Green Lunch to celebrate the environment

The people of Invercargill will have the opportunity to take part in a Green Lunch and celebrate the environment.

The Invercargill Environment Centre held a Green Lunch and Silent Auction on yesterday at the St Johns Church Hall to help raise funds for the centre.

Invercargill City Council Waste Minimisation Officer Donna Peterson said the Invercargill Environment Centre Green Lunch Fundraiser was one of a series of events being held locally to commemorate Keep NZ Beautiful Clean Up Week.

“Clean Up Week is not only about getting out into our neighbourhood and cleaning up but it is also about raising awareness of our environment. The Green Lunch is a new concept that is sweeping the globe,” Ms Peterson said.

Invercargill Environment Centre spokesperson Jenny Campbell said the whole concept for a 'green' lunch was to use locally produced items (eliminating food miles), which ensured that people who produced the goods were able to get a good return and no plastic containers or Gladwrap would be used.

“The focus is on reducing waste and being mindful of our environment the thoughtful way," Ms Campbell said.

As well as a Green Lunch guest speaker Nick Kiddey spoke about his approach to zero waste and being carbon neutral.

Mr Kiddey also kindly donated artistic photographs which were up for Silent Auction with all proceeds going to the Invercargill Environment Centre.

Mr Kiddey said the photos were all of rubbish, portrayed in a very aesthetically interesting way, taken mostly around Invercargill but including some shots from his brief trip to China last year.

“My approach is akin to the Permaculture way of changing one's perception of a problem in order to see it as a resource and also to challenge people's perceptions of ugly and beautiful,” Mr Kiddey said.