I adore the ocean. I grew up at the beach and have never lived more than 300 metres away from a sandy shoreline. As a teenager I walked home after school and arrived dripping wet; I cannot be stopped from dunking myself under salty waves, even in winter.  Whenever I visit the beach I apply the ‘take three from the sea’ rule and pick up rubbish, occasionally turning my walk into a full-blown beach clean-up, just to make sure I am caring for the place that fuels me. Unfortunately, the plastic items I clear away that I can see with my own eyes are not the only plastic threats to the ocean an ..read more

Businesses are finally starting to take responsibility for their impact and listen to the environmental values of their customers. While some are genuinely trying their best to do the right thing for the planet, others are taking advantage of their customer’s trust and goodwill: they’re greenwashing them. In this blog post I will explain what greenwashing is, teach you ways to avoid greenwashing, elaborate on how greenwashing can be stopped, discuss exciting examples of governments stepping up to ban greenwashing, and share Eco Choice Aotearoa’s principles and certification process so you can ..read more

Businesses are finally starting to take responsibility for their impact and listen to the environmental values of their customers. While some are genuinely trying their best to do the right thing for the planet, others are taking advantage of their customer’s trust and goodwill: they’re greenwashing them. In this blog post I will explain what greenwashing is, teach you ways to avoid greenwashing, elaborate on how greenwashing can be stopped, discuss exciting examples of governments stepping up to ban greenwashing, and share Eco Choice Aotearoa’s principles and certification process so you can ..read more

When Tim, my husband, and I sat down to plan our annual tour of Aotearoa New Zealand (I started touring in 2020, visited Northland in 2021 and launched my first book in 2022!), we knew it needed to be different. My usual tour format involves tour tickets launched months in advance, evening events with over 100 people, and a night of me talking about sustainable living to inspire positive behaviour change. Even though this structure has worked so well in the past, we knew it wasn’t right for 2024. We asked ourselves: What does Aotearoa New Zealand need right now? Connection. To be outdoors. To ..read more

During the year 2024 I will only buy New Zealand made food, preferably New Zealand grown too. After the success of my Wardrobe Freeze in 2022, I feel ready for another year-long challenge. Even though it was a last minute decision, I didn’t make it lightly. I considered multiple different challenges, scrutinising the impact of them at an individual and educational level (as a sustainability educator and social media influencer, I always consider the impact my challenges have on others ). 106 people have already committed to buy only New Zealand made food alongside me and I encourage you to joi ..read more

India is home to some of the world’s most talented seamstresses, designers, fabric weavers, and pattern makers. At the beginning of 2023 I accidentally met some of them. My husband, Tim, and I ventured to India to attend our friend’s wedding and spend time with his family. We decided to venture around the country and take three months off to explore India. As an ethical fashion influencer, I also have contacts with several brands who produce products in India, so I reached out. My casual contact and intent to visit just a few (if any!) turned into six factory visits and some of our most memora ..read more

I spent the first three months of this year (2023) in India. As a sustainable lifestyle advocate, the elephant in the metaphorical room is that I didn’t swim there… I flew. The decision to travel to India was not taken lightly. I was plagued with guilt during the decision making process as I asked myself questions like “does my desire to see my friends, visit ethical fashion factories, and explore a new country warrant tonnes of carbon emissions and negative impact on the planet I adore?” Obviously, I ended up answering ‘yes’ to this question but it wasn’t as simple as that. I do not believe t ..read more

My husband and I sleep upside down on Thursdays. No, not like bats hanging from the ceiling like you may be envisaging, but simply with our heads at the other end of the bed; where our feet usually are. We’ve done this since 2018 and we plan on doing it for the rest of our lives. Naturally, the question we’re asked most when people witness or hear about our Thursday night shenanigans (like when I was sharing a room with a friend on a work trip or Tim was in his bunk room at an outdoor camp) is why!? Changing perspective on life, coming up with new ideas, and making sure I am never in a rut, ar ..read more

This seems a strange question to ask as I watch kids gleefully play in the grass. Perhaps I should ask the eldest of the group who I know loves to pick up rubbish on the beach “do you think your parents shouldn’t have had you because of environmental reasons?” I know that’s brash. But this conversation is going to be hard. I need you to prepare yourself for a rollercoaster; a thought experiment that will push all your buttons and challenge your deepest values no matter who you are. I also need you to know my personal history with kids before I start to play devils advocate for all sorts of arg ..read more

When I first started investigating the ethics of fashion companies, one of the first questions I asked was “Do you pay your staff a living wage?” I quickly realised that this question was not as simple as I wanted it to be and the answers I received weren’t always helpful in my quest to understand if the brand was one I wanted to purchase from (if they were ‘ethical’ or not). I longed for the living wage to be the golden ticket to identifying if a brand cared for their employees. But just like everything in the world of environmental and social sustainability, it’s not that simple. I’ve kept a ..read more