21 easy tips for a healthier, greener, eco-friendly 2016

Are you hoping for a healthier, greener, eco-friendly 2016? Well read on, here are 21 tips and tricks that you can implement at your place for a healthier and eco-fabulous new year!

1.    Invest in good quality stainless steel water bottles. They’re BPA free and will not leach any nasty chemicals into your water. Taking your own water to school or work rather than buying plastic bottles of water is also a much cheaper, less wasteful option! According to cleanup.org.au 1 litre of bottled water costs about twice as much as a litre of petrol! Also a plastic water bottle that ends up in landfill can take up to 1000 years to break down. According to coolaustralia.org only 40% of Australia’s plastic water bottles are actually recycled and we are spending $500 million on bottled water every year! 

2.    Choose natural or organic fabrics for your clothes and bedding wherever possible. Natural fibres are absorbent and let your skin breathe. They help to buffer changes in temperature, keeping you comfortable and helping to avoid that awful clammy, sweaty feeling! A good quality item made from natural fibres will usually last longer, meaning less waste and less clothing ending up in landfill. Additionally, natural fibres biodegrade naturally (usually within a year) where synthetic fabrics such as polyester (which has the same chemical composition as a plastic water bottle) can take decades. 

3.    Avoid fast fashion and fads, buy quality and style that will last for years to come. This is sometimes referred to as investment buying. Good quality and classic styling doesn't date as fast and you won’t be embarrassed to wear it next season!

4.    Line dry your clothes rather than tumble drying. It’s better for the environment as line-drying uses absolutely no energy, it’s completely free! If all Australian households with a tumble dryer line-dried just one load of washing each week, we would save over a million tonnes of CO2 in a year according to the Guardian, now that’s an impressive statistic! Also, did you know that line drying is better for your clothes? Yes, it’s true....Tumble dryers degrade fabrics much faster than line drying! And, if you are lucky enough to have a backyard line like me, the sun’s ultraviolet rays actually act as an antiseptic, killing off any bacteria in your sun-dried washing. Soooo, what if it’s raining I hear you say, well, Ikea have a great 4 tiered clothes drying rack (click here). I have 2 and can easily fit a full 10kg load of clothing on them. I haven’t owned a drier for almost 15 years and in wet weather, my drying racks work just fine (even with two kids).

5.    Walk short journeys rather than taking the car. We walk to ballet class, the shops and the post office and the trip becomes an outing. The fresh air is lovely, it’s exercise without really trying and it’s eco-friendly as no petrol is needed!

6.    Take your own bags when you go shopping. I have some that have longer handles that fit over the shoulder. I find them much easier to handle with a couple of kids in tow! Not taking plastic bags at the store or market helps reduce ocean pollution and reduces our dependence on fossil fuels which are a non-renewable resource.

7.    Visit your local farmers market. This is the best way to get your fruit and veges super fresh and support the farmers in your local area directly. You also get a chance to ask questions about the farming methods used. At my local farmers market there is lots of non-certified organic produce. It can actually be really cost prohibitive for a small farm to certify as organic, but that farmer may be just as passionate about organic growing methods as a certified organic farmer.

8.    Cook from scratch. I do very well with this one now, but it’s been years in the making to find my groove with it. Pre-packaged convenience foods not only lack the nutrition of fresh foods, but they also use more energy to produce and you need to look out for the preservatives, flavor enhancers and sweeteners that are usually added. I aim to do two big cook ups each week. From that I prep lunches for the following two days and also freeze additional meals for later.

9.   Start phasing out plastic containers in the kitchen. It's hard to do, believe me I know! I’ve been at it for a few years now. Slowly but surely I have been replacing with stainless steel and glass options and I must say they last so beautifully. Even the best plastic containers seem to degrade with dishwashing, but the first stainless steel containers I bought still look brand new. I've also just discovered a tempered glass range called Glasslock. The ones that I bought are oven safe and come with lids for storage. So I can cook my banana bread, lasagne or whatever, then cover with the lid to store on the bench or in the refrigerator. You can even freeze them and take them directly from the freezer to the microwave. They are on sale at Victoria's Basement now. Click here....LOVE these! :)

10. Start phasing out Teflon coated pans. This is another hard one and one of the most recent healthy/green changes I’ve made. As much as I knew it was the right decision as Teflon is reported to contain harmful chemicals, and the non-stick surface begins to deteriorate at high temperatures which releases gases that negatively affect indoor air quality. I still put it in the too hard basket for a couple of years as the pans I had were fairly new, and they cooked so beautifully. I seriously just LOVE a non-stick pan and sometimes a stainless steel pan just doesn’t cut it (unless you use an insane amount of oil!). Anyway, I’ve discovered ceramic pans now. They don’t emit any potentially toxic fumes and cook non-stick like a dream!! I’ll never go back, ceramic fry pans all the way for me!

