Ask Dad What They Would Like First
First and foremost, asking if there is anything that Dad wants, or needs is a great idea and it can make present buying 100% easier. Because knowing that the item will be used and needed, creates less waste overall.
Quality Time
Something that requires no materials, and no waste is quality time.
A lunch or dinner date with his favourite meal or a trip to his favourite activity is a fantastic way to connect on Father’s Day and create beautiful memories. Perhaps taking photos along the way to send Dad at a later date to remember the day can make it extra special and memorable.
DIY
DIY can be a nice way of making something personal for Dad if you are good with DIY. A handmade picture frame, DIY beard oil or homemade BBQ spice mix with ingredients from your local bulk bin store are great DIY gifts.
Consumable Gifts
Consumable gifts that are packaging-free are great because they are enjoyed and then once they are used or eaten, they leave no trace. Great ideas for consumable items are handmade cupcakes, brownies, coconut rough, snacks and sweet items from bulk bin places such as Refill Nation or personal care consumables such as soaps, deodorant, or bath soaks. Pop the food items in a jar or wrap them in fabric or a reusable container to keep them sustainable.
Second-Hand
Second-hand items from thrift shops can be a fantastic way of purchasing something amazing at a fraction of the cost. Beautiful finds can be found such as recipe books, novels, ties, and whiskey glasses can be found at most second-hand stores. Plus you might also find something amazing for yourself!
Reusables
Reusable coffee cups, bags, drink bottles, food flask, and some cool reusable cutlery are fantastic reusable items that can be invested in to start Dad on a more sustainable lifestyle. Choose something you think he would use and love.
Wrapping
Do you want to go the extra mile on your Zero Waste Father’s Day gift? Why not wrap your present in reusable fabric wrap or reuse a box or bag?
You can find the Kalla Father's Day items HERE.
Happy Father’s Day to all the wonderful Dads out there! We hope you have a fantastic day.
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Since then the movement has grown to over 170 countries and has participants who after trying the challenge, bring their new knowledge and changes through into their everyday lives. It is a fantastic challenge to try new zero waste ideas and such a rewarding feeling knowing those changes, when performed by millions across the globe can have long-lasting effects on the future.
Here are some swaps to try on your Plastic Free journey that we hope may give you inspiration.
In the Kitchen - The kitchen is a fantastic place to start. Most of the single-use plastic can be found in the Kitchen such as plastic straws, plates, cups and food items wrapped in plastic.
Trying a bulk food store and filling your own containers can save on so much single-use packaging, wrapping leftovers in food covers or beeswax wraps and trying a reusable straw are fantastic swaps to try.
In the Bathroom - Swapping over to a Solid Shampoo Bar and Conditioner can save on waste and money also. They are concentrated in bar form and contain no water. One bar equals at least three bottles!
Trailing a few reusable menstrual products over Plastic Free July could help you choose the best product for you. Ask friends and family what they recommend or use and see what reusable menstrual products might suit your needs.
A Toothpaste alternative such as Solid Oral Care is a fantastic swap to make. They are small-batch made in beautiful Titahi Bay, Porirua, Aotearoa.
With Babies - Reducing waste as much as possible, and approaching using less plastic with babies in a more minimalistic way can be a great way to approach Plastic Free July with a baby.
Simply asking if you need certain disposable items, or if you can use what you already have around the house such as a cut-up old flannel sheet instead of single-use wipes is a great low-cost alternative.
Try Reusable Nappies and Reusable Breast Pads if breastfeeding, also making your own baby food from in-season ingredients is also a fantastic way to reduce plastic waste if you are currently buying single-use squeezy baby food.
Out and About - When we are out and about often we tend to have very little choice when it comes to keeping our waste low.
Organisation is often key when out and about. Remembering a reusable water bottle is great and if you think you will get a coffee while out; a reusable coffee cup.
Bringing reusable bags and even keeping some reusable utensils in your car, at work or in a backpack while travelling can help you if you are a bit stuck and need to eat while out and about and reusable items aren't available.
