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!
Bin Inn Richmond, 271 Queen Street, Richmond – offers a wide array of dried food in bulk (including, but not limited to, nuts, seeds, cereals, grains, flours, legumes and spices), a great range of liquid foods (including vinegars, local extra virgin olive oil and other oils, sauces, tahini, tamari 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 extruder, just BYO jar! All Bin Inn stores around New Zealand are currently offering 5% discount when you bring your own containers!
Tasman Health & Herbs, Richmond Mall, corner of Queen, Croucher and Talbot Streets, Richmond – sells a range of spices and herbs loose in glass bulk containers (for you to fill in a byo container).
Benge & Co Green Grocers, 186/184 Queen Street, Richmond – stocks loose spinach/mesculin/salad leaves and loose organic dates. The store also sells locally made Three Groves olive oil on tap (just BYO bottle).
GoodFor, 151 McShane Rd, Appleby (next to Conning’s Food Market) – this popular homegrown packaging-free store chain has now made it to Christchurch. GoodFor stocks a wide range of unpackaged dried foods, such as grains, flours, nuts, seeds, legumes, dried fruit, spices, sweets and snacks, as well as a decent selection of liquid foods, including oils, syrups and vinegars. They also have a jar swap scheme for Bay Road and Fix & Fogg peanut butter, just return the jar clean when empty to be sterilised and reused by each company, and with Bay Road you’ll get a 50c discount on your next purchase for doing so. You can also get harder to find things like vege stock, pasta and cocoa butter (to name a few). It’s a bit pricey, but it’s worth a visit for the range of options.
Kete, Shed 4, Mapua Wharf – sells large jars of Pic’s peanut butter which can be returned for a refill (and $5 deposit), and BYO bottle for Elovi extra virgin olive oil on tap.
The Old Post Office, 1381 Moutere Highway, Upper Moutere – this beautiful little store/café/gallery is worth a visit. They stock certified organic spices in bulk, and extra virgin olive oil on tap – just byo bottles, bags and containers.
BearLion Foods, 338 Supplejack Valley Road, Upper Moutere – anything that this store sells in jars (e.g. muesli, crackers, dips, spices and other goods) can be brought back for refill (for which you’ll also receive a discount!), and they also encourage customers to BYO container for salads and other deli food. Open by appointment only!
Tasman General Store, 387 Aporo Road, Tasman – byo bottle for Elovi extra virgin olive oil on tap.
The Food Club, The Old Store (opposite the Riverside Community Office), 6 Community Road, Lower Moutere – you can join this food co-op for just $36 per year and have access to a great range of organic whole foods at wholesale prices (both dried foods and liquid foods), as well as local produce and dairy products. Just byo bags/containers when you head over to stock up – it truly is amazing!
Beet Root Groceries, 211 High Street, Motueka – a fabulous store full of bulk bins stocking nuts, cereals, snacks, seeds, grains, dried fruit, flours, pasta, spices, legumes, savoury yeast, and more! They have a range of liquid foods you can refill into your own bottles, from local olive oil to hemp seed oil, local manuka honey and apple cider vinegar. The store also has a peanut butter extruder, so BYO jar to get fresh peanut butter without the packaging! This was our one-stop shop while we were staying in Motueka 😉
Reddys’ Mini Mart, 113 High Street, Motueka – stocks a small range of unpackaged goods in bulk, including a few spices, breakfast cereals, sugar and flour.
Supermarkets – all major supermarkets (and even some smaller ones) in Tasman have well stocked 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 more so than the bulk bins at places like Beetroot or Bin Inn.
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!
Beefair, 117 High Street, Motueka – byo container to this butchery to get fresh cuts of meat without the disposable plastic.
Raeward Fresh, Corner Champion and Salisbury Roads, Richmond – does dry aged beef unpackaged, you just need to ask whether or not they are happy to put it in your own container. They also stock Bostock’s organic chicken, of which the chicken breasts come in Econic home compostable packaging.
