With the recent environmental changes across Australia, and the world, being eco-friendly has never been more important.
At Nectr we’re an environmentally minded bunch, but we also know what it’s like to be busy, so we created a simple 3 step guide to help you get started creating your beautiful, eco-friendly home today.
#1 Recycling
According to Planet Ark 36% of Australians believe that kerbside recycling goes straight into landfill. If you happen to be in that percentile you’d be interested to know that in actual fact 84 – 96% of our recycling does actually get recycled.
Here’s what you need to know to recycle properly
Last year the Australian Government introduced The Australasian Recycling Label in hopes of making it clear what can and can’t go into your recycling bins. Here’s how it works:
The Australasian Recycling Label
- Box – Recyclable. This can go into your recycling bin.
- Wrap – Conditionally recyclable. Follow the instructions below the symbol to recycle.
- Lid – Not recyclable. Dispose in rubbish bin.
Remember that just like all other products recycling is dependent on supply and demand. The process does not end at your recycling bins, rather you need to purchase recycled goods in order for it to work.
#2 Shopping ethically
The sustainable shopping trend has been growing worldwide with Lyst.com reporting a 47% increase in shoppers searching for sustainable and ethical brands this year. Closer to home Roy Morgan also reports that 90% of Aussies choose local products first. This is great news but being a conscious consumer also means being educated about your shopping habits.
Do you shop online? Bet you didn’t know that online shopping creates 5 billion pounds of waste each year through returns. Many companies don’t have the technology in place to sort through them and they send them directly to landfill. What’s the takeaway? Research what happens to your returns, and try selling them online instead.
Interestingly, by purchasing energy efficient light bulbs you can enjoy having your lights on 3-25 times longer, and use 25%-80% less energy. According to energy.gov this can also save you $75 /year for every lightbulb in your home.
#3 Hygiene
A new study has found that on average a human eats the weight equivalent to a credit card of plastic every week through the plastics we introduce into our marine food-chain. A part of the answer to this problem lies in your face wash.
A bottle of face scrub can contain up to 100,000 plastic micro-beads which do not dissolve and are not captured by most wastewater treatment systems ending up in our oceans and water systems. What’s a natural alternative? Try putting salt, used coffee grind or bi-carb soda into your face and body wash.