Te Awamutu sisters start business to help others work towards being waste-free

Mum, Bertie Pendleton, often helps the three girls to make all the products. Photo / Caitlan Johnston

Three Te Awamutu sisters on a mission to be waste-free have started a business to help others on the green path too.

Nine-year-old Sophie, 7-year-old Harriet and 4-year-old Isabelle Pendleton, with assistance from mum Bertie, started Pickle, Peach and Plum last month.

Their business began with wheat-bag hand warmers but they have already expanded their range to include reusable face wipes, beeswax wraps and fabric popcorn bags.

"We made some hand warmers for our pockets because it was cold when we went to catch the bus in the morning and then we decided it would be quite cool to maybe start a business," says Sophie.

"It was purely their idea, we then talked about it and we thought why not? Let's give it a go. We've got quite a lot of interest already, they're doing really well with it actually," says Bertie.

The girls run their business from a Facebook page that has garnered more than 100 likes already.

They also sell their wheat-bag hand warmers at The Store Room on Alexandra St.

"My goal is to help stop pollution and to find some ways to improve and try to encourage more people to stop using plastics, so we thought making reusable face wipes, beeswax
wraps, popcorn bags would be a good start," says Sophie.

On their Facebook page they also share useful tips on how to minimise waste and share with their followers what products to use and what they're doing towards being waste-free.

At the moment their family are trying PopPack toothpaste tablets and Sophie recently shared a post encouraging people to take their own containers when going to get sushi.

From left, Harriet, Isabelle and Sophie started Pickle, Peach & Plum last month and offer wheat-bag hand warmers, bees wax wraps, reusable face wipes and fabric popcorn bags.

"We're just doing one change at a time because it can be a bit daunting. So we look at what we've got and think maybe what we can do next week to reduce the plastic," says Bertie.

Sophie is so passionate about being waste-free that she and friend even set up a club at the school she and her sisters attend, Pokuru School.

Twice a week the students in their Save the World Club meet at lunchtime and play games, talk about ways to be waste-free at home, make posters and they've even made beeswax wraps together.

Sophie says they are currently planning a waste-free disco.

"Usually our discos have a lot of plastic like lolly bags, mini fizzy drinks and chocolate wrappers but this time we're going to have like a lolly tray and you just scoop them out
into a paper bag," says Sophie.

The girls have decided that at the end of the month they will donate a portion of their profits to a charity that aligns with being waste-free and the environment.

"I'm really proud of them to have the initiative even think about doing something like this, and then following it through from the thought process to actually doing it and to where we are now," says Bertie.

"It's really exciting and we're so proud of them."

To view and purchase any of the girls' products visit their Facebook page, Pickle, Peach & Plum.