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The past year has been a big one for sustainability in New Zealand. The tide is turning on plastic with things like the plastic bag ban and straw-less cafes and restaurants. Here are a few easy things that you can put on your list of new year resolutions heading in to 2019 to reduce your impact on the environment. Set a rule of ‘No keep cup, no coffee’ The best way to make sure you stick to your reusable cup goals is to not allow yourself a drink out without it. You will quickly find you will be in the...

If global food waste was a country it would be the third largest emitter of greenhouse gases but solving the problem of food waste is one of the easiest ways to tackle climate change. In NZ every year the food wasted produces carbon emissions equivalent to over 118,000 cars and yet no-one wants to waste food – especially when it costs us money. This isn’t a case of anyone doing anything ‘bad’ just that we need to pay attention to the problem. The resources used to produce, package and transport food are huge and if we waste food then we’re...

The reusable water balloons are great because you never run out of water balloons! It is a sunny day, you want to have a water fight – you don’t have to go to the shop! If you have reusable water balloons, you always have them on hand. The other good thing about the water fight is that at the end of it, when everyone is cold and hungry, you don’t have to spend all the time picking up little bits of balloons from the garden. These water balloons last longer than disposable balloons – all you need to do is...

“An estimated 312 tons of single-use plastic is produced per month in Bangladesh…approximately 80-85% are discarded after one use and end up in drains, canals and rivers, creating massive pollution in the rivers which eventually ends up in the Bay of Bengal.” Bangladesh is where my journey away from single-use plastics began. While living there, and in Nepal, in 2009-10 I saw what happens to plastic rubbish when it’s not conveniently taken away into landfill. Now 10 years on, I’ve started to realise how plastic pollution affects not only the environment, but inequality as well. Bangladesh is the 12th most...

An Eco Fundraising Success Story from Wellington Diving Club Wellington Diving Club is based at the Regional Aquatic Centre in Kilbirnie. It is one of the most successful diving clubs in New Zealand and helps coach and encourage recreational and competitive divers from the age of 5 years and up. Its top athletes compete on a national and international level. We spoke to Susan Smith, the current club Secretary, who successfully co-ordinated raising over $1000 in just 6 weeks by selling reusable produce bag packs from The Rubbish Whisperer.  “There are 42 families in the club and this year I...