Radio New Zealand

Radio New Zealand

RNZ, formerly Radio New Zealand, is an organisation that needs no introduction. As New Zealand's only non-commercial public service radio broadcaster, RNZ has been serving kiwi audiences with trusted news and programming for decades.

“If you think RNZ is just a radio station, they’ve got news for you”

Jo Leavesley, RNZ Producer, approached our programme in the Spring of 2019. Jo was part of a new Sustainability Group at RNZ - a proactive, no-nonsense team who were keen to push for greener practices within the organisation. With its metaphorical finger on the pulse of all national and global news, RNZ had already acknowledged the importance of sustainability and had taken some steps to be more environmentally conscious, such as trialing Eketahuna Milk (milk delivered in glass bottles), but Jo and her team could see there was still scope for improvement. 

In Autumn 2019, the YSW team conducted a site assessment at RNZ’s Wellington office. Visiting the RNZ office felt like stepping into an old school movie set, with their studios, library, enviable desk setups and an impressive array of awards hung on the walls.

Following the site assessment, our team also ran a waste audit workshop onsite, which was open to all staff. An enthusiastic team of volunteers from RNZ’s Sustainability Group and wider staff got elbows deep into a week’s worth of waste to figure out what dirty secrets could be uncovered from the bins. One of the staff partaking nipped off and reported what was happening on live radio, which was pretty neat!

The audit found that 75% of RNZ’s landfill waste could be recycled via the existing office systems. The audit also found that RNZ employees love their morning coffees - a lot.

We learnt that they all shopped at the same coffee shop, so we prompted them to reach out and ask for a discount if they bought reusable cups - saving money + the planet. 

Following the assessment and audit, we identified a range of recommendations that RNZ could put in place to reduce their waste and their environmental impact. With the support of the Trust and RNZ’s dedicated Sustainability Group, RNZ is forging ahead with those changes, and we have every confidence that they’ll continue to crush it.