We hate seeing things go to waste, so we work hard to reuse, repurpose, or recycle materials wherever possible.
Food scraps and other organic waste is composted on site. The compost is then spread on the beautiful gardens that are a much-admired feature of Queenstown Airport.
Asphalt millings produced during runway maintenance work are stockpiled, then used to form paths and car parks. As well as being cost-effective, recycled asphalt compacts down to form a more durable surface than traditional gravel. It is also less dusty.
When we needed extra office space for staff, we relocated a prefabricated building that had previously been used as a community hall in Luggate, and refitted that, rather than constructing a new building.
Carpet tiles removed when the airport terminal flooring was upgraded recently were given away, rather than being sent to landfill. They can now be found in garages, sheds, and kennels all over the Whakatipu Basin.
Plastic trays no longer needed when the passenger security screening system changed proved a challenge, but they were eventually sent to a specialist manufacturer and transformed into fence posts.
A trickier task was finding a way to deal with old staff uniforms. Because the clothing is branded, it cannot be given away, and we did not want to incinerate it or send it to landfill.
The solution was a partnership with Workwear Recycled, which provides secure destruction and recycling of textiles and personal protective equipment (PPE).
The Timaru-based venture was set up in 2023 to help businesses that want to reduce waste and carbon emissions, minimise the environmental and financial impact of dumping textiles, and help turn used clothing and textiles into valued, useful products. Queenstown Airport became a member in November 2023 and has just dispatched its second consignment of items for recycling.
Workwear Recycled tracks all the textiles and PPE from collection to destruction, and offers certification as an assurance that nothing it accepts for recycling will enter landfill.
It also supports research and development programmes finding practical new uses for textile resources.
Visit the Workwear Recycled website to learn more about the programme.
