Auckland Climate Plan Goals related to retail businesses
The following are current legislation or Auckland Council Climate Plan goals of relevance to retail industries.
Already Banned
2022 - PVC food trays & containers, all polystyrene takeaway food & drink packaging, plastic drink stirrers, plastic cotton buds,
2023 - Plastic produce bags, plastic plates, bowls, cutlery and straws, plastic produce labels (like fruit stickers)
Incoming Ban 2025
All other PVC and polystyrene food and drink packaging
2030 Aims
Ban single-use coffee cups
Ban single-use wet wipes
Paper/cardboard waste reduced by 30% and 30% of the remaining waste recycled
Retrofit 50% of existing and commercial buildings to a high standard of energy efficiency
Replace 75% of gas heaters in existing commercial buildings with electric heat pumps
Replace 50% of gas water heaters in existing commercial buildings with electric heat pump water heaters
Issues facing the Industries
Retail businesses - Op Shops
Lots of unsold clothing waste
Waste of large furniture and whiteware items
Fluorescent lighting in some premises
Labelling and price tagging of items
Eftpos printing of till receipts
Unsaleable e-wate products, need advice on disposal
Need education around recycling/reuse /repurpose opportunities
Oter item waste, eg toys, glass, ekitchen items, books/paper, general
Washroom toilet paper, towels, etc
Food scrap waste from staff (usually minimal)
Education to public re illegal dumping
Kitchen and bathroom cleaning
Premises lighting
Soft plastic use (eg in packaging)
Heat pumps and air conditioning
Travel to and from retail premises
Solutions/Ideas/Links
Undertake a waste audit to break down what your current waste consists of
Bring in recycle bins if not already doing so and educating on the most basic of recycle items (even if not all, just some recycling by sorting staff is better than none at all!)
Recycle paper/books
Shred paper and use for packaging
Invest in a paperless eftpos machine, whilst the cost of the hire may be higher you will be saving on the paper roll costs too
Separate out metal based items to send to the scrap metal works in Silverdale
Put reminder stickers on bins for staff awareness and action
Collect compostables and take home or deliver to HCZW
Label items with paper labels and safety pins, if too hard staples are better than plastic tags
Use your own donated cups and sugar bowls (avoid sugar sachets)
Separate coffee grinds, teabags, food scraps
Separate soft plastics
Advertise your unsold items through social media for upcycling/repurposing
Offer your unsold items to local artists, classes
Put ventilation on a timer to go off at night
Changed light bulbs to LED - also saves power
Cut off cords from electrical items for recycling
Use enviro friendly capsules for cleaning spray and wipe or refill or refill from HCZW
In warmer seasons open the doors instead of using the air conditioner
Join a share scheme around pick up/drop off of certain products to save time, money and petrol
Consider being part of a share scheme for above pick ups/drop offs and perhaps share a trailer for larger furniture items also thus sharing dump costs if required
Encourage staff car pooling, use of public transport or biking/walking to work
Educate staff/volunteers and public on alternative recycle opportunities
Make up rag bags for free pick up and use by local tradies
Measure your carbon footprint and explore off-setting options, HCZW can assist with this.
Links
Information on costs for replacement of flourecent lights with LED or alternative options - find cost savings
https://www.consumer.org.nz/articles/led-bulb-buying-guide
Paperless Eftpos
Cost of 4 pack eftpos paper roll from Warehouse Stationary is $4.99
https://www.posbosshq.com/paperless - Moving to a Paperless kitchen order screen will help improve productivity while reducing confusion and paper chaos. The digital docket display solution designed by hospitality for hospitality. Starting at $39 a month for the paperless option. No reason why this system can’t be used in other industries?
https://support.eftpos.co.nz/2019/08/05/manage-receipts -
Better ways to tag clothing
SaveMart uses staples to tag clothing. Alternative look at safety pins if this is practical and reuse.
The following are items that are available for refill at the HCZW station
Ecostore Grapefruit Dishwash, Ultra-Sensitive Laundry Liquid and Lemongrass Handwash
The following are a list of what is accepted by HCZW in their e waste drop offs for recycling -
TVs and Monitors
CRT TV, Rear Projection TV, Flat Panel, CRT Computer Monitor, LCD Computer Monitor
PCs
Desktops & servers, Laptops, Modems, swtiches, routers, computer speakers, (per unit), Data Destruction, UPS, Laptop Battery
Printers
Small Printers/scanners/faxs small (less than 0.5m3), Large Printers/scanners/faxs small (more than 0.5m3), Photocopiers small/med, Photocopiers large, Copier toner
Household Appliances
Small appliances, heaters/fans, vacuums, dehumifiers, microwaves
Consumer Electronics
DVD & VCRs, Steros systems, Speakers per unit
Other
HH batteries, Washing machines, dryers, dishwashers
A list of all local inorganic collections
To find out details about inorganic collections and see your local area dates check the Auckland Council website at https://www.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/rubbish-recycling/inorganic-collections/Pages/default.aspx
Fabric Rescue
1. Intercept Fabric Rescue - A programme developed and run by Whangarei Salvation Army Family Store – looking at getting support to get this off the ground in Whangaparaoa also. https://www.interceptfabricrescue.net/
Light Bulb options
Philips has developed an Ultra Efficient light bulb that uses new technology to cut carbon emissions, reduce material waste, and lower energy usage. With an amazing 50,000 hour lifetime it lasts more than 3 times longer than the Philips LED bulb equivalents — and uses up to 60% less energy *, just what is needed for a more sustainable planet.