EcoWarehouse are a family-owned New Zealand business who work hard to make a huge range of sustainable and eco-friendly products available to everyone. I love their products.
Their goal is to reduce waste and limit the harm “conventional” items may have on our planet. I agree with their belief that if each person does their best to work within their ability, together we can reduce our impact on the Earth significantly. We only have one planet. We have to look after it.
The Earth's population is approximately 8 billion, 118 million and 835,999 people, with an increase of around 70 million people annually. In 10 years time, with our current growth rate, we will exceed 9 billion people. I truly worry about what that means for both the planet and the people. Whatever problems we have in the world today are going to be so much harder to fix with more people. That's why sustainability is so important. Currently we are consuming resources at the rate of 1.5 times the planet's ability to renew them. This is not sustainable in a finite world. Plus the current problems being caused by climate change will be harder to solve if we continue on our current growth trajectory. It's obvious if we don't change now, if we don't plan ahead, change will be forced upon us in the future, as the systems our countries work under cannot be sustained.
The Balmer Family who own EcoWarehouse set an inspiring example. They walk the talk. They work hard to be as sustainable as they would like to see others in the world be. On their website they summarise the measures they take as a family to be sustainable. You can read their story here: https://ecowarehouse.nz/info/about-us
In their kitchen they try to create as little waste as possible by composting and recycling everything they can, as studies show that up to 70% of all items that get tossed in landfill can be salvaged through composting and recycling. They use the Bokashi Composting System which allows them to get the most out of their food scraps, and be able to give the most nutrients back to the Earth. They line their bins with reusable bin liners which can be washed and used over and over again, reducing the use of plastic bags. They use wooden brushes, as well as reusable scrubbers and dishcloths to clean their dishes. Their dishwashing liquid is plant-based, biodegradable and refillable, and they use a soap shaker, and their own dish soap bars. They don’t use any chemicals to clean – only their own natural cleaning spray, good old fashioned vinegar, baking soda, and elbow grease. In their bathroom and laundry they keep their waste to a minimum by using bamboo toothbrushes, bamboo cotton buds,,and bamboo dental floss, all compostable, and toothpaste that is not packaged in plastic. With billions of toothbrushes headed to landfill each year around the world, it would make a difference if we all did this. Shampoo, Conditioner, Body/hand wash and lotion that used to come in plastic bottles have been replaced with quality soap bars. These are plastic free and create zero waste! When it comes to their laundry, they wash with a detergent called Soapnuts, which are small fruit shells that create a natural soap (and are compostable after they have done their job). This means that there is no waste when washing their clothes. Clothes are hung outside as much as possible and they use either Bamboo or stainless steel pegs.
For food and grocery shopping they buy from their local farmer's markets and get their spices, nuts, seeds and other items in bulk. They bring their own containers to refill and always carry a set of reusable fresh produce bags with them. This way, they can help reduce plastic packaging to a minimum while also helping out local farmers and growers. Backyard chickens provide them with a fresh supply of eggs every day. Their veggie patch supplies them with some extra greens, herbs and fresh spices.
In their business their electricity comes from 100% renewable sources, reducing their carbon emissions. Their office is paperless, so there is little to no waste - plus keeping it all online helps for better organization. Even in their packaging, they work hard to ship everything without creating additional waste. They pack orders into cardboard boxes and use compostable kraft tape and recycled newspaper, and never use plastic in any of their shipments. Since many households do not compost, they decided not to use compostable plastic courier bags. While they are not perfect (nobody is), the main point is they do what they can with what they have available. They urge people to not worry if they cannot be 100%, just do what you can, even if it means buying a reusable dishcloth instead of a plastic infused sponge from the supermarket. Pretty much everything mentioned above can be found and bought from their website.
https://ecowarehouse.nz
Read how they source their products here: https://ecowarehouse.nz/info/how-we-choose-our-products
The EcoWarehouse has very kindly donated the selection below of their own branded eco-products to be displayed at the festival for your perusal. Please feel free to come see these wonderful products. In addition myself and .artist Vjekoslav Nemesh will be creating our own oil paint from the EcoWarehouse Artists Oil Painting Kit on Sunday March 17th. at 11am. Please feel welcome to come see our demo.
A huge thankyou to the Eco Warehouse for the following wonderful products
Artist Paint Kit: https://ecowarehouse.nz/the-complete-eco-friendly-artists-oil-paint-kit-natural-earth-paint
Egg Dye Kit: https://ecowarehouse.nz/natural-egg-dye-kit-natural-earth-paint
Wooden Egg Dye Kit: https://ecowarehouse.nz/wooden-eggs-craft-kit-natural-earth-paint
Face Paint: https://ecowarehouse.nz/wooden-eggs-craft-kit-natural-earth-paint
Popsicle Mould: https://ecowarehouse.nz/stainless-steel-popsicle-and-ice-cream-moulds-x6-with-rack-ecowarehouse
250g Soapnuts: https://ecowarehouse.nz/soapnut-shells-250g-ecowarehouse
Eco Scrub: https://ecowarehouse.nz/eco-scrub-euroscrubby-ecowarehouse
Cotton buds: https://ecowarehouse.nz/bamboo-cotton-buds-box-of-200-ecowarehouse
Toothbrush soft: https://ecowarehouse.nz/bamboo-toothbrush-soft-bristles-ecowarehouse
Floss black: https://ecowarehouse.nz/bamboo-dental-eco-floss-with-charcoal-ecowarehouse