As the kids go back to school soon and a lot of people return to work, it’s the time to get organised again. We love a fresh start at the top of the year; a brand new diary, a pen full of ink or a crisp notebook. But the most sustainable way to start the year is…

The holiday period usually leads to overflowing recycling bins. Bottles of beer from Christmas lunch and all those cardboard boxes that piled up from buying presents online.

You won’t have to jump on the recycling bin to squish more in this year. We have a special Christmas gift: we’ll take cardboard from the smaller gift boxes AND the clunky cardboard that doesn’t even fit in the bin! 

Fill up any shopping bag you have at home with your dry, uncrushed cans and bottles. We will donate the refund to a charity.

Empty cans or bottles accepted through the ‘return and earn’ systems are guaranteed to be recycled into cans and bottles again. Look for the 10c label on the container to see if it is eligible.

We’re spreading the Christmas cheer this year by collecting toys from your doorstep to donate to the Refugee and Asylum Seeker Toy Drive. (RASTD)

RASTD has a detailed knowledge of the immigration sector, they work collaboratively with community development partners to distribute toys out to the 10,000 refugee and asylum seeker children in Australia, many of whom have never had a toy before.

It’s here! We’ve been so excited about National Recycling Week all year. Planet Ark established the campaign in 1996, with the purpose of this week being to “empower people to do the right thing at the bin.”

Recycling becomes more difficult once we leave the house, as we have to hope there are recycling bins available where we go. People are more likely to use recycling bins if they are in convenient locations, so encouraging your workplace to place accessible bins around is the first step.

The birth of online shopping in the 90s meant that fast fashion retailers like H&M, Zara and Topshop became the most convenient place to find trendy clothing. They were able to reproduce popular elements from the runway quickly and cheaply. 

We don’t really think about our bedrooms when we’re thinking about recycling. But did you know that the fashion industry is the second largest polluter after oil and gas?

Here’s a few things we found on how decluttering actually improves your mental health!

Decluttering can decrease stress. Clutter can overwhelm your senses and reminds you of work to be done. By decluttering, you regain control over your environment.

How many plastic bottles are hiding in that laundry cupboard? Full of cleaning products we hardly use?

Cleaning products (like disinfectant spray) can most likely be recycled in your kerbside bin.

We’re back with some good news from our area to spice up your conversation with your barista or at your next dinner party.

Limits on Australian polluters for greenhouse gas emissions

New South wales Environment Protection Authority (EPA) has released their draft policy which will set up targets and enforceable emissions limits for polluters on greenhouse gas emissions, such as mining and agriculture.

In Shark Bay, groups of four to 14 males have been spotted performing synchronised movements and displays whilst singing in unison to attract females. Shark Bay is a World Heritage Site, as it’s a wildlife refuge with the largest seagrass bank in the world. Seagrass absorbs 10% of the ocean’s carbon each year, making Shark Bay an environmental oasis and crucial ecosystem.

The kitchen is the place that contributes the most to the landfill and recycling bins. It’s difficult to avoid food packaging.

If you can, shopping at farmers markets or bulk food stores are a great way to buy locally sourced, unpackaged food. However, this isn’t easy for everyone to do every week. (As always, we encourage you to choose what works best for you!)

To mark the end of Plastic Free July, we’ve partnered with two of our favourite sustainable Australian brands to offer a chance for you and a friend to win a bundle of items to make your beach clean-ups extra stylish.

We thought we’d make recycling easier by going through every room. We’re starting off with the bathroom, since there are many more things that can be recycled you might not have known about. We’ll be taking you through recycling, sustainable swaps and DIY recipes.

Introducing Katie, our amazing content creator. Katie lives in Melbourne and is passionate about the environment, reality TV and fantasy novels. This week, Katie has been to a refill store for the first time and shares her experience with us.

Here’s another round! Nimble Activewear: Their MoveLite fabric is made from used plastic bottles that are broken into flakes, melted into pellets, spun into yarn and knitted.

Open every Saturday morning in Waverton, you can borrow things like tools, party gear, arts and crafts or gardening equipment for a small membership fee. You can also donate those working items you don’t use but are in too good condition to recycle with us yet!

Cutting down on plastic is different for everyone. It becomes a lot more difficult when you have a whole household to look after. That’s why we figured we’d ask Tahsin, another Recycle Hero and working mum of two about how she has managed to reduce plastic in her family home.

Plastic Free July begins tomorrow! Going completely plastic free can be so overwhelming that you give up before you’ve even begun! But “zero waste” is a direction, not necessarily a destination.

That’s why we’ve made this Plastic Free Bingo to help you on your way.