Issue 660 by Lakes Weekly Bulletin

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rdth July 2018 24ththJan July -- 330 27 Feb 2014

FIRST ON THE STREET

No No 434 660

LAKES WEEKLY BULLETIN

15 J IN O 8 SI BS D E

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Scientists spent years designing plastic to be used as a durable material that wouldn’t break down and boy, did they do a great job. But as handy as plastic is, we all now know that single-use plastics aren’t a bright idea because – as promised – they don’t decompose. In 2011, the concept of ‘Plastic Free July’ was started as an initiative to get people thinking about the unnecessary plastic they use in day-to-day life and to strive for a more sustainable lifestyle that’ll help preserve this planet for future generations. At home, many are doing their utmost best. Not just in July, but year-round. They line the bins using old newspapers, keep a worm farm or a Bokashi bin, collect soft plastics to drop off at the supermarket, reﬁll beer riggers instead of buying beer bottles, heck – some people are even making their own soap. But all that heavenly goodness can be quickly undone in the workplace. Trying to make green changes in the ofﬁce is a struggle and it’s hard not to come off as a nagging mother of nature when trying to advocate new eco systems at work. When I interviewed Sustainable Queenstown co-founder Esther Whitehead for our ‘Local of the Week’ feature on LWB TV, she said; “Nobody wants to use the word SHOULD. The last thing I want to do is be evangelical about it and say you SHOULD be behave like this.”And she’s right! It puts people off when you tell them what to do.But what can you do?! As depressing as it sounds, you spend a lot of time at work and the workplace can be one of the biggest culprits of plasticfantastic crimes. But there are a few simple things you can do to reduce singleuse plastics in your workplace;

Queenstown’s latest food and bev hotspot hosted the Chamber of Commerce BA5 last Wednesday. Pictured Jonathan Kauri and Matthew Day. More photos inside.

(Photo: Jodi Walters)

1. Bring your own container AND start a collection of containers at work. Most cafés will accept your container and some offer a discount for being so green! 2. Love takeaway coffee? Use a reusable cup, or even better – persuade your boss to get branded reusable cups (that’s walking and talking promo). 3. Create a paper tray. Get the office to start collecting scrap paper and use it on the fire at home, or send it off for recycling. 4. Keep a stack of reusable bags (or Boomerang bags) in the office. 5. As a consumer, remember that you do have a voice; a simple email to a business suggesting a positive eco-conscious idea could be the key to positive changes. The writing is on the wall, now that China won’t accept New Zealand’s rubbish, we need to start actively reducing our waste as individuals, businesses and a community. It is a daunting task; in my interview with Esther, we talked about how many people are anxious about the future (me included), but as she says – this is 2018 and WE CAN bring about positive changes. Lauren Prebble LWB TV

QUEENSTOWNS BIGGEST LATINO PARTY SATURDAY JULY 28

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WITH DJ ANDR3S FROM 11PM

JOHN RAVENS WEATHER Last week John was 94% correct

RENTAL PROPERTIES

See inside back cover for our full list

TUES

WED

THUR

FRI

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MON

Cloudy periods. Southeasterlies.

Fine. Light winds.

Partly cloudy. Brief rain.

Fine. Westerlies.

Rain. Light winds.

Rain with little wind.

Cloudy. Not much wind.