Did you know that Australians are one of the world’s largest consumers per capita in the world? We consume so much that records from 2006-2007 show that we generated 43.8 million tonnes of waste! Imagine what that figure is ten years later? We live in a throwaway society; mobile phones are tossed after a couple of years of use and obsolete furniture, white goods, and clothes are left on the street for collection every week while convenience food and takeaway containers fill our bins. Is there anything we can do? Will one change make a difference? The answer is yes! There are many tiny things you can do to change the way we consume and handle waste, without going completely bush and living off the land!
Here are some simple changes to your lifestyle which will reduce the waste and carbon footprint for your home.
Food Glorious Food!
Yes, we all need it, and there is still a perception that organic produce is far more expensive than generic supermarket brands. It’s true, if you look at the organic section of your supermarket, you might feel like you need to re-mortgage your home to purchase some organic broccoli. There are speciality stores that do have a high markup for organic foods, but seek out your local farmer’s markets and you’ll be surprised. Here you will get fresh local produce for a great price and without all the unnecessary packaging. Take a couple of re-usable bags down to the market and fill them with tasty fruit and veg for the week! By sourcing local produce, you are reducing the carbon footprint caused by food miles and your veggies are sure to taste much better than the pre-packed stuff in the supermarkets which has travelled hundreds of km in cold storage.
If you food prep your lunches/meals for the week, all your veggies are used up, and you won’t be throwing wrinkly potatoes, or brown lettuces in the bin. You’ll also notice that you save money this way too!
War on Wardrobe Waste
It’s almost too easy to hop online and by shirts, or a top for less than $50, have it delivered to your home or office for a couple of wears before it starts to fall apart, or you move on to buy another cheap item. If you have items of clothing which you haven’t worn for a year and are still in good condition, then donate them to your local charity shop so they can be recycled, re-used, and earn some much-needed dollars for a local charity.
Try and save up for a capsule wardrobe of higher quality items which you can mix and match throughout the seasons. Also, find out where your clothing and shoes were made. Are they mass produced from pollution-emitting factories overseas? Are employees treated poorly in sweatshops? Do your research and choose Australian owned and manufactured where you can.
Your Daily Coffee Is Adding To Landfill
Most Australians are unaware that take away coffee cups are not recyclable. We pop them into the recycling bin, thinking we are doing good, but what we are doing is contaminating the recycling bins with a non recyclable material. Invest in a keeper cup, or better still, get to the coffee shop 15mins early and take the time to sit in the cafe, read the newspaper, listen to a podcast, and start your day calmly and set yourself up for a positive day.
Share this information with your work colleagues too, and maybe plan a meeting at the coffee shop, so you all get to enjoy your morning caffeine, but without the waste.
Recycling Large Items
There will always be waste that you aren’t quite sure what to do with. Electronic items, broken white goods, Furniture, building materials and old paints and chemicals from the dark depths of your garage or shed. This is where a professional rubbish removalist Sydney can help. The experts can pick up all your waste and dispose of it accordingly for you. They pick it up, take it away and make sure that anything that can be recycled is at the depot.
These are all steps that you can implement today and see an immediate reduction in the amount of waste you are creating. Let’s try and reduce the waste Australians generate, one Aussie home at a time!
