One of my new years resolutions this year was to find ways to improve my impact on the environment. I already make an effort to recycle as much as possible, to accumulate as little plastic as possible and to reuse things but I wanted to take things a step up this year and make it more of a commitment. In doing this, I realised also that this doesn’t have to be hard, its just about making the decision to commit, and not forget certain things when you leave the house! So, in light of this I did a little bit of research to find out simple ways to be more environmentally friendly. It just takes a few small tweeks to our habits, and this can help to make a difference, not only to our impact but also to our peace of mind, that we are actually doing something.
As I am Wellington based, I have popped in a few links and ideas that will help fellow Wellingtonians, but these ideas work for us all, globally too! Please also leave a comment below and let me know what I have missed- big or small, its all useful!
Shout out to the brilliant new NZ based store Oh Natural, where you can get all the things you need to be more environmentally friendly in Wellington. I also wrote about them in my previous blog post about my summer favourites so check that one out too 🙂
Here goes… 19 simple ways to be more environmentally friendly (in Wellington):
1. Carry a reusable shopping bag
This is one of the oldest tricks in the book and should be one of the easiest. Grab a few canvas bags and reuse them everytime you go to the supermarket or any shop for that matter. The easy part is knowing this is the right thing to do, the hard part is actually remembering to take the bags with you when you go to the shop. The way I remember, is to have quite a few in circulation. I always have one in my backpack which I use to go to work incase I end up nipping to the shop or picking something up on the way home. I also keep a big stash by the door to help me remember if I am going out, and we also keep some bags in the car for if we are going to New World and we have forgotten to pick up bags on the way out. This way we should always be covered.
If, after all this., we do forget after all this, we simply ask the packers to pack into the empty wine boxes instead as these can easily be recycled for free in Wellington.
2. Use a reusable coffee cup
You might be shocked to hear that in New Zealand, most of the recycling systems are not advanced enough to recycle, even those coffee cups that are labeled as recyclable or compostable, which means that they, along with thousands of others, are going in landfill every day (see this article) The only way forward is with reusable coffee cups or drinking in store.
You can pick up reusable coffee cups from lots of coffee shops in town, or head Oh Natural, Moore Wilson or Commonsense Organics to grab a Keep Cup. I have a keep cup and I love it, its is glass and so much nicer than drinking from a paper cup. I just chuck it in my bag, so whenever I want to buy a coffee, its there. This is kind of essential to being an environmentally conscious coffee drinker in Wellington now. Just remember to bring it with you wherever you go as you never know when the coffee craving will strike.
3. Use a reusable water bottle
Like the two above, this one is essential now. Not only are plastic bottles filling up landfils, the ocean and other environmentally hazardous places but they are also bad for your health. Our bodies are absorbing plastics that are used for everything in our daily life (see article – 7 ways plastic damages your health).
So reducing plastic use is essential for both the environment and you! The best way forward is to buy a good reusable glass or metal bottle that you can refill on the go. Besides, this tastes so much better than drinking out of plastic!
I love my Klean Kanteen Insulated bottle, but loads of others can be found again at Moore Wilsons or Commonsense Organics.
Note: if your caught out without your bottle and you need to drink some water, buy a glass one, because at least its reusable, recyclable and not bringing more plastic into your life!
4. Carry a reusable cutlery pouch.
Carringing cuttlery around might seem like an extreme length to go to, but if your someone who grabs take away lunch out quite a lot it could be a good idea. Similar to waterbottles, plastic bags and coffee cups, plastic cuttlery and straws are just ending up in landfill.
Ive seen some really cool ideas on Pintrest for making your own foldable pouch to carry a fork, knife, spoon and straw in and also some you can buy at Oh Natural or this one from The HIve.
5. Switch to Meridian Energy
Meridian Energy is the only energy provider for Wellington that is generated using 100% renewable energy sources. This therefore makes them the most sustainable source of energy to be using. In order to tell government, big business and all those others in charge, that this is what we want for the future, the best thing to do is make the switch. The prices may not be the cheapest possible but if we start and continue to use energy sources like this it will become the norm and the prices are likely to reduce!
6. Check your companies on Conscious Consumers
Conscious Consumers is a great new Wellington company who are making sustainable and environmentally friendly businesses and business practices viable for the consumer. You can check out the list of Wellington businesses to be sure that the places you buy from are doing the best the can for the environment and feel more confident about your purchases. They also have a cool blog detailing everything that is sustainable in the Wellington community and beyond.
7. Use Reusable food wraps
No more need to use plastic wrap as there are now amazing new reusable alternative: food wraps that you can wash and reuse. I love Honeywrap, which is made in Auckland and is a beeswax covered fabric that works the same as a cling wrap would. Its non toxic, environmentally friendly and keeps food fresh meaning less waste! Amazing! I got mine by Lilybee from Oh Natural, and I love love it!