Plastic-Free July is a way to reach out to more Kiwis and encourage them to start their single-use plastic journey. It is important to see this as a journey where we take small steps to get toward our end goal. This may take a long time but every step forward is a step in the right direction.
To be part of the Plastic Free July movement and learn more, visit www.plasticfreejuly.org.
You can find Plastic free July on Instagram as well.
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Swapping wrapping paper Sellotape, plastic, and single-use bows for reusable beautiful fabric and ribbon is a fantastic easy way to go green.
Where can you get fabric from?
The best fabric is the one you already own. An old sheet or duvet cover that is no longer used can make wrapping for larger items. Cut into a manageable size and avoid any worn patches or holes.
An old burlap sack can make a rustic look fabric wrap.
Second-hand items such as pretty scarfs or if you are lucky enough to find some offcuts of fabric from friends or in second-hand stores are a great find.
How to wrap gifts with fabric
Wrapping square or rectangular items - Furoshiki wrap is a traditional Japanese cloth used to wrap and transport food, clothes or gifts. This style of wrapping gifts is used mostly to wrap square and rectangular items and it is fastened by tying the ends together. You can see in the video below how you can use a single piece of fabric to wrap our face masks gift box.
Wrapping round items – you can use fabric wrap to wrap round items too. Just pull the fabric to the top and fasten with a reusable ribbon or twine.
Wrapping odd-shaped gifts – If you are handy with a sewing machine, making cute reusable fabric bags is a cute way to present a gift. Plus, you could reuse them in other ways too.
Happy Wrapping Everyone!
]]>For one day a week, live a day waste-free!
There is an urgent need for us all to reduce the waste we create and so many benefits to doing so!
Committing to just one day can let you try out new waste-free ideas and tips to see what will work for you and your lifestyle.
What is Waste-Free Wednesday?
It is taking one day aside (Wednesday) and placing effort into making that day as sustainable as possible. It is a great way to 'dip your toes' into a more sustainable life or try out some more zero-waste products or ideas.
Some ideas to try:
It's hard to succeed in creating a fully waste-free lifestyle full time for many, but trying new things and making a more concerted effort for a full day is a great way to either progress your waste-free life or dip your toes into some more sustainable habits.
Tackling just one day a week can reduce your waste dramatically and may create some easy habits that you can use full time.
For more information check out the website www.wastefreewednesdays.com
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It is well documented that sweeping changes made to your lifestyle don't necessarily work, such as trying to completely change your diet or increase your exercise routine dramatically.
So, it makes sense that making huge changes in terms of reducing your waste might be overwhelming and you might find yourself reverting back, finding the whole thing too hard.
Reducing your outgoing waste, choosing different food items to help reduce your carbon footprint or simply making a change to one thing in your household like starting up a compost, or switching to a shampoo bar. These things seem small at first but are beneficial in the long term.
A slowly-does-it approach in terms of changing the items in your house is so much better for your bank balance also. When you need to replace something in the house you can look at more eco-friendly alternatives as they come up.
Some initial things to look at in your life are small changes to your food, composting, recycling, committing one day to reduce waste, reusing items, recycling, fixing things, buying second hand and donating items.
Below are some great ideas to try.
Changes to food
To reduce your impact on the environment why not try a meatless day or local produce-only day. Why not try or purchase more foods from a bulk bin shop or buy your vegetables lose rather than using plastic produce bags.
Try baking one item each week to replace an item you would usually buy in plastic. Buy items in glass, aluminium, or paper, over food items wrapped in plastic.
Get into Gardening
Creating a garden, even if it is for herbs or a few tubs with tomatoes in it can be a really great way to reduce your carbon footprint when it comes to food consumption.
Save your tomato, capsicum seeds and let things like basil and rocket go to seed over the autumn and save the seeds to plant in late spring.
Clothing changes
Look at your clothes and make a resolution to reduce how much you buy and what you buy. Purchase second-hand items for a fraction of the cost and invest the money you save into brands that are more sustainable and are of better quality.
Try composting
Honestly, composting will reduce your outgoing waste by 50% or more. It is by far one of the most important things we can do in terms of waste reduction. Composting scraps, to then turn into compost and then using that compost to help grow some seedings is a great long-term project.
