For a group of intermediate students from Tauranga, their performance at next week’s Zespri AIMS Games will be measured in tons, not medals.

That’s because the environmental warriors – nicknamed the Green Team – have one of the most important tasks at the week-long tournament; diverting thousands of kilograms of waste from landfills.

With nearly 13,000 athletes - more than the 10,500 hosted at the Paris Olympics - set to descend on Tauranga from Saturday, it will be no small feat.

It’s part of a massive sustainability effort from tournament organisers and strategic partner Tauranga City Council, which encourages athletes to ‘give back’ to their host city by getting involved in coastal clean-ups, tree planting and other activities.

The Green Team isn’t new, forming around 18 years ago when the event wanted to do better environmentally. Last year, 2031kg - or 58 percent - of waste was diverted from landfill.

Of the nearly 3500kg of rubbish collected, 872kg was recycling and 1159kg was organics.

Waste Watch director and Green Team leader Marty Hoffart. Photo by Alex Cairns.

This year will also be the first time soft plastics will be diverted from landfill with the team working with the Packaging Forum, on top of the usual three-bin system of landfill, recycling and compost, Waste Watch director and Green Team leader Marty Hoffart said.

“It’s usually what’s left in our landfill bins so hopefully we can recover a lot of that this year.”

Hoffart, who has been involved every year, said it’s a great way for more students to be involved in the “amazing” week who may not otherwise get a chance.

One of those students is Ōtūmoetai Intermediate’s Jackson Corrigan, 13, who “just missed out” on making his school’s basketball team.

He put his hand up for the Green Team as it was his last chance to be part of the international tournament.

Now, he gets to do the “important” work to help the environment while watching the athletes compete.

He’s one of 45 intermediate-age students from Mount Maunganui, Ōtūmoetai, and Tauranga Intermediate schools, and Pāpāmoa College.

They gathered for a training on Friday ahead of the tournament, where they walked through the city’s recycling facility before diving into the complex world of waste management, with even the teachers admitting they learnt a few things.

The students sharpened their eyes, learning to spot a compostable coffee cup with a plastic lid or paper plates sneakily lined with gloss.

Ōtūmoetai Intermediate Green Team members Emily Brown and Keelah Murphy. Photo by Alex Cairns.

They learnt the setup and manoeuvring of rubbish stations which were pretty similar in height to a lot of them.

Megan Salmon, 12, is back after loving it so much last year, feeling good about contributing to the “greater good”.

The Tauranga Intermediate student also found $10 last year which was a bonus.

She felt more at ease this year with experience under her belt, and planned on walking away with another gold medal for her efforts on the Green Team - a surprise as she didn’t realise their work would be recognised.

Her schoolmate, Bethany Wilson, 12, is another returning veteran who said they were “helping change the world”.

She said it was “really fun” and laughed at the fact it “wasn’t bad at all”.

They picked up some rubbish but mostly educated event-goers. Hoffart said a lot of the students were already interested in the environment and it was a “great team”.

They hoped to divert 60 percent of rubbish from landfill.

Hoffart said people were a lot more aware about reducing waste as the years progressed which made their job easier.

He asked competitors and spectators to take a few minutes to sort their rubbish into the correct bins rather than dumping one bag used for all rubbish.

For those needing a caffeine hit, bringing a reusable cup would make a “big difference” with thousands of coffees sold daily.

In line with staying green, Tauranga City Council has created a competition for AIMS Games’ first inter-school sustainability trophy, with students and teachers able to earn points for certain sustainability activities.

Every student who participates in the nominated actitivies will earn points for their school. Coastal clean ups earn 50 points per student, as will tree planting at Kopurererua Valley.

The council has teamed up with Good Neighbour to provide food rescue stations at the sports venues. Teams will be able to drop off unused food that might otherwise be thrown away, also earning 50 points per food drop.

The Green Team at training at Bay Oval recently. Photo by Alex Cairns.

TCC’S venues and events manager Nelita Byrne was excited by the competition.

“There will be a daily quiz on the official AIMS app that can earn each athlete 25 points over the week, and kids should get their adults to take reusable cups to the coffee carts at the sports venues which earns 25 points each time too.”

Public transport presents a major opportunity to inject sustainable focus into Games week, with each ride on a bus earning 50 points per student. Courtesy of Bay of Plenty Regional Council and Tauranga City Council, a dedicated Zespri AIMS Games free bus service will run on a loop between Mount Hot Pools and Gordon Spratt Reserve, stopping every 30 minutes at the main venues.

Oliver Haycock, public transport director at the regional council, says the special Zespri AIMS Games buses will be free for everyone in the community, not just Games attendees.

“It’s a busy week for the city,” he said. “We know there will be friends and family members wanting to get out there to support the athletes, so public transport will be the best way for everyone to get to the venues.”

Free Zespri AIMS Games buses will also operate for the opening ceremonies on Sunday, September 8, and for the orienteering event at The Historic Village on Tuesday, September 10.