Our story

Hi, I’m Kristy!  I live with my ace-as husband, Davian and our curious and extremely lovable 11 year old, Savana (Savvy to her friends).  We live in a house looking out over Lorenzen Bay in beautiful Whāingaroa Raglan.

As a girl scout from way back (first girl in my troop!) and, having spent a fair amount of time in the great outdoors and learning about the impact we have on our environment, I’m a huge fan of not screwing over the planet.

Generally appalled by the political apathy in NZ on issues around waste, I’ve been to a few environmental protests over the years and, while I enjoyed the opportunity to rark up the powers that be, really...much of it felt a bit fruitless.  After the arrival of our daughter, I did my best to be an “eco friendly” mama, but it wasn’t until I stumbled upon the ultimate zero waste handbook, ‘Zero Waste Home’ (by Bea Johnson) that the lens of my understanding was pulled firmly into focus.

I realised that, if I wanted to live a life that walked the talk, I needed to make some changes.

So, in Jan 2015, I began leading our little troop towards zero waste.  I did a household rubbish audit and started looking for alternatives.  And, so far, it has been an epically satisfying creative challenge.  It requires rethinking a lot of stuff(!).  The motto, “be prepared” has never been more relevant, but, once you have systems in place and reusable tools at the ready, it’s pretty easy and it just becomes your new normal.  It hasn't required any major sacrifices and it’s only occasionally, out in the wasteful world, that I feel the urge to bang my head against the nearest wall.

Our wee troop is not literally Zero Waste, but we're damn close...and, I have to say, it feels pretty good.

The birth of EarthSavvy

When I first started trying to reduce our waste, it was like a challenging (and more than a bit pricey) orienteering event, sourcing all the bits and bobs that help to make this lifestyle possible.  I was scaling cliff faces, fording raging rivers, traversing mountain ranges...with a broken compass and a soggy map.

So, I thought, wouldn’t it be great if that process was streamlined...in the form of a helpful, well-priced zero waste shop?

And so, EarthSavvy was born.  Our focus is on zero waste starter “survival” kits with waste-busting essentials (which are also available for separate purchase) and we also run workshops across the Waikato region.

The good news is, zero waste living doesn’t require that you go bush, build a bivvy and live out the rest of your days with the tui and tuatara.  Quite the opposite, in fact.  Whether you’re out in the wops or city life is more your mug of milo, zero waste will fit your lifestyle.  Scout’s honour.

Ready for your EarthSavvy merit badge?  Follow us and Be Prepared for a Life Less Wasted.