Garden Waste to Rewilding Gold

Their journey began when the couple bought a few acres of land in Pakiri, primarily composed of exposed clay, devoid of trees and overrun with kikuyu grass. Wanting to develop the block with a small budget, they sought a solution to support the small reforesting native trees they were planting while managing the aggressive kikuyu.

Garden waste was the perfect answer. By mulching around the trees, the waste not only helped the plants retain moisture during dry spells but also improved the challenging soil conditions. Initially, they took green waste from a friend's mowing business, which the land swallowed up hungrily. The transformation was swift and rewarding; the plants started to thrive, and birds soon followed. “It was heartening to witness the beginning of rewilding,” says Louise.

This success inspired the creation of Birds Bags. Tim, a motorbike engineer, and Louise, an artist, saw an opportunity to extend this service to busy households, making it easier for others to keep their sections tidy. “It feels like a humble yet genuine way to make a difference to an unwell ecosystem,” comments Tim.

Birds Bags operates a simple and flexible service: they deliver repurposed wool sacks for garden waste collection and charge $45 per bag or $75 for two bags collected together on a casual basis. With no contracts this approach allows customers to pay only when their bags are full and need to be collected, accommodating the natural growth cycles of their gardens.

Aiming to make a genuine impact, Tim and Louise repurpose the garden waste to support young trees, continuing the rewilding process. They purchase plants from Reforest Native Plants in Omaha, where Rhonda, a skilled horticulturist with the ‘magic touch’, sources seeds locally ensuring her plants thrive.

Birds Bags has received significant support from Rochford Landscapes who have integrated Birds Bags into their services, helping their clients maintain the beautiful gardens they’ve created for them.

With aspirations to grow Birds Bags, Tim and Louise intend to continue rewilding and hope to create job opportunities for the local community. Through their innovative approach, Birds Bags is not only providing a practical garden waste solution but also contributing to the restoration of the local ecosystem.

www.instagram.com/BirdsBagsWaste | BirdsBagsWaste@gmail.com