We all want to do what’s best for the environment – reducing our carbon footprint and trying to limit our food miles. It’s an important duty as we are the guardians of the planet, but with so many products, and claims about their safety and efficacy, it can be hard to see the wood for the sustainable trees. With this in mind, we’ve done some searching and got some key items together for you to keep in mind while you do your bit for the planet’s future!
GOING GREEN
Wendyl’s Green Goddess products are made right here in New Zealand, using all-natural materials. This starter kit is valued at $101, but you can buy it for $69.95 for a limited time.
Peppermint Paste cream cleanser for ovens, baths and basins.
Rose Laundry Powder for heavenly scented chemical-free clothes washing.
Blueing Powder to make those sheets whiter than white.
Spray cleaner for kitchen and bathroom surfaces.
Glass cleaner for bright and sparkly windows.
Mould Magic spray to keep mould away.
CHUX IN THE CLOTH
Chux Biodegradable Superwipes, $4.99, are made from naturally absorbent viscose cellulose fibres. Chux Biodegradable Absorbent Cloth, $3.19, is made from natural cellulose and bamboo fibres. It’s suitable for most home cleaning jobs and will break down when composted.
CANDLE IN THE WIND
Save energy by using candles instead of electric lights. The Granite Icicle (from $32) from Living Light Candles creates its own work of art and design. Best placed on a large plate to capture the sculptural pool of wax, candle lovers will be entranced by the unique lace pattern the icicle develops as it burns.
RACK ‘EM UP
This handy dish rack from Parnell Agencies is made using sustainable bamboo. It’s $51.95.
BREAK IT DOWN
Elegant and ecologically sound, the Wasara range of tableware is made from water and bagasse (sugar cane waste), bamboo and reeds. No chemicals, glues or resins are used and the items are biodegradable and compostable. The collection is remarkably resilient to moisture and will hold liquid for six hours without softening. Packs of 6 to 12 start from $10.50.
KEEP YOUR COOL
Perfect for summer, the Samsung Barosa is a new type of bottom-mount refrigerator, born of insight and innovation. The Digital Inverter Compressor ensures a consistent temperature, no matter what the weather, making slight adjustments based on humidity levels and usage patterns.
Samsung Barosa 450L Bottom Mount Refrigerator in White, $1999
Samsung Barosa 450L Bottom Mount Refrigerator in Stainless Steel, $2199 (pictured above)
Samsung Barosa 448L Bottom Mount Refrigerator with dispenser, $2499
KEEPING HOUSE
Christina Strutt’s A Guide to Natural Housekeeping (Cico, $37.99, available from Bookreps) is the ultimate resource for those of us who are set on taking the green message seriously. It looks in detail at cleaning products, suggesting ways you can make them yourself using traditional ingredients such as vinegar and lemon.
On the garden front, it offers advice about planting and reaping, using the bounty of the garden not only to eat but also in beauty products. Waste not, want not is a central theme – with the suggestion that vegetable peelings, tea bags and dust from the vacuum cleaner all go onto the compost heap to rot down for use later on as natural fertiliser.