Guyton’s Fresh Seafood, Richmond Mall, cnr Queen, Croucher and Talbot Streets, Richmond – unpackaged fish that you can get into a BYO container
Murchison Meats, 50 Fairfax Street, Murchison – such a great, community-minded butcher! They’re very happy to put cuts of most meats into your own containers (pork/bacon is a little more difficult as it requires packaging soon after being processed). If you forget your own containers, this butcher only wraps cuts of otherwise unpackaged meat in paper, rather than plastic (but we still encourage you to BYO).
Unpackaged live mussels – there are a few stores around Tasman that stock unpackaged live mussels at self-serve counters. We put them straight into upcycled ice cream containers/BYO containers rather than the plastic bags the stores usually provide. You can find unpackaged live mussels at New World Motueka, 271 High Street, Motueka; Countdown Motueka, 108 High Street, Motueka
Supermarket delis – Most supermarkets have a deli section offering unpackaged meat, seafood, olives and other antipasti, salads, lunch foods and more. All Countdown supermarkets officially allow you to BYO container for these goods! Watch this space for New World and PAK’nSAVE extending this practice to the South Island also…
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).
BearLion Foods, 338 Supplejack Valley Road, Upper Moutere – sells amazing artisan loaves of sourdough spelt bread and an amazing gluten free pea flour loaf (these are rather expensive but you get quality for your money here). Open by appointment only!
Tutaki Bakery, 60 Fairfax Street, Murchison – a small scale bakery in a cart that makes phenomenally good sourdough bread which you can get put straight into your own bread bag (we reckon it’s the best sourdough we’ve had in the country so far). Also makes and sells pies, slices and other bakery goods fresh and without packaging, just remember to BYO bags/containers.
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! – get to your local markets to see if you can get locally-made food and wares unpackaged or put into your own bags and containers. Often stallholders are happy to tip their pre-packaged goods into your own containers and then they’ll keep and reuse their container. Another option is to ask if the local producer is willing to refill the container you buy when you run out, rather than you having to buy a whole new container. You’ll be amazed how willing people will be to find zero waste ways for you to get their wonderful creations. At markets, the trick is just to ask stallholders about the options because you never know what you might find – that particular stallholder might have spent the whole day wishing for a waste-conscious customer – so don’t be shy 😉 Motueka Sunday Market is one to check out (many of the stallholders also go to the Nelson Saturday Market, where we found most people were very open to doing refills of containers, or filling up BYO bags/containers). We also visited the Murchison Sunday Market and were impressed by The Herb Witch who sells bulk dried foods (grains, legumes, nuts, seeds) that are otherwise difficult to get in Murchison without plastic. Unfortunately she cannot put these into BYO bags and containers, but she pre-packs them into brown paper bags that have no plastic lining, so they are home compostable.
Trade Aid – Trade Aid‘s 2kg bags of sugar are great upcycled as bulk bin bags, and are home compostable when they eventually fall apart. Find them at Fresh Choice Richmond, 216 Queen Street, Richmond.
Locally grown produce – Tasman’s great climate means there’s a lot of local produce available, and a lot is packaging-free! Try The Pulsing Patch, 412 Main Road, Riuwaka – a lovely little organic produce outlet selling only fruit, veges and preserves grown/made on site. Everything is bagged up in the store (in unsealed plastic bags), but the owner is more than happy for people to bring their own bags and containers to swap your produce into, and she’ll then reuse the plastic bag you leave behind. There’s also PYO at 185, 185 Main Road Hope, Hope – lots of fresh, seasonal and local produce for sale here, or you can actually pick your own from the gardens! Remember to byo bags/containers for the loose stuff, and be aware there is a lot that is pre-bagged in plastic that we recommend you avoid… Or for delivery, look no further than Fresh2U Organic Food Delivery – organic, locally-grown fruit + vege boxes with NO packaging delivered to your door, anywhere in Tasman in an upcycled cardboard box! The odd item might occasionally come in plastic, if you don’t want this, simply say that you want a 100% plastic-free/packaging-free box when you set up your order and the business owner and packer, Lucy, will ensure no plastic gets in your box. If you’re looking for local, hassle-free organic produce that is zero waste, Fresh2U is absolutely one to check out!
