Zero Waste in Central Auckland

Preaching to “the Converted” # 3: Ashlee Beaumont

31/10/2017

Zero Waste on the North Shore

07/11/2017

This guide covers Central Auckland only. For other areas of Auckland, please refer to the Zero Waste in the Auckland Region post.

Our heartfelt gratitude to Sugarcube Studios, for bringing our guides to life – designing a map for us and creating such joyful imagery to go with it!

Lots of pantry staples – from flours, grains and rice, through to condiments, spices, legumes, nuts, seeds and liquid foods – usually come in single-use packets. These shops stock all manner of pantry foods loose in bulk bins (or operate return & refill systems for their packaging), allowing you to put these goods straight into your own bags, jars, containers and bottles, and skip the packaging!

Greys Avenue Foodmarket, 48 Grey’s Avenue, CBD – stocks various spices, legumes, flours and nuts in bulk bins.
F & G Supermarket, 450 Queen Street, CBD – has a wide range of bulk bins stocking grains, flours, legumes, nuts, seeds, dried fruit and spices.
Indian Spice City, 10 Anzac Avenue, CBD – has a range of bulk bins stocking grains, flours, legumes, nuts, seeds, dried fruit and spices.
Super Food Market, 60 Hobson Street, CBD – stocks a range of unpackaged foods in bulk bins, such as grains, flours, legumes, nuts, seeds, dried fruit and spices.
Suprette & Indian Grocery, 215 Karangahape Road, CBD – has a small range of bulk bins stocking legumes, rice, nuts and some spices – would probably stock more in bulk if asked.
Huckleberry, 405 Richmond Road, Grey Lynn; 6 Campbell Road, Royal Oak; 150 Apirana Avenue, Glen Innes – stocks a substantial range of dried goods (grains, flours, rice, legumes, dried fruit, nuts, seeds etc.), as well as liquid food refills (such as vinegar, oil and tamari) in bulk dispensers.
Mahadeo’s Spices and Produce, 14 Virginia Avenue East, Eden Terrace – from the outside this store looks like it might be a packing house and not a store, but do not be dissuaded, go in and revel in the wonder! This stores stocks a very large range of low-cost dried bulk foods, from legumes, grains, flours, nuts, seeds and dried fruit, through to spices, shredded coconut, and baking soda. A great find!
Robinson’s Vegan Deli & Food Store, 557 Great North Road, Grey Lynn – stocks a wide range of unpackaged dried foods in bulk bins, from wholefoods/pantry staples like grains, legumes, flours, nuts, seeds and more, to rarer products like vital wheat gluten, and TVP. They even have Culley’s vegan mayonnaise in bulk! BYO bags, containers, jars and bottles.
Commonsense Organics, 284 Dominion Road, Mt Eden – lots of bulk food options here, including flour, nuts, seeds, fruit, grains, pulses AND frozen food! Just BYO bag/container.
Total Health, 236 Dominion Road, Mt Eden – stocks some nuts and seeds in bulk (BYO bags/containers)
Bulk Food Savings, 217 Dominion Road, Mt Eden – stocks a range of food in bulk bins. Unfortunately a lot of the bulk product is prepackaged by the store, so you have to navigate/avoid that, but you can still get a lot loose, including nuts, seeds, dried fruit, pulses, grains, flours etc. Vinegars and oils are available in bulk too though it’s difficult to tell if BYO containers are welcome – worth having a chat with the staff!
Pasta & Cuore, 409 Mt Eden Road, Mt Eden – keen for some handmade pasta? Get it straight into your BYO container at this establishment!
Farro Fresh Food, 422 Dominion Road, Mount Eden; 34 Westmoreland Street West, Grey Lynn; 446 Manukau Road, Epsom; 223 Orakei Road, Remuera; 80 Lunn Avenue, Mt Wellington – stocks some dried food items in a bulk bin (though they are pricey), including nuts and seeds, and dried fruit.
GoodFor, THREE stores: 2 Williamson Ave, Grey Lynn; 79 St George’s Bay Road, Parnell; Tenancy 12, Stoneridge on Lunn, 97 Lunn Avenue, Stonefields – New Zealand’s FIRST packaging-free store. It’s pretty amazing to see and the range of items available is impressive. You can get all the staples here – grains, flours, nuts, seeds, legumes, dried fruit, spices. As well as liquid foods, including oils, syrups and vinegars. You can also get harder to find things like Fairtrade cocoa, vege stock, pasta and cocoa butter (to name a few). GoodFor is also teaming up with local producers to bring packaging-free supplies of locally-made products, like Little Bird snacks.
The Source Bulk Foods Eastridge, Shop 19, 215 Kepa Road, Mission Bay – a packaging-free store that has just about every whole food you could desire (flours, grains, legumes, nuts, seeds, dried fruit, spices) as well as a few snacks and treats in bulk (like chocolate and potato chips). There are also a wide range of cereals and granolas, nut butter extruders, and even pasta and gluten-free pasta! A great range of liquid foods in bulk too, from oils and vinegars to syrups. Some more unusual finds include balsamic vinegar, maple syrup, coconut nectar, tahini and macadamia oil. They also have a nut butter machine producing almond, cashew and peanut butter on alternate days.
Bin Inn Onehunga, 132 Onehunga Mall Road, Onehunga – offers a wide array of dried food in bulk (including, but not limited to, nuts, seeds, cereals, grains, flours, and legumes), a range of spices, liquid foods (including vinegars, oils and syrups), sweets and treats, and items essential for zero waste living, such as baking soda, salt and other specialty baking/cooking goods. They also have a peanut butter machine so you can get peanut butter straight into your own jar! All Bin Inn store around New Zealand are currently offering 5% discount when you bring your own containers!
Sri Ganesh Food and Spices, 17 Ellis Ave, Mt Roskill – stocks some items in bulk, including nuts, legumes, spices and flours.
Apna Bazaar, 149 Stoddard Road, Mt Roskill – big range of bulk bins, including grains, flours, nuts, seeds, rice, legumes, dried fruit, spices as well as harder to find items like baking soda.
Lotus Supermarket, 64 Stoddard Road, Mt Roskill – excellent range of bulk bins, stocking grains, flours, nuts, seeds, dried fruit, rice, legumes, spices, and harder to find items like baking soda and baking powder.
Smart Deal Bazaar, 40 Stoddard Rd, Mt Roskill – a good range of bulk bins stocking grains, flours, nuts, seeds, dried fruit, legumes and spices.
Mt Roskill Fresh Supermarket, 3/32 Carr Road, Mt Roskill – has a small number of bulk bins, stocking some legumes, grains and nuts in bulk
Yogiji’s Food Mart, 26 Carr Road, Mt Roskill – has a range of bulk bins stocking grains, flours, legumes, nuts, seeds, dried fruit, spices. However, be aware that about 30% of the bins are stocked only with pre-packaged goods, unfortunately.
Khyber Spice Invader, 822 Manukau Road, Royal Oak – excellent range of bulk bins, stocking grains, flours, nuts, seeds, dried fruit, rice, legumes, spices, and harder to find items like baking soda and baking powder.
Spice Corner, 691 Manukau Road, Royal Oak – a good range of bulk bins stocking grains, flours, nuts, seeds, dried fruit, legumes and spices. However, be aware that many of the bins were stocked only with pre-packaged goods, unfortunately.
Ceres Whole Foods, 181 Ladies Mile, Ellerslie – New Zealand’s FIRST organic store (opened in 1984) stocks a good range of produce in bulk, including nuts, seeds, dried fruit, legumes, grains and flours.
LakDiv, No 8, Basin View Lane, Panmure – sells a range of food in bulk, including some grains, flours and spices, as well as legumes, nuts and dried fruit.
Tofuman Asian Mart, 159 Queens Road, Panmure – stocks unpackaged noodles (several varieties), yus! Also stocks bulk bins of grains and flours, spices, fungi, legumes, and peanuts.
Amaize, 100 Queens Road (in the mall), Panmure – get your fix of sweet and savoury popcorn of every flavour imaginable. All available unpackaged and made on site, just BYO bags!!
Spice Land, 50 Queens Road, Panmure – bulk bins available near the back of the store. Spices are mostly pre-packed, unfortunately, but there’s still a good range of loose products, including flours, grains, legumes, nuts, seeds and dried fruit.
Hesari Bakery, 16 Queens Road, Panmure – look around this store to find loose varieties of dried fruit, nuts and Middle Eastern sweets + snacks – yum!
NZ Fruit n Vege, 131 Pilkington Road, Panmure – big range of bulk legumes, dried fruit, nuts, seeds, spices, grains and flours.
Supermarkets – most supermarkets have bulk bin/pick and mix sections with wholefoods (BYO bags for these). However they’re pretty expensive, often more so than equivalent ingredients in packets (bah!), and much pricier than the bulk bins at the stores listed above (even organic stores’ bulk bins!). But look out for when things in the bulk bin aisle in supermarkets are on special because sometimes you can get a good deal!

