Dezignatek's parent company, NZ Panels Group, has a goal to recycle all materials that can be,  while phasing out non-recyclable alternatives.

Central to the waste reduction strategy is a concerted effort to educate staff on the importance of minimising waste, encouraging them to explore innovative ways to re-cycle and upcycle materials and find better packaging solutions.

As a result, staff have developed some impactful ways to do just that. Spare space on the thermoform door press is being used to make small-scale door samples for joiners, designers and architects.  Any leftover vinyl is then sent off to be recycled into gumboots, hoses, mudflaps and plumbing pipes.

Dezignatek also introduced an initiative to make dunnage using wood offcuts from CNC machines. The dunnage is used between pallets to protect products during transportation and to date, has successfully diverted 47 tonnes of waste from landfill. Additionally, the company has begun collecting and re-using dunnage from select Auckland-based clients, further helping waste reduction.

Traditional plastic wrap has been swapped for innovative Purewrap which is a plant-based plastic wrap made from sustainably-grown sugar cane and is carbon negative. It also can be recycled along with other soft plastics. For every ton of Purewrap produced, a staggering 2.80 tonnes of CO2 are removed from the atmosphere. In stark contrast, traditional plastic wrap emits 1.66 tonnes of CO2 per ton. On top of the swap, the amount of wrap being used has dropped by over 50%.

Empowering employees to explore creative solutions and embrace sustainability has clearly created a strong culture of responsibility when it comes to waste management and this is just the start.