Waste Reduction – Page 11 – Own Your Impact

Waste Reduction

10 Ways To Reduce Waste At Home

Reducing the amount of waste we create in the first place is the key to collectively cutting landfill in Western Australia. Here's 10 simple things you can do to reduce your household waste: BUY LESS If you buy less then you’ll naturally have less to throw out. Start by reducing your grocery shop. Chances are you'll then be throwing out less packaging AND less spoilt food. Push it a bit further and apply it to your clothing and gadget purchases too. Be sure to ask yourself if you really need it... if the answer is "no" leave it at the till. SEEK OUT...

Recycling , Waste Reduction

Hillcrest Primary School

WHAT WAS THEIR MOTIVATION? Hillcrest Primary School understood there was a need for robust waste management practices and both classroom and playground based learning opportunities if they were going to really embed a focus on sustainability and set a positive example for their students. As one of WA’s 450+ Waste Wise Schools they had a framework for change to work from and support to make it happen. But, with the basics in place, the wider school community (everyone from teaching staff through to the gardeners, canteen staff, students and parents) could still see further opportunities to make a difference and they wanted to...

Waste Reduction

Your Guide To Second-hand Living

There’s a lot of truth in the phrases “everything old is new again” and “one man’s trash is another’s treasure”. Embracing second-hand – either as a buyer or a seller – is an excellent way to reduce your household waste and own your impact. Not sure where to start? We’ve put together a guide to help you on your preloved journey to success. ONLINE SECOND-HAND DESTINATIONS Forget about ride-sharing, we think the rise of online marketplaces for second-hand items has been one of the most valuable outcomes of the sharing-economy! These are some of our favourite online places to shop,...

Household , Waste Reduction

What To Do With Old Clothes You Can’t Donate

Do you need to know more when it comes to knowing how to responsibly get rid of all of worn clothes, towels and sheets? Not everything can, or should be, donated to your local op shop. In fact, a good rule of thumb should be that if you wouldn’t gift it to a close friend or family member you shouldn’t be donating it to a charity to be resold in the first place. SO WHAT SHOULD YOU DO? Often after a big wardrobe clean out, you’ve separated out the items that are still in a good condition that can be...

Household , Waste Reduction

What Are Toy Libraries? (And Why They Make Sense!)

Let’s talk about toy libraries – a concept that is as simple as it sounds and one that is helping many families to own their impact AND save money. A LIBRARY FOR TOYS Access your inner-child for a moment and think about how exciting it would be to walk into a toy store and know that you could choose anything you wanted from the shelves and take it home with you that same day. That’s what it feels like walking into a toy library too. You choose the items that appeal to you, take them home, play with them and...

Household , Waste Reduction

Repair Cafes – What Are They And Where Can I Find Them?

The (almost) lost art of repairing broken objects is alive and kicking again in Western Australia thanks to the community-powered ‘repair cafés’ that are popping up around suburban Perth and regional centres. WHAT IS A REPAIR CAFÉ? Repair cafés (and labs) are grassroots community-based events helping to keep items out of landfill for longer. MENDING As the name suggests, the focus of these events is on repairing broken items. It costs nothing to use the service – all you need to do is bring along your broken item and an appetite to break up with waste. It could be anything...

Waste Reduction

Up For A Nudie Run?

Dude food is so 2018. Today it’s all about nude food. So what exactly is nude food? Well, it’s less to do with undressed salads and more about getting rid of excess packaging. HOW TO GET YOUR NUDE ON If you’re ready to embrace the nude food revolution, here are 5 tips to help you on your way. 1. BUY FOOD WITH LESS PACKAGING Whether you’re shopping at a big name supermarket, local provedore, weekend farmers’ market or speciality food shop – say no to the excessive packaging. Okay, no-one wants to put an unwrapped chicken in their shopping basket,...

Household , Waste Reduction

Taking-away The Recycling Confusion

Australians love the convenience of take-away food (we apparently spend around a third of our annual food budgets on it!). But convenience comes at a price – an abundance of plastic and cardboard containers. And even when we look to do the right thing and recycle those take-away items, we often get it wrong. So just what can and can’t be recycled once you’ve finished your take-away or grab-and-go snack? YOUR GUIDE TO TAKE-AWAY RECYCLING These on-the-go vessels and takeaway packaging should ALWAYS be placed in a recycling bin. ITEM EXTRA NOTES Plastic bottles Empty, lids off Glass bottles Empty, lids off Aluminium...

Recycling , Waste Reduction

How Wa’s Container Deposit Scheme Will Work

You might have heard that WA is getting its own container deposit scheme in 2020. From Tuesday 2 June, eligible containers will earn you a 10 cent refund if they are returned to one of more than 170 refund points around the state. This article shares what we know about the scheme right now, and what we can expect to learn closer to its launch. GOT QUESTIONS? WE’VE GOT ANSWERS! Q. WHAT IS A CONTAINER DEPOSIT SCHEME? A container deposit scheme is a program designed to help divert recyclable waste from landfill and reduce litter. A small deposit is added...

Household , Waste Reduction

The Buy Nothing Movement And How You Can Get Involved

The grassroots, volunteer-driven project has sparked a worldwide social movement with groups in 30 nations and around 150 active groups right here in Western Australia. HOW CAN I JOIN A BUY NOTHING GROUP? The only thing you need in order to join a Buy Nothing group is a Facebook account. The groups are hyper-local and you are only able to join a single group. The groups vary in size, depending on the number of participants, but in many instances they may just consist of people from a single suburb. The first thing you need to do is locate a group...