Pure success
Kapiti's Paraoa Bakehouse is the most sustainable business in the land... and it has the national Sustainable Business of the Year Award to prove it.
"We wanted to pit ourselves against other businesses, so it's great to know that we're on the right track," says owner Robert Glensor.
However, saying Paraoa Bakehouse is on the "right track" is an understatement. First it won the Small and Medium Business Trailblazer category and the Sustainable Business of the Year at the Sustainable Business Network's Central Region Awards. Then it took out the top award at the Sustainable Business Network's National Awards.
What's the secret to Paraoa Bakehouse's sustainability success? "We never made a conscious decision to be sustainable - it's just the way we do business and is fundamental to our operations," says Robert. "We've actually been doing the same thing for 12 years - the scale has just become bigger."
Paraoa Bakehouse (makers of Purebread sold throughout New Zealand) sources bread ingredients from sustainable organic farming practices and has a strong commitment to waste minimisation - its weekly rubbish to landfill is the size of a netball!
It constantly reviews packaging, is looking into renewable energy sources and donates unsold bread to the local foodbank, as well as using it for stuffing, breadcrumbs, croutons or animal feed.
Robert says that most businesses can easily reduce their impact on the environment. "It's actually quite simple to be sustainable. You don't need to be full-on or obsessed with it. Do little things and you'll get on track as well."
Greater Wellington was the principal sponsor of the central region Get Sustainable Challenge and awards. The other sponsors included the Wellington and Hutt city councils. The Get Sustainable Challenge is run by the Sustainable Business Network.