Forking over our hard-earned cash for new household appliances is something that can quite easily send some of us into a tailspin. Perusing the aisles of Briscoes comparing warranty offers and sniffing out good deals is all part of the routine. We do everything we can to avoid wasting our dollars on an item that may not stand the test of time.

Unfortunately, replacing faulty or worn-out appliances and technology is something we have grown rather used to. The good old days of buying products built to test the tale of time are long over, with “lifetime guarantees” reserved for $450 pairs of boots or rare scores found in the dead of night after hours of scrolling through web forums.

When it comes to Recycling, us kiwi’s would love to think we are upholding the clean, green identity Aotearoa is so famed for. Unfortunately, the results of a recent Consumer NZ led assessment revealed that New Zealand is pretty low on the environmental leader board. Brazil and New Zealand proved to be the worst countries for practical recycling rates; we don’t have the means to recycle around 57% of our packaging and Brazil is unable to process 92% of its recycling. The countries with the best recycling rates were Hong Kong, closely followed by Portugal.

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"MOANA HOUSE IS A WELL-ESTABLISHED RESIDENTIAL THERAPEUTIC COMMUNITY FOR ADULT MALE OFFENDERS WHO WANT TO CHANGE THEIR LIVES AND BEHAVIOUR FOR THE BETTERMENT OF THEMSELVES, THEIR WHANAU AND THEIR COMMUNITIES."

"Since 1984, we have taken the initiative to provide genuine therapeutic services for adult male offenders who wish to change their lives for the greater good."

Many of Moana House’s residents may also have a history of alcohol and/or drug abuse. They wish to provide a supportive family environment and a safe place to change.

The sun is shining here in the deep south which means silly season is upon us! Many of us are privileged enough to have some time off and a bit of pocket money to play with, allowing us to feast and frolic with loved ones. We get away with socialising more, saying ‘heck yes!’ to dessert and even popping open that cheap bottle of bubbles before midday. Afternoon naps, long bushwalks and taking any opportunity to whip out our favourite set of frightfully tiny togs to embarrass the better half with are just a handful of activities we may find ourselves indulging in over summer. One area of our lives we hope we won’t get too carried away with this silly season is the amount of waste we bring into our homes. If you are struggling to think of a gift idea for that person who just seems to have everything, try and resist the urge to run out and buy a silly, novelty gift that will probably end up shoved in a drawer somewhere…. or worse, in a landfill! For many, gifting is a ceremonial way of showing we care and a part of Christmas time we are just not ready to part with. So the team at Res.Awesome are here to share some tips on how to keep the waste flow not-so-silly this silly season!

As a planet, we churn out 2.01 billion tonnes of waste every year, with over 33% of which not being dealt with in a manner deemed environmentally safe (World Bank Group, 2020). Each resident of Aotearoa pumps around 401kgs of waste into our landfills every year - and that is just in a domestic setting. That doesn’t take into account our workplace waste or the rubbish we produce when we are out and about. Often we are doing damage to our natural environment without even realising it. This makes the sustainability movement very important so what exactly is zero waste?

We are here to talk about the latest proposal for a $350 million project which entails building a Waste to Energy Plant in Waimate. This proposed ‘solution’ to our waste problem would aim to see our waste transported to Waimate by the truckload and then incinerated; harvesting energy to be pumped back into Kiwi homes and various businesses via electricity. While this is a lovely idea that many believe would see our waste problem disappear, the facts just do not support that there are benefits to this business venture.

Our Kaiwhakahaere Fi is off to Wanaka! Fi will be lending her voice to speak at the WAO Summit which is a six-day annual event that aims to inspire, educate and dive into all things Zero Waste. Res.Awesome and the team behind the WAO summit are here to help Aotearoa reduce waste and become home to thriving carbon zero communities.

Fi is stoked to join the team at the WAO summit in our shared kaupapa; to empower people on their journey towards raising awareness about climate justice and facilitating community collaboration all over Aotearoa. We are living through a period of massive change which has been influenced by the threats of climate change, the economic pressures suffered by many and the measures taken to mitigate the impact of COVID-19. This time throws many challenges our way along with many opportunities for positive change!