So I recently go back from a family holiday to Niue, and wow was I impressed at the efforts they are making there to reduce waste.
Niue is a small island to the north east of New Zealand, near Tonga. It is known for its rocky landscape and is rumoured to have no sandy beaches, but we managed to find one or two. I was amazed at how pristine the island was! I mean, I did expect the water to be super clear, but I went 6 out of 7 days without seeing a scrap of rubbish on the ground or in the water. How awesome is that? Because to be honest, other islands I have been to are littered with rubbish unfortunately. Don't even get me started on Male in the Maldives...
I also noticed that everywhere we went, the cafe's or restaurants provided reusable, or paper straws. I'm still not too keen on the paper straws, but at least they are making an effort and if one ends up in the sea it won't harm the fish or whales.
Speaking of whales, every year between July and October the humpback whales come to Niue to give birth on their way to Antarctica. They go to Antarctica to have a smorgasbord of krill to fatten them up, and once they leave Antarctica, the have to last on that blubber they have formed for around 8 months until they come back to Antarctica to feed on krill again. Amazing right?! We went on a whale tour and were lucky enough to see a mother and calf, which was the most awesome experience. However, our guide told us that because of the warmer waters in Antarctica, not as many krill can hatch, which means there is less food for the whales, and because of this, the humpback population could be decreasing. They have noticed that the whales have been staying in Antarctica longer, because it take them longer to build up the blubber they need because of the lack of food. This is the scary reality of global warming, and why we need to do our part to help the planet.
We visited the Hio cafe in Niue, which is a beautiful open air shack overlooking the
ocean and surrounded in vines and palm trees. It is full of character with its up-cycled furniture and decorations. They use metal straws, and their coasters are fresh leaves. The food was amazingly fresh and delicious too. It's so nice to see them embracing the zero waste lifestyle so completely. And it makes the experience fun and unique!
Because everything in Niue has to come from New Zealand, they have to look after their things and hold onto them for a lot longer. It is difficult to just go and buy something new. I suppose this is why they learn to be so creative with how they use things, and up-cycle a lot. They do have cars on the island, but they are not allowed to import a car that is older than 15 years old. I found this out because there was a story on the local radio, that someone had tried to import a car that was older and they got in big trouble for it. And that is breaking news for Niue! There are a lot of rusted old cars on people's properties in Niue, I guess they don't really have an easy way to get rid of them once they are past repair.
I think if every country could take a lesson from Niue, and become more sustainable, we would definitely see a difference in the world. I love how Niue has embraced sustainability, and make it seem like it's not even a big deal. It's just their way of life.
