Bet you didn’t know that Wastebusters (or “Wasties” as locals would call it) was both founded and funded by the community of Wānaka?!

True story. Wastebusters was set up initially as a means to reduce landfill by sufficiently reusing and recycling materials. And if you’ve stepped foot inside the gates, you will see that it has grown well beyond that initial vision.

We caught up with Communications Manager, Gina Dempster, to discuss the ins-and-outs of how the co-op functions on a daily basis and why it is deemed a “local institution” of Wānaka. Check out the video below to get inspired!

“295 million single-use cups are used each year in NZ. Wastebusters recorded 72% of Wānaka locals use their own cup when getting a takeaway drink.”

SUC Free Wānaka, a Wastebusters initiative

Inside of a recycled clothing and homewares shop.