Something we pride ourselves on here in New Zealand, is kind personalities and beautiful, clean scenery. Unfortunately, what’s going on underground in our landfills isn’t so pretty.
252,000 tonnes. That’s the approximate amount of plastic that enters our landfills in a single year, making up around 8% of our waste. Even though the number alone is huge, the most problematic thing is that much of it doesn’t break down. Change can start with you, here are some tips to reduce the amount of plastic waste entering our landfills.
- Take a reusable drink bottle with you
There is such a wide range of trendy drink bottles now, in fact, they even made an appearance at New York Fashion Week in recent years (wild, we know). Having a drink bottle on hand means you’re less likely to buy a single-use water bottle and eventually discard, while reducing the amount of plastic we put into our bodies. A recent study examined the water in bottled water brands and shockingly found microplastics in over 90% of them! Over time, ingesting or inhaling microplastics may accumulate in the body, triggering an immune response or causing local particle toxicity. Not to worry - we have a range of reusable drink bottles that will keep your water cool throughout your day, including the popular Frank Green bottle. You can shop these here.
- Keep an eye out for drinking fountains and bottle fillers
Our friends at Refill NZ have made a handy app to make it easier than ever to find a drinking fountain nearby, some of which have bottle fillers installed. We’ve been working with Councils throughout the country to install drinking fountains at convenient locations to keep you hydrated, wherever your day takes you! To download the app, click here.
- Recycle where you can
It’s inevitable that from time to time we’ll use plastic that will need to be thrown away. Remember to recycle when possible to limit the amount that unnecessarily enters our landfills.
- Spread the word
Not everyone is aware of the preventable waste that we’re putting into our landfills. A kind word to those close to you to do their part may make all of the difference.
Changes, big or small, can make all the difference. Start today and let’s create a better future together.
References:
Reclaim
Refill NZ
The Telegraph
