Home & Garden - sustainability

A superb guide to the healthy and natural way to make the things we use every day in our homes and gardens. Contains a wealth of information on ways to save money, and easy to read and helpful advice on how to make your lifestyle more natural and sustainable.

The honey bee is a miracle. It is the cupid of the natural world. It pollinates crops; making plants bear fruit and helping farmers make money. But in this age of vast industrial agribusiness, never before has so much been asked of such a small wonder. And never before has its survival been so unclear - and the future of our food supply so acutely challenged. In steps John Miller, or rather in he bounds. Miller tasks himself with the care and safe transportation of billions of bees. He is descended from N.E. Miller, America's first... read more

Did you know that some baby wipes contain a substance which is banned for use in products which are inhaled? How many times have you wiped your baby's nose with a baby wipe? Find out how to make your own baby wipes and 84 other natural products to keep harmful toxins found in everyday products away from your baby. Step back in time and learn how our grandmothers cared for their babies in this easy to read, highly entertaining and thoroughly researched guide to the sometimes nerve-wracking business of having babies.

"Go Green" is an indispensable resource for the grown-up greenies who have accepted the philosophy and are ready to spread it - beyond just their own homes. "Go Green" offers user-friendly suggestions and case studies for individuals, schools, hospitals, businesses and communities on building or remodeling a green home, starting green programs in the classroom or at hospitals, and finding out what really matters about transportation, food, and renewable energy.

When it was published in 2005, Spotless immediately became a massive bestseller, and the success continued with Spotless 2. Packed with advice and solutions to stains, cleaning and household problems for every room in your house, these books were embraced by hundreds and thousands of readers all over Australia. Now, for the first time, both these classic household companions are available in one beautiful hardback edition. This handsome book will see you through many a domestic crisis, and its durable format means that it will beco... read more

From soaps, shampoos and fragrances to household cleaners and bug repellants made with natural ingredients, anyone can make a difference in the environment and their personal health. This book provides 101 recipes, with step-by-step photos, for consumers who want to make their own eco-friendly products. Personal products include bath soaps, perfumes, salves and ointments. Products for the home include window cleaners, laundry cleaners and insect repellants.

Save is full of clever ideas to help you get the most from everyday household items. In the process you'll save money, save time and save the planet! In Save you'll find out how to turn a lampshade into a wastepaper bin, create a mosaic from broken crockery, and make lip gloss from the last bit of your favourite lipstick. Learn how to revamp your tired-looking couch, how to tenderise meat using paw paw pips, and what to do with old ladders. Read advice on how to be a smart shopper, and find out how to make a leg of lamb last all we... read more

What could be more wonderful than being able to soothe your own and your family's aches and pains naturally? Here Melissa Corkhill gives advice for treating common conditions and illnesses at home using remedies provided by Mother Nature. In this book you'll discover how to treat non-serious complaints, such as coughs, colds and sore throats, as well as suggestions for easing the strain of more permanent conditions like eczema, arthritis and asthma. Packed with easy-to-follow recipes using herbs, essential oils and ingredie... read more

With the textile industry able to make cloth more quickly and cheaply than ever before, why make your own? The answer is simple: nothing could be more different and unique than hand-made textiles. Weaving your own textiles for use in clothing or furnishings is a rewarding and satisfying activity - with the added benefit of knowing that the whole process can be done just as well by hand, using almost no energy but your own! This book looks at where different fibres come from, how to grow and harvest your own vegetable fibres, and ho... read more

How New Zealanders can tackle climate changeClimate change has become one of the central issues of our time, yet it is an issue weighed down by messages of doom and gloom and a pervasive sense of helplessness about how we should effectively respond. This book offers a positive response by presenting solutions from a range of New Zealand experts, all of whom show how we can rethink our current practices, mobilise people and put in place new ways of doing things that will help create a carbon neutral society here in the South Pacific... read more

Bottlemania is an incisive, intrepid, and habit-changing narrative investigation into the commercialisation of our most basic human need: drinking water.Having already surpassed milk and beer, and second now only to soda, bottled water is on the verge of becoming the most popular beverage in the United States. The brands have become so ubiquitous that consumers are hardly conscious that Poland Spring and Evian were once real springs, bubbling in remote corners of Maine and France. Only now, with the water industry trading in the bi... read more

Outlines seven small steps that everyday people can implement for environmental benefits, from riding bicycles and practicing birth control to ...

Offers safe and effective alternatives for cleaning agents, spot removal and general cleaning around the home. By using non-toxic products to clean and remove stains, you are putting your family and the environment first. We all want clean and hygienic homes, yet many of us are concerned at the high level of chemicals being used. This guide shows you real alternatives!

Those of us living in the so-called Western World have looked at life a little differently lately. Turns out those hippies were right - building a society based on buying stuff then chucking it out hasn't left us in a great place. The planet's prognosis doesn't sound too rosy, a few men in suits have ended up with all the money, and most of our favourite foods are turning out to be toxic. Nana told us this would happen - "Waste not, want not" she said, knowingly. She also gave us strange homemade things in jars sealed with tartan m... read more

In this practical, straight-talking book, environmental scientist Blackburn targets three main areas: home, food and transport, and shows how small changes of habit can have a large effect. It is an essential book for every modern household, and a perfect gift for anyone who cares about the future. First published 2007.

What could be better than enjoying a glass of delicious home-brewed organic beer? This book includes everything you'll need to know to brew a variety of beers at home, from the equipment and techniques needed to a few inside secrets from a professional brewer. In this timely book, John Parkes demystifies the brewing process and explains in easy-to-follow terms how anyone can produce delicious beer with the help of just some basic equipment and a few key skills. Those new to home brewing will love the easy-to-follow instructions and... read more

Water is one of our most precious resources and today we are faced with the challenge of how we can make the most out of it. We know about recycling our bottles and cans and kitchen waste, but how much do we know about conserving water? Do we know how much water we use daily? Do we know how much we waste? With many practical water-saving and water-gathering tasks for the home and garden, How to Harvest Water shows us how we can do our bit for the planet. With the arrival of smart water meters and a general increased interest in gr... read more

As life gets busier and backyards get smaller, it is a challenge to grow food and live more sustainably. Janet Luke shows that it can be done. She calls it Gurbing or Green Urban Living - a way of working with nature to create a productive urban garden. There are no hard and fast rules, and it might just be a worm-farm on an apartment balcony or some herbs in pots but the basic principles are the same. This book evokes some of the methods used in traditional Kiwi backyards, with modern concepts like recycling, organics and using wa... read more

Making Your Home Sustainable is a practical and easy-to-follow guide for homeowners, builders and architects who are concerned about the effects of climate change and environmental degradation and want to do something about reversing the trend.