The following shops sell unpackaged meat, sausages, smallgoods, seafood, cheese and/or deli foods and will happily put these straight into a BYO container – woohoo! **We’re still filling this section out – are you able to help us by letting us know your local where BYO containers are accepted?**

Meat

Butchery at Tai Ping Trading Co, 105 Beach Road, CBD
Gladstone Butchery, 64 Gladstone Road, Parnell
Saint John’s Butchery, corner of Felton Mathew Ave and Merton Road, – happy for you to drop-off your own containers in advance, and the butcher will pre-pack into those when they cut the meat. Otherwise, for on-the-spot purchases, there are lots of sausages, and there’s also smoked salmon, that is unpackaged in the deli, that you can get put straight into your BYO container.
Westmere Butchery, 131 West End Road, Westmere
Sam’s Chicken, inside Lim Supermarket Centre, 949 New North Road, Mt Albert
Avon’s Butchery, 246 Apirana Avenue, Glen Innes

Seafood

Auckland Fish Market, 22 Jellicoe Street, Freemans Bay
Oceanz Seafood, 285 Penrose Road, Mt Wellington – get fresh seafood into clean BYO containers
Unpackaged live mussels – there are a few stores around town that stock unpackaged live mussels at self-serve counters (look out especially in supermarkets). We put them straight into upcycled ice cream containers/BYO containers rather than the plastic bags the stores usually provide.

Deli, cheese & other

Farro Fresh Food, 422 Dominion Road, Mount Eden; 34 Westmoreland Street West, Grey Lynn; 446 Manukau Road, Epsom; 223 Orakei Road, Remuera; 80 Lunn Avenue, Mt Wellington – You are welcome to get any food from the deli put straight in a BYO container (including cheese and meats).
Ponsonby Central, corner of Richmond and Ponsonby Roads, Ponsonby – BYO containers to shop around the different stalls and delis – The Dairy is happy to put cuts of cheese in BYO containers.
Robinson’s Vegan Deli & Food Store, 557 Great North Road, Grey Lynn – get a range of various vegan ‘meats’, ‘cheeses’ and more unpackaged – BYO containers!
Tofu – you can get unpackaged tofu put into BYO containers at Top Grade Tofu, 255 Dominion Road, Mt Eden; and Tofuman Asian Mart, 159 Queens Road, Panmure.
Unpackaged olives – Grey Lynn Farmers Market
Khyber Spice Invader, 822 Manukau Road, Royal Oak – stocks unpackaged fresh paneer, feta cheese and olives. All can be put in a BYO container.
BYO containers at the supermarket delis – Most supermarkets have a deli section offering meat, seafood, olives and other antipasti, salads, lunch foods and more – all unpackaged. All major supermarkets will now allow you to BYO container for these goods.

The following stores bake and sell unpackaged bread and bakery goods (in some of these stores some items might be pre-packed or wrapped in cling film, just avoid those things!). Simply BYO bread bag to put the bread/bakery goods into. Some places will bag up their bread later in the day, so you want to get in there before they do that (i.e. before 1pm). ** We’re still filling this section out – are you able to help us by letting us know your local that doesn’t pre-pack bread?**

Pandoro Bakery, Eden Quarter, 190 Dominion Road, Mount Eden; 427 Parnell Road, Parnell; 75 Queen Street, CBD; 17 Vestey Drive, Mount Wellington
Daily Bread, 1210 Point Chevalier Road, Point Chevalier
Sony Bakery, 2/40 Stonefields Avenue, Stonefields
West Tamaki Bakery, 139 West Tamaki Road, Glen Innes
Most supermarkets (and even some Four Squares) stock unpackaged bread, bread rolls and/or bakery goods in their bakery section – just pop them into your BYO bags!

