Rivers of responsibility

New Zealand businesses of all sizes are getting behind the cleaning up of our waterways, reports Fiona Stephenson, and showcasing their community responsibility in the process.
It’s no secret that New Zealand’s waterways are in a dire state. But what’s less well known is that a growing number of businesses are stepping up to help rectify the situation. This is bringing benefits for their organisations as well as our rivers and streams.

Sixty-two percent of New Zealand’s lowland rivers are so polluted we can’t safely swim in them. Forty four percent of our monitored lakes are so polluted virtually nothing can survive in them. And nearly three quarters of our freshwater fish species are classified as ‘threatened’. This is the result of hundreds of years of farming, forestry, horticulture and urbanisation. It has led to stream bank erosion, algal blooms, a lack of oxygen in the water and a host of other negative effects.

While the causes of the deterioration in water quality aren’t simple to address, there is a way we can all help clean up our waterways: supporting the planting of native plants and trees along stream banks.

Riparian planting reduces erosion and sedimentation. It filters contaminants before they enter the stream. It provides shade and food for native freshwater species, and it sequesters carbon.

Million Metres

Million Metres is the Sustainable Business Network’s crowdfunding project that is helping restore our waterways. It raises money to fund the planting of native trees for different projects around the country. Its aim is to plant a million metres of stream banks. So far the planting of more than 20,000 metres of waterway has been funded.

Businesses can get involved, either by donating directly or through product sales.

A growing number are also choosing to plant with Million Metres as part of staff volunteer days. It’s one way businesses can help restore New Zealand’s environment, as well as motivating staff and attracting more customers through improved brand reputation.

Businesses taking action

The Sustainable Business Network (SBN) has around 550 member companies nationwide. These businesses all donate five percent of their SBN membership fee to Million Metres stream planting projects. Over the past year members have donated $9,000 in this way. In addition, 32 businesses have donated directly to Million Metres.

The Body Shop’s New Zealand branch has signed a three year partnership with Million Metres. It is donating 20 cents from each Body Butter sold to Million Metres, as well as an additional $10,000 per year. Staff also help at volunteer planting days.

Barrie Thomas, owner of The Body Shop New Zealand, says: “We’ve always believed that businesses have responsibilities towards the communities in which they operate. Community problems are our problems and we like to be part of the solution whenever we can.

“Freshwater needs to improve and we’d love for our staff and customers throughout the country to have the opportunity to help achieve this.”

Alsco, one of New Zealand’s leading commercial cleaning and health and safety companies, is donating $20,000 and helping at volunteer planting days.

“As a major water user, we have a particular responsibility on this issue. We want to do whatever we can to help,” says Mark Roberts, Alsco group general manager. “We have comprehensive environmental and sustainability policies in place. We are always looking to minimise our impact on the environment. This is a real and collaborative way we can also help restore our landscape for generations to come.”

Apex Insurance offers insurance broking, risk management, risk transfer advice and premium funding for businesses as well as personal insurance. It has many objectives around being sustainable, and for every SBN member that takes out a policy with the company, it donates 20 percent of its income to Million Metres.

“This way we can prove we are serious about being a sustainable business, as well as make a compelling case for other like-minded businesses to join us,” says Apex managing director James McGhie.

“We are a passionate New Zealand owned business and this is a way to attract other passionate New Zealand businesses and stand out from the crowd of global companies competing in the same market place.”

Some of the other companies helping clean up our waterways include:

• NZI – donating $20,000 to Million Metres and helping at volunteer planting days
• Jucy – customers can donate on top of their vehicle hire. So far Jucy has raised more than $16,000 for Million Metres in this way. Its staff also volunteer at planting days
• Westpac – the first major corporate supporting Million Metres with a $10,000 donation
• Raglan Coconut Yoghurt – donating 50 cents from every sale of Big Yoghi jars for three months this year
• Smartass tree-free toilet paper – donating ten percent of all product sales to Million Metres
• Toyota – helping at volunteer planting days

Georgina Hart, project lead at Million Metres, says: “We want as many people involved as possible. Business people have a key role to play. They can bring additional resources and help us get the message out there so more people can get involved. This will help give everybody in New Zealand the chance to act on the water crisis.”

If you’d like your business to join the growing number of companies helping clean up our waterways, contact Georgina on [email protected] or find out more at millionmetres.org.nz