If you’re in Murchison and looking for lollies, you get them unpackaged in your own bags/containers at Murchison Tearooms, 48 Waller Street; H Hodgsons & Co General Store, 46 Fairfax Street; and Panda Express Supermarket, 67 Fairfax Street.
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:
UpCoffee at Fresh Choice Richmond, 216 Queen Street, Richmond
The Grind Coffee Roasters, 400 High Street, Tasman (easiest to call Lance, the roaster, to arrange to pick-up beans in your own bags/containers from the roastery itself, located near Tasman village)
New World Motueka, 271 High Street, stocks a range of coffee beans, including local, organic and fairtrade varieties, in bulk dispensers which you can put in your own bags/containers (though, they charge more for the coffee beans in bulk than they do for the packaged varieties, which we think this is ridiculous, so would encourage you to go direct to the roasters instead of the supermarket).
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:
Tasman Health & Herbs, Richmond Mall, corner of Queen, Croucher and Talbot Streets, Richmond, which sells mainly herbal teas
GoodFor, 151 McShane Rd, Appleby (next to Conning’s Food Market)
Beet RootGroceries, 211 High Street, Motueka.
The Herb Witch at the Murchison Sunday Market sells tea in her HANDMADE plastic-free teabags. These are pre-packed in brown paper bags (with no plastic lining, so they are home compostable).
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 – TWO options:
Oaklands Milk is available on tap from a vending machine at Raeward Fresh, Corner Champion and Salisbury Roads and Benge & Co Green Grocers, 186/184 Queen Street, Richmond. Simply BYO bottle to fill up, or purchase a reusable glass bottle there that you can then refill on future occasions.
Riverside Milk – raw (unpasteurized) milk available through the vending machine system at the Riverside community. 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 – Milk & More is the longest milk run in New Zealand. They can deliver Oaklands Milk 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 Oaklands Milk for sterilisation and refill. YAY! Milk & More deliver pretty far across the region, but not as far as Murchison, unfortunately.
Return & Refill glass bottle scheme – Oaklands Milk also sells milk in reusable glass bottles at various outlets around Tasman District, including Benge & Co Green Grocers, 186/184 Queen Street, Richmond; Toad Hall, 502 High Street, Motueka; Beet RootGroceries, 211 High Street, Motueka; and Mrs Smith’s Café & Vegetables, 524 Main Road, Riuwaka.
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 any stockist of the milk, 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 Oaklands Milk for sterilisation and reuse – so the bottles just go around and around – true zero waste!
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:
Various Sprig & Ferntaverns dotted around the place, including at 126 Queen Street, Richmond, 54 Ellis Street, Brightwater, 67 Aranui Road, Mapua, and Wallace Street, Motueka
The Moutere Inn, 1406 Moutere Highway, Upper Moutere (which has lots of amazing beer – even Speights and Tui – on tap which you can get takeaway in any kind of bottle you like)
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 – you can get both drinking chocolate and cocoa powder in bulk at Bin Inn Richmond, 271 Queen Street, Richmond.
Kombucha on tap – GoodFor, 151 McShane Rd, Appleby (next to Conning’s Food Market)
BearLion Foods, 338 Supplejack Valley Road, Upper Moutere – any drinks this store sells in jars (e.g. non-dairy milk, juice etc) can be brought back for refill (for which you’ll also receive a discount). Open by appointment only!
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 Steven’s, Richmond Mall, corner of Queen, Croucher and Talbot Streets, Richmond; Queen Street Pharmacy, 215 Queen Street, Richmond; Cool Store Gallery, 3 Aranui Road, Mapua Wharf; Delicious Homewares, 8 Aranui Road, Mapua Wharf; Darby & Joan, Mapua Wharf; Beet RootGroceries, 211 High Street, Motueka; Green World Health & Lifestyle, 177 High Street, Motueka; Zest Cooking & Living, 166 High Street, Motueka; Information Centre Murchison, 47 Waller Street, Murchison; and or H Hodgsons & Co General Store, 46 Fairfax Street, Murchison.
