Congratulations to Tahne Brown from Arana Hills in Queensland who provided the winning entry. Please read her inspiring entry below.
Sustainability is our life.
Every choice we make and every purchase we make effects our earth, and now it is so ingrained in our minds, that it is just second nature! Raising our daughter to make green choices is incredibly important to us. It is the one big thing we can do to ensure the future of this planet. At 4 years old, she now asks whenever we pick something up in a shop “Is that good for the environment? Can it be recycled?”
So how do we live sustainably? Consume less, reuse more, simplify.
Food-We turned our front lawn into an organic vegie garden, herb spiral and dwarf fruit orchard. Our backyard is home to our organically fed happy hens. The food we cannot produce ourselves we buy from the local organic farmers market (in season) and dry foods from an organic grocery bulk co-op which reduces our carbon miles and packaging. We are a vegetarian family, which also reduces our footprint significantly. We also support fair trade initiatives with fair trade chocolate, coffee and tea.
Cleaning- we use green cleaning methods for every mess – bicarb and vinegar clean so well! And we use old cloth nappies for cleaning cloths rather than disposable wipes or paper towel. Our personal hygiene products are also eco-friendly and non-animal tested. Many are locally made natural products and smell amazing!
Transport – For most of our trips we walk, ride or use public transport. For trips where a bus or train are not feasible, we carpool. We also use carbon offset programs.
Clothing – Much of our clothing is sourced secondhand from op shops, garage sales, and ebay. We also utilise “upcycling” , sewing old clothing and linen into new clothes. Pillowcases become skirts and dresses. Tablecloths become carry bags.
Garden:We are completely spray free and using organic gardening practices. When we purchased this property we set about revegetating a native rainforest garden. It supports the native wildlife, never needs watering and looks so beautiful. As a family we are part of treeplanting days and we remove rubbish from bushland areas and the beach.
Electricity- We have minimised the lighting in our house so that most of the time we only need one light on in the evenings. We use eco lighting including eco down-lights and a rechargeable LED nightlight for our daughter. We purchase 100% green power from our electricity company. Many of our meals save energy with one pot cooking in our energy efficient Thermomix. We turn off standby, fill the fridge so it runs efficiently, use a frontloader washing machine, and dry clothes in sunshine. In summer we cool our house with fans and use no heating in winter, just warm clothes and blankets.
Shopping- We give ourselves the consumer challenge to not buy anything new, and if we must buy new, to buy the most eco friendly version around. Its amazing if you search, that there are eco versions of just about every product! Biodegradable sticky tape, bamboo toothbrushes , biodegradable dental floss, organic cotton undies! And we always take our green bags! We keep jute shopping bags in the car ( most “greenbags” are not very eco friendly, but jute will biodegrade once its life as a bag is over) and fold up bags are always in my handbag so we never need use a plastic bag.
Waste:Many people say they need plastic bags to line the rubbish bin, but we find lining ours with old newspaper works just as well and will break down in our lifetime! We don’t use clingfilm or aluminium foil as they do not biodegrade, so instead we use reusable containers. We recycle everything we can, reduce packaging, and use chooks and compost for our food waste. We purchase compostable doggie bags for that nasty job! We take our reusable water bottles and coffee keepcups with us everywhere and I also have a set of reusable cutlery in a little pouch in my handbag for those times I eat takeaway lunch.(non recyclable, non biodegradable plastic cutlery infuriates me!)
Celebrations: Even our daughters birthday parties are eco friendly, with recycled paper invites, organic party foods served on reusable plates, and recycled paper party bags filled with eco friendly fairtrade gifts and packets of seeds for the kids to grow their own vegies and flowers. We also give gifts that are secondhand, homemade, or eco friendly. I scour opshops for good quality used toys. I sew gifts like felt foods, fairy crowns, utility belts and stuffed toys, We buy eco toys that last, like sustainability sourced timber toys , eco paint kits, and kids gardening gear. With the world of kids being flooded with cheap plastic toys, it can be a little more challenging to keep their birthday parties sustainable, but it can be done!
We can all make a difference, by adjusting our way of thinking to think earth first with every action and every purchase. Even the most eco friendly person can still continue to improve their sustainability. We have plans to upgrade to solar hot water, install a rainwater tank, and under floor insulation- when funds allow!
Please see below more great competition entries received. There are some great tips below to inspire us all to be more sustainable.
How to be more Sustainable – Donna, Crows Nest Qld
Sustainability is extremely important to our family. We have solar hot water and solar power. We grow some of our own food and we keep chickens for eggs, guinea pigs for fertiliser and we make lovely compost from all garden waste and food scraps. We shred our paper waste and use it in our veggie garden. We have planted fruit trees and lots of native plants for shade (free air con!).
We live in a small town where it is possible to walk everywhere. We reuse items wherever possible or find a new use for it such as an old basin which became drink station for the chickens and an old garbage bin is now a feed bin for the chickens. The chook palace was built from reclaimed wood. We keep all jars and recycle bottles and cardboard.
We installed extra water tanks for the food garden and we are very aware of the water we use in the showers. We don’t have air conditioning or heating – when it’s hot we wear light clothing and when it’s cold we rug up. We don’t leave anything on standby power if it is not needed and we always make sure we have a full load before using the washing machine.
