Tips to help you be green
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A brighter shade of green
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Ever wondered what you could do to be kinder to the Earth?
Well, according to the Australian Conservation Foundation one of the most productive environmental action plans is to simply reduce your level of consumption. The ACF advises consumers to avoid adding to the waste accumulating in landfill and instead reduce, reuse or recycle.
So for those of you who want to take up the challenge of making 2009 greener and cleaner, here are 10 simple tips on how to reduce waste:
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1. Use scraps of paper on both sides for writing and printing.
2. Always buy recycled paper goods such as toilet paper, paper towels and A4 printing paper.
3. Compost green waste, brown cardboard and old newspapers in a worm farm or compost bin.
4. Contact your local council for information on their recycling programs for plastics, paper, metal, green garden materials, hard rubbish and toxic materials.
5. Use food storage containers with lids rather than foil or plastic wrap.
6. When grocery shopping, try and reduce the amount of food items you buy and avoid over-packaged junk food altogether. As well as helping the environment this will also help your waistline and wallet.
7. Grow something and eat it. If you are in a flat and don’t have the space for a vegetable patch, plant tomatoes and herbs in pots.
8. Convert your family and friends into buying less consumables for Christmas and birthdays. Instead, encourage everyone to donate to their favourite charity. And, if there are children involved, get creative and offer them an experience (such as a camping trip) rather than a disposable plastic toy.
9. Repair clothes instead of buying new. You can also go to garage sales, use Freecycle and swap clothes with friends.
10. Do not buy bottled water. Plastic is not good for the environment or your health. If you must choose plastic, at least ensure it’s BPA-Free.
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Recycling and saving water is now second nature to most Australians. But how can we be more eco-savvy in our day-to-day lives? bnext was brave enough to direct some fairly ignorant questions at the eco-experts. Here’s what they said.
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Can I chuck my greasy pizza box into the recycling bin?
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The answer is yes, as long as you give it a clean and remove any half-chomped-on bits of crust. According to Planet Ark there are a lot of recyclable materials that still end up in the dump as a result of ignorance or indifference. A quick scan of the Recycling Near You website will help householders wise up about just what they can reuse or recycle. Items that can be recycled include aluminium foil, envelopes with a window, empty steel paint cans and empty steel aerosol cans. Note: Just one small piece of non-reusable glass can stop a whole tonne of glass bottles and jars from being recycled. And remember, helping the environment is not just about remembering to recycle your old newspapers; it’s about trying to consume less.
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If I turn my appliances off at the switch but don’t unplug them will they still suck up electricity?
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No, unless the appliance has a standby mode. Sustainability Victoria advises that if there is a light on or the transformer feels warm to the touch this means electricity is being used. A 2005 study showed that standby power accounted for about 10.7 per cent of Australia’s residential electricity consumption. Sustainability Victoria says when on stand-by an appliance uses a substantial proportion of the total energy it consumes. For example, a TV set-top box uses about 18 watts while it is on and almost 17 watts on standby. Therefore, it is well worth switching it off, saving you both energy and money.
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I’m about to clean the bathroom. What do I reach for? Bleach or bicarbonate of soda?
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Household bleach and chemical cleaning agents pose a significant threat to the environment. The Department of Climate Change’s
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Living Thing website urges consumers to select commercial cleaning products that are both plant-based and biodegradable. It also points to a few common household ingredients that – as well as being safe on the environment – will save you money too. They include: bicarb (which works well on sinks and toilets); vinegar (which when diluted in a pump spray bottle cleans mirrors and chrome) and plant-based soaps.
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