Tips for a Sustainable Christmas
Tips for a sustainable Christmas
Australians are expected to spend millions of dollars in the lead up to the festive season and making the rightt choice is essential to become more sustainable.
Here are some ideas sourced from various organisations on how to give our environment a “present” this summer.
Tips for a sustainable Christmas
In 2004, Australians threw away $5.3 billion of food, equivalent to one tonne per household per year. That is more than 13 times the amount Australian households donated to overseas aid agencies in 2003 which was just $386 million. It’s also more than what was spent on universities and roads in the same year (The Australia Institute).
Food production and consumption is 28 per cent of the average household’s greenhouse gas pollution, almost half your 45 per cent of water use and represents nearly half the waste you send to landfill (ACF Consuming Australia 2007 and City of Sydney).
Christmas is always a time for good food and family so check out our tips for how to reduce the waste.
- Save cash by planning your meals and shopping with a list to avoid over-buying
- Buy locally sourced and seasonal food with limited packaging
- Grow your own herbs and vegetables in small pots where there’s plenty of sun
- Join one of the City of Sydney’s 10 community gardens
- A box of fresh, organic and in season food can be a great gift
- Ask the Australian Marine Conservation Society for their free Sustainable Seafood Guide
- Throw leftovers into salads, pastas, stews, soups, sandwiches, stir fries, omelettes, fry ups or rice
- Use food leftovers to feed your compost or worm farm
- Avoid disposable plates and cups or buy biodegradable ones which can be composted
- Bamboo plates will last and can be put through the dishwasher
- Reuse aluminium foil or put it in your recycling bin
Australians are also among the highest consumers of electronics in the world with an estimated 1.6million computers going into landfill in 2006, another 7.1million in storage and only half a million recycled. ("Advancing Australia" report from the Department of Communications, Information Technology and the Arts)
If you are planning to buy a music player, phone or computer as a present or you end up with unwanted electronics; you could.
- Donate unwanted presents to local charity shops and reuse centres like The Bower
- Donate or on-sell through online networks such as Freecycle or Scoodi
- Organise a swap party in your community or join a local group
- Look for products which have take back or recycling programs
- Buy presents which are durable, repairable and carry a good warranty
- Consider leasing a product rather than buying it outright
- Ensure your electronics have good energy star ratings
- Look for rechargeable batteries and recyclable or reusable cartridges, peripherals and paper
- Use recylced or pre-loved bags and paper to wrap your gifts. Tie your present with a bow instead of sticky tape and use paper that can be recycled.
- Check the Guide to Greener Electronics developed by Greenpeace for a rating of the major brands