We have stainless steel coffee cups that we travel with along with a flask. We don’t use chemicals or pesticides because we prefer to use natural methods. We eat very little meat and we eat what is in season.
We shop locally and try to buy local products to reduce the transport miles. We use eco bags for shopping and try to buy products with the least amount of packaging.
When we need anything we check places such as Freecycle or Op shops so that something old can have new life. We use our local library for books and when we do buy books they are digital. Magazine subscriptions are digital too. Old jeans become new shorts, old towels become new floor mats, old sheets become new rags and old rags become lovely compost.
All of this is second nature to us because we love our mother – Mother Earth that is.
How to be more Sustainable - Bob and Debbie, Wellington Point
“By not clowning around about helping the environment every day. Breakfast is with cereal that is purchased
from a local store in bulk and not packeted. Even our flour and dried fruits, nuts and many other baking products
are purchased this way.
My husband uses and electrical shaver to save on disposables, I use mineral makeup and
washing products are all biodegradable in a front loader washing machine.
Washing is done through the day and hung out to dry in the garage if raining. No dryer is ever used.
Food scraps are saved and taken to a friend who has chickens and she in turn gives us
fresh eggs.
Water savers have been fitted to all showers and in door taps and we use only fluro bulbs and have no standby
appliances left on. When we boil water we save the excess in a thermoflask to re-use for a cuppa.
Clothing as well as other household items are mainly bought from garage sales with only underclothing and shoes
plus things of a personal nature are bought brand new.
On our walks around the neighbourhood we take a biodegradable bag and pick up any rubbish along the way.
Our push bikes are used where poossible for transport locally.
Basically everyday we are thankful to have such a wonderful place to live with family around us and
terrrific friends that thats our sustainability.”
How to be more Sustainable – Ross Turner
While not fitting the hippy image, many people are surprised at our efforts to live a sustainable lifestyle.
After living on a rural property for a number of years, we learned to appreciate the importance of water conservation, dependent on rainwater tanks for all our water needs. Our children would exclaim in horror if they saw someone leave the tap running while washing their hands, much to the embarrassment of the water-wasting culprit!
Water restrictions due the recent water crisis were more than generous, with our family averaging 20 litres each per day, well short of the recommended usage of 150 litres. How could you use so much water?
Without a rubbish service, we were acutely aware of how much waste our household of four was generating. To reduce waste, we avoided packaging where possible and recycled what we could. Food scraps went to the chooks or the compost bin as appropriate.
Our waste water, treated on site was used to irrigate our native gardens.
Our slow combustion heater warmed the whole house, using offcuts from a local timber mill.
Regrettably, the time came to move house but we were determined to create the most energy-efficient, environmentally friendly home we could.
When searching for a block of land, the solar aspect was important to us and we found a beautiful acre block, enabling us to position the house east/west. The eaves shade the house in summer, but in winter, the sun streams in, naturally warming the house.
When we purchased our previous block, there were very few trees. The most impressive tree on the property, a massive crow ash tree, was destroyed by lightning! Our new land was covered in trees, with a covenant protecting the trees from removal. As closet tree-huggers, we were rapt. In fact, two-thirds of the land remains in its natural state, providing a haven for small animals and birds.
Solar hot water heating was a must, as was energy-efficient lighting throughout. Insulation keeps the temperature stable and two 5000 litre tanks provide ample water for toilets, washing machine and dish-washer, all energy-efficient appliances, of course. The water tanks also provide water for our vegetable garden.
Connecting to a sewer was not an option, so we selected an Eco-safe treatment plant over septic or other treatment options which use significant amounts of electricity to run. Our household waste water is treated to a higher standard than most cities or towns and provides a water supply for the new tree plantings in our little forest.
Lorraine, my wife, was not keen to have another slow-combustion stove, claiming that “they make too much mess!” I couldn’t see the problem – I was the one who had to clean it. It is still on my wish list. Maybe in the future.
Solar electricity was another item on the wish list, but the exorbitant cost put us off. Fortunately, Government clean energy initiatives allowed us to install a small system, helping to reduce our reliance on electricity generated by burning coal. We even generate a surplus at times which is sold back into the electricity grid. I believe that solar generating systems should be compulsory on all new homes. Imagine the savings and environmental benefits such a move would make.
Of course, vegetable gardens were a must, providing an abundant supply of fresh, cheap produce throughout the year and the time spent in the garden with our children is time well-spent. Growing vegetables at home is a great way to tempt fussy eaters to try something new. The fruit trees planted over the last couple of years are almost ready to bear fruit.
Chickens were not an option here, so we have employed a worm farm to help us reduce our waste, while providing fertiliser at the same time. It is amazing how the worms have reproduced in such a short time. Fortunately, we have friends with chooks, so we are able to exchange our surplus vegetables for eggs and chook manure.
While we now have a rubbish service, very little goes in the bin, not only due to our recycling efforts, but because we have reduced our dependence on processed foods, loaded with preservative and other additives, in favour of wholesome, well-prepared meals made from scratch at home. No processing means no packaging.
What surprises most people at our efforts to live a sustainable lifestyle, is our ordinary-ness. Our home looks like any other but it is the thought behind the design and our attitude to living that makes it different. Living sustainably is not only good for the planet, it is good for our health and good on our budget. We are satisfied that we are making every effort to live a sustainable lifestyle, yet we have given up nothing.