Markets – No two ways about it, if you want a good source of unpackaged (often locally grown) produce, markets are the place to go! Across Auckland, be sure to check out your local markets and farmers’ markets because you will almost ALWAYS be able to get items without packaging. All the better when it’s grown locally and you can support sustainable growing practices. Check out some of the markets in Central Auckland. We loved Grey Lynn Farmers Market, which is leading the way in becoming a waste-free market. You can get all manner of unpackaged veggies here, as well as products like loose olives (BYO containers!). By and large, we’ve found that markets, where you can meet the grower/producer face-to-face, are really great for starting fruitful conversations about waste-free food, and developing relationships and systems that enable you to get your favourite fruit, vege and preserves without the packaging. Often stallholders with other products may also allow you to leave containers with them to fill with your desired product for you to pick up from them the following week, or if the stallholder uses glass jars for packaging, ask whether they will take their empty glass jars back for sterilisation and reuse.
Trade Aid – Trade Aid‘s 1.5kg sugar bags are great for upcycling as bulk bin bags, and are home compostable also when they do wear out. Trade Aid’s coconut oil is one of the few on the market that does not have a plastic seal around the lid. You can get these products at Trade Aid, 172 Ponsonby Road, Ponsonby. However, there are several other stockists of these products around Auckland too: Commonsense Organics, 284 Dominion Road, Mt Eden stocks both products. Huckleberry, 405 Richmond Road, Grey Lynn; 6 Campbell Road, Royal Oak; 150 Apirana Avenue, Glen Innes stocks the coconut oil. Farro Fresh Food, 422 Dominion Road, Mount Eden; 34 Westmoreland Street West, Grey Lynn; 446 Manukau Road, Epsom; 223 Orakei Road, Remuera; 80 Lunn Avenue, Mt Wellington stocks the sugar.
The Tofu Shop, 7 Kent Street, Newmarket – stocks rice dumplings packaged only in a banana leaf. Unfortunately this branch of the store, unlike others we have seen, does not sell unpackaged tofu – perhaps a local could request they start stocking this?
The Source Bulk Foods Eastridge, Shop 19, 215 Kepa Road, Mission Bay – stocks a wide range of unpackaged sweets and snacks in bulk.

Look out for places that sell whole or ground coffee beans unpackaged, and bring your own bag and container to fill. Going direct to coffee roasters is the best option, but you can also look out for bulk dispensers of unpackaged coffee in other stores (which usually have in-store grinders also). Here are the spots we found that offer these options:

Commonsense Organics, 284 Dominion Road, Mt Eden
Coffee and Tea Lovers, 378 Dominion Road, Mt Eden
GoodFor, THREE stores: 2 Williamson Ave, Grey Lynn; 79 St George’s Bay Road, Parnell; Tenancy 12, Stoneridge on Lunn, 97 Lunn Avenue, Stonefields
The Source Bulk Foods Eastridge, Shop 19, 215 Kepa Road, Mission Bay
Ceres Whole Foods, 181 Ladies Mile, Ellerslie
All Press Coffee at TWO locations – 266 Ponsonby Road, Ponsonby, and the roastery at 8 Drake Street, Freemans Bay
Bin Inn Onehunga, 132 Onehunga Mall Road, Onehunga.

We avoid teabags as most have plastic in them, which we don’t want in our tea or our soil. Using loose leaf tea is an easy way to get around this. The trick is to find somewhere that sells loose leaf tea packaging-free, so you can put the leaves straight into BYO jars/containers! You’ll find loose tea leaves in bulk dispensers at:

Chapter Book and Tea Shop, 442 Mt Eden Road, Mt Eden (loose leaf tea of every kind in jars!)
Coffee and Tea Lovers, 378 Dominion Road, Mt Eden (make sure you ask to have the loose tea put straight into your BYO bag/container)
Total Health, 236 Dominion Road, Mt Eden
Commonsense Organics, 284 Dominion Road, Mt Eden
Tonic Room, 465 New North Road, Kingsland
GoodFor, THREE stores: 2 Williamson Ave, Grey Lynn; 79 St George’s Bay Road, Parnell; Tenancy 12, Stoneridge on Lunn, 97 Lunn Avenue, Stonefields
The Source Bulk Foods Eastridge, Shop 19, 215 Kepa Road, Mission Bay
Khyber Spice Invader, 822 Manukau Road, Royal Oak
Apna Bazaar, 149 Stoddard Road, Mt Roskill.

Sourcing cow’s milk without the plastic bottles or non-dairy milk without the dreaded Tetra-pak is no mean feat! We’ve found the following options:

Milk on tap or from a vending machine – milk is available on tap at Daily Bread, 1210 Point Chevalier Road, Point Chevalier; Farro Fresh Food at two locations: 34 Westmoreland Street West, Grey Lynn; and 446 Manukau Road, Epsom (Lewis Road milk); Grey Lynn Farmers Market, 510 Richmond Road, Grey Lynn, and the Parnell Farmers’ Market, 545 Parnell Road. Simply BYO bottle to fill up, or purchase a reusable glass bottle there that you can then refill on future occasions.
Milk delivery in reusable glass bottles:
- Dairy milk – Bakewell Creamery do home delivery of their raw milk (minimum order of 4L). So, you can have the milk delivered to your door in reusable glass bottles (just like the old days!) – leave your empty bottles out on the next delivery day so they can be returned to Bakewell Creamery for sterilisation and refill. YAY! See delivery details and routes here.
- Plant mylk – Milk 2.0 makes plain and chocolate mylk in glass bottles that you can buy individually, but the best deal (for your wallet and the environment) is their subscription service: delivered to your door every Saturday in glass bottles and a cold delivery bag that you leave out to be picked up on the Friday before your next delivery. The bottles are sterilised and reused, and the bag is reused too! Perhaps you can buy a single bottle to try it out, and if you like then sign up for subscription.
Glass bottle return/swap scheme for dairy milk – How does the system work? The first time you buy a bottle of milk, you pay a little extra to cover the cost of the bottle and to ensure that you return it when you’re done. Return empty bottles to the store of purchase and exchange it for a full bottle for only the price of the milk (or else get your deposit back). The empties are then returned to the producer to be sanitised and refilled – so the bottles just go around and around – true zero waste! TWO options in Central Auckland:
- Bella Vacca Jerseys in reusable glass bottles available at Farro Fresh Grey Lynn, 34 Westmoreland Street West, Grey Lynn.
- Durham Farms Milk in reusable glass bottles available at Commonsense Organics, 284 Dominion Road, Mt Eden.

