30 ways to make a difference

Mending clothes is a valuable life skill. It renews worn clothes and adds new life to old or outgrown items. Based on the Japanese art of Sashiko, Visible mending is a grass-roots movement that patches and embroiders clothes, in a sustainable, ethical and creative way. It is one arm of the slow fashion movement that resists the ecological toll of fast fashion by reusing, renewing and recycling; and choosing natural fibres and dyes to live more sustainably. #visibleMending #sashiko #slowFashion

Turn off the lights

Around 11 per cent of your energy bill is for lighting. Switching to LED lightbulbs and turning off the lights when you leave a room makes your home more energy efficient – because when you consume less power, you reduce the amount of pollution generated by power plants. This in turn directly helps the environment . #SwitchforNature #switchoff

Use the Sun to Dry Your Clothes

Save electricity by drying your clothes outside instead of in the dryer. Invest in a clothes airer so if the weather is not great you can still hang them up inside or on a balcony. Less money, less energy. Better for the environment. Your clothes will last longer Top 10 Reasons to Line Dry

Holiday At Home

The pandemic has changed the way we travel. Instead of going overseas we can travel at home. Explore what is around you. Check out small regional towns you might not have gone to before. When you get there shop locally. Find a great hotel in your own city. Hire a bike or a scooter and ride around and explore places you may not have seen before. Go for long walks. Good for the environment, better on your wallet. Good for local business. Holiday here this year.

Fruit Doesn't Need to be Wrapped in Plastic

When purchasing fruit and vegetables where possible select those that aren’t wrapped in plastic. Check out your local farmers markets and support local growers. Find one here Take your own bags. Even non-food items. How much packaging do they come with? Choose items with less packaging. #NoMorePlasticBags #LessPackaging #Choice #FarmersMarkets #ChooseLocal #Markets #FreshFruit

Making Cleaning Rags out of Old Clothes

Making cleaning rags out of old unused clothing items is a quick and easy way to repurpose something you might otherwise throw away and end up in landfill. We hope you found this little video a helpful tool in creating your own cleaning rags. If you arn't sure your t-shirts are ready to be downgraded to the cleaning cupboard just yet, why not have a look at our post on mending and give them a new lease on life intead?

Meal Planning Saves Time, Money and is Good for the Environment

Meal planning saves time and money. Make some time on the weekend to write down what you think you might be able to cook for the week. Go through some recipes if you need to. If you have kids get then to write it. There’s more chance of them eating and participating  Grocery shop for what you need. Once it becomes a habit, you will find you will be saving time and money on your weekly food budget. Less waste too. What is your go to easy weeknight meal? Let us know. Here are some more ideas about #MealPlanning A beginners guide to meal planning Online Meal Planner How to Meal plan by blogger Chaotically Yours with a printable planner #MealPlanning #MealPlan #SaveMoney #SaveFood #LessWaste #ZeroWaste #WhatsForDinner

Give Experiences Not Things

Finding it hard to think of what to buy people for presents? Purchase experiences instead of things. Think big like hot air ballooning for a special group present, or small like a massage or café voucher. Got a great attraction nearby? Purchase a membership at a museum or a local attraction. Do you know you of a great idea for an experience present? Here’s a great blog post with some more ideas and experiences And why experiences are better than stuff. Check out Red Balloon for experiences to purchase in Australia. #ExperiencesNotThings #GetCreative #PresentIdeas #MakingMemories

Donate to a Charity that Cares for the Environment

It’s coming up to tax time. How about making a donation to a charity that cares for the environment? Here are some that you might not have heard of Bush Heritage ‘buys and manages land, and also partners with Aboriginal people, to conserve our magnificent landscapes and irreplaceable native species forever’ Marine Conservation ‘Australia’s only national charity dedicated solely to protecting our precious ocean wildlife – a community of ocean lovers across the nation working for healthy seas.’ Friends of the Earth Australia ‘Challenge the current model of economic and corporate neoliberal globalization, and promote solutions that will help to create environmentally sustainable and socially just societies’ Green Fleet ‘Committed to protecting our climate by restoring our forests. We plant native biodiverse forests in Australia and New Zealand to capture carbon emissions on behalf of our supporters.’ #Charity #SupportCharity #Environment

