Learning to reduce waste around home
When Kate Meads had a child she realised how many products were wasted.
The Waste Free With Kate founder, based in Tauranga, decided to do something about it by encouraging others to think about single usage. The organisation delivers a number of workshops to the public and contracts through 45 councils on how to reduce waste in households.
The online teaching tool made available this week, promoted by the Timaru District Council, encourages parents to reduce their waste by swapping disposable nappies for cloth, and wipes for flannels.‘‘If you use cloth nappies you can reduce 5500 disposables per child. Using washable flannels you can save $720 over 21⁄2 years,’’ Meads said.
She said simple things like replacing cling wrap with biodegradable beeswax, or using bento-style lunchboxes for children’s school lunches which kept sandwiches fresh, could make all the difference.
Workshop participants are given a $100 gift pack which includes items such as cloth nappies and natural baby balm.
Due to the uncertainty of Covid19 the programmes have been made available as pre-recorded seminars, online instead of in person. In January, there will be a live Zoom stream so anyone who has watched the programme can ask questions.
Timaru District Council group manager infrastructure Andrew Dixon said the council had supported the Waste Free Parenting and Waste Free Living workshops for theast few years.
‘‘With your bundle of joy can also come a significant bundle of waste, but it doesn’t have to be that way.’’ He said the workshops offered practical advice for moving away from disposable options to a more sustainable lifestyle.
The cost of the seminar is $25 and as soon as someone books on katemeads.co.nz they have immediate access to the material.