Healthy Home

Our vision is to make it easier for everyone to have a healthy home; here are a few tips and ideas on easy ways you can start making a difference.

Reduce your exposure to potentially harmful chemicals with plant and mineral based cleaning products – these use fewer petrochemicals so are more sustainable to produce, and tend to be more gentle on your skin.

Buy in bulk wherever possible and look for concentrated cleaning products. Both these options require less packaging and save you money overall.

Water Filter – if your water supply is chlorinated then a water filter is a good investment. You can get portable bench-top models with a rubber hose that fits over most taps (handy for flatting) or an under-bench model that’s plumbed in.

Refillable Water Bottle – The steel ones are available in most health food shops and they last a lifetime. Single use plastics require a lot of resources and energy to make and only 1 in 6 is recycled. If you imagine a water bottle filled a quarter of the way up with oil. That’s about how much oil was needed to produce the bottle.

Rechargeable Batteries – while these do contain heavy metals like nickel cadmium, they are still a better option than single use batteries.

Choose BPA Free – studies have linked BPA (Bisphenol A) to hormone disruption and research has shown that this chemical does leach out of plastic and can be ingested. Use glass for storage wherever practical or look for plastics that are labelled BPA free.

Re-use cloth bags for food and vegetable shopping – these are readily available in a range of prices. Plastic bags are unsustainable to produce and can take decades to decompose.

Dispose of hazardous waste safely – contact your local council about where to drop off hazardous waste such as oil, chemicals, batteries, and solvents for collection. The waste is disposed of safely and recycled wherever possible. If disposed of through regular waste collection services, burnt or poured away, hazardous waste can cause serious harm to people and the environment. 


Recycle e-waste such as phones, electronics and computers. The RCN Group (RCN) and Community Recycling Network (CRN) with funding from the Ministry for the Environment offer RCN e-Cycle an everyday consumer electronics recycling solution in New Zealand. They provide environmentally friendly, responsible recycling with Zero ewaste to landfill.

Save water when washing the car. Washing your car can use large volumes of water and the waste water runoff is often full of detergents and other substances that can pollute waterways. Help improve the quality of waste water by using eco friendly cleaners. Avoid washing the car in the street where waste water goes directly into stormwater drains and use a bucket rather than a hose to cut down on water usage.

Avoid air fresheners – these disperse a mix of chemicals which often include synthetic fragrances containing phthalates to mask unpleasant odours in your home. It is far better to open a window and there are also many varieties of indoor houseplants that will help filter and purify the air inside your home. Buy Plants – such as Boston fern, Peace lily, Dracaena, and Lady palm. These are just a few of the top 10 varieties identified by Nasa (National Aeronautics and Space Administration) as being beneficial for indoor air quality in the home or office.

Choose products that are recycled or have recycled content
This supports recycling initiatives and helps producers to keep supplying these types of products.

Recycle – give away or sell unwanted items like clothes, furniture, toys and paint, this helps reduce clutter and lets others get some benefit from them. If you have young children, see if your extended family and friends have clothing which could be passed down.

Say no to junk mail A ‘no junk mail please’ sticker on your letterbox will help reduce the demand for paper and saves trees.

Printing – always ask yourself before printing whether or not you really need a paper copy of your file. When printing, try to print on both sides of the paper. This helps save energy, water and trees.

Freeze leftovers – reusing leftovers reduces your food waste and your food bill. Leftovers are a quick and easy alternative to takeaways.

Reduce your rubbish – choose concentrates and refills, or buy in bulk wherever possible, this means less packaging needs to be recycled and saves you money.

Use a lunchbox and re-usable coffee cup – This reduces the amount of rubbish you create. Lunch boxes and containers for leftovers also means you won’t have to buy plastic wrap.

Buy pre-loved furniture, books, clothing and toys, this minimises rubbish and energy use, saves landfill space, generates income for charities and social groups and saves you money.

Give ‘experiences’ as gifts – massage vouchers or a meal make great gifts and are great for the person who has everything.