Placing more carbon into the soil is the single biggest thing we can do to help improve the quality and structure of the soil. Plants grown with added compost have a stronger root system and by composting we can also reduce methane that would have been produced if the same material was placed in a landfill.
Reuse what you can
Ask yourself before you put your empty peanut butter jar into the recycling if it can have another use in your home. Can an old t-shirt be made into a reusable bag or a beautiful cut flower display from old jars?
Fix things
Before something goes into the landfill ask yourself if it can be mended or fixed.
Recycle
Recycling isn't the answer to everything, but it is a good way for things that are already produced to be recycled again in another form. Make sure your recycling is clean and check what items can be recycled in your local area.
Waste-Free Wednesday
Have you heard of Waste-Free Wednesday? For one day a week, make a more concerted effort to live a day waste-free! Bring your reusable cup, pack a reusable knife, fork and spoon wherever you go and maybe create a meal from locally grown food items.
Buy second hand
Wherever you can buy something that is already produced, it helps immensely to reduce your carbon footprint.
Donate or sell items
On the flip side, someone else might love your second-hand items. So much is sent to the landfill unnecessarily, donating your unwanted items is great!
Don't forget to praise yourself for the things you are already doing too! – Don’t forget about the changes you have already made, the adjustments you have already initiated and the waste you DONT have because of these changes.
You are amazing!
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Plastic pollution is a global catastrophe and sadly it is a man-made one. Did you know that approximately 500 billion plastic bags are used on a global scale?
While we currently have a plastic bag ban in NZ. Shops still offer a bag, which is often a thicker plastic bag that is intended to be reused. However, these bags seldom get reused.
The thicker "reusable" plastic bag needs to be used around six more times to become more environmentally sustainable than the thin ones.
The thing is, people just aren't reusing these thick bags and they become an even worse alternative, a thicker bag just isn't a realistic solution to the plastic problem.
Paper bags, although these are a "No Plastic" solution still are not as sustainable as you may think. Paper bags still require trees to be cut down, and then processed into paper using power, water and resources.
When it comes to the produce department of the supermarket, plastic produce bags are still offered at many stores. Why not pack your vegetables lose and when home store them in stackable containers, or invest in some reusable produce bags for use when shopping.
Why not refuse ALL bags offered ("reusable plastic bags", paper and compostable).
Reuse what you already have and refuse single-use on International Plastic Bag Free Day in New Zealand.
International Plastic Bag Free Day is on July 3rd 2022. Share #internationalplasticbagfreeday on Social Media and spread the message to remember your reusable bags when you are out and about.
]]>Join The Refill Revolution!
June 16th is World Refill Day and it is a great time to look at what you can do as an individual to use reusables to refill or purchase items from a refill shop.
If you are a business, you could also look at your own products and ask if there is a way to adjust a product to offer a refill option to minimise packaging or to look at things in the workplace to minimise single-use in the office set-up and encourage reusable items.
It’s becoming clear that we can’t recycle our way out of our plastic problem. Globally, we use millions of tonnes of plastic every year. It is polluting our planet, impacting communities around the world, contributing to the climate crisis, and also making its way into our bodies through the air we breathe and the food we eat.
Refill Options and Ideas to Try
We urgently need to shift from our disposable, single-use culture to a more sustainable, circular future, with reuse & refill at the centre.
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Beeswax wraps are a great eco-friendly alternative to plastic wrap (glad wrap), they are great for covering food in the fridge, covering cheese, and wrapping sandwiches.
Having all the components to make the wraps also means that you can re-wax the wraps you already have, giving them an extended life.
At the end of your beeswax wraps life, it can be composted or used at a firelighter.
Type of fabric needed:
Always choose 100% cotton. Natural fabrics like cotton will readily soak up the beeswax into their fibres.
You will need:
100g beeswax, grated or in small pellets.
20g pine rosin/resin
90g jojoba oil
4 square pieces of lightweight cotton fabric, washed and ironed (these can be any size, but no larger than the oven tray you will be working on).
