SDG 12 – Responsible Consumption and Production

Zero Waste campus
Reduction of single-use plastics and disposable items
Reduction of plastic pollution
Exploring waste-conscious initiatives in circular economies
Innovative research turning waste into value
Innovative uses of old Police body armour
New Commerce and Sustainability course
Developing sustainable dyes for muka
Keeping fast fashion out of landfills
Related content

Zero Waste campus

Massey University has an ambitious and aspirational goal of being a Zero Waste Campus. To help achieve this goal, the university measures waste sent to landfill compared to waste recycled. Massey has 2 waste reduction goals in its Climate Action Plan.

60% diversion from landfill by 2025
90% diversion from landfill by 2030

Currently, just over one-fifth of the university's waste is recycled – cardboard, paper, glass, plastic and composting of food and organic waste (for example, paper towels and compostable cups and plates) and green waste.

In 2024, there was a 2.8% decrease in the total waste sent to landfill. However, the proportion of recycled waste also decreased from 23.3% to 20.8%.

In 2024, 532 tonnes of waste went to landfill, and 140 tonnes was recycled – 20.8% of all waste.
In 2023, 547 tonnes of waste went to landfill and 166 tonnes were recycled – 23.3% of all waste.
In 2022, 553 tonnes of waste went to landfill and 181 tonnes were recycled – 24.7% of all waste.

In 2024, recycled waste comprised:

89 tonnes of cardboard/paper, down 12% from 101 tonnes in 2023
15 tonnes of comingled recycling (plastic, cans and tins), similar to the 18 tonnes recycled in 2022, but down 55% from the 33 tonnes in 2023
23 tonnes of glass, up 36% from 17 tonnes in 2023. This is a further increase to the 37% increase from 2022 to 2023
13 tonnes of compost (food, organic and green waste), similar to the 12 tonnes in 2022 but 12% down from 2023
0.2 tonnes of plastic, down 64% from 2023.

Food waste comes from the university's dining halls and cafeterias. The above figures exclude waste from the Massey University Research farms.

Congratulations to Massey's Auckland campus Ngā Kaitiaki Taiao Library team who have taken part in the Green Impact initiative in both 2022, 2023 and 2024. The Auckland campus library is almost zero-waste-to-landfill due to initiatives like ensuring that all food scraps are either composted, or sent to the team worm farm. Another great example is the Te Paepoto team in Turitea, who collect scraps to feed the lovely kune kune pigs, Betty and Wilma.

Massey University Climate Action Plan 2021 to 2023 (PDF, 1.6 MB)

Green Impact

Reduction of single-use plastics and disposable items

The university updated its Procurement Policy in 2022 to increase focus on responsible procurement and maximise economic, environmental, cultural and social values of purchases.

The new policy prioritises purchases that minimise waste and reductions in the use of both plastic and disposable items.

Lots of great initiatives are already happening.

Progressive Procurement Policy

Massey's dining halls

Disposable cups, cutlery, straws, plates and takeaway containers are all made from compostable materials.
Washable plates and cutlery are also available.
Free filtered water stations to reduce the use of single-use plastics.
Plastic straws are not available.

Wharerata and Tussock

The staff cafeterias on the Manawatū and Wellington campuses:

offer sustainable bio cutlery, cups and plates, where possible, both in-house and for deliveries
provide water in reusable glass bottles for those eating in the cafeteria
send food for delivery on platters, which are picked up, washed and re-used
recycle glass, cans and plastic bottles (Wharerata) and cans, plastic and cardboard (Tussock).

Wharerata also provides water for deliveries in recycled plastic bottles that are recycled again.

Tussock also has a cup library where patrons can take a mug from the shelf in the café and use it instead of a takeaway cup. In 2025, the Sustainability, Policy and Comms team, with support from Campus Co-Lab and Tussock Café, ran a trial of Mug Cycle, a reusable cup scheme for café guests. The local initiative helps keep mugs out of landfill and reduces single-use packaging. Early feedback was positive, and a longer-term solution will be considered for 2026.

