For a quarter of a century, Wastebusters has been a huge part of the beating heart of Wānaka.
Founded by and built for the community 25 years ago, Wastebusters brought a culture of recycling, reusing and rethinking to the district, and has grown into a hub for societal change with a die-hard following. More than encouraging action, Wasties has turned reducing, reusing and recycling into a community mindset, sparking impact and setting a national benchmark for community-driven action. It’s also the holy grail of second-hand goods for Wānaka locals.
A Wānaka landmark for the locals and the top of the must-see list for travellers-through, Wastebusters, or Wasties, is Wānaka’s local recycling centre and impressive reuse shop. Think everything from retro crockery to well-loved books, games, linens, household items, and an enormous range of clothing. But more than that, Wasties is an impact-driven environmental hub, a driver of change, and the go-to for zero-waste, circular economy solutions. Their team collects and hand-sorts recycling from local businesses and events, making recycling the easier option all through the region.
“Wastebusters is a bit of a Central Otago institution,” says Gina Dempster, Wastebusters General Manager. And she’s not wrong. “Founded back in 2000 by the community, we’ve been keeping stuff out of landfill and looking after our beautiful lakes and mountains ever since.”
The Wasties story begins in 1999, when the good humans of Wānaka and Hāwea decided to do something about the tonnes of local waste being sent to landfill each year. Thus, Wānaka’s first recycling centre and reuse shop was born. Since its launch in 2000, it’s only continued to grow. In 2007, the team launched the hugely successful Dr Compost programme and the Zero Waste Education and Enviroschools programmes, both of which are still running today. They now engage with more than 15 schools annually.
Wastebusters’ impact goes far beyond its walls. For more than two decades, Wastebusters has been advocating for a more circular economy: one that’s built on smarter shopping, reduced waste, and reused goods.. Through local community initiatives and workshops, Wasties have been right behind the SUC-Free movement to eliminate single-use cups in town, have supported deposit schemes and refill stations, and have grown a culture of waste minimisation district-wide.
Wasties is all about supporting the community to make real change in the district, and a big part of that is through community events – like their regular Low Waste Living and Repair Revolution workshops, initiatives such as Plastic Free July, or their annual Sustainable Christmas Market. With loads of events and workshops running year round, their goal is to provide practical, creative alternatives to throwaway culture. Just last year, Wastebusters provided $3.7 million worth of resource-recovery and waste-reduction services to the district.
With 25 years officially behind it, Wastebusters is now looking ahead to ‘Wastebusters 2.0’, a necessary shift to future-proof its operations on Ballantyne Road. Demand has outgrown the current site: the walls are bursting at the seams, parking is in hot demand, and, most urgently, the team is having to send some items to landfill – simply because there isn’t enough room to store and process them.
With council support, the current plan for the new and improved Wastebusters involves a dedicated construction and demolition hub, onsite spaces for education and events, better and bigger reuse facilities, onsite repair, car-free areas, facilities for food waste and recycling consolidation, and, excitingly, more toilets. The goal is to grow Wastebusters’ ability to reduce landfill waste, create jobs, and make Wastebusters 2.0 a true community resource for the next generation. You can read more and pledge support here.
“I’d really love to see us take the lead, not just nationally but globally, in finding ways to look after our beautiful environment,” says Dempster. “That’s what Wastebusters 2.0 is all about.”
Wastebusters is more than a shop. It’s a living example of what happens when a community comes together to solve a problem, and stays committed for the long haul. From its humble, homegrown beginnings to becoming a national model for zero-waste practice, Wasties perfectly captures the community spirit and environmental values of Wānaka.
This 25th birthday is a chance to celebrate the past and help shape the future. Whether you join the festivities on 20 September, add your idea to the Wastebusters 2.0 board, or pledge your support online, make sure you’re part of the next chapter of this true Wānaka icon.