A wide paintbrush – it will be unusable as a paintbrush afterwards so use a cheap one and reuse it for making more wraps.
Non-stick baking paper
Pinking shears or scissors
Iron
Method
Caring and washing your wax wraps
To wash soiled wraps after use, clean them gently with cold soapy cold water. Allow it to air dry, then store it in a cool, dark place like a kitchen drawer.
Other Tips
It may be a good idea to shut windows and doors as bees are attracted to the smell of melting beeswax and may come to visit.
With frequent use, beeswax wraps can lose their coating and stickiness after one year, recoat them with the above recipe for more use, or compost them.
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It is good to note that although you may have a "type" of hair, sometimes a combination of two different shampoos may be good to use also.
Our solid shampoo bars are a syndet based shampoo, which are not soap based. You can read a little more about the differences HERE.
Below we have addressed some of the myths around Solid Shampoo Bars.
Solid Shampoo Bars are more expensive
Of course shampoo bars can vary in price. But because shampoo bars are the equivalent to three bottles of shampoo, they are actually very comparable, if not cheaper in price to a bottle of supermarket shampoo.
Our solid shampoo bars range from $18 - $21
Solid Shampoo Bars aren’t as good as bottled shampoo
Kalla Beauty shampoo bars contain similar ingredients to bottled shampoo, so they perform just as good, if not better. If fact, you may find our shampoo bars are far superior to many bottled brands as they don’t contain sulfates that can irritate and dry scalps.
Solid Shampoo Bars don’t lather as well
They absolutely lather fantastically well. The one thing that can help to create great lather is to add a little water after you swipe the shampoo across your hair. Bottled shampoo contains water which helps with lather.
As the Kalla Beauty shampoo doesn’t contain water, it just needs a little extra to get the lather going.
There is a transition period when you swap to a Shampoo Bar
If you are swapping to the solid shampoo that is a syndet bar such as the Kalla Beauty shampoo bar, there is little to no transition period. Our shampoo is simply a concentrated version of a bottled shampoo. So it would be a similar transition from one bottled shampoo to another bottled shampoo.
Some of the transition period myths come from swapping to a soap-based shampoo because the higher pH of soap-based shampoo creating a pH imbalance on the scalp.
Shampoo products with a high pH may damage hair.
This can be true for many, which is why we choose to make more expensive, pH-balanced bars for hair, instead of soap-based bars which have a high pH.
If you use a shampoo product that has a pH above 7, it can cause the hair follicles to open damaging the hair shaft. It can also strip away the naturally acidic sebum which can lead to a damaged, itchy, sensitive scalp.
You need to change your shampoo every few months because your hair gets “used to it”.
Your hair doesn’t get used to shampoo, however changing your shampoo because of seasonal or environmental reasons may be beneficial.
Hotter weather can make your head sweat more and become prone to more dandruff or become oily as your scalp may tend to produce more sebum. In cold weather, heat styling with a hairdryer may be more commonly used and your scalp may become dry and require more moisture with a more moisture rich shampoo. Changing shampoo can be absolutely beneficial in different seasons if your scalp surface changes.
Alongside the environmental benefits, Kalla Beauty Shampoo Bars are an affordable, space saving alternative to your bottled shampoo, leaving your hair clean, nourished and beautiful.
]]>Soap-based shampoo bars have been around for a long time. These are made in the same way as any other bar soaps. The main difference is that the soap makers usually add some specific ingredients to make your hair feel good.
Soap bars are made from oils mixed with lye to get the final product. For a good bar there will be some oils left that nourish the hair.
The problem with soap is that it is alkaline and the hair itself is slightly acidic. So, you usually have to treat your hair with something acidic like apple cider vinegar to get it back to ph of 4.5 to 5.5.
As the hair needs to get used to the new type of treatment there may be an adjustment period and your hair may look and feel gross. This may last from a few washes to several months and many people give up in the process and switch back to normal shampoo.
That’s where the syndet bars have a clear advantage. These bars are literally like a bottled shampoo without the water.
There are a few things to look for when you shop around for those bars and it is worth to check your ingredients.
