South Auckland Middle School cashes in on empties!
Container Deposit Return Scheme trial a hit with rangatahi and the principal.
South Auckland Middle School (Te Paerangi) raised $477.40 in a single lunch break in their 10 November 2025 bottle drive, supported by the Beautification Trust.
The 180-pupil school saved 2,387 empty bottles and cans from litter or landfill, earning 20c an empty for their school. The proceeds will be spent on materials for the Beautification Trust’s Boomer Shed to make a picnic table for the school grounds.
How the event was promoted
A week before the drive, the Beautification Trust provided text promoting the ‘bottle drive’ to the school in the right format for them to use in their Hero feed which messages parents of children at the school. The Trust also gave the school a reminder message to txt to parents.
Pupils started taking empty plastic and glass drinks’ bottles and cans to school immediately. With days to go Senior teacher Chantelle Te Hira laughed she was ‘drowning in empties’ in her office.
School partnership
Senior teacher Chantelle Te Hira acted as the school liaison, coordinating logistics and student involvement.
The Beautification Trust team supported promotion, provided images, and captured photos and video on the day. The school used their own permission system, with students whose images could be taken clearly identified with a sticker on the day and all images checked before use. Staff present at the school on day included:
- Louise Beuvink, Marketing & Communications Manager
- Zoe Braun, Marketing & Communications Specialist
- Leigha Stroeven, Tread Lightly Manager, running waste education through hands on activities at the event.
- Daniel Barthow, Chief Executive, making sure the school stayed happy throughout.
The school nominated three rangatahi as event leads, responsible for counting in the empties. This gave the pupils ownership of the event and helped maximise the excitement and energy of what they could achieve for their kura by returning empties.
Said Chantelle Te Hira (Senior Leader, South Auckland Middle School):
“Our rangatahi really stepped up. They were organised, enthusiastic and proud of what they achieved together. It showed them that even a small kura can make a big impact, and the money raised will help build a new picnic table for our school”
The Trust’s Tread Lightly e-van was also on site, giving students hands-on, high-impact environmental learning about waste and how everyday actions affect te taiao. This reinforced the kaupapa of the bottle drive and helped deepen students’ understanding of why returning empties matters.
Said Leigha Stroeven (Beautification Trust):
“The kids were awesome and really got behind it. We talked about how our choices impact te taiao, and you could see it click for them. It wasn’t just fundraising, it was about looking after their kura and the environment.”
How the mechanics worked
The Beautification Trust brought wheelie bins, and the school had been pre-collecting containers in large sacks. Students queued to hand in their empties, with the three student leaders tallying items using clipboards and paper.
The Trust transported all containers in their box truck to the Onehunga Community Recycling Centre for processing and covered the recycling costs. Payouts were calculated directly from the student tallies and stayed just within the allocated $500 budget.
Said Louise Beuvink (Beautification Trust):
“This activation showed how powerful community action can be. It also highlighted why a container deposit return scheme would be a great move for Aotearoa, helping us reduce litter, waste less and recycle more.”
Said Daniel Barthow (Beautification Trust):
“Seeing the rangatahi really click that all these bottles have real value they can tap into was inspiring. They literally understood the true value of what is often ends up trashed or littered.
A refund system puts real value back into local hands, cuts waste and brings people together around a shared purpose. This is exactly the kind of practical change a container deposit return scheme could deliver across Aotearoa.”
Community support and visibility
Local MP Rima Nakhle joined the school on the day to see the action firsthand. Government legislation is needed to enable a Container Deposit Return Scheme for Aotearoa that could make this event a weekly fundraiser in schools.
The event demonstrated the power of community mobilisation and the practical benefits of a refund system; reduced litter, higher recycling rates, and money flowing back into schools and community groups.
Why a container deposit return scheme matters
Container return schemes operate in 32 countries worldwide, giving people a simple incentive to return drink containers and covering the real costs of recycling. Surveys show 76% of New Zealanders want a scheme introduced.
Many New Zealanders remember returning bottles for cash in the 1970s and 80s. This school bottle drive offered a glimpse of how easily Aotearoa could bring that system back.
Said Sue Coutts (Zero Waste Aotearoa):
“The South Auckland Middle School bottle drive shows just how effective a container deposit return scheme will be for Aotearoa. When empties are worth 20c each, they quickly become a useful fundraising tool for schools and clubs, and the money stays local. It’s a win for whānau, communities, and te taiao. Our ancestors valued resources, and with the right scheme in place, we can too.”
For more info contact louise.beuvink@beautification.org.nz
To talk about organising a bottle drive in your community contact Sue@zerowaste.org.nz