Environment Matters Spring/Summer 2019

A festive season with less waste We’ll soon start gearing up for the festive season (or winding down), as holiday decorations creep into stores earlier and earlier. However don’t let the December/January holiday season derail your good efforts in minimising waste; there are plenty of ways to still have wonderful gatherings without blowing the budget – in fact, you’re likely to save money and save extra contributions to landfill and greenhouse gases.

Single use items are basically like throwing your money straight in the bin!

Festive decorations can be a fun activity to do with the family. There are plenty of ideas on social media (such as Pinterest) that can keep the kids entertained for hours and decorate your home for the festive season – especially helpful during the hot summer school holidays. Using recycled materials first is also a winning idea.

Get creative with leftovers: omelets, pasta, pie fillings. An Ipswich green waste service, or home compost, will help you save other scraps from landfill.

Giving your gatherings an eco-overhaul might sound daunting but small changes make a big difference. Using plates and cutlery that aren’t single use is a great start. Share the cooking or organise who gets to cook and who gets to clean. Making a meal plan and shopping list will help eliminate buying too much and creating food waste (and money waste!). Remember – don’t go grocery shopping when you’re hungry.

To save on washing up, use a small tag to label each person’s glass or cup to save a new item being used each time. Cloth napkins will also encourage people to use their napkin multiple times, rather than

We all know the battle of flies at an outdoor feast. Switch out the plastic wrap for bees wax wraps

or even a simple tea towel to cover food.

a ‘use once and throw away’ paper napkin.

When gift giving, opt for experiences rather than things. Memories will last far longer than the plastic toy we might be inclined to give, and it shows that thought has been put into the gift.

For more information on council’s green waste service, visit Ipswich.qld.gov.au/waste

11