30 ways to make a difference

  We love to find quick and easy eco friendly alternatives and the Furoshiki method of cloth wrapping is a perfect example of that! This Japanese cloth wrapping tecnique is wonderful for using up old scarves or scraps of material you have around the house. Wrapping paper is often single use and difficult to recycle or degrade because  of some of the materials used to make it. This includes glitter or the plastic lining much wrapping paper utilises. Cloth on the other hand can be used time and time again. Other alternatives include re using old brown paper bags or making use of  old gift boxes or shoe boxes. Old jam jars or tins are great for  gifting homemade cookies or other goods and  little cloth tote bags are a fantastic alternative to gift bags which are also usually lined with pesky plastic! There are so many ways to get creative with alternative gifting options that don't require wrapping at all! Why not visit our earlier post on gifting expereinces inste...

Australian women contribute more than 18 thousand metric tonnes of  sanitary waste  to landfill every year. Washable feminine wear is kind to the environment and your purse.  Feminine wear  comes in a range of pads and underwear as well as insertables such as menstrual cups and natural fibre tampons. Pads and underwear are comfortable, breathable and soft; while cups are made from natural latex and rubber. Importantly they do not contribute to landfill and can be reused as they have a very long life-cycle. #reusablefeminineproducts #washablepads

  Create your own eco-friendly cleaning products by using household ingredients. Vinegar, eucalyptus and baking soda, fresh lemon and essential oils form the basis of many home-made natural cleaners. Creating simple cleaning products for the kitchen and bathroom is easy and safe. Reduce waste, save money and eliminate toxic chemicals found in commercial products from your home. Natural cleaning ingredients support health and the environment. #ecocleaningproducts #homemadecleaningproducts 

ShareWaste connects people who wish to recycle their kitchen scraps and turn their waste into new soil and fertiliser with neighbours who compost, have worm-farms or keep chickens. By joining the ShareWaste community , you actively divert waste from landfill and connect with people in your neighbourhood. You can be a host or a donor and signing up is easy.  #sharewaste #compost #sharewastehost #sharewastedonor

Find your nearest street library and get involved in the book sharing community. Share your books, read them and pass them on. Encourage others to read and share their books too. Sharing books reduces waste while promoting literacy in your local community. What may be unwanted for one, will be treasure for another. #streetlibraryaustralia #streetlibrary

  Choose tap water – take a refillable water bottle with you wherever you go. Do not purchase single use plastic water bottles, they are too costly. It takes 3 litres of water and 250ml of oil to produce 1 litre of bottled water, this makes it more expensive than tap water . Less than 20 per cent of plastic gets recycled in Australia . By choosing refillable water bottles you are making the right choice and reducing waste. #reduceplastics #choosetap

  A welcoming place for individuals and groups, community libraries provide access to services, information, books, periodicals and media. Borrowing books and media reduces your carbon footprint by sharing them with the community. Libraries are valuable community assets where culture, learning and social connection thrive. Supporting your local library provides environmental and economic value. #communitylibrary #locallibrary

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

    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

      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.

 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? 

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

  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

  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.

  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!

  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!

  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!

  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!

  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!

  Organise clothes swaps in and around your community to reduce waste, and save yourself some money too! Did you know that the average person only wears about 40% of their clothes? Next time you feel bored with your wardrobe why not swap out an item instead of buying something new? Check out The Fashion Advocate for more sustainable fashion ideas!