Ah July. It’s cold, dark, and features the juggle of school holidays.
But, I love that we now have Matariki to ground us and, of course, Plastic Free July to highlight our reliance on plastic.
I’m not going to advocate a completely Plastic Free July – it’s not possible. But it’s the perfect time to look around your kāinga and see where you might swap out a plastic or single use item for an alternative. Progress not perfection I say!
So without further preamble, here are my five swaps for Plastic Free July 2023:
#1. ABC Beer Swappa Crates
Almost 80 percent of glass in Aotearoa is not recycled, so reuse! Swappa crates are cheaper and way more sustainable than the alternatives. Personally, I’m a bit of beer snob, so only having Lion Brown restricts my beer drinking, so I end up drinking less too. I do wonder why the craft brewers don’t jump onboard the swappa crate train.
#2. Powder Shampoo and Conditioner
Yes, haircare recommendations from a curly man! I Most products don’t work on my hair, instead leaving it a fluffy, itchy mess. Last time we were in Auckland, we caught up with Gaelle from Dust & Glow and did a product swap. I’ve been loving her conditioner in particular. Her products are all powders in refillable and recyclable aluminium containers– brilliant.
#3. Apostle Hot Sauce
Paekākāriki’s finest hotsauce is a mainstay at our place. I love the mānuka chipotle on pizza and hei hei, but they have heaps of flavours and options. They also have a bottle return programme and a pretty choice composting programme.
#4. Pick and Mix Lollies
They’re on par pricewise with plastic bag versions, keep the tamariki happy, and are a handy bribe. I’m one of those weirdos that likes chocolate raisins (ngā mihi Pak’n’Save Porirua) while New World Porirua has Jaffas and Pebbles. Take a cloth bag – Laura sewed some for us – and plastic free treats are yours.
#5. Sit Down Coffee
We think 16 million toothpaste tubes going to landfill each year is bad, but 300 million coffee cups is pretty hard to stomach. And it’s so easy to bring a keep cup, mug, or jar. Personally, I like to sit in every once in a while, especially at our local T Bay café. They are a champ at composting, make great coffee and are a real community hub.
I’ve also started using Solid’s Teeth Whitening. This isn’t a swap as my previous option was just slightly yellowish teeth, but it IS single use plastic free!
So with that, take your time, find out works for you and be proud of every little change you make.
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