Below are details of some of the initiatives and practices we have put in place to reduce our carbon footprint and be as sustainable as possible. We’ve focused on changes and impact made on three different levels; infrastructure, cultural, and external partnerships.  

Infrastructure - what we’ve ‘built in’ to our physical space. 

• Motion-sensored LED lighting - All our communal spaces such as kitchens, hallways, stairwells, etc. have motion-sensor lights that automatically turn off if there’s no movement. We also have LED light bulbs installed in 95% of our building - increasing as lights need replacing - these use up to 85% less electricity than traditional incandescent or halogen bulbs and can last up to 15 times longer. 
• Aircon units in each room - All our meeting rooms and offices have aircon units installed in them. They can be controlled by the occupier (ie, they don’t turn on automatically or are set on a timer). This means if no one is using the space - it is not turned on, therefore not wasting energy. 
• Internal digital signage - This saves on printing and can be updated easily. 
• EV charging  - With GoTo Car Share based at Basestation, it made sense to also have a public EV charger facility attached to the building so other electric vehicles can also be charged.  
• Central location, close to public transport routes and cycle ways - Being in a central location means that many of the bus routes are close by. We are also a “hop, skip and jump” away from Cameron Road which now has a dedicated cycle lane. And there are a number of other cycle routes which flow into the CBD. 

Cultural - what we’ve added or offered to our residents and customers to be more sustainable in their everyday choices.

• Worm Farms - We’ve recently acquired a second worm farm as these are proving popular with our residents. We hire them from whywaste.co.nz who service them for us. We have two food scraps bins - one in each kitchen. We educate residents on what can and can’t go in them. We empty these into the worm bins every Friday, and the worms take care of the rest!
• Recycling bins - As well as food scraps, we also have glass and ‘everything else’ recycling bins in each kitchen and around the office. 
• Wednesday Challenge & Bike month - The great thing about creating a culture of biking into work is that it can become infectious! Basestation has been participating in The Wednesday Challenge for as long as any one can remember. This is a national initiative that encourages people to ‘ditch the car’ on a Wednesday and find other ways to get to work (or out and about!). Bike Month in February, also features on the Basestation calendar! It’s been known to get a little competitive between teams and residents! 
• Scooter and bike parking at Basestation - Building on a culture that encourages our residents to cycle or scooter into the office, it made sense to also offer them a safe and secure place to leave their bikes and scooters! We also have shower facilities for residents to use with complimentary towels and cosmetics/toiletries.  
• Milk in glass bottles - We have only just started to transition from getting milk in plastic cartons to getting milk from Folk who have recently changed their supplier. Folk now buy milk for their coffees in reusable vats/buckets which are connected to a tap. We have bought some glass milk bottles that we reuse for our residents to make their own tea, coffee and hot chocolate. 
• Sustainable catering - Encouraged by one of Basestation co-founders and many residents, when catering for social or resident events there are always vegan (and vegetarian) options available. Our local ‘go to’ suppliers we support are:
  • Vitality Kitchen who supply us with vegan muffins for our monthly resident breakfasts. 
  • Pluto Juice Bar who provide a great range of salads and soups for our monthly resident shared lunches.

We also provide dairy-free spreads in our kitchens as well as a range of oat, soy, and almond milks for our residents to enjoy. 

External partnerships - working with others on reducing our carbon footprint

• Champion and supporting Sustainable Bay of Plenty - As well as being one of our residents, we regularly support the team by providing sponsored event space. We’ve supported the team in hosting Green Drinks and other public meetings. 
• Bike Stop - A collaboration between Basestation and Tauranga City Council. Bike Stop offers secure and safe parking for bikes and scooters and charging for e-bikes and e-scooters in the CBD for just $1 a day! 
• Hosting Repair Cafe - Once a month in Tinkd Makerspace. This is a volunteer driven initiative that offers a chance to connect people with expertise in fixing and repairing household items with people who have items that might need some TLC or fixing! It’s a free service and the goal is to avoid items being thrown into landfill unnecessarily 

Basestation is constantly striving to do better and do our part for people and the planet.