Unplug at Night

We all have a habit of leaving our electronics and devices plugged in at night, but did you know even when fully charged they are still using electricity? You could save money by unplugging them. Find out other ways to reduce your power bill and check out this post on what you can save by unplugging. #SaveElectricity #Devices #Unplug #SaveMoney #30WaysToMakeADifference #Environment #ClimateChange #HealthyHabits #ShareThisPost

Make Friends With New Vegetables

Wanting to get more vegetables into your life? Challenge yourself to one or two nights meat free every week. How about trying a vegetable you have not tried before? Even eggplant? Find some great vegetarian recipes to try. A year's worth of meat free recipes 80 comforting recipes for meat free Monday #Vegetarian #MeatFreeMonday #MeatFree #MenuPlan #HealthyHabits #30WaysToMakeADifference #EggplantsAreUnderrated #30WaysToMakeADifference #Environment #ClimateChange #HealthyHabits #ShareThisPost

Grow your own kitchen herbs

Start your food growing adventure with kitchen herbs. Growing your own food is one simple way to develop ethically sustainable food habits . Herbs are nutritious and easy to grow in your garden, in pots and on window sills. Get down to your local nursery this weekend and see what is in season. #kitchenherbs #sustainablelivingaustralia

Discover the joys of walking

Walking is great exercise. It’s also great for the environment. Walking more and driving less is one way we can all help reduce the impact of greenhouse gas emissions on climate change. Walking to the local shops or taking the dog out is an easy way to feel good. It costs nothing and benefits the environment you live in by not contributing to air pollution. #leavethecarathome #walkforhealth

Buying Locally

Food miles are not good for anyone! Buy locally from small businesses to not only support your community but also reduce food miles, packaging, pesticides and preservatives! Honey is a wonderful place to start when looking for local produce. Urban hives are popping up in cities across Australia helping to reintroduce the ‘urban garden’ and supporting the critical environmental work of the honeybee.

Cashing in Your Cans and Bottles

A new initiative means that recycling can now turn you a profit! Rinse out your approved cans and bottles and cash them in at a returns centre. Not only do you earn 10cents per item but the earth will thank you too! Find out more at the containers for change website and remember to put all other recycllables in your recycle bin!

Growing Greens and Sprouts

Have you ever noticed how much of your supermarket greens come packaged in unnecessary plastic? From salad sprouts to baby spinach, eating your greens has never been so fraught with eco-warrior warning signs! But fear not, an easy way to avoid all that pesky plastic is to simply grow your own! Check out this post on growing your own sprouts for some inspiration!

Eating Seasonally

Reduce your food miles and environmental footprint by eating seasonally! Get familiar with what fruits and veggies are in season with this great guide . Did you know eating according to the seasons is an age old practice that can help to reduce your carbon footprint, and it tastes better too! Why not check out your local farms like I did for fun fruit picking activities to make the most of fresh seasonal produce!

Getting Creative with Leftovers

Lots of boring leftovers sitting in your fridge? Why not invite a few friends for a potluck picnic in the park? Leftover veggies can easily be baked into a yummy quiche, put into fritters or used in salads. Don’t throw out your leftovers if they can be used in another meal. There are lots of ideas to be found in this post by Delicious. Let’s get creative with leftovers Australia and help reduce our food waste!

Shopping From Farmers Markets

Stimulate your local economies and shop from farmers markets. Not only is the produce fresher and tastier but it is also better for the environment. Most small farms use organic farming practices and selling at markets helps reduce food miles and waste and pollution from packaging. Are you looking to support a farmers market near you? The Australian Farmers Market Association has a helpful search engine to help you do just that!

Utilising Compost Bins

Compost bins are a great way to reduce your impact on the environment. Kitchen and garden waste make nutrient dense and natural gardening compost with no nasty chemicals! Don’t have a garden? Most areas now have an organic waste collection to take your waste and turn it into compost for the agricultural sectors, horticultural programs and so much more. Interested in learning more? Visit t his pos t by The Spruce to find out how to create and utilise your own compost!

Organise Clothes Swaps!