Kapiti is embracing this year's worldwide initiative Plastic Free July.
Encouraging individuals, organisations, businesses and communities to reduce single use plastic usage throughout July, the campaign has been adopted by more than a million participants in more than 130 countries.
As part of the initiative, Kapiti Community Centre launched three plastic free concepts to help locals take the pledge, including rubbish-free lunchboxes, plastic free shopping, reduced car use and reusable coffee cups.
Centre events co-ordinator Johanna Lloyd said the team had been overwhelmed by the popularity of the plastic free initiatives.
"It's really exciting to know that Kapiti residents are so interested in making a difference.
"The kid's edition pledge focuses on enabling rubbish-free school lunches and consists of a New Zealand made Sistema Bento Box, which eliminates the need for any lunch item packaging.
"The first 100 kid's pledges sold out in 48 hours, with a second 100 selling out in less than 24 hours."
Meanwhile, adults were being catered for with two pledges.
"The adult's edition contains a handmade Boomerang Bag and a Wellington made reusable coffee cup from IdealCup."
IdealCups, which are 100 per cent reusable, recyclable and BPA free, are barista grade and 100mm tall to fit under almost every espresso machine group head.
With the same volume as a standard takeaway cup, an IdealCup has internal markings for small and regular size drinks. Ms Lloyd said while figures for use in New Zealand were hard to come by, a study conducted by the University of Queensland determined that more than 1 billion coffee cups are consumed every year in Australia.
"While this is concerning, the real issue is that most disposable coffee cups are not recyclable due to a thin film of plastic coating on the inside of the cup called polyethylene," Ms Lloyd said.
"The cups all end up as landfill."
Along with Kapiti Community Centre activities co-ordinator Hanna Christiansen, Ms Lloyd had been the driving force behind the pledges, as well as the first Boomerang Bags on the coast, where donated material is sewn into reusable bags by volunteers.
"We're really looking forward to seeing how the Boomerang Bag initiative continues to grow on the Kapiti Coast," she said.
"Maybe we can be the first plastic bag free community in New Zealand."