Still thinking about how to make the year ahead count? If you’re looking for a New Year resolution that’s good for you and good for Tāmaki Makaurau, why not focus on reducing waste?
No matter what you’re passionate about, there’s a way to reduce waste in everything you do. Zero waste living is all about small, practical steps that add up to big impact. From composting and food rescue to making use of repair cafés and refill stations, Auckland offers plenty of ways to cut waste and connect with your community.
Whether you’re a gardener, a foodie, a maker, or a tech enthusiast, there’s a zero-waste resolution to suit any lifestyle. Here’s some handy tips to help you live 2026 with creativity, sustainability, and a sense of purpose, while supporting local initiatives that keep our city cleaner and greener.
For the gardener: grow green, waste less
If you're already composting at home, step up your practice:
- Join a Compost Collective workshop - discover how to worm farm, bokashi and other methods for hands-on learning and discounted bins.
- Attend seed and plant swaps, such as the monthly Seed, Seedling & Produce Swap at Rānui Library. Great for swapping seeds, seedlings, or cuttings.
For the foodie: Love Food Hate Waste
Make your kitchen habits count:
- Attend Love Food Hate Waste NZ workshops, including preserving sessions at a community facility near you or a microgreens class at your local library.
- Volunteer locally - join Fair Food to sort, cook, and package rescued food for families in need, or KiwiHarvest to pack and distribute fresh produce.
- Reduce household food waste through meal planning, proper storage, and preserving surplus. Anything you can’t eat or compost, can go into your green food scraps bin to become clean energy and liquid fertiliser.
For the maker: mend, swap and upcycle
Put your creativity to community use:
- Volunteer at local Repair Cafés across Auckland. You’ll find them at Auckland Library of Tools, Repair Café by DEANZ, and Repair Café Aotearoa.
Volunteer to repair and share clothes and household items.
- Host or attend clothing swap events; attend a Rummage & Repair event at Ōrewa Repair Café
- Upcycle old textiles into items like tote bags or cushion covers; donate or swap craft supplies at local reuse hubs.
For the gadget geek: tech without trash
Reduce e-waste:
- If your laptop still works or just needs minor repairs, contact the Recycle A Device (RAD) programme, a non-profit organisation that refurbishes laptops for those in most need, while giving school students skills to repair them.
- Donate or recycle tech via services like TechCollect NZ and Noel Leeming which accepts laptops and accessories, even if they weren’t purchased there.
- Take your tech along to community E-waste Collection Days hosted by Echo.
- Some community recycling centres accept e-waste for a small fee.
- Buy refurbished electronics where possible and join Repair Cafés to learn basic tech repair skills.
For the conscious consumer: lifestyle commitments
Take a broader stance on sustainability:
- Take a “Buy Nothing New” challenge by shopping second-hand at Auckland’s many reuse shops and regular reuse markets.
- Refill household staples at refill stations found at Whangaparāoa and Helensville Community Recycling Centres and places like GoodFor and Bin Inn.
Refill household staples at refill stations.
- Support your local community recycling centre, where donations give items a new lease on life and support local community groups.
- Commit to a personal waste audit, setting specific goals (like reducing the amount of waste you put in your rubbish bin by 25%) and joining a zero-waste community challenge.
Make 2026 your year of zero waste
Whether you love gardening, cooking, crafting, technology, or just about any other pursuit, you can make a zero-waste resolution for the year. Stay engaged through local events, community networks or volunteering.
With small steps that fit your lifestyle, Aucklanders can create a ripple effect of sustainability. Let’s make 2026 the year we all contribute to a cleaner, zero-waste Tāmaki Makaurau.