11 Easy Eco Swaps That Will Help You Reduce Plastic And Waste
By switching this for that, you can make your household tread more lightly on the earth
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1. Soap bars
Ditch plastic bottles in favour of solid shampoos, conditioners and dish soaps (Ethique and Ahhh Cosmetics offer good locally made options). To help these products last longer, invest in the Dunedin-made Block Dock to ensure your soap dries properly between uses.
2. Metal pegs
Bento Ninja’s stainless-steel Forever Pegs won’t go rusty and they last longer (and look nicer) than their plastic counterparts.
3. Ceramic coffee cups
If you buy coffee on the go and don’t have a reusable cup yet, this should be the one swap you make right now. There are lots of beautiful options, including these Pottery for the Planet cups, from AU$25. Also keep an eye on uyo.nz, which has a guide to the cafes that will let you bring your own cup, container and much more.
4. Biodegradable dish brush
Bye, bye plastic dish brush, hello wooden brush with replaceable, biodegradable head. Yeseco Dish Brush $15.95; replacement heads $16.95 for 3, are stocked at Natural Things. (Bench organiser sold separately)
5. Reusable straws
Swap disposable straws for reusable or biodegradable options. Just $19 will buy you three glass straws, plus a cleaning brush and bag made in New Zealand from offcuts so you won’t be caught out next time you order a cocktail or smoothie.
6. Bulk buy
Reduce your plastic packaging by shopping for pantry staples at a bulk foods store. If you don’t live near a good one, Wanaka-based Honest Wholefood Co offers a local delivery service, as well as a nationwide postal option.
7. Beeswax wraps
Cling wrap can’t be recycled, even in the soft plastic recycling scheme, so switching to a reusable option is an easy environmental win. Try Hawke’s Bay-based LilyBee wrap for the ultimate beeswax solution. From $7 for a small wrap.
8. Reusable takeaway containers
Keep a container and cutlery in your bag or car and say no to takeaway packaging. Australian company Ever Eco makes beautiful stainless-steel containers, tumblers and reusable cutlery, as well as other useful eco objects. Little Bird Organics stock the handy products too.
9. Shopping bags
Now that supermarkets have gone plastic carry-bag free, an eco bag is an essential swap. Don’t forget to also bring produce bags for fruit and veges, and containers for the butcher and deli.
10. Cloth wrapping
Save on wrapping paper, tape and ribbon, and practise the Japanese art of furoshiki (cloth wrapping) with this reusable linen gift wrap. Alternatively, cut up vintage fabric, or reuse wrapping paper and ribbons along with paper tape.
11. Portable ply laptop stand
Instead of buying a plastic or metal laptop stand, check out the Happy Lappy, made in New Zealand from sustainably sourced plywood. The best part is your purchase of the portable stand will see 20 trees planted in Madagascar.
Words by: Fiona Ralph. Photography by: Bauer Syndication.
Live Q&A: Garden maintenance with Crewcut
This Wednesday, we are having another Neighbourly Q&A session. This time with John Bracewell from Crewcut.
John Bracewell, former Black Caps coach turned Franchisee Development Manager and currently the face of Crewcut’s #Movember campaign, knows a thing or two about keeping the grass looking sharp—whether it’s on a cricket pitch or in your backyard!
As a seasoned Crewcut franchisee, John is excited to answer your lawn and gardening questions. After years of perfecting the greens on the field, he's ready to share tips on how to knock your garden out of the park. Let's just say he’s as passionate about lush lawns as he is about a good game of cricket!
John is happy to answer questions about lawn mowing, tree/hedge trimming, tidying your garden, ride on mowing, you name it! He'll be online on Wednesday, 27th of November to answer them all.
Share your question below now ⬇️
Calling All Puzzle Masters! Can You Solve This?
When John was six years old he hammered a nail into his favorite tree to mark his height.
Ten years later at age sixteen, John returned to see how much higher the nail was.
If the tree grew by five centimetres each year, how much higher would the nail be?
Do you think you know the answer to our daily riddle? Don't spoil it for your neighbours! Simply 'Like' this post and we'll post the answer in the comments below at 2pm.
Want to stop seeing riddles in your newsfeed?
Head here and hover on the Following button on the top right of the page (and it will show Unfollow) and then click it. If it is giving you the option to Follow, then you've successfully unfollowed the Riddles page.
What's your favourite recipe for courgettes?
Kia ora neighbours. If you've got a family recipe for courgettes, we'd love to see it and maybe publish it in our magazine. Send your recipe to mailbox@nzgardener.co.nz, and if we use it in the mag, you will receive a free copy of our January 2025 issue.
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