KNZB Campaign feed

Volunteer of the Month

Thu, 28 Apr 2011 16:32:26 -0700

Volunteer of the Month for February 2012 - Kevin O'Connell of Christchurch

The team at KNZB would like to congratulate Kevin O'Connell from Keep Christchurch Beautiful for being
February's Volunteer of the Month.

Kevin has been on the Executive Committee of Keep Christchurch Beautiful for 2 1/2 years nowe and just does so much for the City of Christchurch on an individual and voluntary basis, to keep whatever environment he is in - clean, green and litter free.

Kevin takes part in everything and anything that is going on at the time but his major contribution is his enormous commitment to cleaning up the environment wherever he is, all the time.

Kevin has also been awarded a gold medal as a local hero two years ago for local volunteer work - so others have noticed how fabulous he is as well.

Alot of people when you talk about Kevin to them quote the phrase "Kevin cares" in the sense that he looks after his environment every day of every week, intervenes if he sees littering going on, continually picks up rubbish with bags that he takes with him all the time and brings them all back to his home full each day. Whenever he is out and about walking his dog, he is continually picking up and cleaning up litter. His local streets and parks are very well cared for and he sorts recycling from rubbish and what is so wonderful, is that his activities have had a flow on effect with family and neighbours of Kevin's.

Kevin you are an inspiration to us all - thanks for being you !

Remember if you know of any outstanding people or groups who are amazing Tidy Kiwi's just like Kevin , then contact the Keep New Zealand Beautiful National Office at info@knzb.org.nz. Our Volunteer of the Month received a $100.00 cheque, certificate and sports bag from our sponsors, NZ Couriers.

Getting tough on Graffiti

Mon, 24 May 2010 14:08:23 -0700

Graffiti vandalism is something that doesn't need to have a negative effect on our communities. Keep New Zealand Beautiful knows that it's different strokes for different folks when it comes to tackling this in each of our towns and cities so, we've pooled all of the resources we know of from around the country here in one place for you to create a positive, and effective solution for your neck of the woods!

If you have a successful initiative, education resource, policy document or assistance programme that we don't have on show send it through to info@knzb.org.nz and we'll get it online asap!

Assistance Programmes:

Resene Paintwise - The Resene Paintwise Programme provides FREE recycled paint to groups, businesses, schools and councils who want to paint out here graffiti. Click here for more information on the Resene Paintwise Programme, and to download your application form.

Resene Mural Masterpieces - If there's a space in your community that could use a facelift and you've got some ideas up your sleeve check out the Resene Mural Masterpieces competition here. As well as having the opportunity to create your very own community masterpiece there's loads of awesome prizes up for grabs too! Click here to see the Resene Mural Masterpieces poster. To receive an information pack on the Resene Mural Masterpieces, download and fill out the form, available by clicking here.

Education Resources:

Tag Free Kiwi is a comprehensive and interactive education resource, specifically developed for Primary and Intermediate Students by NZ Police and Auckland Region Graffiti Forum. Tag Free Kiwi has recently been launched in the Auckland region with great success. For more information on Tag Free Kiwi click here.

How to STOP Graffiti Guide - The How to STOP Graffiti Guide has been produced by Ministry of Justice in conjunction with the STOP Strategy. The STOP Guide is a practical resource for territorial authorities, schools, businesses and private residents. It outlines the practical steps that can be taken to prevent and manage graffiti vandalism within communities and includes guidelines on best practice. The Guide can be downloaded by clicking here.

Policy Documents:

STOP Strategy - On 15 February 2008, the Prime Minister, Rt Hon Helen Clark, announced the development of the STOP (Stop Tagging Our Place) strategy, a nationwide approach designed to combat graffiti vandalism in New Zealand. The strategy includes a range of initiatives to address graffiti vandalism. Included as part of the Strategy, the Ministry of Justice's Crime Prevention Unit has produced information material for retailers, retail staff, local government agencies and the public. This material explains the aspects of the strategy, and responsibilities under the law for retailers, local government agencies and consumers. Click here for more information on the STOP Strategy.

