There are lots of things you can do to have a lighter impact on the planet while also living well and saving money this summer.
One of the first things you can do, which only takes you 5 minutes, is finding out your carbon footprint then discovering new ways you can reduce it - with FutureFit, a tool developed by Auckland Council.
After answering a short set of lifestyle questions you can find personalised actions that you might like to try. We’ve pulled out a few to give you some ideas about easy changes you can make.
Give your scraps a second life
There is always lots of food around after Christmas, and many people don’t know that much of it can be frozen (like Christmas ham and pudding) so you can enjoy them in the months to come. Love Food Hate Waste has lots of ideas for recipes that make the most of the leftovers in your fridge.
Bag a bargain
Updating your summer wardrobe? Bag a bargain and save some serious cash by seeing what pre-loved clothes you can find at your local second hand or recycled designer stores instead of buying new.
Enjoy Auckland's markets
Markets are a fantastic place to find fresh seasonal fruit and veg. Delicious, low carbon (because food hasn’t travelled far to get to you) and supports your local farmers and growers.
With lots of produce on offer, it’s also a great time to get creative and find ingredients to make a plant-based meal – meaning you can tick off having a meat-free day!
See market events on OurAuckland.
Green up your backyard or community garden
Investing in native plants will help attract native birds, butterflies and bees and other wildlife to your property or community. Planting trees is also one of the best ways to offset some of our unavoidable emissions, filter our air and make our city a nicer place to be.
Learn more with the Pest Free Auckland campaign.
Shower and save
Hot water makes up about one-third of energy bills, mostly from showers. Keeping showers under four-minutes can save you 138kg of carbon every year (like burning 56.66 litres of petrol). Pick up a suction shower timer at your local hardware store, or look at installing a water-efficient showerhead or low-flow washer.
Plan your meals
The average New Zealand family wastes $560 a year on food that’s brought but never eaten.
With a bit of forward planning, this is an easy way to cut down on your grocery bill and food waste by only buying what you need.
Bike or walk
Take every opportunity to enjoy the summer days by popping on your sneakers and walking or cycling for short journeys instead of driving. Forget about being stuck in traffic, hot cars and finding parks; walking and cycling are planet-friendly door to door services!
