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Slash for Cash: Transforming Waste into Opportunity
Project Story
Slash for Cash is an initiative of the Tolaga Bay Heritage Charitable Trust (TBHCT) that transforms wood debris (slash) waste, untreated wood waste, and maize harvest waste into biochar, which is used to make organic biochar fertilizer and smokeless charcoal briquettes, while also creating training and employment opportunities for the local East Coast (Tairawhiti) and Wairoa communities of New Zealand.
Our Mission
We are a scalable land-restoration and carbon-management platform on a mission to heal the land and heal communities through carbon sequestration, training opportunities, and full-time employment.
Background & Problem Statement
The Tairawhiti and Wairoa communities are undergoing recovery from the effects of Cyclones Hale and Gabrielle. Both regions require immediate community-led intervention to clean up wood debris, stabilize eroded land, and mitigate against flooding, which present risks to life, infrastructure, property, and agricultural practices.
Gisborne District spends tens of millions removing forestry slash each year. Storms continue to push woody debris into rivers and beaches. Slash for Cash provides a local, long-term solution to this persistent waste issue.
Our Solution
We have developed innovative mobile carbonization kilns that transform wood debris (slash) waste or any dead carbon matter into biochar, which is used to make organic biochar fertilizer and smokeless charcoal briquettes, while creating training and employment opportunities for local East Coast (Tairawhiti) and Wairoa communities.
Our intellectually-protected 1.5m by 3.5m steel mobile carbonization kilns can carbonize 3 tonnes of wood debris per burn and 30 tonnes weekly (5 days), performing two 4-hour burns daily. Our initiative is fully supported and endorsed by local iwi (tribes) and hapū (sub-tribes) in the East Coast (Tairawhiti) and Wairoa regions.
Our kilns hold 15-year Global Air Discharge and Resource Consent Permits and A-Grade Compliance Certificates from Gisborne District Council and Hawkes Bay Regional Council. They were designed and manufactured in accordance with New Zealand Engineering Standards and comply with New Zealand Transport Authority regulations.
Our biochar has been tested for heavy metals by Scion Research. Our biochar fertilizer is made with organic sheep manure (an abundant natural warm fertilizer). Our smokeless briquettes comply with BS EN 1860-2: 2005 international standard, with each briquette providing clean 6-hour heat or cooking energy.
Our Experience
We are a New Zealand Sustainable Business Awards 2025 Transformational Leadership Award-winning hybrid and sustainable social enterprise owned by Tolaga Bay Heritage Charitable Trust (TBHCT), which was established at Start Up Weekend Tairawhiti 2023 in response to Cyclone Gabrielle's devastation and to advance the Trust's Socio-Economic and Environmental Conservation Mission.
Between August 2023 and August 2024, we partnered with Eastern Institute of Technology to develop and deliver an adult community education training programme, empowering 54 people across Tolaga Bay, Ruatoria, Wairoa, and Gisborne with practical biochar production knowledge and expertise focused on climate change mitigation, soil health, and agriculture.
In November and December 2024, we received a $220,000 grant and a $100,000 grant from the Department of Internal Affairs and the Eastern & Central Community Trust respectively to deliver the 2025 One-Year Job Readiness Training Programme to upskill 18 local residents on Ministry of Social Development (MSD) benefits across Tolaga Bay (6), Ruatoria (6), and Wairoa (6) into employable individuals.
In March 2025, we completed manufacturing our first Mobile Carbonization Kiln (AK1). In August 2025, we were awarded two 15-year Global Discharge to Air and Land Use Resource Consent Permits. In November and December 2025, we began operating AK1, which passed compliance tests and was awarded two A-Grade Compliance Certificates.
In March 2026, we completed manufacturing our second and third Mobile Carbonization Kilns (AK2 and AK3) and began operating them in April 2026.
Our Recent Milestones
Between January and June 2026, we achieved the following:
Our Ask
We are seeking a $250,000 grant to support full-time wages for 18 employees ($207,400) and Project Coordinator wages ($17,600) for 3 months, plus $25,000 towards operational costs to accelerate our regeneration and go-to-market efforts.
We have already secured a $20,000 donation from Anne Wignall and we are exploring these other funding opportunities to meet our $1.5 million budget required for 1 year of full operations:
This funding will enable us to scale from approximately 8 burns per month per site to 30 burns monthly, producing up to 40 tonnes of bulk organic biochar per month per site by year's end. It will help us achieve cash-flow positive operations by year-end 2027, break-even by 2028, and profitability by 2030.
The grant will create full-time employment for 19 people, scale annual slash clean-up capacity from 1,080 tonnes to 4,320 tonnes, and achieve annual CO₂ sequestration potential of 8,640 to 12,960 tonnes. It will enable faster commercialization of biochar products and establish a replicable circular bioeconomy model for Aotearoa New Zealand.
This funding support will allow us to do the following per site in the first 3 months:
This funding support will allow us to do the following per site in the last 3 months onwards:
The value of the grant will extend well beyond us as the applicant organization.
The project will also grow new market opportunities earlier than would otherwise occur.
MA Earth funding will enable Slash for Cash to accelerate:
This early market access will have significant economic value because it will allow New Zealand to develop a domestic biochar and circular forestry waste industry sooner, rather than continuing to absorb escalating clean-up costs and environmental damage from unmanaged slash. It will also position New Zealand as a leader in low-cost, community-based biochar production systems that can be replicated internationally.
In short, MA Earth Collective Fund for Regeneration will not just be simply funding a hybrid and sustainable social enterprise. It would be catalyzing a scalable regional transformation initiative that converts an expensive environmental liability into enduring economic, environmental, and social value for New Zealand.
Our production of locally produced bulk organic fertilizer and our early repeat sales to local farmers is testament to the self-reliance of the East Coast community as global fertilizer supply chains face further degradation.
It's a definitive example of turning a vulnerability (supply chain instability) into a local strength.
By shortening the supply chain and utilizing local organic resources, we are not just bypassing global logistics headaches; we are contributing to building long-term soil health and regional food security.
Evidence and reviews live on the open ATProto network and can be inspected by anyone.