There are heaps of places to buy reusable takeaway coffee cups in Tasman:
Find the Keep Cupbrand at Steven’s, Richmond Mall, corner of Queen, Croucher and Talbot Streets, Richmond; Fresh Choice Richmond, 216 Queen Street; GoodFor, 151 McShane Rd, Appleby (next to Conning’s Food Market); Java Hut, 84B Aranui Road, Mapua; Alberta’s, Mapua Wharf, 6 Aranui Road, Mapua.
Get NZ made Ideal Cup at Jester House, 320 Aporo Road, Tasman Village (this café is a well worth a visit if you’re in the area. Great food and coffee, and the gardens are a magical wonderland!); Toad Hall, 502 High Street, Motueka; Celcius Coffee, 16 Old Wharf Road, Motueka.
Another NZ made brand, Cuppa Coffee Cup, is sold at Fresh Choice Richmond, 216 Queen Street, Richmond.
Even more NZ made! Stainless steel cups by SUP NZ and Moana Road are available at Beet RootGroceries, 211 High Street, Motueka; and Cool Store Gallery, 3 Aranui Road, Mapua Wharf.
Jococups (made of glass) are sold at The Old Post Office, 1381 Moutere Highway, Upper Moutere
Bamboo fibre reusable coffee cups are available at Queen Street Pharmacy, 215 Queen Street, Richmond and Globe Café, 152 Mapua Drive, Mapua.
Ceramic reusable coffee cups are available from Alberta’s, Shed 4, Mapua Wharf; Darby & Joan, Mapua Wharf; Zest Cooking & Living, 166 High Street, Motueka sells porcelain reusable takeaway coffee cups.
Havanareusable takeaway coffee cups are available at Rivers Café, 51 Fairfax Street, Murchison.
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/or bulk bin bags by either Loot or Rethink at Fresh Choice Richmond, 216 Queen Street; GoodFor, 151 McShane Rd, Appleby (next to Conning’s Food Market); The Old Post Office, 1381 Moutere Highway, Upper Moutere; Green World Health & Lifestyle, 177 High Street, Motueka; and Beet RootGroceries, 211 High Street, Motueka.
Reusable containers/lunch boxes
Get Indian style stainless steel tiffins at Beet RootGroceries, 211 High Street, Motueka
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 GoodFor, 151 McShane Rd, Appleby (next to Conning’s Food Market); Rabbit Island Coffee Co, 6 Aranui Road, Mapua Wharf; Alberta’s, Shed 4, Mapua Wharf; Zest Cooking & Living, 166 High Street, Motueka; Beet RootGroceries, 211 High Street, Motueka.
Alternatives to plastic cling wrap, plastic sandwich bags and tin foil
Beeswax wrap
Purchase at – GoodFor, 151 McShane Rd, Appleby (next to Conning’s Food Market); Kete, 6 Aranui Road, Mapua Wharf; Alberta’s, Shed 4, Mapua Wharf; Cool Store Gallery, 3 Aranui Road, Mapua Wharf; Delicious Homewares, 8 Aranui Road, Mapua Wharf; The Old Post Office, 1381 Moutere Highway, Upper Moutere; The Garden Room, 208 High Street, Motueka; Green World Health & Lifestyle, 177 High Street, Motueka; Beet RootGroceries, 211 High Street, Motueka
DIY – it’s way cheaper! You just need to get natural fibre fabric (cotton) and unpackaged beeswax. Keep an eye out at secondhand stores, fabric stores or quilters for off-cuts of cotton. Get unpackaged beeswax at Kete, 6 Aranui Road, Mapua Wharf. Or buy kits at Beet RootGroceries, 211 High Street, Motueka
Reusable sandwich bags – you can get HappBee Planet Bee Fresh reusable sandwich bags made from beeswax wraps at Vivre, 251 Queen Street, Richmond.
