Reduce your rubbish

Smart shopping

A great way to reduce the rubbish going to our landfills is to buy smart - think about reducing your waste when you are shopping for products.

Some easy ways to do this include:

• attempt to repair products before purchasing a replacement
• take your own shopping bag or purchase a reusable cloth shopping bag. Ask for cardboard boxes as these are easily recyclable
• buy goods in recyclable packaging, such as paper, cardboard, glass, cans, and plastic '1' and '2' (check on the bottom of the container)
• reduce Wrapping! Buy the large or economy size of products you use often to reduce the amount of packaging that is wasted. Buy durable/long lasting products instead of throwaways
• buy concentrated products, such as washing powder, as they use less packaging and less energy to transport
• buy products that you can refill
• buy less toxic materials/chemicals (e.g. baking soda for cleaning, lemon juice for bleaching, white vinegar for deodorising)
• reduce paper by choosing to receive newsletters and bills by email instead of hardcopy
• buy from eco-friendly outlets.

Real Nappies is a New Zealand online company that specialises in a modern, cotton, reusable nappy system. Reusable nappies contribute nothing to the landfill problems. They are safe and contain no harmful gels and chemicals. Make the change to eco-friendly nappies. For more information shop online at www.realnappies.co.nz.