Look out for places that sell beer on tap and BYO bottles/flagons to fill up. Breweries are awesome, but lots of liquor stores offer this option too! We found beer on tap at:

Brothers Beer, Shed 3D, City Works Depot, 90 Wellesley St West; 228 Orakei Road, Remuera; and 5 Akiraho St, Mt Eden
Herne Bay Cellars, 184 Jervois Road, Herne Bay
Liquor King Ponsonby, 254 Ponsonby Road, Ponsonby
Liquorland Mt Eden, 246 Dominion Road, Mt Eden
Liquorland Newmarket, 480 Broadway, Newmarket
Multiple Glengarry’s, including 409 Khyber Pass Road, Newmarket, 420 New North Road, Kingsland, and 139 Ponsonby Road, Ponsonby
Garage Project, 357 New North Road, Kingsland
Super Liquor Stonefields, 40 Stonefields Avenue.

Also, don’t forget that most liquor stores do ‘swappa crates’ of beer – i.e. crates of twelve 745ml bottles of classic NZ beer (e.g. Lion Red/Brown, Speights, Tui, Export Gold etc.) which can be returned (when the bottles are empty) and are then sent back to the brewery for sterilisation and refill (a better outcome for glass bottles than recycling because reusing the same bottle over and over requires way less energy and resources than recycling).

Drinking Chocolate – Fairtrade cocoa in bulk dispensers at GoodFor, THREE stores: 2 Williamson Ave, Grey Lynn; 79 St George’s Bay Road, Parnell; Tenancy 12, Stoneridge on Lunn, 97 Lunn Avenue, Stonefields; and Commonsense, 284 Dominion Road, Mt Eden.
Kombucha – various stores offer refills of kombucha (just BYO bottles), including GoodFor, THREE stores: 2 Williamson Ave, Grey Lynn; 79 St George’s Bay Road, Parnell; Tenancy 12, Stoneridge on Lunn, 97 Lunn Avenue, Stonefields; and The Source Bulk Foods Eastridge, Shop 19, 215 Kepa Road, Mission Bay.

ALSO, WAIT… DID SOMEONE SAY WINE ON TAP?

Yes, we did – the holy grail of zero waste success!

Everyday Wine, 442 Karangahape Road, CBD has a whole range of natural wines on tap and they will fill your own bottles (!) The best thing is that Everyday Wine gets the tap wine delivered to them in reusable kegs that go back to the wineries when empty for refill, so it’s a back of house low-waste system too (no nasty plastic bladders…!)
Garage Project Auckland Cellar Door, 357 New North Road, Kingsland – made in the brewery in Wellington!

NB: We were really impressed by the Grey Lynn Waste Away station at the Grey Lynn Farmers Market, which sells a wide variety of products listed below – check them out!

Reusable drinking vessels (cups and water bottles)

Say “no more” to disposable takeaway coffee cups and plastic water bottles by getting yourself reusables instead! Get reusable water bottles at Huckleberry, 405 Richmond Road, Grey Lynn; 6 Campbell Road, Royal Oak; 150 Apirana Avenue, Glen Innes; Allium Interiors, 11C Teed Street, Newmarket; Shut the Front Door, 3 York Street, Newmarket, 275 Ponsonby Road, Ponsonby; Father Rabbit, 20 Normanby Road, Mt Eden; 228 Orakei Road, Remuera, 232 Jervois Road, Herne Bay; Milly’s Kitchen Shop, 273 Ponsonby Road, Ponsonby; GoodFor, THREE stores: 2 Williamson Ave, Grey Lynn; 79 St George’s Bay Road, Parnell; Tenancy 12, Stoneridge on Lunn, 97 Lunn Avenue, Stonefields; The Source Bulk Foods Eastridge, Shop 19, 215 Kepa Road, Mission Bay; Good Thing, 849 New North Road, Mt Albert

There are heaps of places to buy reusable takeaway coffee cups in Auckland:

Find the Keep Cup brand at Huckleberry, 405 Richmond Road, Grey Lynn; 6 Campbell Road, Royal Oak; 150 Apirana Avenue, Glen Innes; Chapter Book and Tea Shop, 442 Mt Eden Road, Mt Eden; Grey Lynn Waste Away station at the Grey Lynn Farmers Market; Farro Fresh Food,422 Dominion Road, Mount Eden; 34 Westmoreland Street West, Grey Lynn; 446 Manukau Road, Epsom; 223 Orakei Road, Remuera; 80 Lunn Avenue, Mt Wellington
Get the NZ-made Cuppa Coffee Cup at Huckleberry, 405 Richmond Road, Grey Lynn; 6 Campbell Road, Royal Oak; 150 Apirana Avenue, Glen Innes; Mixt, 504 New North Road, Kingsland; Farro Fresh Food, 422 Dominion Road, Mount Eden; 34 Westmoreland Street West, Grey Lynn; 446 Manukau Road, Epsom; 223 Orakei Road, Remuera; 80 Lunn Avenue, Mt Wellington; GoodFor, THREE stores: 2 Williamson Ave, Grey Lynn; 79 St George’s Bay Road, Parnell; Tenancy 12, Stoneridge on Lunn, 97 Lunn Avenue, Stonefields.
Get the very leak proof Frank Green cups at Shut the Front Door, 3 York Street, Newmarket, 275 Ponsonby Road, Ponsonby; Good Thing, 849 New North Road, Mt Albert
The Joco brand at Shut the Front Door, 3 York Street, Newmarket, 275 Ponsonby Road, Ponsonby
Various reusable takeaway coffee cups are available at Coffee and Tea Lovers, 378 Dominion Road, Mt Eden.
Get porcelain reusable takeaway coffee cups at Zarbo, 24 Morrow Street, Newmarket; Shut the Front Door, 3 York Street, Newmarket, 275 Ponsonby Road, Ponsonby
Stainless steel cups at The Source Bulk Foods Eastridge, Shop 19, 215 Kepa Road, Mission Bay

Reusable lunch boxes/containers

Reusable lunch boxes or containers are great to have on you when you’re out and about in case you want to get takeaways, to carry leftovers home with you, or if you find food to forage. You can get stainless steel lunchboxes and food containers at Huckleberry, 405 Richmond Road, Grey Lynn; 6 Campbell Road, Royal Oak; 150 Apirana Avenue, Glen Innes; Commonsense Organics, 284 Dominion Road, Mt Eden; The Source Bulk Foods Eastridge, Shop 19, 215 Kepa Road, Mission Bay; and GoodFor, THREE stores: 2 Williamson Ave, Grey Lynn; 79 St George’s Bay Road, Parnell; Tenancy 12, Stoneridge on Lunn, 97 Lunn Avenue, Stonefields.

