Sustainable solutions: Little actions can have a big impact

So here we are post Covid-19 lockdown when, for several weeks, household recycling was put on hold and many people moved to online shopping or food bags, creating yet more packaging waste.

A lot of waste must have been generated over this time! And we’re supposedly working towards Waste Free 2040, that aspirational Auckland Council goal to achieve zero waste to landfill by 2040.

What does becoming waste free mean? It’s a multi-pronged approach that includes preventing waste in the first place (avoiding packaging where possible and patronising companies who practise product stewardship), reusing or repurposing, and composting food waste.

Here are some examples of companies and charities preventing and reusing or repurposing waste:

Preventing waste

Lewis Road Creamery now has an option to refill its milk bottles. Teaming up with The Glass Bottle Milk Co. it has installed milk refilling stations in the Grey Lynn, Epsom and Constellation Drive Farro Fresh stores. You make a one-off purchase of $4 for a glass bottle and you can then refill your bottle for $4 a litre in-store. The refill machines and nozzles are cleaned daily. The company plans to roll out more refilling stations so watch out for an outlet or two closer to home.

Reusing bottles & jars

It’s good to see companies giving space to discussion about product stewardship on their websites. Barker’s of Geraldine, well known for its preserves, dressings, syrups and sauces, etc. mainly sell products in glass bottles and jars which can be reused. Although the company currently doesn’t have a bottle return system (for compliance, health and safety and logistical reasons) it does support the development of a comprehensive national container return scheme. On its website there are some great ideas for repurposing containers and you might like to check out some recipe ideas at https://www.barkers.co.nz/recipes/:

Bottles can be repurposed into: • Rustic vases – the company’s 710ml bottles resemble the oldschool glass milk bottles. • Refillable BYO vessels – when purchasing bulk oils, dish-washing liquids and the like from eco stores. • Chilled drinks – for diluted syrups, ready to drink from fridge to table, or picnic. • Kombucha brewing bottles. • Slow-drip irrigators in the garden – punch a small hole in the lid, fill bottles with water, and invert.

And for jars: • Food containers – for storing dry goods such as spices, or snack jars for nuts and dried fruit. • The organised fridge – place that extra half an onion in its own sealed jar in the fridge or keep leftover dips fresh. • Utility storage – for screws and DIY items.

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Tea light candle holders. Community – gifting jars to community groups or neighbours for home preserves, crafts and gala days. (Social media can help with this.) Gifts – place a few homemade cookies in a glass jar for a perfect personal gift. Piggy banks – create three jars for a child labelled Spend (on something special), Save (for a rainy day) and Donate (to a charity they choose). By splitting their pocket money across these, children learn the basics of being good with money, giving to others and become more confident in counting cash.

Recycling bread tags

Whale Tail Earrings made from recycled bread tags. Photo from ODF.

The South African organisation Bread Tags for Wheelchairs (www. breadtagsforwheelchairs.co.za) is now in New Zealand (see https:// www.facebook.com/nzbreadtags).

Start saving your bread bag tags and encourage your workplace, school, church, sports group and local café to do the same. Made of high impact polystyrene, bread tags have good recycling value. A bread bag holds 1kg of tags and it takes 200kg of tags to bring in enough money to buy one wheelchair. New Zealand has joined South Africa, Australia and Canada in supporting this cause. In West Auckland, Swanson School at 703 Swanson Road is involved in this initiative. Drop your bread tags off there when you have a stockpile, or even send them in the post.

An environmentally minded craftsman, Michael Fox from Objét D’Fox or ODF in New Brighton, Christchurch, is also supporting this cause, making products including jewellery, key rings and plant pots from plastic waste which would otherwise end up in landfill, or our oceans (https://www.recycledplasticdesign.com/collections/all). In a reciprocal arrangement, Breadtags for Wheelchairs NZ provides Michael with bread tags to make jewellery and half the retail proceeds from Michael’s whale tail earrings goes to Breadtags for Wheelchairs. This is a great example of an artist supporting a cause and raising

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money for it, much quicker than the charity could on its own.

213 – 215 Woodlands Park Road, Titirangi, Auckland 0604

Phone: 09 817 8495 or 09 817 6188

www.kenturnermotors.co.nz