While most people know us for providing meaningful work for neurodiverse and differently abled individuals, what’s less widely known is that we’ve been quietly delivering circular economy solutions for over 30 years. So why are we the perfect circular partner?
Because circular work is our everyday work. The heart of the circular economy is about keeping products and materials in use for as long as possible - through reuse, cleaning, refurbishment and careful disassembly. And this kind of work isn’t theoretical for us - it’s what we do, every day.
In fact, much of what the circular economy needs - attention to detail, consistency, hands-on focus, maps perfectly to the strengths of our team. What others may see as low-value tasks, we see as purposeful, rewarding work that creates pride and builds confidence.
Our circular partnership with Air New Zealand
Our longest-running circular partnership is with Air New Zealand, spanning nearly 40 years. It began in 1986, with one simple idea: instead of throwing away used in-flight headsets, could they be cleaned, refurbished, and reused?
It worked. And it’s still working today. At our peak, we refurbished tens of thousands of headsets each day. Post-COVID, we’re operating at around 60% of that volume and growing our circular services to include cleaning and refilling Air New Zealand’s hand soap bottles.
Each of these services keeps waste out of landfill, reduces cost and provides secure, hands-on jobs for our team. “Doing something for Air New Zealand makes me feel good,” says will&abler Erin.
Cleaning meters for Bluecurrent
In partnership with Bluecurrent, we clean electricity meters for reuse. These are delicate, high-value items and by avoiding unnecessary disposal, we extend the useful life of critical infrastructure. This is the circular economy in action: reclaiming value from products that would otherwise go to waste.
Bottle cleaning with Recircle
We’ve also supported partnership like Recircle, helping sort and clean plastic bottles for reuse at scale. These bottles are collected, sorted, cleaned and returned to suppliers - keeping materials in circulation and preventing bottles from becoming landfill.
Why it matters more than ever
The Circularity Gap Report 2024 tells us just 7.2% of the global economy is circular and that number is declining. Meanwhile, New Zealand sends an estimated 71% of its waste to landfill, making us one of the highest municipal waste producers per capita in the developed world.
And yet, the potential for circular transformation is huge. It can offer:
- Cost savings
- Resource efficiency
- Brand loyalty
- Community impact
- Lower carbon emissions
- Greater resilience
At will&able, we’ve been helping businesses unlock these benefits for decades - by doing the work.
Why partner with will&able?
When you work with us, you get:
- Circular solutions delivered at scale
- A trained, passionate team with proven systems
- Real social impact - through inclusive employment
- A partner that understands quality, consistency and care
Whether it’s cleaning, sorting, adapting, assembling or packing - we help businesses do better by doing good.
Missed our Circular Wiri event or based outside the area? We’d still love to connect. Message us - we are happy to set up a time to show you around.
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