Reusable bags (shopping bags, produce bags and bulk bin bags)

Plastic shopping bags are a menace, but so too are those plastic produce bags for fruit and vege or the plastic bags often offered alongside bulk bins at bulk stores. You can avoid them by bringing your own bags or buying a set of reusable produce bags. You can get 100% organic cotton produce and bulk bin bags at Huckleberry, 405 Richmond Road, Grey Lynn; 6 Campbell Road, Royal Oak; 150 Apirana Avenue, Glen Innes; Grey Lynn Waste Away station at the Grey Lynn Farmers Market; Commonsense Organics, 284 Dominion Road, Mt Eden; Father Rabbit, 20 Normanby Road, Mt Eden; 228 Orakei Road, Remuera, 232 Jervois Road, Herne Bay; GoodFor, THREE stores: 2 Williamson Ave, Grey Lynn; 79 St George’s Bay Road, Parnell; Tenancy 12, Stoneridge on Lunn, 97 Lunn Avenue, Stonefields; and The Source Bulk Foods Eastridge, Shop 19, 215 Kepa Road, Mission Bay.

Reusable straws

Say “no straw thanks” next time you order a drink out and either use your mouth to drink, or get yourself a reusable metal straw instead. If you’re keen on a reusable metal straw, you can get them from Huckleberry, 405 Richmond Road, Grey Lynn; 6 Campbell Road, Royal Oak; 150 Apirana Avenue, Glen Innes; Commonsense Organics, 284 Dominion Road, Mt Eden; Leopold Hall, 5 Morrow Street, Newmarket; Shut the Front Door, 3 York Street, Newmarket, 275 Ponsonby Road, Ponsonby; Milly’s Kitchen Shop, 273 Ponsonby Road, Ponsonby; GoodFor, THREE stores: 2 Williamson Ave, Grey Lynn; 79 St George’s Bay Road, Parnell; Tenancy 12, Stoneridge on Lunn, 97 Lunn Avenue, Stonefields; and The Source Bulk Foods Eastridge, Shop 19, 215 Kepa Road, Mission Bay.

Alternatives to plastic cling wrap, plastic sandwich bags and tin foil

Beeswax wrap
- Purchase at – Huckleberry, 405 Richmond Road, Grey Lynn; 6 Campbell Road, Royal Oak; 150 Apirana Avenue, Glen Innes; Commonsense Organics, 284 Dominion Road, Mt Eden; Shut the Front Door, 3 York Street, Newmarket, 275 Ponsonby Road, Ponsonby; Farro Fresh Food, 422 Dominion Road, Mount Eden; 34 Westmoreland Street West, Grey Lynn; 446 Manukau Road, Epsom; 223 Orakei Road, Remuera; 80 Lunn Avenue, Mt Wellington; GoodFor, THREE stores: 2 Williamson Ave, Grey Lynn; 79 St George’s Bay Road, Parnell; Tenancy 12, Stoneridge on Lunn, 97 Lunn Avenue, Stonefields; The Source Bulk Foods Eastridge, Shop 19, 215 Kepa Road, Mission Bay; Ceres Whole Foods, 181 Ladies Mile, Ellerslie.
- DIY (waaaay cheaper): You just need to get natural fibre fabric (cotton) and unpackaged beeswax. Keep an eye out at secondhand stores and fabric stores for off-cuts of cotton. Get unpackaged beeswax at the Grey Lynn Farmers Market.
Reusable sandwich bags – you can get reusable sandwich bags and/or wraps from Huckleberry, 405 Richmond Road, Grey Lynn; 6 Campbell Road, Royal Oak; 150 Apirana Avenue, Glen Innes; Commonsense Organics, 284 Dominion Road, Mt Eden; Farro Fresh Food, 422 Dominion Road, Mount Eden; 34 Westmoreland Street West, Grey Lynn; 446 Manukau Road, Epsom; 223 Orakei Road, Remuera; 80 Lunn Avenue, Mt Wellington
Silicone pot/bowlcovers – a good option for storing leftovers in a bowl (other than just putting a plate on top!) or as an alternative to tin foil for roasting (as the covers can withstand temperatures of up to 220 degrees and will also keep hot food warm when transporting). You can buy these at The Essential Deli, 455b Mount Eden Road, Mount Eden; Zarbo, 24 Morrow Street, Newmarket; Allium Interiors, 11C Teed Street, Newmarket; Farro Fresh Food, 422 Dominion Road, Mount Eden; 34 Westmoreland Street West, Grey Lynn; 446 Manukau Road, Epsom; 223 Orakei Road, Remuera; 80 Lunn Avenue, Mt Wellington; Presentz, 430 Richmond Road, Grey Lynn; Milly’s Kitchen Shop, 273 Ponsonby Road, Ponsonby

Refills of cleaning products

The following stores stock a range of both liquid and powdered cleaning products/ingredients in bulk dispensers that you can fill you own bottles and containers with:

Huckleberry, 405 Richmond Road, Grey Lynn; 6 Campbell Road, Royal Oak; 150 Apirana Avenue, Glen Innes.
Robinson’s Vegan Deli & Food Store, 557 Great North Road, Grey Lynn – Ecostore
GoodFor, THREE stores: 2 Williamson Ave, Grey Lynn; 79 St George’s Bay Road, Parnell; Tenancy 12, Stoneridge on Lunn, 97 Lunn Avenue, Stonefields.
The Source Bulk Foods Eastridge, Shop 19, 215 Kepa Road, Mission Bay – stocks Conscious cleaning products who take their bulk containers back to be reused
Bin Inn Onehunga, 132 Onehunga Mall Road, Onehunga – both standard and Ecostore cleaning product refills available, as well as Conscious cleaning products who take their bulk containers back to be reused.

