Te Wānanga o Aotearoa kaimahi are joining an environmental sustainability social movement that’s reconnecting them with Papatūānuku and their pepeha.
Pipiri ki a Papatūānuku is the idea of Waimirirangi Koopu Stone and her partner Tamoko o Te Rangi Ormsby.
The couple are promoting the idea of many people making conscious decisions and actions to minimize our impact on the environment through presentations and workshops around the country.
More than 2,500 people arouind the world were a part of this kaupapa last year and Te Wānanga o Aoteaora kaimahi are now joining the cause.
“When 2,500 people are saying no to plastic bags, they’re making a difference,” says Waimirirangi.
“And when more people around the world are doing this it’s definitely making a difference.”
The workshops are helping Te Wānanga o Aotearoa kaimahi to take small but manageable steps to minimise our waste footprint around the office and at home.
This could be timely as last year TWoA kaimahi disposed of 4,000 single use cups – on average at each site.
And after a waste audit held at Te Puna Mātauranga last year, it was found that 90 per cent of all of our rubbish could have been diverted away from landfills.
Tamoko says kaimahi can achieve the goals of Pipiri ki a Papatūānuku by embodying their pēpeha.
“This is about reconnecting people to Papatūānuku but also to their pepeha of this is my marae, this is my maunga, this is my awa.”
TWoA kaimahi will gradually be seeing four waste bins for different recyclables being implemented at sites around the country.
Tamoko says people should try to make more conscious choices about what they’re consuming.
People should educate themselves about industrial or factory-farmed dairy or meat products and their effect on Papatūānuku.
The movement also encourages saying no to plastic bags, straws and coffee cups or replacing a major disposable with a reuseable alternative.
“They’re little things like trying bees wax wraps that can be reused instead of glad wrap.”
“It’s remembering to rinse out your recyclables when you put them in the bins and being more conscious of what you consume and its effect on the environment.”
www.papatuanuku.org
