Plastic bags going - dog poo, maybe not?
They are *so harmful, nobody doubts that plastic bags need to be eliminated. BUT.. Christchurch has one of the highest populations of dog owners in NZ. And many use those dreaded plastic bags to pick up what the dog has left behind. Some have already tried the expensive compostable alternatives - and found that most fail, somewhat catastrophically! So my question is: Have those mayors who are voting out plastic bags (via a levy or such) actually thought this through? Are they planning to provide e.g. plastic-less, special dogpoo bins - necessarily separate from rubbish bins - where the pickup is no longer enclosed in a bag, and so can be disposed of by the council in an environmentally friendly way? Perhaps picked up by owners using (provided) scoopers? We need to think this through: When the bags go, what exactly are you taking with you when you walk the dog?
Some Choice News!
DOC is rolling out a new tool to help figure out what to tackle first when it comes to protecting our threatened species and the things putting them at risk.
Why does this matter? As Nikki Macdonald from The Post points out, we’re a country with around 4,400 threatened species. With limited time and funding, conservation has always meant making tough calls about what gets attention first.
For the first time, DOC has put real numbers around what it would take to do everything needed to properly safeguard our unique natural environment. The new BioInvest tool shows the scale of the challenge: 310,177 actions across 28,007 sites.
Now that we can see the full picture, it brings the big question into focus: how much do we, as Kiwis, truly value protecting nature — and what are we prepared to invest to make it happen?
We hope this brings a smile!
Poll: 🤖 What skills do you think give a CV the ultimate edge in a robot-filled workplace?
The Reserve Bank has shared some pretty blunt advice: there’s no such thing as a “safe” job anymore 🛟😑
Robots are stepping into repetitive roles in factories, plants and warehouses. AI is taking care of the admin tasks that once filled many mid-level office jobs.
We want to know: As the world evolves, what skills do you think give a CV the ultimate edge in a robot-filled workplace?
Want to read more? The Press has you covered!
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52.7% Human-centred experience and communication
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14.7% Critical thinking
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29.8% Resilience and adaptability
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2.7% Other - I will share below!
Share your favourite main crop potato recipe and win a copy of our mag!
Love potatoes? We will give away free copies of the May 2026 issue to readers whose potato recipes are used in our magazine. To be in the running, make sure you email your family's favourite way to enjoy potatoes: mailbox@nzgardener.co.nz, by March 1, 2026.
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