One Man’s Scrap: The tinkerer turning waste into worth

Kevin thinks of something positive; a way to help others. And he puts in the hours to do it.

Kevin is a technician of dentistry equipment and supplies in Auckland. Since 2012, he has used his unique skillset of dismantling, sanitising, and sorting unusable dental equipment into different metal groups. He then sells this scrap metal and donates the proceeds to Habitat New Zealand, ultimately changing the lives of families we work with both in New Zealand and in the Pacific.

Although Kevin’s employer, RA Jenks, happily donates the end-of-life items, his work to dispose of them only begins when he clocks off. Over the past 13 years and counting, Kevin has spent spare time and countless volunteer hours in his home workshop to support the work that Habitat does for those in housing need. His colleagues, both in Auckland and at RA Jenks offices around the North Island, know that Kevin gets a look at all scrap metal.

“He is the man that all scrap metal goes to,” says Greg, Managing Director of RA Jenks. “We have a pile in the corner, that’s Kevin’s pile.”

“You can’t cherry pick doing this,” says Kevin. “You have to take the high value with the low value.”

And take it he does. Whether it’s a boot load or a trailer load, it all gets hauled off to Kevin’s home to see what he can turn into a charitable donation. Giving the scrap materials a second life not only supports Habitat, but also a more sustainable life cycle for the equipment.

“We look at ways we can add back to the country, so it seems ridiculous to scrap the old equipment and put it straight into the waste disposals and the big dumps out there,” says Greg.

“It can be recycled and used again. It’s good for the country, it’s good for our environment, and it’s good for our future generations.”

Kevin’s selfless dedication to recycling the metal, scrapping it, and donating the proceeds to non-profit organisations has supported Habitat housing initiatives for years, enabling change in many forms.