How to Beat Graffiti – The North Shore Model, has been produced by North Shore City Council and published in 2010. North Shore City has reduced illegal graffiti from about 1500 incidents a month to about 100 incidents a month, many done by youth from outside the city. Of the 100 incidents, none survives more than 24 hours – many much less than that. This means that the perception for all but a few residents is that there in now no graffiti in North Shore City. To all intents and purposes North Shore has beaten tagging. Click here to download a copy of How to Beat Graffiti – The North Shore Model.

Successful Initiatives:

South Waikato District Council 0800 NO TAGS - Launched in 2008, South Waikato District Council has had amazing success in creating and keeping a graffiti free community using a toll free hotline, database recording system and prompt paint-out service. Click here to learn more about the how it works in Tokoroa!

Become a KNZB Volunteer!

Thu, 28 Jan 2010 14:06:08 -0800

Keep New Zealand Beautiful is on the hunt for amazing volunteers right around the country. This year we're getting our teeth into some awesome events like Rhythn N Vines, the Ellerslie Flower Show and more as well as community programmes and intiatives and this is your chance to show you're proud to help!

Simply register your details by clicking here and we'll be in touch with all the details on how you can become a member of the Keep New Zealand Beautiful whanau.

No ifs, butts, or maybes!

Thu, 30 Apr 2009 16:11:55 -0700

Keep New Zealand Beautiful (KNZB) has put together a community based social marketing campaign, available to all local councils and chambers of commerce free of charge, enabling them to implement a simple and effective solution to address the issue of cigarette butt litter.

As a result of changes to the Smokefree Environment Act in 2004, which banned smoking in all indoor areas, cigarette butt litter has increased. Cigarette butts are one of the most common rubbish items in New Zealand and often end up in the waterways, entering the food chains of fish, birds and other marine life who mistake them for food.

While it is common to see rubbish bins along footpaths for general litter, it is less common to find a sensible option for smokers who wish to stub out and appropriately dispose of their finished cigarettes. Specially designed litter receptacles are available free of charge from Keep New Zealand Beautiful for local Councils and Business Associations wishing to implement the campaign in their local area.

This initiative is based on educating smokers so that they dispose of their cigarette butts responsibly. Importantly, we believe this campaign builds a greater awareness of solutions available for litter issues.

If you think your community would benefit from this initiative in working with Keep New Zealand Beautifui please click here to register your interest.

KNZB's acceptance of this funding for anti-litter education programmes in no way endorses or supports smoking. Read our positional statement here

Frequently asked questions about Cigarette Butt Litter

Q: What are cigarette butts actually made from?
A: Most are from cellulose acetate which produce toxins, a form of treated wood pulp, surrounded by paper.
Q: Why is cigarette butt litter a concern?
A: Since the introduction of legislation banning smoking from indoor public places in 2004, smokers now have to congregate outside places of work, hospitality venues, train stations etc. As such, the prevalence of cigarette butt litter has increased. Also they have toxins which release slowly into our marine environment.
Q: What are the most effective measures to reduce the incidence of cigarette butt litter?
A: Keep New Zealand Beautiful (KNZB) believes that education campaigns raising awareness of personal responsibility are the most effective litter abatement strategies.
Q: Which local bodies have implemented cigarette butt litter programmes?
A: At this point, the Wellington City Council and Auckland City Council have introduced cigarette butt litter programmes based on the KNZB approach.
Q: How successful is the KNZB approach to cigarette butt litter?
A: KNZB piloted the campaign in Wellington for eight weeks at the end of 2006 and saw a 30% drop in incidence of cigarette butts. To look at success from a different angle, the campaign implemented in Newmarket, Auckland, saw 100,000 butts collected in the first nine weeks.
Q: What comments have been made about the programmes?
A: Council workers who are responsible for ensuring footpaths and business areas are kept tidy welcomed the move and report a significant reduction

If you have any queries about the campaign:

Tracy Shackleton

Projects Coordinator

Keep New Zealand Beautiful
Phone +64 9 264 1434
Email info@knzb.org.nz