June Newsletter

Ten Smart Steps to an Eco-Friendly Home

With World Environment Day coming up and the extreme weather conditions of 2018 on everyone’s minds, now is the time to start taking sustainability seriously. Running an eco-friendly home will ensure that your family cuts down on resources like water and energy, while also giving back to the planet.

Eco-Friendly Home Habits to Start Today

Eco-friendly living is much more than using LED light bulbs and making the occasional trip to the recycling bank! Here are some small but strategic steps you can take, to make every part of your life a little greener.

Cut down on single-use plastics, including shopping bags, water bottles and straws. These wasteful items are major causes of pollution, and pose a big threat to the environment. World Environment Day 2018 is focused on overcoming the plastic pollution problem.
Switch to natural cleaning detergent brands, or better yet, make your own 100% safe and natural DIY cleaning products at home. This will be healthier for your family, and safer for the planet’s waterways.
Install a rain tank to collect rainwater, and use it to water your garden, clean your windows or wash your car.
Whenever you can, hang your washing out on the line to dry, instead of using a tumble dryer.
Pay your bills and do your banking online. It saves on fuel and paper – plus with no queues to stand in, it will save you time and hassle.
Participate in a clean-up of your local park or beach (or organise one yourself)!
Whenever possible, buy your groceries from a local farmers’ market instead of a big chain store. This supports local growers and stimulates the local economy.
Make sure all leaks, drips and faulty taps in your home are fixed. Water is precious and every drop counts!
Grow your own veggies and herbs. It’s a fun and rewarding way to connect with nature and save on expenses.
If you have a garden, start a compost bin or a worm farm. Compost will improve the health of your soil, without all the chemicals found in ordinary fertilisers. And it’s much greener than throwing your food waste straight in the bin.

Sources

40 ways to go greener at home… besides just recycling. Retrieved from: https://theartofsimple.net/tips-to-go-green-at-home/

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Consumer Tip

Water is a priceless resource that is becoming an increasingly scarce. Everyone is looking for ways to save those extra few drops wherever possible. Research shows that toilet is the single biggest user of indoor water, using an average of 11-litres with every flush. This means a family of four will use 176-litres a day, just from four flushes each!

To cut down on water wastage, follow the simple rule ‘if it’s yellow, let it mellow’, and flush only when necessary. You can also install a water-saving device or retro-fit flushing mechanism in your toilet. This will prevent you from flushing away all that precious water unnecessarily.

Caring Communities

Plastic pollution is a growing environmental problem, with 80-90% of all marine debris being plastic-based. Single-use straws are one of the leading culprits; thousands of them are found at every beach cleanup event. These items are thrown away after being used for just a few minutes, yet they take hundreds of years to start breaking down.

To show your love for the environment, take a stand and say no to plastic straws! You can even invest in your own snazzy reusable straw, made from stainless steel, bamboo wood or glass.