Kai / Eat
What we eat, where it comes from and how it’s produced can be a powerful way to reduce our carbon footprint.
The Compost Collective
The Compost Collective are here to help you learn the basics of composting or build on the skills you already have. Free workshops are taking place across wider Auckland and you can get discounts on a composting system that best suits your Auckland household.
Love Food Hate Waste
Every year Kiwis send 157,398 tonnes of food to landfill, all of which could have been eaten. Not only is wasting food costing us money, it is also bad for the environment. Love Food Hate Waste has tips and recipes to help you reduce your food waste and save money.
FutureFit: Discover your impact
Join the movement of individuals harnessing the collective force of individual action. Discover your carbon footprint with FutureFit, then choose actions and goals tailored to you. Track your progress, share with others and celebrate your success.
Eat more plant-based meals
Did you know the biggest contributor to New Zealand’s carbon footprint is agriculture? The science tells us that one of the most effective ways of reducing our carbon emissions is shifting to a plant rich diet. While red meat and dairy production may be a necessity in our current economy, increasing plant-based meal options, or swapping out red meat for chicken or pork, can make a huge difference to your carbon footprint, and your wallet.
Having a meatless day can make a big difference for your health and the health of our planet. By swapping out red meat for vegetable or legume alternatives can offer numerous health benefits and help you take action against climate change by reducing your carbon footprint and helping you conserve precious environmental resources.
Take this action and you could save 73 kg of CO2e emissions per year - that's like running 39 compact florescent light bulbs non stop for 45 days.
Nadia vegetarian recipes
Try these examples of easy and delicious vegetarian main meals that are vegful and healthy - by Nadia Lim.
Best vegetarian restaurants in Tāmaki Makaurau
When it comes to plant-based eating, there’s an increasing local scene dedicated to vegetable-focused fare — checkout this list from Denizen.
Vegetarian New Zealand recipes
Are you wondering what to prepare for your next vegetarian dish? Try one of these vegetarian recipes from Vegetarians New Zealand. Bon appétit!
With the majority of New Zealand’s emissions coming from agriculture, predominantly the production of red meat and dairy products, a great option to Live Lightly is reducing your dairy intake just a little. Plenty of top chefs such as Nadia Lim are leading the way on this, with dairy free recipes so tasty you won’t notice they’re dairy free.
Your action could save 47 kg of CO2e emissions per year - that's like burning 22 kg of coal.
Nadia dairy free recipes
Try these examples of easy and delicious dairy free meals that are healthy - by Nadia Lim.
Vegan Society of Aotearoa NZ
Be inspired by the Vegan Society of Aotearoa NZ with these amazing recipes that are good for you and the planet.
Non dairy options - Huckleberry
Try these natural, organic vegan milk, yoghurt, cheese and butter options from Huckleberry NZ.
Reduce food waste
With the average New Zealand family wasting $560 per year on food that’s bought but never eaten, cutting down on food waste is one of the biggest wins for your pocket, and the planet.
If you have leftovers, take them for lunch the next day. It will save you time in the morning before you rush out the door, and it will save you money as well. It is important to refrigerate your leftovers to keep them safe, or if you aren’t going to eat them the following day, then freeze them.
Manage your leftovers
Leftovers often get pushed to the back of the fridge, because we don’t feel like eating them, or simply forget about them - find out ways to reduce your leftover waste.
Lovely Leftovers
Leftovers are the second most wasted food item in New Zealand - but with a little bit of love they can be even better the second time around.
There are plenty of options to reduce wasted fruit – buy misshapen fruit from the supermarket, preserve your own fruit, share what you’ve grown, and if you want to find fruit free anywhere in Auckland, there is a map for that.
Free open street pantries
The Pātaka Kai Open Street Pantry Movement encourages co-sharing between neighbours to strengthen communities. Take what you need and leave what you can, it's that simple.
How to bottle fruit
Love Food Hate Waste provide a step-by-step guide to preserving and bottling your fresh fruit - it is really easy, so give it a go.
Food waste warriors
There are many individuals, organisations and businesses around Tāmaki Makaurau doing great work to reduce food waste.
Sound a bit daunting? Start by planning just a few dinners in advance and shop little and often, you’ll get to the point where it’s habit, and the forgotten food at the back of the fridge will be a thing of the past. You could also be saving $560 or more a year!
