Blogger Kate Hall lives and breathes ethical living. Here she answers some of your questions about how to live a greener existence.
Q: How do I deal with getting my significant other on board with reducing plastic brought into the home? Lyssa
A: If I had a dollar for everytime someone asked this question, I'd be able to buy myself an entire bulk bin store. Living with other people who do not share the exact same values as you, is difficult. I have two flatmates and a husband. Trust me; I know.
Firstly, focus on what you can control. If your partner is not on board with changing your grocery shopping habits or waste systems, focus on your own green beauty routine, plastic-free snacks for work/school, and ethical wardrobe. Your eco journey is your own, and so is theirs.
Do you have a question for Kate? Email it to us at homed@stuff.co.nz.
This doesn't mean you should give up on teaching them too. Start with one change, and grow from there. Even if this means changing your plastic bin liners to paper liners over the space of 6 months. Change takes time, and it's important not to force these things, otherwise your partner may ignore eco living altogether.
You'll have the most impact from leading by example. Change doesn't come from shoving messages at people, it comes from having an enthusiastic and positive attitude. People will be naturally drawn to your positivity, and begin to enquire and follow.
Q: What is the best way to grocery shop in a town where there aren't many options for bulk food shopping? - Taylor
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A: The trick here, is to do the best you can with what you have. You may not leave the checkout completely plastic free, but there are ways to dramatically reduce your plastic.
You can buy items in glass or tin for example. Opt for the can of tomato sauce to refill a squeezy bottle, and buy the glass jar of mayonnaise instead of the plastic one. Bring reusable bulk bin bags to the supermarket your own containers to be filled at the deli, and of course bring your own reusable vegetable bags for produce.
Another thing you can do is shop in bulk. For example, avoid the little bags in one large bag of chips - buy a big one instead.
Images from Expleo Facebook pages to illustrate story on people using BYO containers to get meat.
It goes without saying you'll also have your reusable shopping bags to carry your nearly-plastic-free-shopping from the shop to the car. Again, it's important to remember to do the best you can with what you have.
Q: How do I find an affordable and genuine approach to eating meat ethically? - Ash
A: An ethical meat eater will eat meat less often, eat meat that is traced back to a sustainable and ethical source, and buy meat in reduced plastic. For me, this looks like visiting my local butcher with my own containers. I avoid buying pork and chicken there, as I know it's not free farmed, and I continue talking to the butcher about making this change. If they know the consumer wants it, it's more likely they'll offer it in the future.
AMY BAKER/STUFF
During the 30 days of April. Kate and Tim Hall got rid of more than 800 personal items.
I visit the butcher just once or twice a month. I store meat in my freezer, and make sure I ration it into separate containers before I freeze it, so I'm only ever defrosting the small amount I need for a meal for two. At dinner time, meat is rarely the main ingredient in our meal; that means it's easy to leave it out in our meat-less meals and not notice.
Consuming less meat is not only great for the planet, but also easier on the bank account. The greater price you pay for high quality butcher meat, is balanced out with your meat intake reduction.
Another alternative, if you have the option, is to find a source of 'home kill'. If you have friends or family with farmland, ask if there would be space for you to house an animal or two on their property. This way, you know the animal lived a happy life on their farm, and you can make sure the animal's life ends humanely.