Nick Smith » Sift Blog

Sustainable Spoon Mug Wall via Re-Nest

It is a lovely 26 degrees (C) in the garden city today and no doubt the rest of Canterbury will be enjoying the lovely weather as well. Here are a few tid bits from home and abroad to tide you over till Monday.

• Last Friday Environment Minister Nick Smith stated that the government is in discussion with the Australian government for a joint processing plant to extract the lead from old televisions. Hon. Dr Nick Smith stated that they expect “a surge of about 500,000 older TV’s containing about 1000 tonnes of lead”. More here at the NZ Herald and originally via PattersonEnvironmental.
• A summary of the Signs of Change conference SIFT attended on Monday and Tuesday from the Hot Topic team.
• A new laptop has been designed so that all of the individual parts can easily be pulled apart and recycled or disposed of appropriately. More from GOOD USA here.
• Doing good – the businesses that won this year’s Sustainable Business Network awards via Good New Zealand. Top prize went to Resene who are doing the right thing and being innovative everyday.
• The spoon wall – a place to put reusable mags in a school via Re-Nest – genius. A small but very practical and impactful sustainable living solution.
• The House of Contamination made entirely of Waste via Inhabitat.
• DIY Snack Bags made from old magazines via Re-Nest.
• Announcement from the Beehive – the Environmental Protection Authority Bill. One regulator to rule them all.
• Trashing the planet ultimately trashes people - Beth from Fake Plastic Fish looks into how waste (specifically plastic ) is also a Social Justice Issue.
• Love this – wood planks made from newspaper – can you imagine what a whole “weatherboard” house would look like covered in these planks?!

Have a great waste free weekend (start making Christmas presents from things around the home, second hand goods or baking).