11. Plant some herbs: in the garden or in a pot, they’re just fabulous! Flavouring your home-cooking with herbs adds loads of flavour, so you’ll be less inclined to reach for the salt!! They add some gorgeous green-ness to your décor too!!

12. Start phasing out the kids' plastic plates and cups. Yes, I know they don’t break when dropped (or thrown), but they also don’t dry well in the dishwasher and might contain BPA. We have a selection of stainless steel options at our place and they dishwasher like a dream – Highly recommend! I also have started using my ceramic plates and bowls with my two….they feel grown up when they use them and take extra special care.

13.  Quit using un-healthy chemical household cleaners. DIY cleaning products are so easy with combos of white vinegar, bicarb, tea tree oil etc. If you are not keen on make your own cleaners, check out ecostore’s fabulous range.

14. Get the questionable chemicals out of your skin care. Have a good look at the ingredients list and if there is a pile of long chemical names, investigate! The chemical maze app or handbook is a great tool. There are some great non-toxic, natural and organic alternatives on the market now.

15. Try your hand at composting your garden waste. If you have a yard (even a teeny tiny one like mine) composting is an awesome way to cut down on your waste and fertilise your garden at the same time. Compost bins are widely available at garden centers and Bunnings. But if you are like me and a compost bin will take up too much yard space, try burying your fruit and vege scraps directly into holes you dig in the ground (my kids love helping with this too, especially covering the scraps with soil!). Just don’t bury onions or citrus as worms are not keen on them. We have beautifully fertile soil in our garden bed from this method. The scraps compost and biodegrade remarkably fast!

16. Brew your own tea or coffee and take it from home in a reusable stainless steel mug. I LOVE my green tea and can be seen around town with a big steel mug (double tea bag size!) in the pram cup holder most mornings….what can I say, It’s how I start my day!

17. Stock up on tea towels and use them instead of paper towels when possible. Tea towels are a great washing load topper-upperer and you can re-use them for years to come rather than relying on single use paper towels constantly.

18. Let the fresh air in, open up those windows and doors! The air quality indoors is usually poorer than outdoors. So let the fresh outdoor air in... every day if you can! We're lucky to have Crimsafe screens on our windows, they were the best investment as we can leave our windows open, safe in the knowledge that the house is secure at the same time.

19. Hop onto the indoor plant bandwagon! They not only look gorgeous, but help purify the air too. Peace Lilies and Maiden Hair Ferns are both great air purifiers. Maiden Hair has a reputation for being hard to keep alive, but I’ve had big success with them at my place. They don’t like getting their “feet” wet, so I put a few rocks in the bottom of the pot when I plant them and be careful not to over-water. Indoor plants also like a fine water spray on their leaves every few days. Maiden hair ferns especially, I spritz my Maiden Hair Ferns every second day. If you don’t have a green thumb, try to find a Fiddle Leaf fig as these are quite hardy, easier to maintain and look super amazing too!!

20. Borrow items that you don’t use often rather than buying them (great for keeping your home un-cluttered too!). I’ve just borrowed a gurney to clean my pavers and lent my neighbour our garden hoe.

21. Switch to Green power. I dream of one day installing solar power and being completely energy self sufficient, but at this stage of life we just don’t have the funds. We do however use 100% green power from our energy provider for both home and business. Surprisingly the extra cost wasn’t as much as I’d expected. I called up and negotiated and I still feel amazing about it! It took 15 minutes and makes a huge difference. If you can’t afford 100% green power, there are combination plans available. Even if you opt for 10% green power and 90% conventional, it still makes a huge difference over the course of a year.

Well, that's it from me. I hope you find a couple of new healthy, eco-friendly ideas to impliment at your place! 

Wishing you a WONDERFUL and very HAPPY new year.... I hope it's full of LOVE, laughter and a couple of dreams come true! xxx