The Great Te Puke Tidy Up
Over the week of 15–19 September, Te Puke came together in force for the Great Te Puke Tidy Up – a chance for schools, community groups, and local organisations to take part in a town-wide clean-up effort. The idea was simple: give groups who couldn’t make it to the main Spring Clean event on Friday the opportunity to get involved in keeping Te Puke beautiful.
And what an effort it was! Ten groups registered to take part, with some going above and beyond in their mahi:
Te Puke Intermediate Eco Class
Students collected rubbish around Litt Park, Fairhaven Park, Tynan Street, and Carter House. They not only gathered waste but also collated and graphed their findings, raising thoughtful questions like why more household rubbish appeared on Hookey Drive and Tynan Street, while food wrappers were more common in parks. True citizen science in action!
Poutiri Trust
On Wednesday, their team hit the carpark area near Pizza Hut, collecting a trailer-load of rubbish in just 30 minutes. Their haul included 11 bags of rubbish, a suitcase, a tent, and even a bike!
Kiwicoast Lions
Their members tackled Donovan Park, Fairhaven Park, and surrounding streets, collecting multiple bags of litter.
Te Puke Scouts
On Monday night, the Scouts cleaned up around their Den and Jubilee Park, managing to collect an incredible 10 sacks of rubbish.
Homeschool group led by Janine Gartner
Their clean-up around Maketu Beach filled an entire car with waste, including unusual finds such as a knife, a flipper, and lots of plastic pollution.
The Great Te Puke Spring Clean & Pizza Party
On Friday, it all came together with our Spring Clean & Pizza Party. The afternoon was filled with cleaning, learning, sharing — and, most importantly, FUN.
Special thanks to our clean-up crews:
- Trevelyan’s Pack and Cool Ltd team – for your fantastic mahi in Jubilee Park and for lending us your very snazzy pink high-vis vests.
- Youth Encounter NZ – your enthusiasm, energy, and work ethic never fail to inspire.
- Towbar Guy Steve – for always backing our community initiatives and getting stuck in.
- And of course, all the individuals who rolled up their sleeves and made a difference!
We were also joined by some incredible community groups sharing their mahi: Space for Nature, Predator Free BOP, Envirohub Bay of Plenty, Western Bay of Plenty District Council, Sea Cleaners, and Maketu Ongatoro Wetland Society.
A big thank you to 1XX Radio for bringing along the spinning wheel – a hit with both kids and adults, with prizes that rewarded everyone’s hard mahi. 
To The Daily – thank you for opening your venue, keeping everyone fed with a never-ending supply of delicious pizza, and making sure our volunteers had the fuel to keep going.
Thanks also to Glen from the Te Puke Recycling Centre for collecting, sorting, and weighing all the rubbish gathered. The results speak for themselves – a visible reminder of the difference our community can make when we work together.
And finally, a heartfelt thank you to Craig, Katherine & Laura from Keep Te Puke Beautiful (and of course, Kiki the Kiwi!) for your tireless efforts, passion, and energy. You are the driving force behind keeping Te Puke looking its best, and we’re so grateful for your inspiration and leadership.
Together, We Made a Difference
The Great Te Puke Tidy Up and Spring Clean & Pizza Party was a huge success — a true testament to the power of community spirit. Not only did we make our town cleaner and stronger, but this year we also smashed last year’s results. In 2025, we collected an incredible 247.9kg of waste — that’s a massive 152.9kg more than in 2024!
Here’s what our community pulled from our streets, parks, and beaches:
Metal = 50.5kg
Glass = 53.5kg
Mixed Plastic = 7kg
Wood = 13.5kg
Fibre = 19kg
E-waste = 0.6kg
Film = 1kg
General Rubbish = 81kg
Green Waste = 5.5kg
Polystyrene = 0.3kg
Textile = 10kg
Crockery = 5kg
A Community to Be Proud Of
The results speak volumes — not just in kilos of rubbish collected, but in the energy, teamwork, and pride that Te Puke showed throughout the week. From schools and Scouts to businesses, whānau and local groups, everyone played a part in making our home brighter and cleaner.
Together, we’ve proven that small actions add up to a big impact. Te Puke, you should be proud — this is community at its best.
In the Media
Thanks to the Event Organisers
Thanks to the Organisations Involved
Thanks to Our Sponsors
