Of course we don’t mean groceries, but how much can you not buy new? Try your hand at second-hand shopping at some of Auckland’s great op- shops, check TradeMe, search Facebook for local buy/sell or giving groups, and use sites like Neighbourly to swap items with your neighbours.
SHOP CONSCIOUSLY
Shopping consciously involves making mindful decisions about the products we buy. Think before you buy. How was it made, how long will it last, how much power will it use, what will you do with it once you no longer want it? Prioritise items made sustainably and ethically. Opt for durable products to reduce waste. Consider energy-efficient options and think about recycling or repurposing items when they’re no longer needed. By being thoughtful consumers, we can reduce our environmental impact and promote a more sustainable future.
TOOLS & RESOURCES
Community recycling centres
Our aim with community recycling centres is to reduce waste to landfill by reusing, re-purposing and recycling as much as possible.
Visit a RefillNZ station
You can refill your reusable water bottle for free at participating cafes and other businesses. Refilling is easy with the map or app!
How to get rid of unwanted items
If you’re unsure of whether an item can be recycled, Auckland Council has a very handy tool where you can find out what to do.
Calculate your carbon footprint
Take 5 minutes to find out your carbon footprint with FutureFit and see how you compare to others.
Think before
you buy
It can be so tempting to buy that new top, appliance or gadget, but it’s worth pausing a moment to question first whether you really need it, whether an existing item could do the job already, or whether second-hand is a better option. This is one of the easiest ways to save some serious money, and prevent the waste of so many usable or fixable things you already have.
Buy nothing new for one month
Repair or reuse items where you can, instead of upgrading to new
Try looking up fix-it videos on YouTube or guides from ifixit.com. If you’d rather leave it to the experts, for only a gold coin you can bring items needing repair to your local Repair Café for expert repairers in your community to fix it up for you. Follow Repair Café Auckland on Facebook to find the next Repair Café near you.
Hire or borrow tools and items that you only need occasionally
Libraries aren’t just for books! Hiring or borrowing may not always be your first thought when you need something specific, but next time you need that board game, puzzle, dress, drill or wheelbarrow, why not see if you can hire it locally, or borrow off family, friends or neighbours? Toy libraries are a good place to start, there are plenty right across Auckland.
Thoughtfully re-home belongings you no longer need
Try selling items on TradeMe, posting them on Neighbourly as free to a good home, donating them to your local second-hand shop, or dropping them off at your local community recycling centre for recycling and reuse.
Go second-hand next time you need to buy a new item of clothing
Check out some of the central city’s offerings as a starting point for your next adventure. Find your local or start your own clothes swap – check out the 20weekchallenge. You can find reasonably priced quality second hand clothes and items easily on other online shops like Designer Wardrobe, Carousell or TradeMe.
Use your own reusable shopping bag for every supermarket visit
It can be hard to remember those bags, so try stashing them in all the places you’re likely to need one – a few in the car, a couple of collapsible ones in your bag, and one on the door handle so you can’t miss it when leaving the house.
Take this action and you could save 10 kg of CO2 per year - the equivalent embodied emissions of 43 large cappuccinos.
Remember to bring your drink bottle instead of buying a drink
Buy yourself one good quality reusable water bottle that you enjoy using and keep in your bag (or wherever it’ll be easy to remember). If you enjoy using it, you won’t need to buy a drink on the run.
Find out where you can refill by visiting the RefillNZ website or downloading their app (Apple only). You can also locate Auckland’s 370-plus public drinking fountains using the Akl Paths website.
Take this action and you could save 3 kg of CO2e per year - the equivalent embodied emissions from the production of 38 bananas.
Remember to take your reusable cup for any takeaway coffees
Either sit down and enjoy your coffee at the cafe, or buy yourself a good quality reusable coffee cup that you enjoy using and keep in your bag (or wherever it’ll be easy to remember). If you forget, consider not having a coffee at all – that way you’ll definitely remember next time.
Take this action and you could save 3 kg of CO2e emissions - that's like running the BBQ for one hour.
