Eco-worrier or Eco-warrior? 20 Ways to Save the Planet

We met some very interesting people today at the Waitakere City Eco-Show. It was heartening to see all the alternatives we have that that won't destroy the planet. Now that we have broken the weather and people are finally facing up to climate change, the questions is what can YOU do? The NZ Herald ran a great article by Shelley Trueman in Canvas this weekend on 20 Ways to Save the Planet.

1. At number one we have the Eco-funeral. If you won't be cremated, then try a cardboard casket which will break down faster than a traditional box. Though with all those preservatives in food your corpse may long outlast your casket. For a full eco send off call the Natural Funeral Company (09 361 6080), or Waikumete cemetary in Waitekere City (09 818 5615) who'll plant a tree over you.

2. Walk lardarse! Not only are cars choking the planet they are making us fat. If you have children then get them to join a walking bus where they can get exercise, responsibility and independence. Try using a different way of getting into work. Carpool, cycle, walk, bus, or train it. You never know - you might like it.

3. Power down. You'll not only save dollars & cents, you'll be saving lives in the long run. Think like a student - switch things off, block draughts and keep an eye on energy consumption.

4. It's time to readjust our attitudes to shopping. It's all too easy to buy crap you don't need unless you stick to a list. Before you bin it, can you repair it? There are great places you can get free toys and books called libraries. I've just joined my local Waitakere libary network and can get books out/return books at New Lynn, Glen Eden, Henderson, Massey, Ranui, Te Atatu Peninsula, Te Atatu South or Titirangi.

5. This is one of my favouries bug bears - over packaging. I knew the world had gone made when I found a UK garage selling shrink wrapped bananas. I wish I'd been able to dob them in as an overpackager like you can in New Zealand (just send an email to packagingcomplaints@arc.govt.nz). Buy re-usable cotton bags for your supermarket shop, and your cupboards won't end up stuffed with plastic carrier bags. We keep ours in the boot of the cars so we don't forget to take them with us. Buy refills rather new dispensers and avoid non-recycleable containers. A little thought can save a lot of waste.

6. Nappy services will collect your little darlings smalls and return them clean, folded and ironed. Without a single shit filled plastic bag ending up in a landfill. Just call 0800 REAL NAPPIES and tell them what saints they are. Bumbles.co.nz make a great range of cloth Zappy Nappies & Overpants in some very cool colours & designs. Haute couture for the eco-generation.

7. Recyle, recyle recycle. Everything You Can. Even better Freecycle - so others know when to collect your cast-offs.

8. Re-use & recyle paper in the office and stick to electronic copies wherever possible. Printer ink refills are cheaper than re-buying bespoke brands, and unlikely to damage your printer whatever the manufacturers say. Always remember to switch everything off when you leave for the day, and try and persuade your empoyer to let you telework a couple of days each week. There's a great quote by Alvin Toffler "the single most anti-productive thing we do is to ship millions of workers back and forth across the landscape every morning." to which I might add "just to sit in front of a computer with an internet connection". For more benefits read my 2002 article about telworking.

Also think about how your company could help other business people. Jack Yan, the man behind Lucire Wellington's international fashion magazine, has founded a forum to unite first world business advisers with third world entrepreneurs. To get involved check out www.jackyan.com

9. There are some great eco cleaning products avialable such as the Ecover and Next Generation brands, that won't harm the environment when they go down the drain. You can also use some economical and effective old skool remedies like vinegar & newspaper. It really does get windows sparkling clean. Unaturally sterile houses may be a root cause of the rise in Western allergies, so bear that in mind when that awful 'spray & wipe' ad comes on the telly. Though the 'Dirt is Good' advert must have been dreamed up by a man, some unusual dirt and worm therapies are successfully being used to treat allergies and Crohn's Disease.

10. Every drop of water is precious. Mow your lawns less often and they won't need watering (result!). Watch out for dripping taps and put a weight in your toilet cistern. Grey water from the dishes and washing mashines are great for the garden, and why not collect rain water?

11. If you wash your own car then do it on the lawn, so that the dirt and toxins soak into the grass. They won't hurt your lawn but they can hurt the fishies. Anything that goes down the drain goes into the sea.

12. Watch your wood. With trees disappearing at the rate of knots (sorry!) always opt for sustainable timber, preferably locally grown. Bamboo is fast becoming a sound flooring choice for the eco-trendy.

13. Take care with toxins. In some cases second hand is definitely not second best. Carpets give off dangerously high levels of toxins when new, so avoid using new carpet in nurseries & family rooms. Also watch how you dispose of your toxic waste. If you pour paint down the drain, you will be poisoning the sea.

14. Not mulch in the garden? What a waste! Compost is great for growth and saves space in landfills.

15. Keep your vicious killers under control. Rover won't be able to kill kiwi if he's on a lead, and Puss won't be able to sneak up on birds if you collar and bell him (two bells are better than one). Or like us you can get a Ragdoll the Zen Buddhists of the cat world. They just don't have the killer instinct.

16. Healthy living is also eco-living as it takes a lot of resources to produce 1 KG of beef. Remember the proposed fart tax? Livestock produce enormous amounts of methane and crap in our waterways. Battery farming is aptly named as uses up far more resources than free range methods.

17. Make sure your fish dinner won't be your last. Snapper and orange roughy stocks are in sharp decline. Check out this guide of fish species to avoid.

18. The average woman consumes 6 pounds of lipstick in her lifetime. That's a lot of chemicals to chomp through. For natural kiwi beauty products check out Living Nature based in Kerikeri.

19. Exercise your pocket power. Support ethical trade and avoid brands that are wrecking our planet. You can make a difference every time you shop. The Medinge Group, an international think tank that encourages ‘compassionate branding’ has honoured Sri Lanka’s Dilmah Tea in its annual ‘Top Brands with a Conscience 2005’ list.

20. Train your children early. It's never too early to learn to be a Tidy Eco-Kiwi.