31st January 2020 / Prue Fletcher: Ways to Make Your Home More Eco-Friendly

On the back of what has been identified as a 'major international catastrophe' by natural historian and climate change warrior, Sir David Attenborough, I am ashamed to say that following the events of the Australian bushfires, what I previously passed off as me 'doing my bit for the environment' by separating my papers and plastics and carrying my organic produce in a re-usable green bag just doesn't cut it anymore.

Since September last year, our bushfires have devastated communities far and wide and have so far taken the lives of 28 people and an estimated half a billion animals.

With this only being the start of the bushfire season, scientists like Peter Gleick (co-founder of Pacific Institute, California) believe that climate change has and will continue to make these conditions worse.

'We've only seen a tiny fraction of the climate change that we're going to see in the coming years and the coming decades. If we're seeing these disasters with a 1 degree warming of the planet so far and know that we're headed for a 1.5 or 2 or 3 degree warming, we can only imagine how bad these disasters are going to get,' he remarked.

Regardless of your living arrangements, we could all take a more proactive approach in learning how to run our homes more efficiently. Teach your children how using biodegradable matter helps break down in landfill. Tell your neighbour that supporting organic farming practices and eating less red meat can help reduce methane; a greenhouse gas that's 30 times more powerful than carbon, and continues to increase year on year!

In a recent interview for ABC, Attenborough cited recent events as 'the moment of crisis' for our home, indicating that 'government targets for decades in the future are not enough to save the planet.'

Therefore, it lies in the hands of each and every one of us to play our role and actively participate in creating positive change. The future of our beautiful planet depends on it.

Over Summer, I put my mind to the task, ready to make some immediate changes within my household.

As we make the move to greater sustainability in the home, I've found that not only will we be saving the planet, but our pockets as well. Based on my research, here are some great ideas to help get you started:

Pre-Cycle

• Shop local. This is a great way to eliminate unnecessary food packaging while supporting our local growers.

• Use keep cups and BPA-free bottles for your hot and cold drinks. Make a commitment to stop buying bottled water and avoid having your coffee in a takeaway cup.

• Bring back soap bars. Avoid liquids and all the extra packaging. If you can't go without liquid soap, there is a fantastic refill station at the South Melbourne market where you can take your dispensers and have them re-filled.

Switch to Power Strips

Most charging devices, when plugged in but not-in-use, still draw energy. Switching your phone chargers, kettle, toaster and coffee machine to a power strip is an easy and effective solution to save energy.

Compost Your Food Scraps

Keeping food scraps out of landfill is good for the environment. It keeps them from building up methane gas (a major contributor to global warming) and it helps reduce the amount of waste in landfill.

Laundry

Washing your clothes with cold water instead of hot water will reduce a staggering 80-90% of the energy used when running your machine while it tries to heat the water.

Grow Plants Indoors

Indoor greenery is an extremely effective natural air filter, with some flora (rubber plants, Boston ferns, palms, etc.) being particularly effective in their ability to assist with absorbing harmful pollutants emitted from carpets, paints and electronics.

If you have any other great tips worth sharing, I'd love to hear from you!

Say hello using my details below and let's keep this conversation going within our local communities!