Live Green This Summer

Be thoughtful, think green this summer. We believe that small steps lead to big change. 

Trade Aid is committed to environmental sustainability. This means we think and care about our environmental impact in everything we do, especially when we’re making our products. We have a packaging sustainability plan which requires us to balance food safety and shelf life against environmental impact. We’re also a member of Toitū Envirocare who are helping us with a robust Environmental Management System.

Frivolous consumerism is creating excess and is damaging our environment. Let’s be thoughtful and learn to spend and consume in healthy ways, so that we’re doing less harm to the environment around us.

Living green is a journey of small steps and we encourage you to take some with us this summer. 

12 simple ways to Live Green this Summer

1. When shopping and out and about, take your own containers, use reusable bags and coffee cups. Provide your own containers for takeaway food.
2. Avoid single use plastics. 
3. Buy less, buy better. Only buy what you need and pay attention to labels. Think fair trade, organic, animal friendly and local.
4. Switch to homemade cleaning products such as white vinegar, lemon juice, baking soda, essential and liquid castile soap. Simply mix these with water in a spray bottle and cut up squares from old clothes to use as cleaning rags.
5. Reduce your meat consumption, go plant-based one day a week or more!
6. Cook seasonally and at home. Minimise your food waste by shopping with a planned list and using your freezer for leftovers.
7. Start your own organic vege patch, choose bee friendly plants, mow the lawn less and let biodiversity take hold of your garden.
8. Start your own compost system to include compostable packaging and teabags.
9. Choose slow fashion, including second hand, and think about natural, durable fabrics. Mend what you have. Have fun swapping with your friends. 
10. Drive less, move more. Use public transport, carpool, bike or walk. Combine errands into one trip. Add a car-free day to your week.
11. Be mindful of your water usage. Reduce your shower lengths, wash your clothes less and fix leaks as soon as possible.
12. Regularly service your products such as heat pumps so that they may be more efficient.