Your eco-footprint is a measure of how many resources you use and tells you whether you tread heavily or lightly upon the planet. Simple acts that reduce your energy and water use, not only benefit the environment, but also helps you save money!
We have provided some useful tips to help you live more sustainably in and around your home.
Taps and Showerheads
Choosing taps and showerheads that use less water is a simple way you can reduce your water use. Taps fitted with aerators reduce flows by up to half, and provide 'softer' water. AAA-rated showerheads use less than half the water of a standard showerhead - over 10 years this saves up to 250,000 litres of water!
Appliances
Appliances such as dishwashers and washing machines are also rated on their water efficiency. AAA-rated dishwashers have more effective spray systems and make better use of the water used during wash and rinse cycles. Many washing machines use more than 40 litres per kilogram of clothes, while AAA-rated models use less than 22 litres per kilogram. Front loading machines generally use less water than top loaders of the same size.
Toilets
AAA-rated dual flush toilets use only 3 litres of water for a half flush, compared to 12 litres for a single flush toilet.
For more information on saving water, try the Waterwise website.
Australians are now the highest per capita emitters of greenhouse gases. There are simple changes that can make your home and lifestyle more environmentally friendly – and in most cases, it will save you money too!
Hot water accounts for nearly one third of the energy use of a typical WA home! Save energy and money by choosing a solar or energy efficient hot water system, fitting water efficient taps, showerheads and appliances, and taking shorter showers.
Heating and cooling costs are more than one quarter of a typical household power bill. If you are building, buying or renovating, think about insulation for floors, ceilings and walls. Effective house design and orientation can make your home naturally comfortable and energy efficient. Energy Saver: a light coloured roof will reflect more of the summer sun.
Choose efficient white-goods with top star ratings. Try not to buy appliances that are larger or more powerful than you need, or leave them on all the time (standby mode still uses power). Washers, dryers and dishwashers are most efficient when used for full loads. Energy Saver Tip: good air circulation around the coils at the back of the fridge can save up to 150 kg of greenhouse gas each year!
Recycle, and buy recycled goods wherever possible. Recycling 1 tonne of plastic saves 992 litres of petrol compared with producing it from virgin materials.
There are plenty more energy saving tips available online.
Everything we eat, buy, wear and use has come from the natural environment, and will eventually need to be disposed of. Before you put something in your shopping trolley, think about what the product is made of, how it’s packaged, where it comes from and where it will go once you’ve finished with it:
Choosing products that are made from recycled or recyclable materials conserves energy and natural resources, and reduces waste going to landfill.
Buying items such as books, furniture and clothing second-hand benefits the environment by reducing use of raw materials as well as the amount of waste going to landfill.
Packaging is a major component of household waste - by avoiding products with excessive packaging, consumers can encourage manufacturers to use only essential packaging.
Buying in bulk can also reduce the amount of unnecessary packaging - smaller cans, bottles and boxes use more packaging materials per kilogram of product.
Preparing meals and snacks at home instead of buying takeaways and convenience foods can make a huge difference to the amount of packaging waste from each person.
For more information, try Shop Smart Buy Green, ‘A Consumer's Guide to Saving Money and Reducing Environmental Impacts’ or the Department of Environment and Conservation’s Waste Wise website.
Closing the Loop
There are real benefits to the environment when we buy products made from recycled materials. For example, each tonne of paper recycled saves almost 13 trees and 4 cubic metres of landfill. It also saves 2.5 barrels of oil, 4,100 kWh of electricity, and 31,780 litres of water during the manufacturing process!
However, in order for recycling to be viable for manufacturers, there must be a market for the recycled products. When people buy the products made from recycled materials, this is called ‘closing the loop’. When consumers choose products which contain recycled materials, or which can be recycled, manufacturers and retailers are encouraged to think about waste and recycling.
Plastic Bags
Every year Australians use over six billion plastic bags, which can take up to 1000 years to break down. Apart from contributing to landfill, these bags often end up littering the bush, rivers and seas and killing marine animals.
The best solution to the plastic problem is using alternatives to plastic shopping bags such as cloth or string bags, baskets and crates. If you do use plastic shopping bags, reuse them or recycle them.
Mobile Phones
Mobile phones can cause serious problems if disposed of to landfill, as many contain toxic substances such as cadmium.
Old mobile phones can be reused or recycled. Working phones can be reused and broken phones can be recycled to recover the materials – every 50,000 mobile phones recycled yields approximately 1.5 kg of gold!
Most retail mobile phone shops have drop-off facilities to collect old phones. For details of your nearest facility and other information, visit www.phonerecycling.com.au.
Green purchasing is about considering the environmental impact of materials and services when making purchasing decisions. The principles of green purchasing are based on those of the waste hierarchy:
REFUSE – Excess packaging & materials
REDUCE – The amount of materials you use
REUSE – Repair and sell things you no longer use, consider buying second hand
RECYCLE – Everything you cant refuse, reduce and reuse!!