Green Impact team initiatives

Several Green Impact teams are taking action to reduce disposable plastics on campus. Key initiatives include:

Bring Your Own: Encouraging staff and students to use their own cups, plates, lunchboxes and cutlery when purchasing meals or drinks, and to inspire others to do the same.
Soft-plastics Recycling: Setting up dedicated bins with guidance on how and where soft plastics can be recycled.
Plastic Free July participation: Actively raising awareness about single-use plastics. In 2023, the focus was on documenting their journey to reduce plastic use. In 2025, the Ngā Kaitiaki Taiao team celebrated with a Plastic-Free Morning Tea and a library display showing the impact of plastic waste for staff and students.

Read our Progressive Procurement policy (last updated in 2022)

Reduction of plastic pollution

Professor Trisia Farrelly is a global leader in efforts to reduce plastic pollution and advocate for a United Nations’ plastics treaty. Her recent work includes:

co-authoring research on brand accountability for plastic pollution, proposing that brand names could help hold companies responsible.
publishing on the urgent need to reduce plastic production in Cambridge Prisms and Science.
facilitating the Scientists’ Coalition to promote evidence-based decision-making in government actions.
presenting research at a 2022 workshop to set priorities for the Plastic Pollution Treaty, including drafting national statements and identifying regional priorities and challenges.

Exploring waste-conscious initiatives in circular economies

Professor Kelly Dombroski received Marsden funding in 2024 to explore innovative waste conscious initiatives in circular and post-capitalist economies. The research will focus on understanding why and how people engage in reducing, reusing and repairing from a social science perspective.

Further research published by Professor Dombroski and collaborators challenges narrow interpretations of the circular economy – urging policymakers and practitioners to think beyond recycling and materials to focus on equity, care and community-led innovation.

Innovative research turning waste into value

Several Massey research projects are exploring new ways to reduce waste and create value-added products, advancing sustainability across a range of industries.

Dr. Amanda Dupas de Matos is leading a project to help winemakers reduce grape waste by converting thinned grapes, typically left to rot, into value-added products. Initial results from this research were published in 2024.
Ongoing research is also exploring a collaboration with a Kiwi start-up to unlock the full potential of avocado waste.
In 2022, Massey and Lincoln University researchers received funding to explore turning legume wastewater into high-value ingredients for the food industry, including hydrocolloids, emulsifiers and foaming and gelling agents. These are all key components in many food products.

Innovative uses of old Police body armour

In 2023, students from Massey’s School of Design repurposed old police body armour no longer fit for purpose. Their creative products included sunglasses cases, a collapsible road cone and a patient carrier for first responders.

New Commerce and Sustainability course

In 2024, Massey Business School launched the Commerce and Sustainability in Practice course, attracting nearly 350 students. The course focuses on the intersection of environmental, social, cultural and ethical issues in business.

A key component of the course is that students tackle a real-world sustainability challenge connected to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

Developing sustainable dyes for muka

In 2024, Ngā Pae o Te Māramatanga’s Matakitenga Research Fund awarded funding for a project to develop sustainable, non-toxic dyes for muka (harakeke fibre).

By blending pre-colonial plant dyes with modern techniques, this research aims to advance fibre technology and mātauranga Māori.

Keeping fast fashion out of landfills

Massey’s Green Impact teams are taking action to discourage fast fashion and promote reuse and mending.

In 2025, Te Paepoto Seedlings hosted a Fashion Week celebrating mending, upcycling and reuse while raising awareness about the impacts of fast fashion. Activities included:

a clothing drive for a local charity
a Thrifted Finds competition for the best second-hand outfit
a mending workshop
“Rage to Rags”, where clothes destined for landfill were repurposed for a local business.

Previous initiatives in 2024 include:

The Ecology Green Team ran a clothes donation drive for a local op shop
Ngā Kaitiaki Taiao hosted a Thrifted Finds day
Business Services Sustainability Squad organised clothes swaps among staff, with items donated to students and the local community.

These projects highlight how small actions can reduce waste, extend the life of clothing and promote sustainable fashion on campus.