SOS ideas, stories and tips
Thanks to all SOS participants who sent in their tips on how to 'Shop with Care'. See some of the great examples below.
Shop with Care Tips!
- Purchase products that use less packaging
- Reuse empty water bottles instead of purchasing new bottles
- Don't forget to take your reusable shopping bags with you (leave them at the door or in your car)
- Buy local or Australian made products
- Shop with a list to avoid purchasing extra items
- Purchase refillable items to reduce waste
- Purchase environmentally friendly products, such as phosphorous free laundry products.
- Where possible purchase natural and unprocessed foods
- Walk to the shops or use public transport
For more information on smart shopping and smart cleaning click here.
Peter Arnold of Quakers Hill writes;
- "I have two compost bins one which is now just about full
- When I shop I use and reuse my own bags
- I try to purchase as few packaged items as possible
- I am a vegan. Studies suggest that a vegan diet has a lower overall impact (environmental footprint) on the environment than a omnivorous diet
- I turn off all my electrical appliances at the power point and do not have appliances on standby
- I take short showers
- I recycle as much as possible
- I do not have a car and do not wish to purchase a car. Instead, I use public transport. Sometimes I take a lift with neighbours. Otherwise I walk extensively
- I do not use a dish washer and when I wash I use the used water to water my plants
- I purchase very few books as I frequently use Blacktown library. I read most magazines and newspapers on line
- I do most of banking and pay bills on line
- My house is insulated. As such in the summer I very rarely use the AC unit."
The Kemp Family from Quakers Hill place the following items in their recycling bin:
- washed crushed cans ("not aluminium, because my son likes to cash those in at the Cash-a-can centres and earn some pocket money")
- washed squashed plastic milk containers clean paper and cardboard
- crushed cardboard boxes
The Sieradzan Family from Blacktown do the following around their home to reduce their impact on the environment:
- "We have started a worm farm for all our food scraps
- Grass cuttings are thrown back on the garden or in our compost bin
- Every couple of months I lay wet newspaper down and throw the cutting straight onto the garden
- We try to buy native plants or water tolerant plants. We are trying to start a garden to compensate for our carbon admissions. We will in the future have a fruit/veg garden too.
- We recycle everything we can and try to reuse first. For example sports drink bottle are kept and we have red cordial. We reuse jars for storage of food or sewing items. We write shopping lists on the back of old envelopes, then recycle it once the shopping is done.
- We use enviro bags instead of plastic bags. If we use plastic bags, we recycle them at the local supermarket in the bins provided.
- We only have one car, instead of two
- We keep the water after dishwashing in the kitchen sink and through it on the lawn
- We use half flush on our toilet in most situations
- We have installed high water rating taps and showerheads and are fixing any leaks. We have a water efficient washing machine and rarely use a dryer.
- We are replacing all lights to energy efficient lights
- We have thick curtains and blinds to hold cool and warm air in when needed and try not to use heaters or air conditioner
- We are looking into getting roof insulation
- We always cook in bulk and freeze the rest to reheat in the microwave
- We use a rice cooker, as it is more environmentally friendly then the stove (as on the Carbon Cops ABC TV)
- We have gas hot water and stove
- We are looking into getting a water tank
- We buy most food fresh, with little packaging
- When purchasing electric goods we buy energy efficient goods, even if we have to pay more. We really can't put a price on our environment!".
Share your ideas, stories or tips here.