You can choose to buy products that have been developed with the environment in mind. Consumer preferences can be a strong force for change, as it sends a message to manufacturers about considering environmental issues when developing their products.
Here are some ideas to reduce your impact on the environment when purchasing items:
- Avoid buying products with unnecessary packaging
- Buy products in packaging that has recycled content
- Buy products in concentrated form eg. Washing powder, detergent
- Choose products that have refill available
- Avoid disposable products such as napkins, plates and cutlery
- Reuse plastic bags, or return to the supermarkets for recycling
- Buy fresh food rather than packaged or processed
- Buy products that are locally made
- Organic foods are produced without pesticides, fertilisers, preservatives and other toxic chemicals and are therefore better for you and the environment
For more information on Sustainability see :
Western Australia : Act Now - home
Australia : www.ea.gov.au/esd/
United Nations : www.un.org/esa/sustdev/
Or contact the Environmental Planner – 9405 5000
Sixty percent of all scheme water used in the Perth area is for watering lawns and gardens! There are plenty of ways to create a waterwise garden:
Soils
Improve the water and nutrient holding capacity of your soil by using mulches and soil conditioners – compost and worm castings are great natural soil conditioners and fertilisers. A fifteen-centimetre layer of mulch will greatly reduce water loss from the soil, while still allowing water to penetrate. You can also find out the soil type of your garden and choose local native plants to suit.
Planning Your Garden
A garden that has been planned to be water efficient can reduce your water bills, and require less work to maintain. Minimise lawn by using paving or mulches, or choose drought resistant varieties (such as Couch, Saltene, Kikuyu or Buffalo). Apply the principle of ‘hydrozoning’ (grouping plants and trees with similar watering requirements).
Choosing plants
Planting species that are drought tolerant, or already adapted to the local climate, can really reduce the amount of water that your garden needs. Dry gardens don’t have to be dull or boring! Gardening with local native plants reduces green waste, saves water, reduces maintenance needs and can attract native birds to your garden.
Irrigation
Use sprinklers that produce coarse sprays of large droplets to minimise wind drift and evaporation (you can test the efficiency of your irrigation system using catchcups). Water lawns and other areas with high water requirements separately to the rest of your garden.
Greywater provides an alternative water source to keep your garden and lawn green, especially in times of drought and water restrictions.
More tips can be found on the Act Now website.
There are important groundwater resources and a number of significant wetlands in the City of Wanneroo. Groundwater and wetlands are easily polluted, which can result in loss of biodiversity, or cause algal blooms and midge problems. There are simple actions you can take to help prevent pollution of groundwater and wetlands:
Stormwater drains are just for rain! Be careful how you store and dispose of paint, oil and chemicals – they can pollute groundwater and wetlands and kill frogs, fish, turtles, birds and plants. Don’t let leaves or lawn clippings wash into drains - they release nutrients as they rot, and can contribute to algae and midge problems.
Don’t use more fertiliser and water than your garden needs! Not only will you be wasting money, but the dissolved nitrogen and phosphorus will seep into groundwater or wash into drains and end up in your local wetland. Slow release fertilisers are best.
Plant a native garden! Local native plants don’t need fertiliser to stay healthy. Native plants also require less maintenance than exotic plants, and can attract birds and butterflies to your garden.
Don’t wash your car on the driveway! There are high levels of phosphorus (one of the two main nutrients that algae needs to grow) in most detergents. Instead you can use phosphorus free detergents or cloths that don’t need detergent, and wash your car on the lawn.
Join or form a Friends group to look after a wetland! Get involved with a friends group like the Yellagonga Catchment Group. Friends groups care for wetlands through monitoring, revegetation and weeding, raising public awareness, and assisting Council with long-term management and restoration programs.
Composting and worm farming are useful and beneficial activities that can reduce your impact on the environment by reducing the amount of organic waste disposed to landfill. About two-thirds of all household waste is suitable to be recycled in a compost bin or worm farm.
Household waste such as food scraps, weeds, lawn clippings, leaves and garden prunings can be recycled and turned into compost.
By composting your greenwaste and using it on your garden, you can:
Save water - Water retention of the soil is increased by reducing evaporation from the soil surface and by increasing the amount of organic matter in the soil (which acts like a sponge for moisture).
Save on fertiliser and soil conditioners - Compost contains nutrients that are available to be used by plants. It also helps to retain artificial fertilisers, which are prone to leaching out of sandy soils.
Reduce household waste - both garden waste and many kitchen scraps are suitable for composting. This helps extend the life of landfill sites and reduces the problems associated with water leaching through landfill waste and greenhouse gas emissions from landfills. As an added bonus, it will also help prevent your bin from smelling bad!
Have the best garden in the street!
