How could you possibly live sustainably in an apartment? Don’t you need a bit of earth and a bit of space to crack sustainability? To find out, the How to Save the World podcast team is drawn out of the studio for the very first time to visit apartment dweller and advocate Angela Lees. 

Angela lives in a 60m2 apartment in Otahuhu, Auckland with two flatmates and two cats. It’s a sunny spot with a sweeping view of the Auckland isthmus, maunga and city. Angela, who works from home and keeps very busy with part time study as well, made a conscious decision to buy something small and central. It’s a choice that more and more urban New Zealanders are making, but the interesting thing is, sustainability was high on Angela’s agenda when she decided against a far flung house and section further out.    

In terms of sustainability every lifestyle has its wins and drawbacks, for those living in a compact space in highly populated areas, or perhaps considering it, Angela’s story highlights how apartment dwellers can be part of the solution. She embraces local shopping options, transport hubs and uses no additional energy to heat her home. And she also has thought through how to solve some of the trickier issues, like what to do with food waste.  

Angela lifestyle uncovers some surprising bonuses of apartment life and the episode is packed with tips and inspiration for

• Bokashi
• Composting in small spaces
• Gardening in pots, balconies and small spaces
• Life without house maintenance
• Connecting with neighbours
• Low carbon living
• DIY yogurt, kombucha and sourdough
• Visible mending
• Clothes swapping (shwapping)

Links to the shout outs in this episode: 

• Bokashi by Zing Bokashi
• Sharewaste, an Auckland based initiative for households with or wanting food scraps to directly connect. 
• Will and Able a company selling cleaning products that have a workforce of differently abled people, product stewardship and a social enterprise model. (Fantastic! But HTSTW would encourage you to check the ingredients against the Ecostore ingredient list, for more information)  
• Bin Inn - our old favourite bulk bin store. A great way to reuse containers and avoid plastic. 
• That Perfect Hour, Renee Williams, Visible Mending Instagramer

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