The main ingredients to avoid are sulphates in particular SLS (Sodium lauryl sulphate) as these are said to irritate your scalp. The other side effect sulphates may be that they strip the colour from coloured hair.
The other ingredients you want to avoid are silicones. Silicones coat your hair and mainstream advertising says this is a good thing. Unfortunately, they do not tell you that it protects your hair so much that it cannot receive any nutrients from your shampoo. So, your hair feels more tired with every wash and the customer feels that more product is required to get the same clean hair result.
KallaBeautyNZ uses mild surfactants that are sulphate free. They are so mild that they can also be used for children. My kids love the shampoos and I always had to buy baby shampoo for them before as everything else would sting in their eyes.
We use conditioning agents that have a similar effect to silicones but allow the hair still to get all the nutrients it needs from the shampoo.
Syndet bars do not have an adjustment period as the bar leaves the hair with a ph between 4.5 and 5.5. So, no additional treatment is required.
The great thing about all of this is that they are plastic free and last a long time compared to bottled shampoos. They are also easy on your wallet as you only pay for the pure ingredients without the water.
So why not give them a go and see for yourself what the fuss is all about shampoo bars.
With solid products you also don’t need to worry about your carry on luggage bottles being under 100ml or worrying about bottles bursting in your checked in luggage.
Our top zero waste items to travel with are:
• Kalla Shampoo and Conditioner
• Orange Rose Lotion Bar
• Solid Oral Care Toothpaste tablets
• Bamboo Toothbrush
• Calendula Orange - Face Cleansing Bar
• Oh Goodness Natural Deodorant
Tips for traveling with our zero waste beauty products:
• Cut up your shampoo and conditioner into a nice small size ready for travel or you can purchase one of our trial packs (these are a fantastic size for travel). Place them in a small container that is easy to travel with.
• When traveling, try to dry shampoo and conditioner thoroughly between uses. Drying on a towel outside of the bathroom area is a great way to keep them in top shape for the duration of your trip.
• Toothpaste Tablets – These are fantastic for travel as they can be placed in a smaller container and you only need to bring enough for your trip.
• Our Calendula Orange - Face Cleansing Bar is the perfect size for traveling however it can be cut in half also if needed.
• Think multi-purpose – our Kalla shampoo can also double as a body wash.
Going zero waste with your travel essentials is a fantastic way to reduce your waste outside the home. It also means you do not need to use the little plastic shampoo and conditioner bottles provided by many accommodation facilities.
Have fun on all your travel trips, big or small!
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Why not try some of these Earth Day challenges this Earth Day and see which ones you might even continue into your daily life.
]]>Why not try some of these Earth Day Challenges this Earth Day and see which ones you might even continue into your daily life.
Saving the earth starts with simple green acts. Try five in a row or as many as you can!
Tag @kallabeautynz so we can share your Earth Day efforts to our story
Find out more information about Earth Day at earthday.org
]]>The best soap dishes are ones that help dry your soaps between uses. A shallow dish, open container or holder that helps to drain away water and keep moisture away from underneath are fantastic.
Create your own soap dish with these 5 ideas.
Re-purpose a lid from a jar.
Creating holes with a hammer and small nail in the jar lid will help water drain and air circulate to dry the bar between uses.
Create a really attractive soap dish with small stones and a pot plant dish or plate. Arrange small stones to place larger bars soap onto. Featured in this photo is our Kalla Juicy Orange Shampoo.
Sometimes repurposing something from around the house can be the way to use what you already have. Try a flat Lego base as a soap dish. It really works! Featured in this photo is our Normal/Dry Sample Box containing two trial shampoos and two trial conditioners.
Luffa sponges or coconut fibre scrub pads make fantastic soap dishes to rest soap on between uses.
Pumice is a fantastic soap tray and can be found on many beaches. This always looks fantastic in the shower and can be also used to remove dead skin from rough areas like the soles of the feet.
We hope this has inspired you to create or repurpose your own soap dish!
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Our Kalla Dry Shampoo is packaged in stainless steel and is formulated with gentle ingredients and contains no silicones, propane, alcohol or talc.
