http://www.ekot.nz/blog/ The latest Blog feeds from www.ekot.nz en-us Wed, 12 Aug 2026 13:31:50 +1200 Rocketspark http://www.ekot.nz/blog/post/167766/traceability-over-paperwork-keeping-our-circular-supply-chains-honest/ But as we work to transition these diverted waste streams into high-spec, mainstream industries like construction and infrastructure, we face a shared technical challenge: How do we verify the physical journey of a recycled material in a way that the market instantly trusts? Currently, the global industry relies almost entirely on paper-based chains of custody, PDFs, and transaction receipts. But as regulations tighten, relying on administrative paperwork alone leaves well-meaning loca... Mon, 20 Jul 2026 15:37:56 +1200 http://www.ekot.nz/blog/#post167766 http://www.ekot.nz/blog/post/166931/beyond-the-bin-bringing-earthshot-ambition-to-recycling/ For many businesses, recycling is treated as a necessary part of operations: sort the materials, empty the bins, meet compliance requirements, and move on. But that mindset only takes us so far. If we want to make meaningful progress toward a circular economy, we need to look beyond waste management and start seeing every material stream as an opportunity.That is where the Earthshot mindset offers powerful inspiration. The Earthshot Prize challenges the world to repair the planet through bold, p... Sun, 28 Jun 2026 19:18:00 +1200 http://www.ekot.nz/blog/#post166931 http://www.ekot.nz/blog/post/165524/waste-stream-priorities-the-real-question-is-how-do-we-bring-everyone-along/ At the recent WasteMINZ Conference 2026 in Wellington, one thing became clear: New Zealand is beginning to sharpen its focus on priority waste streams. That is promising. It signals movement, intention, and acknowledgement that some materials are causing deeper environmental and economic strain than others.But I left the conference carrying mixed feelings.Not because the conversations lacked passion. In fact, the opposite. There were innovators, councils, policymakers, recyclers, educators, and ... Wed, 27 May 2026 21:13:38 +1200 http://www.ekot.nz/blog/#post165524 http://www.ekot.nz/blog/post/163737/from-marginal-fills-to-circular-raw-materials/ In a traditional linear mindset, silty or clay-heavy soils are liabilities—expensive to excavate and even more expensive to dump. But to an engineer, "unsuitable" is simply a material that hasn't been properly designed for. My sustainability journey didn't start with a moral epiphany; it started with a technical challenge to eliminate waste from the project balance sheet.The "aha" moment came with the 2017 ICE Brassey Award. We successfully used draining geogrids to stabilise 17-metre slopes u... Sat, 25 Apr 2026 12:06:05 +1200 http://www.ekot.nz/blog/#post163737 http://www.ekot.nz/blog/post/159809/the-5-second-rule-of-our-waste-problem/ Of that, approximately 70–75% ends up in landfill. While kerbside recycling and food scrap collections are helping, they haven’t yet achieved the full reduction we need. Recent government policies aligned with the Zero Carbon Act have seen success in recycling plastics, glass, metals, and paper—the "obvious" materials that dominate our daily lives. However, another material is largely missing from the conversation.The Missing Link: Textile WasteTextile waste sent to landfill... Thu, 26 Mar 2026 08:30:00 +1300 http://www.ekot.nz/blog/#post159809 http://www.ekot.nz/blog/post/159813/second-hand-clothing-and-their-circular-value/ Late one afternoon, after work in the CBD, I took a familiar detour through the little town centre I once called home. The streets were alive - crowded alleyways, food stalls sizzling, people brushing past each other with that end-of-day fatigue we all know. Then I noticed it. A shabby shop that looked more like a dusty warehouse than a clothing store. Curious, I peeked inside. Rows and rows of clothes - no single brand, no clear order. Cotton beside linen, jeans next to skirts, tees m... Tue, 17 Feb 2026 00:00:00 +1300 http://www.ekot.nz/blog/#post159813