Hi, I’m Mariko, from Whanganui, New Zealand — and I’m the only Official Kiero Advisor living outside Japan.
Exciting news — I’ve been selected for funding through the Whanganui District Council’s Waste Minimisation Fund, and once the final paperwork is through, I’ll be taking Kiero from a personal project to something much bigger: spreading it properly across New Zealand.
Why I’m Doing This: My Kiero Project
This year, though, I’m keeping it small and focused — a pilot programme right here in Whanganui. To start, only five local households will build their own Kiero, install it in their own backyard, and use it every day.
The goal isn’t just “give people a Kiero and hope for the best.” I want real data: how much food waste each household actually keeps out of the bin, and whether Kiero can be just as happy in New Zealand soil as it is back in Japan. Different climate, different soil, different microbes — I want to see it for myself.
I already believe it works — I’ve been using mine in my own backyard, and it works perfectly for me.
Along the way, I’ll be running workshops to help each household build their own Kiero from scratch.
And next year, once this funding period wraps up, I’ll be training other advisors like myself — so we can take this project further, and make it more accessible and affordable across New Zealand.
I’m hoping to help young people build this project with me. And I would like to build a sustainable community in Whanganui.
What do you think?
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