OPINION: Finding ways to reduce your rubbish by re-using, repurposing and recycling

Wednesday, 6 January 2016

OPINION: Why do we need to reduce our waste? It is not to save the planet. She would do just fine without us humans. Rather it is to coexist with her.

The way we are sucking resources out of the ground and spewing harmful substances into the environment is leading to our ultimate demise at an ever increasing rate.

The science is in; we must stop this nonsense.

We cannot burn 80 per cent of the fossil fuels in known reserves around the world without cooking the planet and we cannot continue to contaminate Earth with many of the petrochemicals and toxins in use today without seriously damaging our food supply and our health.

So we must reduce consumption and reduce waste wherever we can. Reducing rubbish lowers carbon emissions, saves energy and resources.

And hey, it cuts our rubbish disposal costs, so even if we didn't care about all that enviro-stuff, do the maths - $3.50/bag per week x 52 = $182 a year.

For 30 years before coming to New Zealand my wife, Ali, and I had been recycling the hard way, with 12 bins, separating everything into every possible classification and carting them off to the recycling depot.

So when we moved to Wellington nine years ago it was a no-brainer. We only had to separate glass from everything else and set it at the kerb.

We filled one bag of rubbish in six months.

After moving to Kaikoura with their zero waste policies nearly two years later, the task became easier still.

How do we do it? It is not as hard as it may seem to follow the 'three R's' of reduce, re-use, and repurpose. The fourth R of recycling comes into play only as last resort.

It all starts at the grocery store. We tend to buy products in bulk when possible to avoid temporary packaging.

Otherwise we try to choose items that come in paper, glass, tin or other recyclable material. We do not buy meat so avoid those non-recyclable foam trays.

We grow most of our vegetables at home and of course compost everything compostable. We recoil at the thought of buying organic avocados in one of those foam trays.

We take it a step further and let management know when we are not going to buy such. We have discontinued buying any number of products when they switch to non-recyclable packaging.

We call the manufacturer to let them know we were not going to buy their product in this packaging. We often find another product that is even better.

We have never gone back.

At the hardware store, ask yourself if you can you borrow that tool from your neighbour instead. Do not purchase rubbish. Buy quality if you really need it.

Lest one thinks we are perfect, we are not. We still buy our favourite GMO [genetically modified organisms], pesticide, additive-free New Zealand grown corn chips in a non-recyclable bag. They compact nicely into our yearly rubbish bag.

Independent of the efficacy of your recycle centre, you too can be on your way to rubbish independence … and co-existence.