Environment – Waste saving ways to reconnect

The winter solstice, Matariki marking the Māori New Year, as well as Plastic Free July have arrived – and both present an opportunity to think about what new goals we might like to set. 

Listening to the kōrero on Matariki morning at Ōrewa Beach, I felt inspired to get back into the garden. 

Growing food can take time and dedication but not only is it healthier for us, saves money, saves a lot of waste and carbon emissions but it is also a grounding way to reconnect with nature. There is something special about tangibly feeling and seeing the food grow that ends up on our plates. 

There is also something to be said about the connections gardening builds with the people around us. Swapping local produce has been one of the highlights this autumn on my little street. Exchanging feijoas, lemons and guavas led to exchanging conversations and building relationships too

So this year for Plastic Free July (PFJ) I’m making a garden plan, keeping in mind that I am time-poor during the week and have limited growing space. After getting advice from a colleague and guru gardener, the plan is to plant broad beans, celery, garlic, onions, peas, spinach, and herbs. 

While it might not seem like that’s very related to the Plastic Free campaign, I promise you it is. The Plastic Free Foundation in Australia began the PFJ campaign in 2011, and it has since expanded to 170 countries and has over a million participants globally. 

Reducing our use and reliance on plastics is the key goal but they also emphasise the importance of collaboration and small actions to reach that goal. The idea is that everyday people get together, in our homes, schools, workplaces and supermarkets to demonstrate and demand the changes we want to see as consumers collectively. 

Avoiding plastic can be hard because the systems around us make it inconvenient and often do not offer us alternatives. However, I think about the humble straw and how thousands of people deciding that plastic straws had done their time has led to some of the world’s biggest franchises presenting us with (sometimes better, sometimes not so great) alternatives. Albeit imperfect, there is no denying the massive shift in understanding and business behaviour that one little campaign caused.

Perhaps the question for us this July should be, what is our  personal ‘plastic straw’? What is one item of unnecessary plastic in our lives that has become an ingrained habit but is quite easy to change? For me, it’s growing spinach instead of buying it in plastic bags, and also taking containers up the road when I order my curry so I’m not adding to the demand for brand new, oil-based, single use plastic containers every time I get takeaways. 

I know we can’t all grow giant gardens or change the takeaway packaging culture overnight, but picking one achievable action to stick to can inspire more change than you think.