Use flax in ‘the right way’
Ma¯ori weavers in the Far North are calling on people to use traditional kete over plastic shopping bags to reduce the number of plastic bags clogging up the environment.
But there is a right way and a wrong way to make the flax baskets and, if not done correctly, kete can take nearly as long as plastic to break down.
Kerikeri weaver Tiwai Rawiri encourages others to make and use kete but ‘‘there’s much more to it’’, she said.
‘‘If you’re going to use flax do it properly. Flax should be processed, otherwise it takes 20 to 40 years to break down.
‘‘Refuse stations don’t take flax in green waste stations because it takes so long to break down.
‘‘It’s not so sustainable really in that sense.
‘‘I don’t want to put people off; if they’re processed in the right way then they’ll last a lifetime.’’
Kete are highly valued in Ma¯ori culture and were used before the creation of plastic bags, which can take anywhere from 20 to more than 100 years to break down.
Many businesses are making efforts to ditch plastic, including supermarkets New World and Countdown which aim to stop the use of single use plastic bags by the end of this year.
Rawiri, who was taught by master weaver Te Hemoata Heta and has taught weaving in the Far North for eight years, is talking to other local teachers about holding classes, for a koha, so people can learn how to make their own kete.
A simple bag would take about four hours to make and was quite easy once you knew how, she said.
Processing involves boiling the flax in fresh water then hanging it in the shade before using dyes and starting to weave it, she said.
‘‘When processed it’s better for the environment.’’