Published 8 May 2020

Your Sustainable Home - Conscious Consumerism

Did you miss our ‘Conscious Consumerism’ webinar? No worries, here’s an overview of it, including a recording of the webinar + helpful links and supporting information for you to check out at your own leisure.

Join us and our friends from Wellington City Council, Reusabowl , The Rubbish Trip and Again Again for the second part in our two-part series on waste minimisation.

To check out the first session on Litterless Lunches and Food Waste, click here.

Session 2: Conscious Consumerism

What is conscious consumerism and why is it important? What steps can I take to be a more environmentally sustainable and ethical shopper? These are some of the important questions we address in this webinar on conscious consumerism.

Panellists & Chair:

• Councillor Laurie Foon, Wellington City Council

• Bobby Lloyd, Reusabowl 

• Hannah Blumhardt, The Rubbish Trip 

• Nada Piatek, Again Again

• Polly Griffiths, Business Sustainability Manager, Sustainability Trust (Chair)

Still, want to know more? See the further resources below the video.

What does it mean to be a conscious consumer?

Simply put, it’s being aware of the impact that your consumption has and using your purchasing power to ‘vote’ for businesses that have a positive impact on the world. A big part of this is seeking out ethically sourced and made products that do not harm the environment.

Below are some resources to support you on your journey to becoming a more conscious consumer:

• Want to be more environmentally conscious but aren’t sure where to start? Then check out our simple guide to living a more sustainable life.

• Look for Fairtrade items when you shop. Fairtrade is an arrangement that helps producers in developing countries achieve better trading conditions, by advocating for stable prices, decent working environments, and the empowerment of developing communities. You can read more about Fairtrade at their website.

• There’s an app for just about everything these days, and that includes ones that can empower you to create positive change. We’ve collated a list of apps that can help you reduce your carbon footprint or make better consumer choices.

• Heard of product stewardship before? It’s when every party involved in the lifespan of a product is called upon to take responsibility to reduce its environmental impact. Product stewardship is currently voluntary in New Zealand, but the government is considering making it mandatory for some products - you can read more about it here.

• Check out the amazing Cogo app, which connects you with ethical stores and converts every one of your transactions into a vote for the kind of world you want. 

• If you’re concerned about the amount of packaging waste that you’re generating, take a look at our better packaging guide.

• Keen to build a more sustainable wardrobe? Check out our blog for our top tips.

• Join the Zero Waste Wellington and Zero Waste in NZ groups on Facebook for more ideas & inspiration!

Zero-waste stores in Wellington

Our friends at The Rubbish Trip have a comprehensive zero waste shopping guide for the wider Wellington region, and they also have zero waste guides for other parts of the country too. Here are some of our top picks for zero waste stores/services in the Wellington region:

• Sustainability Trust Ecoshop: stocks a wide range of ethical and sustainable products. Find us at the end of Forrester’s Lane!

• Goodfor: packaging-free grocery store on Jessie Street.

• Hopper Home Eco Shop: bulk supplies & refill store on Hopper Street.

• Bin Inn: bulk food & refill store in Petone.

• Again Again: a reusable coffee cup share program.

• Reusabowl: a reusable takeaway bowl share program - coming soon.

• Uyo: an online resource for helping you find responsible cafes in your area.

Sustainable products

Since every item in our EcoShop is ethical, sustainable and/or environmentally friendly, we thought we’d give you the background story on some of our favourite products:

• Wa Collective menstrual cups - what's not to love about menstrual cups for social change. An award-winning social enterprise, Olie Body and her army of ovulators are on a mission to address period poverty the sustainable way. They now make and sell wheat bags and cherry earrings as well as provide subsidised Wa Cups to students.

• Seasick sunscreen - Nat, founder and CEO of Seasick Sunscreen is a natural-born redhead who worships the sun, the sea and everything in between. A nature conservationist, she’s worried about the impact of sunscreen on our ocean (coral bleaching, toxic for marine life etc) and as a result has tried, tested and developed her own 100% natural sunscreen. 

• Re-puff reusable make-up removal pads - made by a Year 13 student as a part of her school's Young Enterprise Scheme. She fashions them out of cotton and material offcuts from Frutti Wellington. Everything, including the packaging, is made by hand. Talk about a labour of love.

• Door snakes - Marion a keen librarian and one of our longest-standing volunteers who custom makes door snakes out of material our Curtain Bank can’t use. Her double-sided door snakes are designed as a quick fix to keep drafts from sneaking under your doors. If you have a colour preference or a strange-shaped door in your home, she will make one especially for you.  

Got more questions? Get in touch at advice@sustaintrust.org.nz