Low-waste dishwashing

You can find dishbrushes with wooden handles and removable + replaceable, home compostable heads at Huckleberry, 405 Richmond Road, Grey Lynn; 6 Campbell Road, Royal Oak; 150 Apirana Avenue, Glen Innes; Commonsense Organics, 284 Dominion Road, Mt Eden; Leopold Hall, 5 Morrow Street, Newmarket; Father Rabbit, 20 Normanby Road, Mt Eden; 228 Orakei Road, Remuera, 232 Jervois Road, Herne Bay

We also encourage people to move away from using dishclothes, sponges and bench wipes made out of synthetic material (as these leach microfibres and they’re also destined for landfill when they wear down) and to use natural fibre cloths instead:

For something more like a traditional dishcloth sponge, check out the SPRUCE or Wet-it! 100% cotton + cellulose dishcloth sponges (home compostable at the end of their life) which are available at Milly’s Kitchen Shop, 273 Ponsonby Road, Ponsonby; Commonsense Organics, 284 Dominion Road, Mt Eden; Ceres Whole Foods, 181 Ladies Mile, Ellerslie.
At at Allium Interiors, 11C Teed Street, Newmarket and Isabel Harris, 1 Teed Street, Newmarket, you can get the fancy Bianca Lorenne 100% cotton cloths.
If you’re after a coarser scrubby, you can get 100% coconut fibre coarse scrubby from Commonsense Organics, 284 Dominion Road, Mt Eden

Laundry

Eco Planet laundry powder comes in a cardboard box with a cardboard scoop – no plastic lining! You can get this in may supermarkets – keep a eye out!
Non-plastic clothes pegs – available at Commonsense Organics, 284 Dominion Road, Mt Eden; GoodFor, THREE stores: 2 Williamson Ave, Grey Lynn; 79 St George’s Bay Road, Parnell; Tenancy 12, Stoneridge on Lunn, 97 Lunn Avenue, Stonefields.

Ingredients for DIY cleaning products

Baking soda – available unpackaged in bulk bins at Mahadeo’s Spices and Produce, 14 Virginia Avenue East, Eden Terrace; GoodFor, THREE stores: 2 Williamson Ave, Grey Lynn; 79 St George’s Bay Road, Parnell; Tenancy 12, Stoneridge on Lunn, 97 Lunn Avenue, Stonefields; The Source Bulk Foods Eastridge, Shop 19, 215 Kepa Road, Mission Bay; Bin Inn Onehunga, 132 Onehunga Mall Road, Onehunga; Lotus Supermarket, 64 Stoddard Road, Mt Roskill; Apna Bazaar, 149 Stoddard Road, Mt Roskill; Khyber Spice Invader, 822 Manukau Road, Royal Oak.
Bars of castile soap, which you can use as a base for homemade dishwashing and laundry liquid (see how it works here) – Dr Bronner’s castile bars are available at Huckleberry, 405 Richmond Road, Grey Lynn; 6 Campbell Road, Royal Oak; 150 Apirana Avenue, Glen Innes; Commonsense Organics, 284 Dominion Road, Mt Eden; Bulk Food Savings, 217 Dominion Road, Mt Eden; Total Health, 236 Dominion Road, Mt Eden; Bin Inn Onehunga, 132 Onehunga Mall Road, Onehunga; Ceres Whole Foods, 181 Ladies Mile, Ellerslie

Zero waste teeth and mouth

Bamboo toothbrushes – a great alternative to plastic toothbrushes because they have wooden, home compostable handles (though bristles are still plastic and need to be removed from the handle and put in a rubbish bin). You can find bamboo toothbrushes at Huckleberry, 405 Richmond Road, Grey Lynn; 6 Campbell Road, Royal Oak; 150 Apirana Avenue, Glen Innes; Commonsense Organics, 284 Dominion Road, Mt Eden; Health and Organic Newmarket, 2B York Street, Newmarket; The Vegan Shop, 143 Williamson Avenue, Grey Lynn; GoodFor, THREE stores: 2 Williamson Ave, Grey Lynn; 79 St George’s Bay Road, Parnell; Tenancy 12, Stoneridge on Lunn, 97 Lunn Avenue, Stonefields; The Source Bulk Foods Eastridge, Shop 19, 215 Kepa Road, Mission Bay; NZH Natural Products, 945 New North Road, Mt Albert; Ceres Whole Foods, 181 Ladies Mile, Ellerslie; Queens Health, 89 Queens Road, Panmure
Dental Floss – Commonsense Organics, 284 Dominion Road, Mt Eden stocks 100% silk home compostable floss in a refillable glass dispenser (as well as refills); GoodFor, THREE stores: 2 Williamson Ave, Grey Lynn; 79 St George’s Bay Road, Parnell; Tenancy 12, Stoneridge on Lunn, 97 Lunn Avenue, Stonefields – stocks PLA floss in a refillable glass dispenser. PLA is compostable and can sometimes be hard to break down in a home compost but in floss form it is probably OK. This is a good alternative for vegans who may not want to use silk floss.

Unpackaged Bars of Soap

It’s easy to get soap without packaging in Auckland. The following stores sell totally naked bars of soap:

Huckleberry, 405 Richmond Road, Grey Lynn; 6 Campbell Road, Royal Oak; 150 Apirana Avenue, Glen Innes
Commonsense Organics, 284 Dominion Road, Mt Eden
Bulk Food Savings 217 Dominion Road, Mt Eden
Isabel Harris, 1 Teed Street, Newmarket
Presentz, 430 Richmond Road, Grey Lynn
Father Rabbit, 20 Normanby Road, Mt Eden, 228 Orakei Road, Remuera, 232 Jervois Road, Herne Bay
The Source Bulk Foods Eastridge, Shop 19, 215 Kepa Road, Mission Bay
NZH Natural Products, 645 New North Road, Mt Albert

Bars for Shampoo/Shaving/Deodorant/Moisturiser

We’d encourage you to get your everyday toiletries – from shampoo through to shaving soap – in bar form, which means you totally avoid the plastic/aluminium bottles that liquid products usually come in!

Look out for the popular Ethique range which includes shampoo bars, conditioner bars, shaving bars, deodorant bars, moisturiser bars, etc. (all of Ethique‘s bars come in home compostable packaging). We saw it stocked at: Huckleberry, 405 Richmond Road, Grey Lynn; 6 Campbell Road, Royal Oak; 150 Apirana Avenue, Glen Innes; Commonsense Organics, 284 Dominion Road, Mt Eden; Shut the Front Door, 3 York Street, Newmarket, 275 Ponsonby Road, Ponsonby; GoodFor, THREE stores: 2 Williamson Ave, Grey Lynn; 79 St George’s Bay Road, Parnell; Tenancy 12, Stoneridge on Lunn, 97 Lunn Avenue, Stonefields.
GoodFor – stocks Fair + Square facial cleansing and body scrub bars that come in a cardboard sleeve.
The Source Bulk Foods Eastridge, Shop 19, 215 Kepa Road, Mission Bay – stock their own brand of shampoo and shaving bars.

Reusable Menstrual Products

There are zero waste, low cost alternatives to disposable sanitary items like tampons and pads.