]]>Dry shampoo is a great addition to any beauty routine. It can revive greasy hair for another day as it absorbs sebum (the scalp's natural oil) that makes hair look greasy after a few days of no washing.
Dry shampoo is typically made with a starch component such as rice or cornflour in powdered form and is used to refresh & revive oily hair without the need for water.
The Origins of Dry Shampoo
In the 15th century, people in Asia would use clay to absorb excess oils and act as a refresher for their hair.
During the Elizabethan era it was popular among women to cleanse their hair of excess dirt and oil with clay powders due to a lack of regular bathing. Some powders were even coloured for decorative purposes which was popular during the time.
In the 17-1800’s, Europeans would use ground starches to freshen up their hair under their wigs and when long hair was a marker of privilege and masculinity they would colour and deodorize powdered wigs.
The first commercial dry shampoo however was only introduced in the 1940’s by the the Stephanie Brooke Company of Jersey City. This was the first commercially produced dry shampoo powder which was named… ‘Minipoo’.
Reducing Plastic – Choosing the right Dry Shampoo
Not all dry shampoos are created equal when it comes to reducing plastic. Many are not good for you or the Earth as a lot of dry shampoos come in plastic container or aerosol cans with plastic components.
Many council recycling centres in NZ do not accept aerosol cans either and they are only recycled in some parts of New Zealand.
Our Kalla dry shampoo is packaged in stainless steel and is formulated with gentle ingredients and contains no silicones, propane, alcohol or talc.
Refills are also available in home compostable packaging, ready to top up your existing shaker.
While dry shampoos are not a replacement for a hair cleanser such as our Kalla Shampoo. It is a fantastic product which can breathe new life into messy hair with a bit of grease that needs absorbing.
The Kalla Dry Shampoo is super simple to use.
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I have taken a photo each of what my, my husbands and my kids use in the bathroom.
Martina’s swaps
- Shampoo/Conditioner bottle for shampoo/conditioner bars
- Body wash for soap (I usually use some off cuts )
- Dry Shampoo spray for dry shampoo powder which I refill as well
- Deodorant in plastic for @ohgoodnessnz
deodorant or my homemade deodorant. Both work for me
- Toothpaste in plastic for @solidoralcare . I love the mint one
Juergen’s swaps
- Disposable razor for safety razor
- Expensive anti-dandruff bottle shampoo for shampoo bar (he also uses my conditioner bar )
- Body wash and shaving gel for soap (he uses the soap as shaving foam as well as body wash)
- I forgot to add the deodorant. He uses one I make for him. Have a look for my stories in the coming days and I will will share this simple recipe
Kid’s swaps
- Baby shampoo for shampoo bar (they are is mild enough to keep the kids happy)
- Body wash/hand wash for soap. They usually get my failed experiments 🙂 I also make liquid soap from leftover. I will show this on a story this week
- Toothpaste in plastic for @solidoralcare . The kids love the bubblegum toothpaste tablets.
- Regular toothbrushes for bamboo toothbrushes
and we all swapped
- regular supermarket toilet paper to @greencanepaper packaging free toilet paper
- regular tissue boxes to Greencane plastic free tissue boxes
- regular cotton buds to Bamboo cotton buds (I got ours from @paknsave )
We have not changed all items overnight but rather replaced items that were running out or broken with more sustainable ones. This way you don’t have to spend a lot of money in one go but keep it more affordable and spread it over several months.
Plastic-Free July is a way to reach out to more Kiwis and encourage them to start their single-use plastic journey. It is important to see this as a journey where we take small steps to get towards our end goal. This may take a long time but every step forward is a step in the right direction.
There are many ways to reduce the amount of plastic in our life. And Plastic-Free July has fantastic resources that help with this.
I just want to share some changes we have implemented in our family over the last 2 years now.
Over the coming weeks I will share tips and tricks for the following areas:
I hope everyone can find something they are interested in and can as a next step to their journey. It doesn’t matter whether it is the first one or one of many. Every little counts.
“We don’t need a handful of people doing zero waster perfectly. We need millions of people doing it imperfectly.” - Anne Marie Bonneau
We can do this together.
Love, Martina
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