From composting and organic gardening tips to wholesome recipes and help around the house. Explore, learn and be inspired by our community of sustainability, health and wellness warriors.
As fast fashion increases demand for fabrics, we’re seeing its effects on our planet. Around 20% of pollution is attributed to the textile industry, from the use of harmful and toxic chemicals during manufacturing, to microfibres shedding during washing, and the pollutants released when textiles reach the end of their lives – and become landfill or ashes.
According to Statista, retail sales of apparel and footwear globally hit $1.9 trillion USD in 2019, forecast to top $3 trillion by 2030. Behind these figures lie the tangled threads of excess production and waste, opaque supply chains, and mindless consumption that embody fast fashion.
Every time we hop in the shower or turn the tap we’re using water – a precious natural resource - that had to be treated to make it safe to use. Once it’s down the drain it then has to be treated again. Cleaning waste water (aka grey or black water) is highly energy-intensive, as is heating water - so less is better in terms of energy savings too.
I do not like the idea that we are slowing down. For many, we are now expected to produce the same output with increased demands on our time. Juggling childcare, anxiety and job instability continues to take its toll. Being at home more often has forced me to think more about the space and all the things it contains.
Our kids learn far more from our actions on a daily basis than what they do from us telling them what the right thing to do is. Teaching kids about reducing waste is one area where this is especially true. We need to be doing the best we can within our means to reduce waste and having processes and systems set up to support our kids to do the same.
For many of us, going completely plastic-free feels overwhelming and impossible. But particularly when you’re starting out, achieving small changes in habit are the thing you need to stay motivated.
As most people were gearing up to head back to work for the year, I was just finalising my out-of-office message. I worked through the lockdowns, and all the in-between days over Christmas and New Year. So while I support everyone having regular rest, I really felt like I deserved this break more than ever.
There are tonnes of benefits for your health and our planet that come with reducing your meat intake. With many Kiwis and Australians moving to a vegan, vegetarian or flexitarian lifestyle, it’s also becoming easier to discover new plant-based products and plant-based places to eat. Which makes this year the perfect time to try meat reducing.
I love the buzz of the festive season - the socialising, the onset of summer weather, the palpable pre-holiday excitement. But there are a few things that the festive season brings that I’m not such a fan of. There’s the slightly frenzied and overwhelmed mood, the crazy spike in spending, consumption, and waste, the traffic jams… It’s not that great for our own wellbeing, or the wellbeing of the planet.
Every year, I find Christmas conflicting, I hold two beliefs at once – in Psychology they call this cognitive dissonance. I love Christmas carols, the smell of fresh pine, and the endless opportunities to enjoy potatoes - but it is also often marked by unnecessary consumerism, which leads to more waste for our already suffocating planet.
