rubbish. Our food scraps are then collected by a local pig farmer. All recycling is sorted by Staff and then rubbish and recycling is collected by Waste Management.
2. Education
Educate The Children, Customers and the Community
The Waimarino Group, looks to educate not only the children that take part in The Waimarino Education Trust's programmes, but also the customers to the Adventure Park, Kayak Tours and the community.
The interactive Solar Panel display next to reception allows all visitors to Waimarino to gain a better understanding of Solar Power, how it works, and how much power we can generate.
Our on site vegetable gardens are maintained by the children of The Education Trust, and in turn the children get to enjoy fresh fruit and vegetables throughout their days here.
Our For The Better Good Bottles are sold at reception. These bottles are compostable and reusable. When purchased customers are encouraged to reuse the bottle and then return it so it can be composted. Signage explaining the Better Bottles is displayed around the Park to educate the community.
3. sustainable energy
Solar Panels and Electric Vehicles
The Waimarino Education Trust received a very generous donation in 2019 allowing The Trust to finally complete the Solar Panel Project which has been a work in progress for many years!
The panels now offset 100% of the power requirements Waimarino Group, along with saving $6,000 - $8,000 a year from the additional power that has been generated. This power is sold back to other power users on the property. The profit from this goes back into the Education Trust, to improve facilities and programmes to educate the children in our programmes!
At Waimarino Group we want to raise awareness of clean, renewable energy, to our customers, children, parents and the wider community.
In 2020 this journey has continued with the additional of an Electric Vehicle to our fleet of vehicles. This is hopefully one of many to come. The Electric Vehicle is used by all businesses within the Waimarino Group, for school pickups, transfers for customers, running errands, and sales meetings.
4. Staff That Care
We instill Strong Environmental Values in our Staff
The values of Manaakitanga are of high importance to the staff of Waimarino and we do our best to instill these values into the guests that partake in our activities here at the Adventure Park and offsite on out Kayak Tours. We aim to have our guests leave with memories of kindness, generosity and hospitality. As well as treating others with respect and care, it is also of high importance to treat the land and environment this way.
The Waimarino Group sees itself as Kaitiaki (Guardians) of the land and rivers. Our surrounding land, water and air are special to the Maori culture, and the use, and management of them must be carried out with care and respect. Our staff care, they are encouraged whenever possible to look after the environment, to pick up rubbish and to think of new innovative ways in which Waimarino Adventure Park and The Waimarino Group as a whole can become a more sustainable business.
With the support of our community, customers and our staff. Waimarino Group is on the way to reaching the goal of becoming Tauranga's most sustainable business.
5. Cleaning Waterways
Waimarino Group Strongly Believe that the future is green.
At Waimarino, preserving and protecting our natural environment is a significant part of our core values. Both our staff and clients have a role to play in ensuring our surrounding land, rivers and lakes will still be thriving in years to come. So that our future generations can enjoy them.
Without pretending to be a 100% environmentally friendly operation , Waimarino Group strongly believe that the future is green. Whenever possible we work with eco-friendly products and sustainable materials. Our main source of energy is that from our people. Instructors and guides = paddle power. Nature is the theatre of our activities. The lake, rivers and harbours we operate on are our Taonga (treasures) and the habitat of many plants and wildlife.
Every day the staff here at Waimarino are collecting rubbish from the river and surrounding banks, and encouraging customers to do the same.
We frequently arrange for river cleanups along the Wairoa River collecting an array of rubbish and debris from storms. This is then disposed off correctly.
"Toihu te whenua"
(Leave the land undisturbed)
