You don’t need to completely change your lifestyle, drain your budget or live on a farm in order to live more sustainably. There are many simple tasks you can do in your everyday life that will lessen your impact on the environment.
Energy consumption
Leaving lights and appliances on unnecessarily will not only inflate your power bill, it will also waste a lot of electricity. Replacing halogen or incandescent lights with LED bulbs or compact fluorescents (CFLs)will have a big impact on your bills, plus LEDs and CFLS will also last much longer than regular lights.
Food waste
Reducing the amount of food you end up throwing out is one of the best ways to live a more sustainable lifestyle. In Australia alone, over 7 million tonnes of food is wasted each year, costing the economy around $20 billion. Only buying what you need, such as at a supermarket or greengrocer when you can get precise portions, is one way to reduce your food waste.
Compost/Worm farm
A compost bin or worm farm are two easy ways to dispose of many kinds of food waste. The added benefit of both is that you’ll then end up with nutrient-rich soil which you can use for other garden projects, such as flower beds or a veggie garden.
Veggie garden
A veggie garden doesn’t need to take up a huge plot of land. In fact, you can even get pre-constructed veggie gardens that will fit on an apartment balcony. But if you do have the space, there are heaps of vegetable varieties that you can easily grow yourself, and then have the satisfaction of using in your own cooking, while cutting down on waste.
Toilet paper
Gone are the days when all recycled toilet paper felt like sandpaper. Many brands are now available which feel soft, even though they’re made from 100% recycled paper.
Junk mail
A lot of advertising material either gets glanced at once or not at all and is then thrown in the bin. By having a ‘No Junk Mail’ or ‘No Advertising Material’ sticker on your letterbox, you can help to reduce the amount of paper being wasted.
Soft plastics
It’s unfortunate that a great deal of products are still encased in soft plastic, as few councils will recycle this plastic. However, Coles and Woolworths supermarkets have bins where you can dispose of soft plastics, so it’s worthwhile having another small bin at home where you can gather the soft plastics for collection.
Water
Australia is no stranger to drought, so reducing your water consumption is always a great idea. There are multiple ways you can do this, such as by having shorter showers, installing a water-efficient showerhead, or buying a more efficient washing machine or dishwasher.
Driving
While cars generally now expel fewer greenhouse gases than they used to, limiting their use when possible is a very sustainable practice. If you’re able to take public transport, walk, cycle or car pool rather than using a car just by yourself, you’ll greatly reduce your carbon footprint.
Support local
Whenever possible, choose to buy a product made locally and from local ingredients/components, rather than one from overseas. Having a product flown or shipped in will increase the amount of carbon emissions related to the product. While offsetting these emissions may help, it’s better if they’re not emitted in the first place.
These 10 tips are just the start of how you can live more sustainably. CERES runs workshops and courses and has a range of resources to help you live a more sustainable and healthy lifestyle.
