Published 7 July 2020

Love Welly, ditch plastic

2020 has been a strange year for sure. From closing our borders, to lockdown, to bringing our economy to a grinding halt, 2020 has been a year for us to think, stay and support local. 

So to celebrate Plastic Free July 2020, we thought we’d ask our community to nominate local businesses doing their bit to reduce their dependence on single-use plastic. 

Here are some of the real stand-out nominations:

Sweet Release - Wellington’s first fully vegan cafe specialise in cakes, treats, deli meats, drinks and all-round comfort food catering for those who have dairy (or other) allergies which people can take home in jars from their jar bank. They ditched single-use cups altogether and introduced a reusable mug library for those who forget their reusable cups. Kris, who heads up Sweet Release is the brains behind the Vegan Vault - a fully vegan market that uses reusable plates and cutlery (drastically reducing waste to landfill). Last but not least, they are proof that cafe culture can change.

Hopper - Refill, Shop & Cafe - Wellington’s first (and one of NZ’s first) zero waste grocers have been providing waste-free shopping options since 2018. They’re keen on challenging the view that zero waste grocers are expensive so they operate a shop that can compete with supermarket prices. Hopper now has a cafe on site that is the first single-use free cafe in NZ. Shop Manager Ali Kirkpatrick works tirelessly to educate and share about zero waste.

Pukeko Gallery / Alexander Pharmacy - Plastic waste is not often at the forefront of people’s minds when it comes to medicine. That’s why, when we heard about pharmacist Angela’s efforts to reduce waste in the industry, we really wanted to learn more and spread the message. Facing numerous difficulties, from Ministry of Health Regulations to an industry resistant to change, Angela is passionate about challenging the status quo when it comes to how pharmacies operate. She’d like to see more research in the development of more sustainable medicine packaging.

Check out the Love Welly, Ditch Plastic - Wall of Fame

Click on any image to see why they were nominated.