Our world

Sustainability starts with a party

If you remember with fondness the days when everyone on your street knew everyone else, and neighbours helped and supported each other as a matter of course, then Sustainability Streets might be for you.

The movement started in Australia and has since spread to more than 300 communities, including several in New Zealand. This year Auckland Council made moves to bring the concept to its region by flying founder Frank Fitzgerald-Ryan over to help train mentors, and is offering help to citizens who want to try it out.

The basic idea behind Sustainability Streets (catchphrase: it’s a village out there) is that getting to know the neighbours is one of the best ways that people can contribute positively to the health of the planet.

‘Streeters’ are encouraged to start with a letterbox drop inviting their neighbours to a friendly gathering where they can get to know each other and brainstorm some basic waste reduction ideas.

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Mt Eden resident Dave Watson, who started a Sustainability Street last year, said that while there was a high interest in initiatives around waste, energy and water, it was also clear that everyone wanted to have a party.

Dave’s street now has two beehives, chickens, a raw milk co-operative, shared meals, a walking school bus, lots of worm farms – and of course had a big street party – thanks to the connections they made.

“The key is to make it fun,” says Dave. “Why have a meeting when you can have a party!”

Aucklanders interested in starting their own Sustainability Street can email the council for information at [email protected].

Group shows its bottle

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A return to the days when children could make pocket money by collecting and recycling bottles is being cited as a realistic way of reducing plastic pollution.

Student activist group Plastic Diet have launched an appeal for Container Deposit Legislation (CDL) by holding a Cash for Containers day at the University of Auckland where they paid students 20 cents each for their used beverage containers. Over 1100 containers were collected.

“Walking along the beach and finding plastic drink bottles is really heart breaking and completely preventable. If New Zealand had CDL we would boost recycling rates in New Zealand, create jobs and reduce waste going into landfills,” said Plastic Diet president Florence Reynolds.

Introducing CDL to New Zealand would see a small charge added to the cost of beverages at the point of purchase. Customers would be able to redeem this deposit when they return the empty container to a recycling depot.

Plastic Diet claims that New Zealand’s current recovery rate for beverage containers of 30-40 per cent is near the bottom of the international scale compared to countries that have CDL, where recovery rates of 80-90 per cent are common.

Call for more 1080

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Forest & Bird has backed up a call by the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment, Dr Jan Wright, to increase use of the controversial poison 1080 in New Zealand.

Dr Wright recommended greater use of aerial drops of 1080 two years ago out of concern for the survival of rare birds such as kiwi in the face of predation by introduced pests. Now, in an update to that report, Dr Wright has expressed disappointment her advice hasn’t been followed up.

“There are three predators that are inflicting enormous damage on our native birds and plants – possums, rats, and stoats. The only way we can control them over large areas is to use 1080. We are lucky to have it,” said Dr Wright.

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“Currently the Department of Conservation is spending more on research into 1080 and its alternatives than it is on actually using it.”

Forest & Bird has supported her stance, saying research showed 1080 does not build up in the environment and seldom kills non-target species.

The poison is unpopular with recreational hunters and other groups for the impact it has on deer and pig numbers.

Kapiti competes for green title

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A competition to have the greenest street in the Kapiti Coast region led to 84 households reducing their environmental footprint by an average of 16 per cent, according to a report released by the Kapiti Coast District Council.

The friendly event also strengthened community bonds, the Council found.

“It was noticeable that none of those taking part thought this reduction in environmental impact was a reduction in quality of life. In fact the opposite was true, as the coming together as a collective street to tackle the problem was observed to be life enriching and enhancing,” said Victoria University’s Professor Brenda Vale, one of the competition judges.

The Kapiti Coast District Council serves the region immediately north of Wellington and has a strong track record of green initiatives. The Council offers free green services around waste reduction, gardening and education through its website www.kapiticoast.govt.nz.

St Pierre’s launches free-range chicken sushi

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It started with a discussion on social media and has turned into a new product range from sushi chain St Pierre’s that guarantees a better life for farmed chickens.

“We posted a Facebook status several months ago asking if St Pierre’s customers would be interested in buying free-range chicken and it caused the biggest discussion we’ve ever had on our page,” says director Nick Katsoulis. “So we decided to give our customers the option…”

The company has 40 outlets in New Zealand and says the free-range option costs on average 60 cents more per eight-pack of sushi. “It’s a small price to pay to be part of something so much bigger,” says Nick.

St Pierre’s is using free-range chicken from Waikato company, Waitoa, which Green Ideas understands will shortly be accredited through the reputable animal welfare scheme SPCA Blue Tick.

Award for ‘shade coffee’

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Local coffee roaster Karajoz has returned from the Australian International Coffee Awards with a swag of medals, including bronze for the superior flavour of its fairtrade organic blend Organico.

Karajoz says the beans for its blend are grown “chainsaw-free”, with the coffee plants grown in the shade of the jungle. The plants take longer to grow, but benefit from the natural insect control provided by jungle birds and animals, so are produced without chemical fertilisers or pesticides. And of course the natural environment is preserved.

Karajoz doesn’t display the Fairtrade logo, but sources all its beans from a certified Fairtrade supplier.

The numbers

12,170 Facebook likes for new Kiwi swap site Swap or Trade it

6 – the maximum number of stars an office building can get for energy efficiency under the new government NABERSNZ scheme

26,753 silvereyes counted in one hour during the 2013 New Zealand Garden Bird Survey, the second most numerous bird spotted behind house sparrows (41,452)

2000 x – the cost of bottled water compared to tap water, according to Australian research

67 per cent of Kiwis would switch brands if they found a product was harming the environment, according to Horizon Research

530,000 native trees planted since 2004 by the Honda TreeFund