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 @cquisitions, Richmond Mall, corner of Queen, Croucher and Talbot Streets, Richmond; Zest Cooking & Living, 166 High Street, Motueka.
Refills of cleaning products
The following stores stock liquid/powdered cleaning products in bulk dispensers – BYO containers/bottles!
Bin Inn Richmond, 271 Queen Street, Richmond – stocks a wide range of both eco and non-eco, liquid and powdered cleaning products/ingredients (incl. washing soda, epsom salts, dishwash powder, laundry powders, and a range of cleaning liquids) that you can fill your own bottles and containers with.
GoodFor, 151 McShane Rd, Appleby (next to Conning’s Food Market)
Beet Root Groceries, 211 High Street, Motueka – you can get a few Ecostore liquid refills in your own bottle/container here, including laundry liquid, multipurpose cleaner and toilet cleaner.
Low-waste dishwashing
You can find dishbrushes with wooden handles and removable + replaceable, home compostable heads at Vivre, 251 Queen Street, Richmond; Steven’s, Richmond Mall, corner of Queen, Croucher and Talbot Streets, Richmond; and Beet RootGroceries, 211 High Street, Motueka
Also, you can get wooden veggie brushes with plant fibre bristles, which can also be used as dishbrushes (they just don’t have a handle) at Steven’s, Richmond Mall, corner of Queen, Croucher and Talbot Streets, Richmond; GoodFor, 151 McShane Rd, Appleby (next to Conning’s Food Market); and Beet RootGroceries, 211 High Street, Motueka – as these are made only of bamboo and plant fibre, they’re home compostable should they ever wear down.
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 Benge & Co Green Grocers, 186/184 Queen Street, Richmond; Daily Exchange, 14 Whitby Way, Wakefield; Delicious Homewares, 8 Aranui Road, Mapua Wharf . There’s also the Swedish Kitchen Culture brand at Zest Cooking & Living, 166 High Street, Motueka, but these are unfortunately wrapped in plastic. Beet RootGroceries, 211 High Street, Motueka also stock a cellulose cotton sponge cloth that is packaged in commercially compostable plant plastic.
100% cotton cloths – you can get Fullcircle organic cotton dishcloths at Delicious Homewares, 8 Aranui Road, Mapua Wharf; and 100% cottonhand knitted dishcloths are sold at The Country Kitchen Tapawera, 96 Main Road, Tapawera.
Scourers – you can get coconut fibre scrubbies from Steven’s, Richmond Mall, corner of Queen, Croucher and Talbot Streets, Richmond; and Beet RootGroceries, 211 High Street, Motueka
Fancy Bianca Lorenne cotton cloths, which can be used as dishcloths, are available at Tessa Mae’s, Mapua Village Mall, 70 Aranui Road, Mapua and Broster, 10 Aranui Road, Mapua Wharf, Mapua.
Laundry
Eco Planetand Next Generation laundry powder both come in a cardboard box with a cardboard scoop – no plastic lining! You can get one or the other (or both) from Fresh Choice Richmond, 216 Queen Street; PAK ‘n SAVE Richmond Mall; and New World Motueka, 271 High Street, Motueka.
Beet RootGroceries, 211 High Street, Motueka stocks Ecostore and Earthwise dishwasher and laundry powders in bulk
Non-plastic clothes pegs – Go Bamboo pegs available at GoodFor, 151 McShane Rd, Appleby (next to Conning’s Food Market); Green World Health & Lifestyle, 177 High Street, Motueka; Beet RootGroceries, 211 High Street, Motueka.
Ingredients for DIY cleaning products
GoodFor, 151 McShane Rd, Appleby (next to Conning’s Food Market) – stocks ingredients such as baking soda, citric acide and white vinegar in bulk dispensers, BYO containers.
