It was one of the biggest changes of our generation in Australia… some people celebrated; some people thought the world as they knew it was ending. It was the end of single use plastic grocery bags. Grocery shops were no longer giving them away with reckless abandon, and there was anxiety as a result. Ok, maybe that’s a little bit dramatic, but it was a big change for a lot of people. Reusable grocery bags have been heralded as the saviour of the environment and the eco-friendly alternative. But there are very convincing arguments for and against their use. Some points of view go as far to say that the so called ‘environmentally sustainable’ options are actually worse for the...
There’s a wise old saying… you never know the worth of water until your well runs dry. While not many people have wells now-a-days, the essence of the saying still applies. This is particularly valid when we live in the driest populated continent on Earth. Australia’s average rainfall is a scant 470mm per year. Source: wikipedia.com But us Australians don’t let that worry us! We are right up there with the highest users of water per capita in the world. We use an average of 100,000L of water per person each year. Leaving quite a gap between 100,000L and 470mm! While we aren’t totally reliant on rainwater to meet our water needs, we do still need to learn...
You may or may not have heard the term before – sustainable farming. Or you might have heard of one popular and very close relative of sustainable farming, called organic farming. Yes, these two are similar, and share many common methods, but there are some significant differences. Let’s look at why and how. What is Sustainable Farming? Sustainable farming is a system of agriculture that focuses on three main objectives: A healthy environment Economically profitable production Social and economic equity of the business and processes It’s a holistic approach that uses new technologies in land management, minimising soil depletion, compaction and salinity, and generally managing potentially negative impacts of farming processes. Efficiency and effectiveness are the focus. The motto...
It’s a very busy time of year at the moment. Whoever named this end of year season a ‘holiday’ obviously did not have children! Once you have survived the craziness of Christmas, and then revelry of new year’s eve, back to school and it’s very necessary preparation is hiding just around the corner to greet you! There are school bags, lunch boxes, stationery items, uniforms, shoes, hats, electronics and books to buy; the list seems to be never ending! So how can you do back to school in the most sustainable and environmentally friendly way? Read on for our top tips… The Three Rs No, we don’t mean the academic ones; we mean the sustainable three Rs: Source: urbanimpact.com...
Christmas can be a beautiful time of year. Full of love, laughter, family and friends, giving and receiving. It's the one time of year most of us look forward to for these exact reasons. But for some of us, Christmas can be a lonely and saddening time. Something may have changed throughout ones year to change their circumstance this Christmas or perhaps it's always this way for them. It's important to remember this and give back when we can. Volunteering. There are countless charities and not-for-profit groups around Australia doing so much for those in need year round. They're always in need of volunteers to help deliver goods, serve food or just lend a hand with whatever...
