Reduce, reuse and recycle
A great place to start living more sustainably is to think about how you and your family can reduce, reuse and recycle.
Reduce
- Buy reusable rather than disposable products
- Choose products with less packaging
- Buy from bulk bins and choose concentrated products
- Buy only what you need, to reduce spoilage
- Take your own bags to the supermarket
- Buy products in reusable, refillable or recyclable containers
- Buy well-made appliances and goods, and keep them in good condition
Reuse
Before you throw anything away, think whether any part of it could be reused and given another life. Jars, tins and plastic containers are great for storage. Friends and community groups may be able to use that garment or furniture you have replaced. At Silverstream Landfill you can drop off reusable items for Earthlink Inc. to repair and refurbish for sale at their WasteSmart shop.
Recycle
Keep plastic, cans, glass and paper out of your rubbish - put them in your recycling bin. You'll save on the cost of rubbish bags and materials can be used for making new products.
Buy recycled products where possible as this supports the collection of recyclables. Manufacturing products from recycled materials saves our natural resources, creates less pollution and saves energy.
Composting
Composting is a great way of reusing your kitchen scraps and garden rubbish. It’s easy and fantastic for your garden.
Here’s everything you need to get started
Four composting workshops will be run (as long as there is sufficient demand) and each will last for two hours long and they are free!
They will take place in the Council supper room at the rear of the main Council building 30 Laings Road on the following dates:
Thursday, 14 March from 5.30pm to 7.30pm
Saturday, 16 March from 2pm to 4pm
Saturday, 13 April from 2pm to 4pm
Thursday, 18 April from 5.30pm to 7.30pm
To sign up email natalie@therabbithole.co.nz or telephone 021 038 1665.
Worm farms
You can easily make a thriving worm farm, year-round, indoors or out. It doesn’t take much space to build a worm farm that composts your kitchen waste, and it makes great fertiliser!
Find out how to build your own worm farm
Green Gardener
Hutt City Council is offering residents free advice on how to set up and maintain a vegetable garden and compost area.
If you’re interested in receiving a visit from the green gardener, contact council on 570 6666.
Simply Makes Cents
The popular Simply Makes Cents workshops are back for 2013, and the first one kicks off in February.
Over the course of eight weeks, you will learn all about how to lead a more sustainable lifestyle.
The workshops run over eight consecutive Wednesday, starting on 13 February 2013 and finishing on 3 April 2013. The workshops are held at WelTec, in Petone, from 7.30pm to 9.30pm. The cost is $40 per person, which covers all course materials.
Week 1 – Introducing sustainability: Understanding the ‘green’ movement and the opportunities and benefits it holds for you and your budget.
Week 2 – Food and gardening: Where our food comes from, what choices we have and why you can garden, too! An introduction to gardening and healthy eating.
Week 3 – Reducing waste: How did that get into your bin? Turning our (and other people’s) waste into resources – and savings!
Week 4 – Water use and protection: Clean in two minutes? A refreshing look at water, how we use it and how we can ensure it's around in the future.
Week 5 – Home energy efficiency: More warmth, less cost – all in your own home. Saving energy on any budget.
Week 6 – Travel options: Far, far away or closer to home – how we get around on less. Sustainable travel choices and what to expect of new technologies.
Week 7 – Managing money: How you can ‘green’ your budget and have more of it too.
Week 8 – Sustainable communities: Turn your neighbourhood into a community, achieve more and be stronger together.
To find out more or to sign up, contact Natalie Hormann on 021 038 1665 or natalie@therabbithole.co.nz.
Education programmes for schools
We run two programmes for schools:
Enviroschools - gives young people the opportunity to explore real life challenges in sustainability and to apply their ideas.
Word on Waste school tour - this full day fieldtrip to Transpacific Recycling, Silverstream Landfill and Earthlink Inc offers a hands-on look at how we can recycle, reuse or compost up to 75% of our rubbish, along with a range of fun recycling activities.
If your school would like to participate in either of these programmes, get in touch with us.