Make changes become habits for eco living to work
Build your zero-waste tool kit slowly, and incorporate these items into your life until they become as habitual as brushing your teeth.
Blogger Kate Hall lives and breathes ethical living. Here she answers some of your questions about how to live a greener existence.
Eco living feels very overwhelming, what are a few easy things I can change right now? – Melissa Palmer
‘‘Eco-overwhelm’’ is definitely a thing! You must remember that the sustainable actions you make must be sustainable for you.
The changes you make must become habits, rather than die off like a fad diet.
Start with replacing your disposables with reusables. I first began by creating a small ‘‘zero-waste toolkit’’.
In my toolkit (it’s really just a bunch of items in my handbag or backpack) I have a collapsible bag, smoothie straw, cutlery set, drink bottle and takeaway container.
Most of our waste comes from food items, so these tools allow you to eat out without producing waste.
If you’re finding all five items too much to invest in at once, or too overwhelming to remember, buy one each month.
Build your zero-waste tool kit slowly, and incorporate these items into your life until they become as habitual as brushing your teeth in the morning.
Have you heard of a moon cup or menstrual cup? My cup has been a lifesaver! Instead of absorbing, a menstrual cup collects.
On top of the amount of waste I save every cycle, it’s really changed the way I live; for the better. I can still do yoga, exercise, swim, and carry out life as normal, because the cup is so easy to use.
My menstrual cup is from MyCup. These cups are some of the only ones made in New Zealand (Christchurch), and the company has a buy one, give one scheme.
When you buy a cup, another is given to a woman in New Zealand who’s living in period poverty.
I worked out the maths, and buying a cup saves you $240 a year. It will last for about 10 years, meaning $2400 in savings.
Menstrual cups don’t work for some people. That’s when period underwear (I promise they aren’t as horrible as they sound), reusable pads and reusable liners come in handy.
Also made in New Zealand, Danu Natural is leading the way in these products.
They’re ethically and sustainably made, and it’s great to support local New Zealand business.
Throwing zero waste into the rubbish bin when I have my period is extremely rewarding and I’m really impressed with the technology we now have to support our zero-waste periods.
I’m struggling to find good green alternatives to fly and bug spray, do you have any suggestions?
I am still working on this, too. I have found a few alternatives, but they don’t yet work as well as chemical-based sprays.
This recipe works well: fill a spray bottle with 2 cups of water, 1 cup of white vinegar, 50 drops of peppermint essential oil, 20 drops of basil essential oil and 20 drops of lemon essential oil.
Bringing rosemary branches and basil leaves into your home can also help to keep the flies away, but in the heat of summer, this only reduces the amount of flies, rather than keep them away altogether.
It’s better than nothing, and better than plastic-coated, chemical sprays! I’ll keep you updated on the other remedies I try.