8. Switch to eco products
This counts for house products, make up, skin and oral hygiene products. There is an eco alternative for all of these. Why not try and swap a few around. There are almost always alternatives sold in the same isle at supermarkets. Using these products might be a small step but it helps to reduce pollution to the environment and waterways. It is also much better for our bodies and health as they tend to include less harmful chemicals that have damaging effects on our health. I heard the phrase once that if you wouldn’t eat it, why put it on your skin? Which might be extreme but it makes a lot of sense. So taking steps to use better products is certainly a great idea. Post coming soon about where you can buy these in Welly.
9. Recycle your soft plastics
On top of your usual household recycling, its important to think about where you can recycle soft plastics because these can’t go in the normal plastic recycling bags and bins. But, we are lucky in Wellington because the New World stores now have bins for soft plastic recycling in their lobbies. You can check out the info here.
You can also find Soft Plastic Recycling Initiative bins in different locations throughout the city where you can drop off your plastic bags for recycling, check out the store locater HERE
With this, on top of using reusable bags, we should be well on our way to tackling plastic bags in landfills.
10. Buy compostable bin liners
Obviously you need to line your household bin with something, so pick up a stash of compostable/biodegradable bin liners. Can be found at most big superstores, New World, Commonsense Organics and Eco Warehouse.
11. Use reusable dish cloths
This is a great one, because those sponges that everyone uses in their sinks dont last long and are ending up in landfil. I have heard that they are a bad bacteria haven too and we just spread it around our kitchens. Much better is the old fashioned way of using dishcloths made from cloth that can be washed and reused. This is more hygenic and environmentally friendly. I often cut up old Tshirts into sqaures to make reusable dishcloths.
12. Switch to Bamboo Toothbrushes
Just another one of those things you might not think about, but when you throw away your plastic toothbrush every month, that goes straight into landfil. That is a lot of toothbrushes between everyone. How do we combat this? Buy bamboo toothbrushes!
Bamboo toothbrushes are made of organic and biodegradable fibre and therefore are much better for the environment. Not only this but they look lovely in your bathroom. You can pick up bamboo toorhbrushes at Commonsense organics and also at New World. There are also cool companies in New Zealand providing subscription services, so for a fee you can have a new eco bamboo toothbrush delivered to your door each month. Pretty cool I reckon. Check out: Toothcrush
14. Use reusable veg bags
These are another great way to reduce your plastic use. Small, washable bags that can be reused and taken so the supermarket or market to pop your fruits and veg and nuts in. Because even if you are already reducing your plastic carry bag use, there is a good chance you are still needing to use plastic to pick up your fruits and veg.
I got mine from Oh Natural which has a good selection of different brands and sizes but I have also seen them being sold in New World and other stores too.
15. Buy second hand.
This is not everyones cup of tea but buying things from second hand stores is a great way to reduce consumption. It might be worth considering heading to an op shop or trade me for the things you need for your home, rather than hitting up the Warehouse and buying more which increases consumption and in turn produces more waste. This is obviously not going to work in every case but its something to consider. There are some great op shops in Wellington and you can often get a much better quality item than if you spent the same for something new.
16. Compost
Composting is something I really want to get into doing more. It is a great way to reduce your waste and the amount going to landfill. There is a really great guide by Wellington Council on how to compost at home and build your own compost bin.
I have also noticed great initiatives in places like Aro Valley for community composting so this might be worth checking out if you can’t have your own bin.
17. Use less plastic
This is one that incorporates many of the others, but it is something good to try and think about as often as you can. Try to make choices and purchases that involve less plastic. if you have options, choose the plastic free option. Choose glass bottles, paper packaging and things that can be recycled much more freely and easily. Buy metal and wooden materials if you can. This is just something to keep in mind to try and reduce the toxic impact that plastic has on us.
18. For the ladies – Use a Moon cup!
This is one is for all those who have their time of the month! Although we couldn’t live without them, tampons cause a lot of waste, especially with plastic wrapping. But fear not, we now have the moon cup which is a silicon, reusable alternative. This, I’m sure would not be an attractive thought for many but lots of people rave about it. Check out some videos and reviews here: Mooncup. You can pick these up from New World or again order from my fave: Oh Natural.
19. Use the 8 out of 10 rule
I know doing all these things to ‘be more environmentally friendly’ can often seem like a huge amount of expense, change and things to remember so I think a good way to think of it is to aim for 8 out of 10 times. So say you remember you reusable Keep Cup 8 times but then you have to get a throw away cup a couple of times, thats good, its a great change and don’t beat yourself up about the two times.
Another way to look at it is, say your buying things, try to buy second hand, local or ethical for 8 times and then let your self off for the last two purchases and buy what is easiest. That way your not setting impossible goals!
That is all I have for now. I also just want to say,I don’t claim to be a perfect person who is doing these things all of the time. Not at all, but they are all amazing steps that I am trying to make an effort to take, to be better for myself and for the environment. If you have any more tips do let me knowwwww in the comments below.
Here are some resources and tips you might find useful for your eco wellington tips and tricks:
Soft Plastics Recycling Wellington
Thanks for reading and come back soon.
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For more posts about sustainable living, check out the following:
Why Wellington is a Fair Trade City
Otuki Garden – Eco Retreat on the Banks Peninsular
Where to shop Organic/Sustainable in Wellington
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