Dispatch from NZ: A Yankee Among Kiwis

Per person, Kiwis use about 39% less energy than Yanks.

For the next six months I’ll be sharing sustainability dispatches from New Zealand, as my wife and I leave our home in Maine for a camper van and AirBnBs in Aotearoa me Te Waipounamu (the North and South Islands). For a sustainability super fan like me, this is a land of delightful surprises—from the composting rubbish bins in the airport, to the dedicated bike lanes in the streets.

Flying Air New Zealand to Aotearoa, the land of the long white cloud.

Every other week I’ll compare how New Zealanders and North Americans practice sustainability. On first impression, people in New Zealand enjoy the same quality of life, using a lot fewer resources. The climate is similar, vehicles are about the same size, buildings are just as well built and spacious, and the general vibe feels like Maine except everyone has a cute accent and seems quite fit.

While our countries are roughly equal in level of economic development, the energy consumption per capita of New Zealand is just 61% of the United States. If North Americans were able to match our south-of-the-equator friends in energy efficiency, we could shut down all of our coal and nuclear power plants. The overall theme of this first dispatch is that Kiwis show that we Yanks could become much more sustainable while improving our standard of living.

Here are a few sustainability details that have caught my eye here in Christchurch:

• People separate garbage into three categories: “rubbish” to landfill, “organics” to compost, and “recycling” to recycle.

• Wooden, not plastic, utensils are standard for takeaway meals.

• Water-saving low-flow dual-flush toilets are everywhere.

• To get around quicker, people use electric scooters on “footpaths” (sidewalks) and e-bikes on dedicated bike lanes.

• New Zealand electricity is 230 volts at 50 hertz—and all of the outlets in our rented apartment are switchable (i.e. can be turned on or off at the wall plate).

As sustainability champions, perhaps we can import good ideas from New Zealand and put them into practice into our own communities!

Colour-Coded Rubbish Bins

Composting is the most significant step we can take to improve our waste management system. Colour-coded (down here they like to stick in an extra “u” in words like “color”) standard symbols make it easy for everyone to put the right kind of garbage in the correct bin.

In Christchurch, landfilling is red, composting is green, and recycling is yellow.

Here’s how it works in Christchurch:

• a red square is for rubbish to landfill,

• a green circle is for organics to compost, and

• a yellow triangle is for recycling to recycle.

Less Plastic, Please

You can get takeaway (food to go) without plastic.

Our takeaway meal in the Christchurch airport was plastic free.

Half Flush for Number One

We felt right at home with water-saving low-flow dual-flush toilets.

Australia pioneered the idea of separate buttons for number one and number two.

People flush toilets on average five and a half times per day, so having the option to choose a full flush or half flush adds up to significant water savings.

Electric Micro-Mobility Is Massive

You can’t help noticing all the electric scooters when walking on the “footpaths” (sidewalks) in downtown Christchurch.

Lime electric rental scooters are on every block.

And when crossing the street, you can’t help noticing the dedicated bike lanes.

Cars share the road with bicycles and electric trolleys in Christchurch.

Electric bikes are a viable commuter option, with amenities such as charging stations and covered parking available in the downtown.

It is true that bikes are beloved in Otautahi.

If you need to top off your battery, you can plug in your e-bike while it’s parked.

We felt like we were back in Japan with covered bike parking.

Higher Voltage, Smaller Wires

Like most of the world, New Zealand uses a higher voltage than the United States.

This is the nicest, neatest electrical panel I’ve ever seen.

Residential electricity in New Zealand is 230 volts 50 hertz, which means two things:

1. residential wiring can use smaller gauge wire, saving resources, and

2. devices from the United States probably need an adapter.

Plugs in New Zealand are similar, but slightly different.

In our AirBnB, each outlet is switchable on or off!

More Dispatches to Come…

We’ll be picking up a camper van on Monday and heading down to Dunedin to explore the southern island. I’ll keep collecting sustainability observations and share my next dispatch in two weeks. Let me know if you have any sustainability questions or anything you’d like me to explore for you while I’m here. Until then, cheers!