How to be greener

I have always been diligent about doing my little bit for the environment so I was very happy when Jack in the box started on their Eco Campaign. This week I thought I would share with you some of the small things I like to do to reduce my impact on the environment in the hope it might encourage some of you to do the same. If you would like to read more about Jack in the box’s Eco Campaign visit www.eco.thebox.com.au

Here are some of my tips:

• Separate your rubbish – have a separate bin in the kitchen for recyclables and another for food waste.
• Start a compost or invest in a worm farm or Bokashi bucket for all
food scraps
• Don’t buy individually packaged foods. Instead buy one large container of items like yoghurt and put what you need in each day in a small,
washable container.
• Walk or ride your bike instead of driving
• Keep green bags in your car so you never forget them
• Bring your own plastic bags for fruit and vegetables
• Shop at local fruit and veg markets – not only is there much less waste packing the goods but the quality is far better.
• Eat at home and prepare your own lunch rather than buying take-away
• Drink tap or filtered water instead of bottled water
• Only put on the washing machine or dishwasher if they are full
• Turn off all lights and appliances you are not using
• Instead of zip-lock bags use washable plastic containers to store food
and marinate
• Reuse quality glass jars and plastic containers for food storage
• Only boil enough water in the kettle for the drinks you are
making immediately
• Get a re-usable filter for coffee machines rather than buying paper filters
• Buy teabags without the paper tag and string
• Buy products with as little unnecessary packaging as possible
• Use a few bucketfuls of bathwater to water the garden (or better still get a grey water system installed)
• Take shorter showers
• Plant natives in the garden and mulch to reduce the amount of watering you will need to do
• Dry your clothes outside rather than in the dryer whenever the
weather permits
• Buy appliances with a low energy rating
• With items such as vacuums get one that doesn’t require paper bags
• Support businesses that are eco-friendly

Remember every little bit helps. By adopting even a few of these suggestions you will not only help the environment but can feel good about helping out.