Sustainability has always been at the heart of the Sundaise Festival, and now organisers of the Waihi event are being recognised for their efforts.

The festival is as a finalist in next week's 2014 NZI National Sustainable Business Network Awards in the Mega-efficiency – Impact category.

Volunteers taking part in planting natives along the Waitawheta River in August this year. Photo: Supplied.

The awards, which take place next Tuesday, and are the longest-standing sustainability awards in New Zealand, having run since 2002.

Festival director Rachael Stanway says her organising team, which also consists of Al and Rachel Sorley, Ben Holwerda and Matt Griffiths, were all extremely happy about the nomination.

'It's quite a big deal and to have made the finals is just amazing, so I'll be heading up next week for the awards,” says Rachael.

'While we celebrate arts, music and culture with Sundaise, the festival is also hugely focussed on sustainability and the environment.”

For last year's festival, 1250 people attended but only one 240-litre wheelie bin was sent to landfill.

A number of waste minimisation initiatives were used by the festival which included waste and recycling sorting, plus food and drink vendors using only compostable or recyclable packaging.

Sundaise also constructed their own composting toilets from recycled building materials and reused products, with the waste being composted onsite and used as fertiliser following a two-year process.

They also commissioned Sunsonics to build a solar generator which allows them to power events at the festival completely off the grid.

Rachael says they also host a number of educational workshops during the festival to show people how they can play a part in preserving our environment.

'During the winter we also have ‘Transplant Parties' which we host under our Sundaise Landcare Group banner,” she adds.

'In the last three years we've planted 2000 native and 3000 flax plants along the Waitawheta River as a way of giving something back to the land owners.”

A Sunsonics solar generator commissioned by the organisers of the Sundaise. The festival is a finalist in next week's 2014 NZI National Sustainable Business Network Awards. Photo: Supplied.

All Good Organics co-owner head judge Chris Morrison says this year they could see how organisations have listened to what communities need.

In turn they are creating much more 'positively impactful products or services” as a result, he says.

'I was particularly impressed by the number of purpose-led organisations and the impact they will have in shaping our future for the better.

'It's a strategic shift that is great to see.”

To learn more about the Sundaise Festival visit: www.sundaise.co.nz

To learn more about the 2014 NZI National Sustainable Business Network Awards visit: www.sustainableawards.org.nz