We’re pretty lucky here in Tauranga – we get to enjoy some great parks, walkways, a harbour and a fantastic coastline.

But we need to make sure we don’t take all of this for granted. There is an increasing awareness of how each of us impacts on our environment through the transport we use, things we buy, water we use and waste we create. It is up to the youth of today to keep the Bay of Plenty beautiful.

Each of us can make an effort to help.

Want to help? Great! But first you need to know what impacts you have and one way of doing this is by calculating your carbon footprint.

WASTE AND RECYCLING

The Bay of Plenty Regional Council has just launched a new directory to make it easy to find out what to do with your recyclable materials.

From clothing to batteries to tyres to toxic chemicals, it's suprising the vast amount of materials that can be recycled.  Some businesses even offer to come and pick things up at no cost.

There are many businesses that people aren't aware of and this directory makes it easy to find out what options are available locally. You can visit the directory by clicking here.  One the site, users can select the type of material they have and the directory will list the businesses which can take it.

The launch of the directory coincides with the recent upgrade to the Waste Exchange at: www.nothrow.co.nz. This site provides options to exchange materials across the North Island.

Calculating your carbon footprint
You can do this using the New Zealand Landcare Research carbon footprint calculator at http://www.carbonzero.co.nz/EmissionsCalc/login.aspx You will need to register on the website and then work out what information you will need to gather before you can complete the calculation. You could choose to do this at school, for your workplace or at home. Once you have your results you can start thinking about ways to reduce the impacts.

• ENERGY
• WATER
• WASTE