Rotorua clean-up: Tonnes of rubbish removed from around city

Clean-Up volunteer Robyn Von Trampski and Let’s Clean Rotorua’s Neville Raethel at Saturday’s event.

The organiser of a Rotorua clean-up says he’s “blown away” by “overwhelming support” after he and volunteers collected nearly 2.5 tonnes of waste.

Long-time volunteer Neville Raethel organised a 116-strong, Let’s Clean Rotorua citywide clean-up from 9am to 10am last Saturday.

Raethel said an estimated 2465kg of waste was removed in one hour.

It was the group’s largest clean-up to date in terms of turnout, rubbish collected and speed, he said.

“I’m just blown away by the amount of people that actually did get out there and do it.”

Up to 10 groups targeted Linton Park and the Ngongotahā Skate Park areas. Volunteers were even diving for rubbish in the lake, he said.

Among the clean-up crew was first-timer Robyn Von Trampski, whose efforts impressed Raethel.

The 66-year-old woman, who uses a wheelchair, “showed up and picked up just as much rubbish as the rest of us”, he said.

Von Trampski told the Rotorua Daily Post she made a habit of picking up litter. She often went on rubbish-collecting outings with friends, but said joining Raethel’s group took the experience to another level and she “really enjoyed it”.

She collected rubbish on Saturday for almost two and a half hours.

Raethel said: “She was lucky to get home because her wheelchair almost ran out of battery!”

Von Trampski was now doing her own June clean-up challenge. Every day this month she substitutes her wheelchair for her walker to pick up rubbish.

“Maybe if people see this crazy old lady out there picking up rubbish, it will inspire a few others to hopefully not litter in the first place, but to also pick some up,” she said.

She said vaping products, cigarette butts, beer bottle tops and broken glass were frequent finds.

Raethel said he hoped to get in contact with larger companies whose rubbish he often saw littered around Rotorua and wider New Zealand.

In total about 2465kg of rubbish was collected on the weekend.

These included a large beverage company whose products were often found littered across the region, he said.

Bunnings Rotorua donated 50 buckets for Saturday’s clean-up.

“Bunnings are in almost every major city in New Zealand so I’m going to see if I can get them to sponsor some buckets, bags, and gloves,” he said.

Rotorua Lakes Council supplied clean-up packs consisting of health and safety information, gloves and bags. They also donated supermarket vouchers as spot prizes.

Waste minimisation officer Megan Cooper appreciated the help of “amazing people” like Raethel and the volunteers “who help keep on top of litter around our city”.

“We support Neville’s message that every bit helps, even just a couple of pieces picked up during a walk down the street.”

She said it helped deter littering and prevented materials from entering waterways and the lake.

Raethel’s next planned clean-up – called The Big Spring Clean Project New Zealand – will be held in October.

He said he would continue sharing videos “calling out” everyone from politicians and businesses to other outdoors-lovers, sports teams, and iwi to get involved.

He found this worked well in the past.

Raethel said was a strong support for the clean-up event. The morning before his Saturday clean-up he woke to more than 300 messages and emails.

“Then I sort of realised that people are actually wanting, it’s just nobody knows [where to start].”

Raethel said the Let’s Clean Rotorua movement was now catching on nationwide and he hoped it continued to grow.