Sustainability

What we do:

Waste Management - Key areas we reduce waste are:

• Recycling - we recycle wherever we can, from paper to printer cartridges to batteries, paint and metal off-cuts. Recycling bins are placed in convenient locations around the building for staff and visitors.
• Organic Waste - all food scraps are composted.
• Biodegradable, recycled and eco-friendly products - we use these wherever possible. We use compostable cups for drinks, stock products in our gift shop that are made from recycled materials and have little or no plastic packaging and we use paper bags for customers gift shop purchases.
• Reusable - much of our exhibition infrastructure is designed to be reusable and made with minimal materials. We also reuse matboard, mounts and frames.
• Unwanted items - we offer unwanted office furniture to other council departments. Unwanted exhibition furniture, equipment and fittings no longer required are sold. Unsellable items are offered to local interest groups for free.

Energy Efficiency - Some of the ways in which we reduce our energy consumption are:

• We have LED lights in the majority of our building.
• Lighting in some areas is on sensors so is only used when needed.
• Staff are encouraged to turn off equipment and lighting when not in use.
• We use a company called Smart Power to monitor power consumption and provide solutions to reduce usage.
• Regular, scheduled maintenance of mechanical systems such as air conditioning to ensure efficiency, leading to a reduction in power usage.
• Use of a sophisticated Building Management System (BMS) to monitor performance of air conditioning systems.
• Scheduling the air conditioning in the Century Theatre so it only runs when needed for events.

Qualmark Silver Sustainable Tourism Business Award

MTG Hawke's Bay is proud to be a Qualmark Silver Sustainable Business Award holder. This means that we have been recognised as one of the country's leading tourism operators by Qualmark - New Zealand tourism's official quality assurance organisation. To earn the prestigious mark, we underwent a comprehensive on-site evaluation against industry standards of best practice. This required the organisation to be independently reviewed under criteria focused on the specific service, facilities, environmental practices, safety and operating systems that we have in place.

New Zealand Tourism Sustainability Commitment
HE KUPU TAURANGI KIA TOITŪ AI TE TĀPOITANGA

MTG Hawke's Bay has signed the New Zealand Tourism Sustainability Commitment.

We have agreed to embrace their vision of restoring, protecting and enhancing our natural environment, and continuing to be a high quality destination of choice for international and domestic travellers. This will be achieved by embracing these values:

Kaitiakitanga | the guardianship and protection of our natural, built and cultural resources for the benefit of current and future generations.
Manaakitanga | showing respect, hospitality, generosity and care for others.
Whanaungatanga | a relationship through shared experiences and working together which provides people with a sense of belonging.

Tiaki Promise

MTG Hawke's Bay is proud to support the Tiaki Promise and its commitment to care for New Zealand, for now and future generations. We encourage visitors and locals alike to join us in acting as a guardian (kaitiaki) of New Zealand; protecting and preserving our home. 

How you can help us

Please help us to help the environment by:

• Making use of our rubbish and recycling bins.
• Choosing not to use a bag for your gift shop purchases.
• Not throwing away your visitor guide or map after your visit. Either take them home with you as a souvenir, hand them in to us at the front desk so they can be recycled or reused or, better still, hand them onto another traveller.
• Take the time to fill in our feedback forms - it gives you the opportunity to comment on our environmental practices and make any suggestions on how we could improve.