A Year of Change and Impact for the Tread Lightly Caravan

Let's take a look at some of the major accomplishments for the Tread Lightly Caravan in 2025:

·         Joining the Beautification Trust,

·         Refreshing the look and feel of the Tread Lightly Caravan brand,

·         Exploring new ways to inspire New Zealanders to live sustainably, with the expansion of new programmes.

Alongside these shifts, we continued delivering our education programme to schools and communities to support waste reduction and environmental learning. In 2025, we've had great engagement through the year, with 6,030 students educated, 260 school classes engaged and 27 schools visited.

We’re very grateful for the ongoing support of our funders and sponsors, who make this amazing mahi possible. This year, we secured new funding from the Mazda Foundation, supporting the development of new programme materials, and from ANZ New Zealand Staff Foundation, helping us deliver our programme to schools facing higher socioeconomic barriers. Every funding partnership strengthens our ability to reach more tamariki, build long-term sustainability for the programme, and keep the Tread Lightly Caravan accessible to the communities who need it most.

Zero-Waste Community Workshops

The Beautification Trust secured a Wastewise contract from Auckland Council to grow zero waste awareness and support Aucklanders to reduce waste.

Through this mahi, Tread Lightly educators will deliver 18 community activations this financial year at events across Auckland, using our e-van to share practical, hands-on learning about waste.

We have workshops available that will help people better understand waste and make changes they can use straight away. Together, we explore:

• Why reducing waste to landfill matters

• How to rethink everyday consumption choices

• What really happens to recycling, and how to do it right

If you’d like to book a free Zero Waste Community Workshop or invite Tread Lightly educators to a community event, get in touch with our team at treadlightly@beautification.org.nz.

Recycling Made Easy

As part of our Auckland Council Wastewise contract, we are trialling dedicated local collection hubs at eight Auckland schools for hard-to-recycle items, such as soft plastics, caps and lids. These collection sites support people to recycle correctly and conveniently while reducing contamination in recycling systems, which remains one of the biggest challenges for waste facilities.

By providing clear guidance and easy-to-use collection points, we’re making it simpler for communities to keep the right materials out of landfill and ensure they are processed properly.

Drop-off locations will be rolled out in stages and tested as we go, allowing us to learn what works best and make ongoing improvements based on community use and feedback.

If you’re interested in turning your school into a drop-off point, contact us at treadlightly@beautification.org.nz.

Inspiring a Container Deposit Return Scheme

Students from South Auckland Middle School raised $477.40 with their bottle drive last month!

Our Tread Lightly educators partnered with the rangatahi on 10th November, to show what a container deposit return scheme could look like in Aotearoa. Everyone got involved, bringing along their clean, empty beverage containers, each getting a 20c donation in return. Together, the students collected 2,387 containers, raising $477.40 for their school.

We're very grateful to all the students and staff who made it happen, and to Takanini MP Rima Nakhle for joining us on the day to see the action.

This activation shows how powerful community action can be, and why a container deposit return scheme would be a great move for Aotearoa. It's a practical, cost effective way to help New Zealanders reduce litter, waste less and recycle more.

Schemes are already being used in 57 countries and states to collect drink containers and cover the real cost of recycling. Surveys show 76% of New Zealanders want a container deposit return scheme here.

Learn more about the campaign for a Container Deposit Return Scheme here.

Workshops with the Department of Corrections

Tread Lightly educators delivered a series of workshops with people completing community service hours, using learning as a way to build skills, confidence and awareness.

This year, we ran four knitting and wellbeing workshops with 44 wahine, teaching basic knitting skills while exploring key wellbeing themes such as mindfulness, financial wellbeing, physical health and nutrition. These sessions created space for connection, reflection and practical learning.

Alongside this, we delivered seven Recycle Right workshops, engaging 64 men and women. These workshops focused on everyday waste, how and why to sort it correctly, and the impact of waste on our waterways when it’s not managed well. Together, these sessions supported participants to better understand their role in reducing waste and protecting the environment.

New Branding

In July 2025, the Tread Lightly Caravan became part of the Beautification Trust. As you may have noticed, we’ve refreshed our brand identity, to stand as one of the Trust sub-brands.

Here's a bit of background about the meaning behind our new logo:

The Foot

Represents our environmental footprint, a reminder that every step we take leaves a mark.

Tread Lightly

Our name and motto reflect our purpose: encouraging tamariki, rangatahi and their whaanau to make thoughtful choices to protect and restore the environment.

Hei Matau (Hook)

The hei matau represents good luck and safe travels. It reflects our movement around the region to educate and inspire with a blend of modern science and Māori knowledge.

The Caravan

Our mobile classroom is home to hands-on, interactive exhibits that inspire action for our planet.

While our visual identity has evolved, our purpose remains the same: delivering engaging, science-based sustainability education that empowers tamariki to care for te taiao.

Planning for 2026?

Bookings with the Tread Lightly Caravan for 2026 are filling up fast. Now is the perfect time to start planning your sustainability programmes for next year and get everything locked in early!