Baking soda – available unpackaged in bulk bins at Bin Inn Richmond, 271 Queen Street, Richmond; Beet Root Groceries, 211 High Street, Motueka.
Washing soda – available unpackaged in bulk bins at Bin Inn Richmond, 271 Queen Street, Richmond.
White Vinegar – sold in bulk at Bin Inn Richmond, 271 Queen Street, Richmond; Beet Root Groceries, 211 High Street, Motueka.
Lots of other ingredients ,like Epsom salts, soda ash and borax, are available at Beet RootGroceries, 211 High Street, Motueka
Bars of castile soap, which you can use as a base for homemade dishwashing and laundry liquid (see how it works here) – Wellington made castile soap by Hopi are stocked at Vivre, 251 Queen Street, Richmond. The other option is Dr Bronner’s castile bars (made in the USA), which are available at Health 2000, Richmond Mall, 216 Queen Street, Richmond; Bin Inn Richmond, 271 Queen Street, Richmond; Green World Health & Lifestyle, 177 High Street, Motueka
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 Fresh Choice Richmond, 216 Queen Street; McGlashen Pharmacy, 227 Queen Street, Richmond; Tasman Health & Herbs, Richmond Mall, corner of Queen, Croucher and Talbot Streets, Richmond; Queen Street Pharmacy, 215 Queen Street, Richmond; Vivre, 251 Queen Street, Richmond; GoodFor, 151 McShane Rd, Appleby (next to Conning’s Food Market); Kete, 6 Aranui Road, Mapua Wharf; One Dental, 66 Aranui Road, Mapua; Cool Store Gallery, 3 Aranui Road, Mapua Wharf; The Food Club, The Old Store (opposite the Riverside Community Office), 6 Community Road, Lower Moutere; New World Motueka, 271 High Street, Motueka; Beet Root Groceries, 211 High Street, Motueka; Potters Patch, 188 High Street, Motueka; Health 2000, 161 High Street, Motueka;
Dental Floss – Fresh Choice Richmond, 216 Queen Street; Vivre, 251 Queen Street, Richmond; Kete, 6 Aranui Road, Mapua Wharf; One Dental, 66 Aranui Road, Mapua; and all Countdown supermarkets all stock Do Gooder floss, which comes in a refillable glass tube with a screw on metal lid. The WHITE floss is made of 100% silk and is home compostable (the black, bamboo and activated charcoal floss has polyester in it so is landfill only). When you run out of the floss, no need to get a new dispenser, you can get refills of the floss in a cardboard box from all stockists listed above – just pop the refill into your original metal/glass dispenser.
Unpackaged Bars of Soap
It’s easy to get soap without packaging in Tasman. The following stores sell totally naked bars of soap:
@quisitions, Richmond Mall, corner of Queen, Croucher and Talbot Streets, Richmon
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 them at Farmers Richmond, Richmond Mall, cnr of Queen, Croucher and Talbot Streets; and GoodFor, 151 McShane Rd, Appleby (next to Conning’s Food Market).
Get Global Soap shave and shampoo bars from Cool Store Gallery, 3 Aranui Road, Mapua Wharf; and Kete, 6 Aranui Road, Mapua Wharf.
JR Liggett’sshampoo bars are available at Fresh Choice Richmond, 216 Queen Street.
GoodFor, 151 McShane Rd, Appleby (next to Conning’s Food Market) – also stocks Fair & Square toiletries bars, and deodorant in compostable cardboard tubes by Aotearoad.
Clean Earth Soap shampoo bars are stocked at Beet RootGroceries, 211 High Street, Motueka
Botanical Skincare, 208 High Street, Motueka makes shaving bars in store.
Reusable Menstrual Products
There are zero waste, low cost alternatives to disposable sanitary items like tampons and pads.
