Unitec Pathways College (UPC), supported by our Sustainability team is partnering with Critical, a South Auckland-based social enterprise that takes plastic waste and transforms it into beautiful, functional objects, furniture and homewares.
Before the programme can get started, Critical is appealing for help to get their factory up and running, after set backs due to Covid and the tornado in South Auckland earlier this year.
Why partner with Critical?
With their strong sustainability (kaitiakitanga) goals and their aim of creating meaningful local employment opportunities, Critical’s values align with ours. Critical is focused on not only using products to reduce and reuse waste, but using profits to create work pathways for those who may otherwise not have access to opportunities.
Our UPC ākonga are benefitting from this innovative project by learning about the concept of a circular economy, with the added benefit of repurposing all of Unitec’s plastic waste (even the pieces that can’t be recycled). The plan is to have so much fun doing this that students will be inspired to continue to care for the planet and consider what role they can play in the environmental space.
Delays, delays, delays
The Critical plan is currently paused (again). In 2020 it was paused because of the Covid lockdowns and this year, a tornado has put a dent in the UPC and Critical vision.
A day after Critical set up their new factory in Papatoetoe, South Auckland was hit hard by the wild tornade on 19 June, that ripped a hole through their factory roof, damaging essential tools, machinery and all their equipment. Unfortunately, they were still in the process of negotiating insurance terms and have not been able to cover the full extent of the damage caused.
Critical has turned to crowdfunding to help rebuild their factory – please spread the word and donate if you can.
You can also follow their journey and learn more about their impact on Facebook or Instagram.