Menstrual cups are readily available around Auckland, including at Huckleberry, 405 Richmond Road, Grey Lynn; 6 Campbell Road, Royal Oak; 150 Apirana Avenue, Glen Innes; Commonsense Organics, 284 Dominion Road, Mt Eden; The Vegan Shop, 143 Williamson Avenue, Grey Lynn; GoodFor, THREE stores: 2 Williamson Ave, Grey Lynn; 79 St George’s Bay Road, Parnell; Tenancy 12, Stoneridge on Lunn, 97 Lunn Avenue, Stonefields; Ceres Whole Foods, 181 Ladies Mile, Ellerslie and through the amazing United Sustainable Sisters!
Reusable pads – available at Ceres Whole Foods, 181 Ladies Mile, Ellerslie and through the amazing United Sustainable Sisters!

Liquid Toiletries on Tap or Refillable Toiletries

The following stores either sell refills of liquid toiletries on tap (BYO bottle) or stock products that come in refillable packaging you can return when empty for sterilisation and reuse:

Huckleberry, 405 Richmond Road, Grey Lynn; 6 Campbell Road, Royal Oak; 150 Apirana Avenue, Glen Innes.
Robinson’s Vegan Deli & Food Store, 557 Great North Road, Grey Lynn
GoodFor, THREE stores: 2 Williamson Ave, Grey Lynn; 79 St George’s Bay Road, Parnell; Tenancy 12, Stoneridge on Lunn, 97 Lunn Avenue, Stonefields
The Source Bulk Foods Eastridge, Shop 19, 215 Kepa Road, Mission Bay
Bin Inn Onehunga, 132 Onehunga Mall Road, Onehunga
Tonic Room, 465 New North Road, Kingsland – if you are interested in natural remedies and elixirs for ailments, come and have a chat with the staff here because they are willing to offer refills of some of their remedies that they make, if you’d like to get them without the packaging.
Markets and Farmers’ Markets – Across Central Auckland, be sure to check out your local markets and farmers’ markets because often there will be stall holders who make exciting bathroom/cosmetics who will be happy to takeback the containers (once you run out) and give you a refill. For example, Puk’eco at the Grey Lynn Farmers Market.

Ingredients for DIY cosmetics/toiletries

Baking Soda is an essential ingredient in lots of homemade toiletries such as toothpaste and deodorant, as well as a great general cleaner when teamed up with vinegar. You can get it unpackaged in bulk bins from Mahadeo’s Spices and Produce, 14 Virginia Avenue East, Eden Terrace; GoodFor, THREE stores: 2 Williamson Ave, Grey Lynn; 79 St George’s Bay Road, Parnell; Tenancy 12, Stoneridge on Lunn, 97 Lunn Avenue, Stonefields; The Source Bulk Foods Eastridge, Shop 19, 215 Kepa Road, Mission Bay; Bin Inn Onehunga, 132 Onehunga Mall Road, Onehunga; Lotus Supermarket, 64 Stoddard Road, Mt Roskill; Apna Bazaar, 149 Stoddard Road, Mt Roskill; Khyber Spice Invader, 822 Manukau Road, Royal Oak.
Epsom salts – available in bulk dispensers at Bin Inn Onehunga, 132 Onehunga Mall Road, Onehunga.

Other

Cotton Buds – Go Bamboo makes home compostable buds so you can avoid the single-use, unrecyclable plastic ones. Get them from Huckleberry, 405 Richmond Road, Grey Lynn; 6 Campbell Road, Royal Oak; 150 Apirana Avenue, Glen Innes; Commonsense Organics, 284 Dominion Road, Mt Eden; GoodFor, THREE stores: 2 Williamson Ave, Grey Lynn; 79 St George’s Bay Road, Parnell; Tenancy 12, Stoneridge on Lunn, 97 Lunn Avenue, Stonefields; Ceres Whole Foods, 181 Ladies Mile, Ellerslie
Toilet Paper – find toilet paper sold unwrapped or in home compostable tissue/paper packaging at:
- Huckleberry, 405 Richmond Road, Grey Lynn; 6 Campbell Road, Royal Oak; 150 Apirana Avenue, Glen Innes
- Commonsense Organics, 284 Dominion Road, Mt Eden
- Farro Fresh Food, 422 Dominion Road, Mount Eden; 34 Westmoreland Street West, Grey Lynn; 446 Manukau Road, Epsom; 223 Orakei Road, Remuera; 80 Lunn Avenue, Mt Wellington
- GoodFor, THREE stores: 2 Williamson Ave, Grey Lynn; 79 St George’s Bay Road, Parnell; Tenancy 12, Stoneridge on Lunn, 97 Lunn Avenue, Stonefields.

Reuse and Recycle

Food waste and composting – food waste in a bin gets sent to landfill where it breaks down anaerobically, producing methane (a potent greenhouse gas). No! Here are some alternatives:
- Home composting/worm farms/bokashi – Having a composting, worm farm or bokashi bin system at home is the best and cheapest way to deal with your food scraps. If you’d like help setting one up or working out what the best system would be for you, did you know that Auckland City Council offers FREE composting workshops through their programme, the Compost Collective? Worth checking out! Tamaki WRAP also runs composting workshops.
- Food scrap collections – We Compost also runs a food scrap collection service for both households AND businesses, and takes it to be composted – yay!
- Edible food waste – food that is still edible that goes to waste is a crying shame. Check out the Community Fridge (an initiative of Amanda Chapman, with a rescued fridge provided by Resource Rescue), located in Griffiths Gardens (corner of Wellesley street and Mayoral Drive). The fridge is open 24 hours a day. The idea is that individuals and businesses can leave any excess food they may have (which might otherwise go to waste) in the fridge. Anyone who wishes is free to take food from the fridge. In addition to the Community Fridge there are also two food rescue organisations in Auckland – Fair Food and Kiwi Harvest – who take food that would otherwise go to waste from businesses and redistribute it to organisations with a social justice function.
E-waste – electronic waste is the world’s fastest growing waste stream, with huge environmental implications because of the toxins that can be leached from this waste, but also the loss of incredibly precious resources embedded in these items that are not recovered when the waste is dumped in landfill.
- Repair: Rather than throwing you broken electronics out – have you considered trying to get them repaired first? You could pay someone to do it or look out for Repair or Fix-it Cafes where experts donate their time to fix people’s broken items for free at a designated repair event (usually run by community centres, churches or councils). Check out Repair Cafe Auckland to see where the next repair cafe is happening near you!
- Recycle: If your electronics really have given up the ghost, rather than chucking them out, take them to be recycled responsibly. In Auckland there are a range of places you can take your e-waste to be recycled or disposed of more safely. These include community recycling centres (see below), Resource Rescue, Abilities, Ecomatters, and E-Cycle.
Community Recycling Centres are popping up all over Auckland now that the council has the aim of having at least 12 in the city in order to reach its goal of becoming a zero waste city by 2040. Community recycling centres are community-run and very effective at diverting waste from landfill, whether by arranging recycling, or repurposing or reselling of items back to the community at low cost. They are often drop-off points for all manner of recyclables, from plastics, paper/cardboard, glass and metals, through to hard to recycle items like e-waste, building and construction materials and other bits and bobs. Check out this list of Auckland community recycling centres to find your local. The range of things the community can drop-off also makes community recycling centres a GREAT place to get your magpie on and scavenge some real treasures at the re-use shops – a perfect place to find secondhand items rather than buying them new. If you’re wanting a new appliance or gadget, new toys or bikes, or if you’re undertaking a craft, building or home maker project and need some wood off-cuts, scrap metal, bolts, nuts or other building equipment, go to your local community recycling centre before you go anywhere else – you’ll be amazed at what you can find, at super low prices.
EcoMatters’ Adopt a Resource – one person’s waste is another person’s treasure. Daily industry throws out tonnes of ‘waste’ that might actually be useful to other people. EcoMatters, an amazing Environment Centre in New Lynn, is taking ‘waste’ off the Rosebank Business Community and rehoming it to whoever might want it! Check out their website – you never know what kind of goodies you might be able to get, while saving it from a sad fate in landfill :-O

