Cityhop New Zealand's first car share service – cars by the hour

People who car share are putting fewer emissions into the air and waterways. Another way we can all keep our waterways clean is to stop putting our rubbish into them!

A recent NZ Herald article revealed the average inner city Auckland drain has over 59 pieces of rubbish in it.

Years ago, when I was standing for Auckland City Council some young engineers approached me with a great idea. Enviropod captured the rubbish and stopped it going into our waterways. I know some Councils installed the devices and I encouraged Auckland City to do the same, however with these results not enough drains must have them!

In one Auckland drain, was 130 pieces of rubbish – including 32 food wrappers, 28 cigarette butts and cigarette packets, 27 pieces of polystyrene, 14 pull tabs from beverage bottles, eight cosmetic items, four lollipop sticks, four plastic beverage bottles, three beverage bottle lids, three cigarette lighters, three plastic bags, two glass beverage bottles, one toy, and one drinking straw.

When you review the list, it’s interesting how much of it was deliberately thrown away and needlessly.

If you are interested in helping to clean up our beaches have a look at Sustainable Coastlines.  Read how Aecom, a cityhopper member held a team building exercise and cleaned up a beach.

The NZ Herald has an amazing ‘Killen’ like photo of the disgusting collection of rubbish found inside a turtle’s tummy.

50 of 92 turtles found dead stranded along the shorelines of Rio Grande do Sul state in Brazil had ingested a “considerable amount of man made debris.”

Latex balloons are one of the worst culprits being found in animal’s faeces so those people who like letting balloons go for ceremonies please think again!

The ‘great garbage patch’ ( blogged last year) in the North Pacific Gyre  is now the size of Texas and has over 3.5 million plastic items from toys to toothbrushes.

Sadly sea turtles are those affected and they can be seriously harmed.

Biologists say we can all help reduce the threat of plastics by taking our plastic home with us and avoid taking plastic drink bottles  to the beach since so many seem to stay there!

Start by giving your favourite person a single flower from the garden and a handwritten note telling them what they mean to you ( means so much more than a shop bought card!).

Or make them a mussie-tussie. A what you say? It’s a simple, easy to make small bunch of a few flowers and some greenie; either wrapped in lace or a paper doilly and a bit of tin foil. See the picture above.

Lavender used to be used to  tell of the sender’s devotion or roses to show love!  Victoria Carter, Cityhop co-founder, says she often uses sprigs of rosemary, bay leaves and other herbs for a fragrance as well as nice green foilage.

Throw in some organic and ideally locally made chocolate.  Try Greens & Black or Wanaka Chocolate or even, I hear Trade Aid does a fair trade chocolate. Or go to Eve’s Pantry and buy a small box filled with fresh handmade truffles!

Then in the evening, as you make your sustainable dinner with  locally bought food, turn off the lights and light bees’wax or soy-based candles to set the mood!

See Terrapass for more ideas! HAPPY VALENTINE’S DAY CITYHOPPERS AND CAR SHARE USERS.