Menstrual cups – stocked at Tasman Health & Herbs, Richmond Mall, corner of Queen, Croucher and Talbot Streets, Richmond; Unichem Richmond Mall Pharmacy, cnr of Queen, Croucher and Talbot Streets; Queen Street Pharmacy, 215 Queen Street, Richmond; PAK ‘n SAVE Richmond Mall; GoodFor, 151 McShane Rd, Appleby (next to Conning’s Food Market); Green World Health & Lifestyle, 177 High Street, Motueka; Health 2000, 161 High Street, Motueka.
Reusable, washable pads are available at GoodFor, 151 McShane Rd, Appleby (next to Conning’s Food Market); Green World Health & Lifestyle, 177 High Street, Motueka.
Shaving
Avoid plastic shavers that are designed to be disposable and go for 100% metal razors that will last you decades and only require the 100% metal and recyclable blades to be replaced (or sharpened with a leather strop!), and remember to use a bar of shaving soap instead of shaving foam that comes in an aerosol can (see above) – note, you’ll need a shaving brush to make this work. You can buy razors and replacement blades at The Barber Shop, 196 High Street, Motueka.
Ingredients for homemade cosmetics/toiletries
Baking Soda is an essential ingredient in lots of homemade toiletries such as toothpaste and deodorant, as well as just a great general cleaner when teamed up with vinegar. You can get it unpackaged in bulk from Bin Inn Richmond, 271 Queen Street, Richmond; GoodFor, 151 McShane Rd, Appleby (next to Conning’s Food Market); and Beet Root Groceries, 211 High Street, Motueka
Liquid toiletries on tap
GoodFor, 151 McShane Rd, Appleby (next to Conning’s Food Market); and Beet Root Groceries, 211 High Street, Motueka both stock Ecostore liquid bathroom products on tap (just BYO bottles!).
Other
Cotton Buds – Go Bamboo makes home compostable buds so you can avoid the single-use, unrecyclable plastic ones. Get them from Tasman Health & Herbs, Richmond Mall, corner of Queen, Croucher and Talbot Streets, Richmond; Fresh Choice Richmond, 216 Queen Street; and Beet Root Groceries, 211 High Street, Motueka.
Toilet Paper – get your hands on Greencane toilet paper (which comes in fully home compostable packaging) at Fresh Choice Richmond, 216 Queen Street or Green World Health & Lifestyle, 177 High Street, Motueka. GoodFor, 151 McShane Rd, Appleby (next to Conning’s Food Market) stocks Smartass rolls individually wrapped in compostable tissue paper. Kaiteriteri Store – On The Spot, Sandy Bay-Marahau Road, Kaiteriteri; and Panda Express Supermarket, 67 Fairfax Street, Murchison both stock individually wrapped rolls in compostable tissue paper.
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! Having a composting, worm farm or bokashi bin system at home is a better 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, the Tasman District Council has great info and resources on its website to help you set a system up and they both offer all residents a $20 subsidy coupon that you can put towards a new compost/worm farm/bokashi system (with participating retailers).
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-itCafes 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 is one such example).
Recycle – If your electronics really have given up the ghost, rather than chucking them out, take them to the Nelson Environment Centre to be recycled – the centre recycles a huge range of electronics, making it the regional hub for e-waste recycling. It will come at a cost to you (until the Government starts to regulate manufacturers of these products), but it’s a small cost relative to damage these items otherwise cause in landfill.
What to do with wood off cuts? Don’t landfill wood if you can avoid it! You can take off cuts to your local resource and recovery centre for reuse/resale rather than landfilling, or your local Menshed will probably welcome them too. Look out for local artists who might be keen to take it on as well. For example, if you’re near Murchison, local carver Hohepa Barrett at The Carving Shed will happily take it from you – even MDF!
Dust & Rust, 35 Fairfax Street, Murchison – this place is so amazing. It has a real reduce, reuse, recycle ethos, where you can get lots of preloved treasures for sheds, garages, kitchens and the home. The owners are also really keen on salvaging materials that might otherwise go to waste and have helped locals and businesses build a few things round town out of upcycled materials. Definitely go check them out if you’re local and if you’re doing a home refurbishment or building something new at home, chat to them about whether they might have some upcycled materials you could use, or if they’d be interested in taking any materials that you are left with after the job.
