Green tips for Summer
December 17, 2019
As the weather begins to grow warmer and the days grow longer, summer is welcomed with long lunches, dinner parties and barbecues at the beach. All of these things can bring about wasteful practices which lead to high utility bills and increased landfill waste. The good news is that having an eco-conscious summer is simple with the right planning and forethought, especially before embarking on those holiday activities.
Food – composting is one of the most effective ways to reduce your landfill contribution. If you have an abundance of leftover Christmas veggies, think green and throw them in a compost. Your local hardware store or nursery is the ideal place to start. If you have the space a standard pyramid style compost is the most economical, place a sheet of wire underneath your compost bin before you get started so that vermin can’t dig in underneath. If you live in an apartment or don’t have the garden space the Bokashi bucket system is a great option and it can process vegetable & meat products.
Soft plastics – Coles & Woolworths both have a soft plastic recycling program. Soft plastic is classed as anything you can scrunch e.g.: chip packets, clean cling film, bread bag etc. Collect it in a plastic bag and deposit into the designated collection bins. This new innovation is saving tonnes of plastic from going into landfill and its free! Not all stores offer the collection so check online with Redcycle.
Herbs – think about your summer cocktails & cooking and plant a little herb garden. Whether it be in a pot or in the ground summer is great for growing herbs. Try basil, mint & parsley to get you started.
Garden  – during summer gardens grow like crazy, you’ll find yourself mowing, clipping and trimming far more often than winter. If you don’t already have one order a green waste bin from your local council you’ll pay a small once off fee and can have your garden clippings collected fortnightly in most suburban areas. Garden clippings can be re-purposed for mulch & when kept out of landfill saves methane gas production.
