Kiddipedia

Kiddipedia

After the extreme events of last year, mental health, reducing our environmental impact and creating a positive work-life balance are some of the key focuses for Australians going into the new year. To help families on the environmental side of things, we spoke to Elise Synnott, Marketing Manager for Personal Care at Natures Organics on the easiest, sustainable intentions they can strive for in 2021.

  1. Check the sustainability practices of the brands you use everyday

While we have come a long way to reduce our single-use plastic consumption, through changing our behaviours towards coffee cups, plastic cutlery and takeaway containers, the average Australian still goes through 130kg of plastic per year and only 9% of that amount is recycled.

If we look past takeaway options, plastic is used in so many household items and Elise says we need to be looking at how we can reduce our waste here too.

While many plastic products end up in mixed recycling, unfortunately there are minimal uses for mixed recycling in Australia so a lot of these products actually end up in landfill.

“At Natures Organics we believe in an endless bottle philosophy, which encourages the creation of packaging from recycled plastic, which can then be recycled to create new bottles over and over again – and not end up in landfill.” Elise says.

When plastic ends up in landfill after only being used once, it can never be recovered and when it does eventually break down it turns into microplastics that can pollute the environment.

“We can’t get by without some of these household items, so it’s a good idea to go through a list of all the products that use plastic packaging and familiarise yourself with the brand or company’s recycling practices and commitments.”

The Natures Organics brand, OC Naturals, has just launched a new look design for its Hand and Body Wash range that’s as stylish as it is sustainable. Boasting a bottle green tint, the bottle is completely free from carbon black pigment*, meaning the packaging can be detected through the recycling process and can avoid landfill by being recycled into future bottles.

*Carbon black pigment is sometimes included in packaging to hide colour irregularities within plastic. It’s often used in darkly coloured bottles and products that contain carbon black pigment cannot be recycled into future bottles as they are not detected through the recycling process.

  1. Buying pre-loved clothing

The fashion industry is one of the highest polluting industries and is responsible for around 10% of global carbon dioxide emissions. This year, why not make a commitment to only buying pre-loved or second hand clothing?

For parents whose children outgrow clothing every six months, thrift shopping is not only more sustainable but it has economic benefits too.

“It can be fun to host a clothes swap party with family and friends every couple of months too, the more people you have the more options you’ll have to choose from and it encourages others to consider their purchasing habits as well.”

  1. Starting a compost

In addition to being great for the garden, starting a compost will significantly reduce the amount of waste that ends up in your rubbish bin and you’d be surprised at just how much can go in it.

If you have a small garden or no garden at all, consider starting a compost for your local community garden.

“Composts are a really great way to begin the discussion around recycling and environmental sustainability with children too.”

  1. Reduce animal product consumption

The single biggest impact you and your family can make towards reducing its environmental footprint is by reducing your consumption of animal products.

In addition to animals needing a lot of food, land and water, you also need to take into account the distribution and wastage from spoiled animal products that don’t make it to the dinner table. If you’re not willing to give up meat and dairy products all together, try incorporating one or two meat-free or plant-based only days a week.

  1. Cycle, walk, or public transport to work

Taking public transport to work instead of driving can help reduce carbon emissions by 65% and the government is working towards rolling out a zero emissions bus fleet by 2030.

Cycling only produces 5g of carbon dioxide per kilometre ridden and if you’re lucky enough to be in a position where you can walk to work you’ll not only significantly reduce your carbon footprint but you’ll receive the health benefits too!