Zero waste information and support networks
Para Kore – Para Kore is an amazing organisation working with marae, kura and Māori institutions and businesses to transition towards zero waste. Their resources/services are free and their regional kaiārahi are totally fabulous. The kaiarahi for Te Tau Ihu (top of the South Island) is Mel McColgan, so get in touch if you know an organisation Para Kore could work with in the region (or if you are involved with an organisation that would like to have Para Kore’s support!)
Boomerang Bags Motueka – an excellent initiative spreading across the country that equips people to avoid plastic shopping bags by making cloth bags available at stands in local stores and supermarkets (look out for these around town!) These bags are sewn by volunteers at sewing bees around the region. If you are interested in sewing bags then get in touch with the local Boomerang Bags team in your area. Even if you don’t know how to sew (yet) there are things you can do, and it’s probably a great way to learn too!
Share and Exchange
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.
Community Share Motueka– share skills and services without the exchange of money, using timebanking or talents. This is a great way to reduce waste on a budget, harnessing skills of creating and repairing in your community, or having someone pass these skills on to you. We understand that there is a Nelson Timebank starting up? If anyone is able to pass on information about the best way to get involved in this, please leave a comment below!
Our Kai Motueka – having access to locally-grown food is a great way to get food without packaging and reduce the waste associated with transporting food great distances. Our Kai Motueka is a group focused on the production, distribution, consumption and celebration of local food. Frequently the group will make posts about excess locally-grown food that is up for grabs, or will pick/harvest local food to share with those who need it. Our Kai Motueka also shares information about sustainable food systems and is constantly developing ways of encouraging the growth of food locally – a great network to be a part of!
Motueka Cupcycling Initiative – striving to make Motueka disposable takeaway coffee cup free, Steph Fry of Celcius Coffee has launched the cupcycling initiative where you pay a one-off $10 at a participating cafe for a coffee and the ongoing use of a Cupcycling cup. You can then take that dirty cup to any other Cupcycling outlet and get your next coffee in another clean reusable cup. If you’re a local and you don’t already have a reusable coffee cup, and you support this initiative, then get amongst it the next time you get a coffee in Motueka, and ditch the disposables for good 🙂 As Fry notes, if you can make it work in Motueka, it could become a blueprint for other towns in the region, and the rest of the country, too!
Skills and Resourcefulness in Communities
Menzshed– there are Menzsheds throughout the Tasman District. 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), and also creating bespoke items for community and charitable purposes. Definitely look up your local!
Community gardens – community gardens are an excellent way for residents to get kai without packaging, and to learn skills of growing food and setting up composts – both very useful skills for low-waste living. There are community gardens dotted around the region, but there’s an absolute cracker one in Motueka – definitely worth checking out! Community gardens are always looking for volunteers to help out and come along to working bees, so if you are interested in picking up gardening skills, or if you are already a keen gardener and would like to have the opportunity to share your skill with others, consider getting involved with your local community garden.
Crafty Tarts – Crafty Tarts is a local group in Motueka who love crafts and sewing and meet weekly to share skills and promote the joy of crafting through friendship and involvement in community projects. Beginners/newbies and old-timers are all welcome. Crafty Tarts is a great way to develop vital skills that help in reducing waste (sewing, mending, darning, knitting, crochet), and the group has frequently been involved in projects to create items that help others to reduce waste, such as sewing bags for Boomerang Bags, or sewing reusable lunch bags and sandwich bags. So great!
Murchison Playcentre – this playcentre is totally buzzing and has a zero waste kaupapa. Several of the parents involved have been sewing reusable cloth bags to be used as an alternative to plastic shopping bags and are always thinking up new ways of reducing waste in the community. They are also in the process of developing a community garden, which is an excellent way to get kai without packaging, while also passing on the skills of growing food and composting, which are really helpful for low-waste living. We totally recommend connecting with this excellent crew of parents to see if you can help out or get involved in any way.