SDG 2 – Zero Hunger , Matekai Kore

Food waste and composting

In 2023, Massey University composted 14,639kg of food waste, compostable packaging items and paper towels. This is 27 per cent higher than in 2023, with a huge increase of 189 per cent on the Wellington campus and 62 per cent on the Auckland one. In contrast, 28 per cent less was collected on the Manawatū campus.

• 4,369kg on the Manawatū campus.
• 6,980kg on the Auckland campus.
• 3,290kg on the Wellington campus.

In 2024, Wellington campus became a Community Composting hub. Staff and students are working with the Wellington City Council to trial composting food scraps on site in order to test composting at a community scale. The trial will run until mid-2025.

In an exciting initiative in 2022 and 2023, PreCycle collected paper towels from the Manawatū campus Recreation Centre. PreCycle aims to recycle the towels into construction materials.

Waste audits of the general waste on each campus were carried out in August 2022 using Catalysing Climate Action funding from the Vice-Chancellor.

The audits were in conjunction with PreCycle (Palmerston North), Sustainability Trust (Wellington) and OCS (Albany).

High proportions of compostable waste, mainly food and paper towels, were found on each campus. From this baseline, initiatives are underway to further increase composting levels on all campuses.

Additionally, the Manawatū dining halls have installed Leanpath technology to assess food wastage in dollars and weightage, with the ability to set goals for constant improvements.

Wharerata, the staff cafeteria on the Manawatū campus, and the Manawatū dining halls both support a community food hub, Just Zilch. Leftover daily production gets given to people needing assistance through the hub.

Various Green Impact teams are composting scraps they produce at work, with some teams even aiming for zero food waste to landfill. Examples include:

• The Te Paepoto team in Turitea, who collect scraps to feed to the wonderful kune kune Betty and Wilma
• The Ngā Kaitiaki Taiao | Library team in Albany, who feed scraps to their worm farm and take other leftovers home for composting.

Read more about Community Composting hubs

Read more about Green Impact

Free food for students and all those in need

Massey University has partnerships with two food rescue organizations, Just Zilch in Palmerston North and Kaibosh in Wellington, to provides free food and essential household items for students in need. Deliveries occur weekly, with goods delivered on Tuesdays in Wellington and Thursdays in Palmerston North. We extend our gratitude to Massey’s chaplaincies and the student association Te Tira Ahu Pae for coordinating these services. Additionally, emergency food boxes are prepared for students in financial hardship.

Students and all those in need are also welcome to visit Just Zilch from Monday to Friday to receive food directly.

Read more about the collaboration

Find out how to receive food

Food drive to support students and all those in need

In September 2024, Massey University teamed up with student association Te Tira Ahu Pae and the City Mission for the Can Can Plus Campaign. Eight boxes of canned and dry food were collected across the three campuses and equally shared between students in need and the City Mission.

Dr Tere McGonagle-Daly, Deputy Vice-Chancellor Students and Global Engagement, was pleased to see staff and students donate to this important cause. "I want to pass on a huge thanks to all those that donated to the Can Can Plus campaign. Helping students have access to food when they are in hardship can directly support their studies, as they may struggle with energy levels, focus and stress if they aren’t eating well, or regularly.”