Zero Waste Information and Support Networks

Waste-free advocates – Auckland is full of groups and individuals who provide support and inspiration for people to reduce their waste, both online and offline. You may have heard of Amanda Chapman from Amanda in Waste-free Land, Kristy Lorson from EarthSavvy (who is also the creator of the incredibly useful Zero Waste in NZ! Facebook page), the Weir-Barwells of Waste-Less Living, the trail-blazing Matthew Luxon and Waveney Warth from Rubbishfree.co.nz, and the Archer family of 6 who are documenting their year without a bin this year (2018). Have a look at their websites – they are all excellent resources for waste-free living in Auckland, and NZ generally. If you’re lucky, you might be able to twist one of their arms to do a public talk/workshop as well… 😀
Environmental hubs – environment centres and hubs are a great place to look out for if you would like help reducing waste (in the context of sustainable living generally). An excellent example is Ecomatters, 1 Olympic Place, New Lynn. Among their many programmes, they are advancing zero waste in Western Auckland. They offer solutions for a range of hard to recycle items, like polystyrene, batteries, toothpaste tubes, curtains and light bulbs. Their frequent workshops often cover topics that assist with low-waste living. They also provide cool things for the community that diverts waste from landfill, like firewood which has been diverted from landfill, low-priced bikes rescued from landfill and done up, used coffee grinds for your garden, upcycled jewellery and crafts, and their Love Zero Waste Trailer, available for hire.
Tamaki WRAP is simply incredible – they’re dedicated to supporting the waste reduction in the community and they offer great workshops and waste minimisation education spanning a variety of different areas. They also run the United Sustainable Sisters programme, and they’ve set up hubZERO a new location in Panmure dedicated to all things zero waste: waste-based social enterprises, full on local upcycling, and a space for workshops. Woohoo!
Running a Zero Waste Event – Are you running an event – big or small – and keen to keep it low-waste?Well, EcoMatters has developed an AMAZING website on Zero Waste Events in collaboration with Auckland Council to encourage event organisers and stallholders to design an event that generates less waste, and/or the right kind of waste for reuse. There’s so much useful information on this website, so definitely check it out – proper impressive!

Share and Exchange/Skills and Resilience in Communities

Toy Libraries – reduce the wasteful over-consumption of toys and save money by joining a toy library! Check out this guide to find the nearest Toy Library to you.
Auckland Library of Tools – need tools? Guess what, you can now rent them out (rather than buying new) from the wonderful Auckland Library of Tools! We don’t all need a garage full of tools, so save your money and reduce waste by joining ALOT. You can also donate tools to ALOT if you have a garage full and reckon they could go for an outing 😉
Menzshed – there are Menzsheds throughout Auckland. Menzshed provides a great opportunity for men of all ages to share tools and a workspace (reducing the wasteful overduplication of these resources) and to pass on skills of woodworking and other trades. Menzsheds frequently offer communities the service of repairing broken items like furniture (at a small cost), work with upcycled material that might otherwise go to waste, and also create bespoke items for community and charitable purposes. Definitely look up your local!
Community gardens and urban growing – if you are wanting to try your hand at gardening and have access to some unpackaged, locally grown veges, look up your local community garden. We’ve seen some great ones, including Kelmarna Gardens in Ponsonby, but there are many more! Check out a full list (plus map) here. And DEFINITELY check out the truly amazing For the Love of Bees – an artistic project that has morphed into a next level community-mobilising force for making Auckland a city that is good for bees (and thus, for us), incredible stuff!
Sharing Sheds/Community Fruit and Veg Stands – these are stands/shelves in the community where anyone can drop off excess fruit and veg from their garden, and anyone is free to take what’s there, free of charge. The wonderful art of sharing means that excess produce doesn’t go to waste. Furthermore, items can be shared without excessive amounts of packaging. These are popping up around the country and there are heaps in Auckland – find your nearest through the new website Free Food.
Crop Swap – Another fantastic thing going is Crop Swaps – at a crop swap, individuals who have veges they’ve grown, or preserves or baking they’ve made (or similar), come together once a fortnight or once a month, to trade their offerings without any money changing hands – all free! Just bring something to share and let the swapping begin! Trading homegrown or home created goodies with friends and locals means you can avoid all that packaging that often comes with a store setting. You can also have friendly chats about how to share goods without the waste. There are crop swaps dotted around Auckland, check out this website for a location near you (note the website is still being developed and currently missing many locations – you may need to ask around).

2 Comments

Liam & Hannah says:

01/08/2018 at 9:27 am

Hiya Arno – thanks for this. We have been thinking about how to make our guides more user friendly. Rather than reinventing the wheel, we are actually wanting to work to upload our info onto the Zero Waste App which is far more user friendly than our guides and includes maps etc. We have been interacting with the app developers on this. It’s a long process and we would be happy to work with you on this if you’re interested? Thanks, H and L
Helen Paul says:

09/08/2018 at 9:31 am

Kyhber spice invader in royal.oak also sell loose leaf black tea, unpackaged fresh paneer and feta cheese as well as olives…byo container. I struggled to find cheese that didnt break the bank and this shop had my top 3 products.