Are you a time-poor urban apartment-dweller who’s put composting in the too-hard basket? Read on… About half of what Aucklanders chuck in their rubbish bins is actually compostable material. That means a whopping 90,000 tonnes of Auckland households’ food waste ends up in landfill each year. Why is that a problem? It breaks down without … Read more
Auckland Council recently announced a citywide food scrap collection scheme that will be kicking off in 2021. Most of us already know the main gist of composting, but what’s happening to this waste? What will I have to pay? And can I opt out if I don’t need it? New Zealanders waste enough food every … Read more
Transforming food scraps into a nutrient-rich climate-change fighter is dependent on keeping it in the neighbourhood, according to the people behind a new composting initiative. It’s sweet to chuck this apple core under that bush over there, right? It’ll return to the earth and nourish the soil… surely? Sorry, but that’s not how compost works … Read more
For the month of July, Josie Adams is taking on the challenge of being low-waste. That means minimising plastics, emissions, and even recyclables. Each week we release her diary. This is week three. Read week one here, and week two here. This week began with a tragedy: I lost my ability to Lime after my … Read more
Reducing food waste is a win-win solution for everyone as less food goes to landfill and more food goes to those who need it. So what’s being done to make this a reality? And what can you do to help? In 2020, New Zealand will vote in a general election with poverty and climate change … Read more
Is switching to compostable packaging a solution for New Zealand’s plastic problem? Don’t get too excited too soon, warn experts. Public understanding of waste management in New Zealand has often been defined by magical thinking. If you throw a coke bottle in a recycling bin, then it will be recycled, and it’s not your problem … Read more
Composting plays a huge role in the fight against climate change, but how do we inspire people to actually do it? Dr Niki Harre doesn’t talk about behaviour change when it comes to sustainability. Instead, she talks about cultural transformation, the likes of which we’re seeing play out before our eyes. This transformation is what … Read more
A call for feedback in our daily email newsletter The Bulletin on how New Zealand could reduce the amount of waste being produced – and ending up in landfills – prompted a massive response. Here are some of your ideas. In some ways, this call for feedback was the crisis New Zealand is facing with … Read more