1) bring your own re-useable shopping bags to the market
2) don’t buy bottled water – use a re-useable water bottle when you’re on the go, and if you do buy soft drinks, look for glass.
3) use a re-useable coffee cup – keep cups are great, but there are also ceramic re-useable coffee cups on the market shaped specifically for barista use.
4) guy in bulk and re-package for lunches and snacks. eg. buy blocks of cheese rather than ‘singles’, large bags of sultanas, chips and biscuits rather than ‘snack packs’
5) go nude for lunch. many schools now have one day a week that is ‘nude food day’ – make it a nude food day everyday! there are a number of fantastic children’s lunch box options around.
6) make your own – make a return to the kitchen for biscuits and cakes.
7) re-use the plastic bags you do collect. bread bags make excellent freezer bags.
8) use cloth nappies rather than disposable. there are many great options for cloth nappies these days – compostable, velcro, pocket nappies.
9) go for laundry detergent in a box rather than a jug.
10) buy your fresh fruit and vegies from the farmers market or fruit and veg shop. talk to your greengrocer and ask them to stock paper bags for smaller items.
11) use wax paper, foil or a re-useable container in the fridge for that half avocado, onion, opened cheese etc.
12) buy butter by the bar rather than in a container.
13) for things such as jam and peanut butter, look for the item on the shelf that comes in the glass jar rather than plastic.
14) line your bin with newspaper and wash once a week with a mix of hot water and vinegar, followed by a wipe of eucalyptus oil.
15) make your own yoghurt in glass jars.
16) when ordering drinks, say “no straw please!”
17) buy milk in paper cartons.
18) use newspaper and old junk mail to pack your postage items rather than bubble wrap.
19) clean with vinegar and bi-carb – this combination cleans almost anything, and will cut your consumption of detergent bottles. Bi-carb in your dishwasher powder tray and vinegar in the rinse cycle does a great job!
20) it’s important to say no thanks when offered a plastic bag. this is direct feedback to our retailers, and if we say it enough, then they will certainly respond to customer demand. remember to be polite!