Your action could save 224 kg of CO2e per year - the equivalent embodied emissions from 954 large cappuccinos.
Plan meals and shopping list
Learn how planning your meals and making a shopping list are two easy ways to reduce your food waste – the less you buy, the less you waste.
Easy choice meal planners
These free seasonal meal plans from Love Food Hate Waste have all the info you need to prepare the family dinner for all four seasons.
Take a Shopping List
Do you make a shopping list but then forget to take it with you? Check out these fun ideas for remembering your shopping list.
There are lots of great options for disposing of food scraps and garden waste other than the rubbish bin. The Compost Collective run free workshops across the region to help you decide between traditional composting, bokashi or worm farms.
Take this action and you could save 35 kg of CO2e emissions per year - that's like running the gas BBQ for 10 hours.
Join an online or in-person composting workshop
The Compost Collective are here to help you learn the basics of composting or build on the skills you already have.
Recycle and share your foodscraps
If you don't have space to compost, ShareWaste connects people who want to share their green scraps with hosts who are already composting.
Eat locally and seasonally
Choosing your food carefully can make a big difference to your carbon footprint, as well as support local communities and increase community resilience. By shopping locally you are also helping to reduce food miles – the distance food has to travel (and so energy used) to get from farm to plate. Sourcing more food locally and in season, either by shopping locally or growing your own is a great place to start.
There are plenty of reasons to shop at your local market – fresh food, supporting local producers, reducing food miles, and getting amongst the local market vibe. Find your local market at Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland - a perfect one-stop guide to the markets across Auckland.
Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland
Discover where to find fresh local produce, farmers markets, night markets and artisan markets near you.
Auckland For Kids
A market is a great place to engage your kids with your local food system, and encourage planet-friendly eating.
The Shed Collective plant-based market
Weekly plant-based farmers' market with diverse local spray-free produce and artisanal products, Saturdays 9 - 1pm.
Taking the time to check the labels on those oranges and choosing the New Zealand version makes a big difference.
By buying in-season New Zealand grown fruit and vegetables you could save 30 kg of CO2e emissions per year. That's is equivalent to 1.8 times the average waste one person sends to landfill each year.
5+ A Day
If you’re not sure what’s currently in season, 5+ a Day have put together a handy chart of New Zealand produce and when it’s in season.
vegetables.co.nz
Get free printable seasonal availability posters, leaflets, recipe cards and pads, booklet and easy meals with vegetables flyers.
Get growing and in no time you’ll being enjoying the fruits of your labour – at a fraction of the cost of buying fruit from the supermarket and you’ll also be giving the environment a big helping hand. That’s because you won’t be buying fruit that has travelled a long way to get to the store, and nor will you be picking up piles of plastic and cardboard that it’s all packaged in, either.
Fruit tree growing guide
This growing guide from Tui will help you grow fruit tress from pots on your balcony to creating your own mini-orchard.
Best fruit trees for Auckland
Auckland Botanical Gardens provide a great guide to planting the best fruit trees in Tāmaki Makaurau and how to do so successfully.
For your own supply of lovely fresh eggs, all you need is three square metres of spare backyard on a property smaller than 2,000 square metres, plus space for a coop. Interested in taking the first step?
Beginner’s guide to keeping chickens
Check out Good Magazine’s beginner guide to keeping chickens and start a happy back garden flock of your own.
Animal Management Bylaw
Auckland Council has clear guidelines about keeping chickens in the Animal Management Bylaw.
Best environment for backyard chickens
The SPCA has outlined how to provide a good environment for your backyard chickens.
Read Nicki's story"It often surprises people how delicious plant-based foods are."
Nicki
Read Jackson's story"Living a plant-based lifestyle isn’t just a trend, the environment is my drive for taking action."
Jackson
Read Vanessa & Matti's story"Ever since I was little I’ve been aware of the impact of our lifestyle choices for the environment."
Vanessa & Matti
Read Margaret & Sam's story"The best option for us was to reduce our meat intake to the point that felt comfortable."
Margaret & Sam
Read Dev's story"On Sunday I ride to the Avondale market to buy fresh fruit and vegetables (and ginger!) to make salads."
Dev
Read Marcial's story"I wanted to care more about the way my household are as consumers, and to care for the wellbeing of my family’s health."
Marcial