A range of compost bins and worm farms are available from the City of Wanneroo. The correct bin for your garden will depend on the amount of space available, the size of your garden and which type will work the best for you.
Download a compost bin and worm farm form.
Contact Waste Services on (08) 9405 5000 for additional advice and information about composting or worm farming.
Whether you own your own business or would like to make a difference where you work, no matter how big or small your workplace, you can take steps to reduce energy emissions and save money –
1 - Do an energy and/or environmental audit - Understand the impact your company is having on the environment by auditing your energy use, emissions, waste and other environmental impacts. Once you know, develop a strategy to reduce these impacts over time
2 - Buy renewable energy/GreenPower - Countries like Australia, Germany and the US offer energy for consumers from renewable sources only such as solar, wind and geothermal energy. If you have the opportunity, make the switch and you can save an average of 7 tonnes of emissions a year - see www.greenpower.com.au.
3- Green your event - When holding conferences and other large events do what you can to reduce its environmental impact buying locally, choosing energy-efficient and environmentally aware venues, purchasing renewable energy/GreenPower and offsetting remaining emissions.
4 - Open the windows, turn off the air con - Air conditioning is one of the biggest users of electricity in the summer and a great contributor to greenhouse gas emissions. When appropriate, turn of the air con and open the windows for some fresh air. For enclosed spaces, switch your air conditioner to economy cycle, which lowers energy use and makes the most of the fresh air.
5 - Shade your office - Install awnings or shading over windows and walls exposed to the sun. This will help keep the heat out, the air conditioners off and the power bill low.
6 - Change your light bulbs - A switch from conventional light bulbs to energy efficient compact fluorescents can be one of the most effective things your business can do to reduce emissions and stop global warming and it saves you money.
7 - Turn off lights - It sounds simple but turning off the lights when leaving the office can make a big difference to reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Timers are an effective way of ensuring lights are not left on after hours and motion sensors can be installed so lights are on only when needed.
8 - Print Double Sided – Whenever you can, copy or print your documents double sided. It saves paper and won’t take up as much room on your desk. You can also adjust your margins and type size to fit more on the page.
9 - Think about your hot water - Is hot water really necessary in office bathrooms when most of us are out the door before it has even warmed up? And leaving tea urns and water boilers on all day in your office kitchen uses a lot of energy, up to 90% of which can be wasted. For small offices a quick-boil kettle may be all you need. If larger urns and water boilers are necessary, switch them off at the end of the day and look into getting energy efficient, insulated models.
10 - Switch to solar hot water or gas heating - This can save as much as two to three tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions per year and greatly reduce energy costs.
11 - Make conference or Skype calls instead of trips - Set a company policy that makes international trips a rarity rather than a regular thing and make the most of your communication options such as conference, video or Skype calls. Fewer flights mean less travel time and savings of up to 10 tonnes of emissions per international trip. If you need to fly, consider offsetting the emissions of the flight.
12 - Encourage or financially support your employees to use public transport - Cars contribute 41.7 million tonnes of Australia's overall carbon dioxide emissions and similar amounts in other countries. Encourage your employees to use public transport or financially support them by using a voucher or annual train, bus or ferry scheme.
13 - Install bike racks and showers - Help your healthy-minded employees reduce their carbon emissions and get fit by providing safe bike lock up areas and showers for cyclists, walkers and runners.
14 - Work from home, save the trip - Even a day at home a month can make a difference to reducing transport emissions. Where appropriate, allow your employees to work from home occasionally.
15 - Buy efficiency - When buying high energy using equipment such as computers, copy machines, fleet cars, etc. look or ask for the energy ratings and choose the best energy-saving option accordingly - saves you money and the earth.
16 - Look at laptops - Next time you're replacing office computers, remember that laptops and notebooks use up to 90% less energy. If LCD screens are too small when connected to an energy efficient monitor, they still only use around half the energy of a normal desktop computer.
17 - Maintain your equipment - Regularly check air conditioning vents, pipes and filters and maintain office equipment to ensure it is operating efficiently. Regular maintenance prevents leaks and wasted energy and ensures you get the best out of expensive equipment.
18 - Buy recycled - Buying used or recycled office furniture and materials such as paper, means less energy use, emissions and pollution. Recycle as much of your office waste and unwanted goods as possible.
19 - Switch off standby and turn off monitors - Leaving computers, printers and photocopiers on stand-by can account for much of your office's energy use, and therefore emissions and costs. Turn off computers and other equipment off at source at the end of the day and when not in use. Install timers on monitors and other equipment to ensure they are off when not in use. So simple, so effective.
20 - Install waterless urinals - Every year, billions of litres of fresh drinking water are wasted in urinals flushing. Waterless urinals use absolutely no water while meeting the highest hygienic standards. So make the switch, save your water bill and the environment.
Try and encourage changes like these in your workplace to help reduce your energy emissions.
