Mantra - Reduce, Reuse, Recycle

Image above attributed to Chiara Marra.

Reduce

Reducing packaging

I hate having unnecessary packaging in my house, so I buy groceries at places that don’t have excess packaging, and I refuse to take plastic bags from counter staff.

I use menu planning to avoid food waste and only keep a minimal inventory, buying what I need on my way home or during the day. I would also like to get a worm farm to minimise the food scraps that I am sending into landfill.

For the majority of my groceries, I go to a food co-operative in Enmore called Alfalfa House and take my own bags, and re-use plastic or glass containers and bottles for my groceries.

Surprisingly, the food co-op sells most of what is on my shopping list.

My groceries can be split into:

• Fresh fruit & vegetables
• Perishables (milk, bread, sauces, etc)
• Household consumables (toilet paper, tissues, detergents)

Our studio co-ordinator at work also organises a weekly fruit & vegetable co-operative purchase for my colleagues, through Knock Knock organics. It costs about $15 per person, and each participant gets a surprise variety of seasonal fruit and veges to take home on a Friday.

I don’t participate yet - it’s hard to know what I’ll be doing after work on a Friday, and I would prefer to take my groceries straight home and put into storage.

Reducing electricity consumption

I have a whopping 12 double power points in my one-bedroom apartment - 3 in the bedroom alone! To make sure I don’t waste electricity, I have a few simple rules:

• Turn off all the power points when not in use (this includes my wireless modem & stereo power points when I leave for the day, but excludes the fridge obviously)
• Remain aware of the number of light globes being powered at any one time during the evenings. Can I turn any off?
• Covering up with warm socks during winter instead of relying on a heater (unless absolutely necessary!)

I also chose an apartment without air-conditioning, and with good insulation and air-flow. It’s cool during the warmer months, and doesn’t need the heater on during the cooler months.

I currently spend about AUD$95 every 3 months and would like to see if that can be reduced.

Reducing reliance on fossil fuels

I live near enough to work to be able to walk or ride my bicycle, and take public-transport elsewhere. I occasionally catch a taxi, but avoid it due to the cost. I also have a GoGet carshare membership for longer journeys or for transporting large objects.

My public transport costs are currently at about AUD$132 per month. Wow! I really need to ride my bike more often.

The bike I ride is a regular Malvern Star with metal mudguards fitted by Cheeky Transport. It has a rack above the back wheel that can hold one Tioga pannier bag each. These bags can hold quite a lot and I often only use one when I shop.

Living minimally

When I moved out of my last home (a share house) and into an apartment by myself, I found that I had lots of household items and furniture that I didn't need. I started posting "OFFER" notices on Freecycle - Sydney Central to give away unwanted items unconditionally free.

In a short period of time, I gave away:

• A trestle table
• Hand weights for walking
• Stationery
• A worm farm
• A large beanbag

I also question every purchase in case I already own something that would suffice or if I can borrow it from someone.

Reuse

Image above attributed to nixielinks.

Borrowing & lending

Why buy if you can borrow?

If I need to use something like a ladder or power-tool, I’ll try and borrow someone else’s, knowing that I can return the favour some time in the future.

My work has a set of bicycle tools that is made available to the wider cycling community in the area. I use the tools often to pump air into my tyres or to make modifications.

I have already lent out my removalists' trolley, a sewing machine, and musical instruments that would otherwise sit idle and take up space.

For some, lending out goods requires a certain level of trust, so it's good to set some ground rules when lending out cherished items.

Smart procurement of "big" items

If I really needed something that I wouldn't normally consider obtainable from Alfalfa House, I would use my membership with Freecycle - Sydney Central to see if anyone is giving away something that I want.

I refer to freecycling as being part of the network linked above, and also when I am given things by people I know, or when I find useful items kerbside prior to council clean-up.

Freecycling has so far provided me with:

• A bookcase
• A water kettle
• An outdoor table
• Storage crates
• A set of cane shelves
• Bath towels
• A laundry hamper
• A set of drawers for the bedroom
• A stunt kite
• Cane woven rubbish bins
• Full-length mirrors
• A pair of stools
• Stereo speakers
• CAT-5 cabling for home computer networking

Freecycling requires patience that something you’re looking for will be available, and trust in the quality/working state of the object you are picking up.

I might also search through Ebay or Gumtree if I can’t find something through freecycling, or browse Reverse Garbage or Mitchell Road Auctions where post-auction items are sold at the estimated price (which can be quite low!).

For everything else, my purchasing decision is made very carefully - weighing up financial cost, the manufacturer’s reputation, after sales service, and what others recommend. I’ve just found an iPhone app called “Shop Ethical!”, to help me make these decisions and also rely on a Choice membership.

Op-shopping

There's no need for the manufacture of something, when it already exists in second hand stores at a reasonable price. You will find perfectly good kitchen utensils, cutlery, crockery, baskets & organisers, containers, and anything else you need for the home there.

Image above attributed to Timothy Takemoto.

Recycle

I keep a strong cardboard box in my kitchen, where all my recycling goes before I take it down to the Rubbish Room, once or twice a week. Most of my recycling consists of plastic bottles from soft drinks, mixers, milk, and newspapers and junk mail paper. I *do* actually take the time to separate the staples from all the junk mail & inserts.

My apartment complex has a lockable garbage room, where the 3 types of recycling bins (paper, bottles, and plastics) and two large general garbage skips are kept. According to the City of Sydney website, our recycling is “separated and sorted at the materials recovery facility, and then reprocessed at various locations”. I’d like to know a bit more about this, to tell friends that have recently been asking.

The City of Sydney Council has a great e-waste disposal system that I might make use of to get rid of an old laptop, and I have some deteriorated batteries that I can bring in to work where there’s a collection for old batteries.

Challenges & Improvements

Despite my awareness and resolution, there are still some areas where I can improve and explore. I’ve noticed that there are patterns in my life that I’ve accepted as the “norm” from when I was young. I’d like to know if these habits are essential for my happiness and comfort or whether I can do things differently for everyone’s benefit.

The challenges and tasks I have identified are as follows:

• Reducing plastic bottles bought
  • I would like to get a soda syphon and see if it’s possible to get quinine and ascorbic acid (or other food grade citric acid) to make my own tonic water and soda water.
• Reducing my electricity, gas, and water bills
  • I’ve noted some ways to keep a lid on my electricity bill above, but I should be using a timer in the shower and be more aware of my water usage. Ideas here are welcome.
  • I’d also like to keep a spreadsheet of usage in Google Docs tracking my usage of these resources.
• Riding my bike to work more
  • Rain shouldn’t be a deterrent. It might be time to get some wet-weather gear and start riding.
• Reviewing weekly groceries bought and buying smarter
  • There might be a better way of doing my grocery shopping. Perhaps purchasing things in bulk?
• Improving my menu planning
  • I’m hoping this will save me some time too.
• Dealing with E-Waste
  • I’m going to blog and photograph how I’m going to dispose of my old, broken laptop.
• Making my own beer, bread, and jam
• Re-instating a worm farm
• Tending to my herb garden
  • Does this fit under “Reduce”, “Reuse”, or “Recycle”?

Stay tuned and check back

I’ll be posting here to detail the tasks I’ve listed above, and perhaps more as I find them. As mentioned earlier, your comments, ideas, and suggestions are most welcome and I hope to spur some discussion on living by this philosophy.

Reduce, reuse, recycle.