We want to know how you are greening up your workplace, your home and your life!
Simply tell us what you are doing to save the planet for your chance to win a copy of Tanya Ha's bestselling book Greeniology - How to live well, be green and make a difference (Melbourne University Publishing).
Ha says saving the planet is easier than you think. Whether it's recycling greywater, building a greener house, saving energy or having a green baby, her book shows you how to change your ways without sacrificing your lifestyle.
Greeniology is a practical guide that shows people, greenie and non-greenie alike, how to make their homes and lives more sustainable, more comfortable, healthier and cheaper to run. Find out how to save money while making the world a better place.
includes localised information and useful contacts for both Australia and New Zealand.
The CPSU has 10 copies of Greeniology to give away. To win one, simply post a comment below or email us at cpsunews@cpsu.org.au about how you are greening up your workplace, your home or your local community. For more information or to order a copy of Greeniology, visit www.tanyaha.com.au
Comments(63)
Posted by:Roberta - 16 Jul 2009, 8:27am Home: I have put out my 140 lt rubbish bin out only 3 times this year! I shop wisely, take my own shopping bags, and try not buy over-packaged goods. I divert greywater into the garden and to flush the loo. I compost kitchen and garden waste, grow my own vegies, herbs and fruit, my chooks convert food scraps into eggs and manure, which feeds me and my garden. I grow extra food for my rabbit and guinea pigs, who also make great manure. I share my surplus so as to encourage others, and wear warm clothes at home in winter so don't rely so much on artificial heating.
Work: I take public transport, print double-sided, bring lunch from home to avoid waste from take-aways, take my own mug to the coffee truck and am always finding recyclables that colleagues throw out and put them in the recycle bins at work. We also have a foam recycling system going as well!
I try to lead by example, as the little extra effort that you take is far less that actually having to deal with all that waste you would create anyway.
Posted by:Susan Osborn - 9 Jul 2009, 3:04pm At the workplace I am part of a committee called Greenfish. The Greenfish Committee looks at our current operating practices and then tries to identify ways we can improve them in order to implement environmentally friendly practices. Some achievements to date are: Staff survey to identify needs and ideas; Double-sided printing set as default on printers; Information posters informing staff of ways they can help reduce their carbon footprint at work and at home; there are several more in progress.
At home I recycle everything, including my scraps; I have a can-of-worms worm farm, I grow my own organic herbs, vegetables and fruit, I make sure I grow enough for personal use as well as some for the caterpillars, as I love butterflies. I turn off lights that are not needed and burn soy candles instead, which I make myself. I rarely use a clothes drier and choose to hang the washing on the clothes line or on a drying rack inside. I also use environmentally friendly cleaning products, just to name a few things.
I'd love a copy of the book so I can find new ways to help the environment, and share these ideas at work. Thank you for the opportunity to enter this competition :-)
Posted by:Christopher Rowe - 6 Jul 2009, 2:10pm We direct grey water from our laundry and bathroom onto the garden. We are also in the process of installing a 1 kw solar electrictity system at our home. Living in the inner city, we have also reduced the number of cars in our household from 2 to 1. Of course, recycling is now second nature also.
Posted by:Leona Anderson - 6 Jul 2009, 11:01am We live on a small 24 acre farm, we have cut our electricity account in half in the last 2 years by turning lights off when not in the room, only having 1 light on at night until retiring to bed, and switching off at the power point not having things on stanby. We recycle all plastic,cans, papers and bottles, which means we have 1 kitchen tidy of rubbish each week, we have a worm farm and chickens for food scraps plus the bonus of eggs. We breed goats for our milk and meat and recycle the left over hay and manure for mulch in our garden, all weeds cuttings from garden are composted. we have planted in excess of 100 tress and srubs so far and plan to continue with more.
Posted by:Barry J - 6 Jul 2009, 10:31am Ways I have used for years in the workplace, and currently do include:
- Recycling the newspapers from the office making sure they are included in recycling, not refuse.
- Although it raises hygiene issues for some, provide a clean ?tea towel laundry service? for the office, to cut down on paper towel disposals.
- Saving the initial ?cold water? run off for showers (at home), in the winter months and other cool weather times, for use in the WC cistern tank and garden.
There are other more common practices like recycling garden waste, reducing electricity and water consumption, using re-usable shopping bags, using public transport to work, but I?m sure lots of people are doing these things.
Thanks for the opportunity to share some thoughts on the matter.
Have a great future.
Home: I have put out my 140 lt rubbish bin out only 3 times this year! I shop wisely, take my own shopping bags, and try not buy over-packaged goods. I divert greywater into the garden and to flush the loo. I compost kitchen and garden waste, grow my own vegies, herbs and fruit, my chooks convert food scraps into eggs and manure, which feeds me and my garden. I grow extra food for my rabbit and guinea pigs, who also make great manure. I share my surplus so as to encourage others, and wear warm clothes at home in winter so don't rely so much on artificial heating. Work: I take public transport, print double-sided, bring lunch from home to avoid waste from take-aways, take my own mug to the coffee truck and am always finding recyclables that colleagues throw out and put them in the recycle bins at work. We also have a foam recycling system going as well! I try to lead by example, as the little extra effort that you take is far less that actually having to deal with all that waste you would create anyway.
At the workplace I am part of a committee called Greenfish. The Greenfish Committee looks at our current operating practices and then tries to identify ways we can improve them in order to implement environmentally friendly practices. Some achievements to date are: Staff survey to identify needs and ideas; Double-sided printing set as default on printers; Information posters informing staff of ways they can help reduce their carbon footprint at work and at home; there are several more in progress. At home I recycle everything, including my scraps; I have a can-of-worms worm farm, I grow my own organic herbs, vegetables and fruit, I make sure I grow enough for personal use as well as some for the caterpillars, as I love butterflies. I turn off lights that are not needed and burn soy candles instead, which I make myself. I rarely use a clothes drier and choose to hang the washing on the clothes line or on a drying rack inside. I also use environmentally friendly cleaning products, just to name a few things. I'd love a copy of the book so I can find new ways to help the environment, and share these ideas at work. Thank you for the opportunity to enter this competition :-)
We direct grey water from our laundry and bathroom onto the garden. We are also in the process of installing a 1 kw solar electrictity system at our home. Living in the inner city, we have also reduced the number of cars in our household from 2 to 1. Of course, recycling is now second nature also.
We live on a small 24 acre farm, we have cut our electricity account in half in the last 2 years by turning lights off when not in the room, only having 1 light on at night until retiring to bed, and switching off at the power point not having things on stanby. We recycle all plastic,cans, papers and bottles, which means we have 1 kitchen tidy of rubbish each week, we have a worm farm and chickens for food scraps plus the bonus of eggs. We breed goats for our milk and meat and recycle the left over hay and manure for mulch in our garden, all weeds cuttings from garden are composted. we have planted in excess of 100 tress and srubs so far and plan to continue with more.
Ways I have used for years in the workplace, and currently do include: - Recycling the newspapers from the office making sure they are included in recycling, not refuse. - Although it raises hygiene issues for some, provide a clean ?tea towel laundry service? for the office, to cut down on paper towel disposals. - Saving the initial ?cold water? run off for showers (at home), in the winter months and other cool weather times, for use in the WC cistern tank and garden. There are other more common practices like recycling garden waste, reducing electricity and water consumption, using re-usable shopping bags, using public transport to work, but I?m sure lots of people are doing these things. Thanks for the opportunity to share some thoughts on the matter. Have a great future.