by Robyn B
Rachel Kitchens is an everyday wastewise hero. She finds time in her busy life as a mother of three children to contribute to Māngere Bridge becoming a Wastewise, Caring, Connected Community. Rachel has been a member of Friends of the Farm for several years.
Rachel is passionate about finding creative ways to care for our environment. She and her family walk their talk. They grow vegetables and herbs in their garden, maintain a composting system, recycle soft plastics and shop at bulk food stores. She encourages her friends, church community, schools and kindy to be waste-wise too. Rachel uses her bike instead of her car whenever possible and supports the Walking School Bus three times a week.
Many locals use the oral waste care recycling bin at Māngere Bridge Library. Rachel started this recycling initiative two years ago for toothbrush packets, dental floss containers and associated packaging. Since then, she has collected 25 kgs of oral care waste, which she returns to the manufacturer for recycling! Rachel expanded her recycling efforts last year, setting up bins to collect used batteries and plastic razors for recycling.
Thanks to her enthusiasm Waterlea School are now on board with recycling and supporting this community-wide effort to reduce household waste.
Recently Rachel’s family hired Whenua Warriors to upgrade their back garden with awesome results. New raised garden beds, with 100% locally sourced organic materials, have produced surplus crops for the local Pātaki Kai.
Rachel is quick to give Whenua Warriors a shout out for their work and loves seeing her local Pātaki Kai full of food from kind neighbours.
Rachel’s passion for wastewise living and growing community is inspiring and backed up by her voluntary commitment to so many initiatives in Māngere Bridge.
Wastewise with Friends of the Farm
- Māngere Bridge – It’s a Hive of Wastewise Activity!
- Village Lights Festival 2025
- Tonnes of eWaste Collected at Ecofest – Māngere Bridge eWaste Day 2025
- Wash Against Waste
- 2024 Volunteer Celebration and Thank You
- Got Any Blisters? I mean Blister Packs…
- Cleaning Our Foreshore
- 2024 Winter Repair Café – Records Broken
- The Recycling Bug is Generational
- Tonnes of eWaste Collected – Māngere Bridge eWaste Day 2024
