Kiwis have a dirty secret: each year, we produce 3.2 million tonnes of waste, according to Statistics New Zealand. That's enough waste to bury the rugby pitch at Eden Park in a pile of trash 3.5km deep.

This statistic is no news to Para Kore, a grass roots environmental group that aims to help every NZ marae work towards zero waste by 2020.

Taeya Ririnui, 4, Tuara Rahiri, 6, and Hemanawa Ngatoko-Hawkins, 8, at the Huria Marae. Photo: Tracy Hardy.

Para Kore, which means zero waste in te reo, wants to have each of about 780 marae throughout NZ on a journey towards zero waste by 2020.

'We started with just three marae in 2009,” says Para Kore national manager Jacqui Forbes. 'Here at the end of 2015, we have more than 90 marae on the journey with us. More than 8000 people have taken part in wananga and hui, and we've diverted more than 90,000kg of waste from landfill.”

Jacqui says Para Kore helps whanau (families) rethink and redesign the way waste flows through marae.

'In short, this means eliminating non-recyclable waste coming onto marae (mainly non-recyclable plastic packaging) while maximising recycling, composting and reuse systems.”

And marae recycling is becoming the norm in Tauranga, thanks to the zero waste programme, says Para Kore waste advisor Kylie Willison.

'Huria Marae [Judea] and Wairoa Marae [Wairoa] were two of the first marae to sign up to the programme and have successfully taken advantage of the education, ongoing support and access to free resources that the programme provides.

'Marae not only learn about materials that are able to be recycled in their local area, they also look at other ways to reduce their rubbish such as through composting, worm farming and sensible shopping choices.”

Kylie has made presentations to Iwi Runanga, Hapu, Marae and Tauranga councils, and is keen to spread the message even further.

But Para Kore doesn't stop with waste: it takes the conversation one step further. The organisation's waste advisors encourage whanau (families) to set up organic mara kai (community gardens).

Beyond yielding free, healthy, unsprayed vegetables, a mara kai eliminates packaging and provides a use for the wriggling, organic compost that comes from worm farms and compost bins.

Para Kore has waste advisors in Te Tau Ihu (top of the South Island), Taranaki, East Cape, Bay of Plenty, Waikato, Northland and Auckland. While the programme continues to expand in each region, there are waiting lists for marae in nearly every other region across the country.

For more information about Para Kore, contact Jacqui Forbes at [email protected]