Refreshments will be served in the Basement foyer of Building 303 at 5.30pm , followed by the lecture at 6.00pm in Lecture Theatre SLT1 on the Ground Floor

Management of our waste is a particularly complex challenge, since waste is so variable in nature. This panel sheds light on a variety of aspects of waste and how we might reduce it in the future.

Our Speakers are:

Professor Paul Kilmartin, School of Chemical Sciences

"Useful products from winery waste."

In keeping with the principles of Green Chemistry, Prof. Paul Kilmartin investigates the extraction of valuable resources from the waste in wine production. His research group has already successfully extracted antioxidants from grape waste that can be used in biodegradable plastics.

Parul Sood, Waste Planning Manager, Auckland Council

"Getting Auckland's waste sorted."

The talk will outline the initiatives in the Waste Management and Minimisation Plan. Parul will also discuss the importance of engaging communities and the challenges and opportunities on the pathway to Zero Waste.

Dr Cate Macinnis-Ng, Rutherford Discovery Fellow, School of Biological Sciences

"Forests: the ultimate example of reduce, reuse, recycle.”

In a changing climate, forest ecosystems are important for the capture and storage of carbon, potentially reversing the increasing concentrations of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. Different forests perform in different ways so how do we chose the 'best forest', and what happens when there is a large disturbance event like a fire or drought? In this talk, Cate will explore the value and challenges of managing forest ecosystems under climate change.

Dr Gerald Weber, Department of Computer Science

"Electronic waste, a global challenge"

E-waste is a fast-growing waste stream, and can be particularly complex and hazardous. Nevertheless the principles, reduce, reuse, recycle also apply to e-waste. Gerald will discuss how these principles can take shape in the area of e-waste.