Sustainability Tips

Save some serious dollars and a tonne of carbon emissions every year by developing a new earth-saving habit.

Hot showers, big screen TVs, air conditioners and heaters all create tonnes of carbon and cost plenty of money in power and water bills.

• Learn about sustainable living tips that help the environment as well as the health of your body and wallet at Live for Less Brisbane.
• Find out the energy rating of your home and how you can save money on bills with the Nationwide House Energy Rating Scheme.
• Get tips and tricks on ways to make your home intelligently energy efficient at Energy Efficient Council.
• Find information to help your business understand energy, water and waste costs at ecoBiz.

Tips to reduce your water usage:

• An average shower uses 9L of water per minute so make your shower under 5 minutes.
• Turn the water off when brushing your teeth
• Turn the water off when shaving

Tips to reduce your energy usage:

• Turn off lights when not using them.
• Cold? Close all the windows and doors, use curtains to stop heat leaving the room and get cozy on the couch with a warm blanket
• Hot? Open the window instead of turning on the air con. If you do need air conditioning, make sure it's set to no colder than 25 degrees and close all the windows and doors in the room to keep the cool air in
• Use energy efficient light bulbs
• Turn appliances off at the main power switch when you go away
• Run the dishwasher only when it's full. You'll save water and energy as well as money on detergent

You've probably heard the term 'zero waste'. It's a goal of sending nothing to landfill.

Taking simple actions to reduce how much you send to landfill is good for you and the planet, and future generations.

Remember your Rs:

• Refuse... what you don’t need. Think about what you buy and use the power of your dollar to tell companies what you need, don’t need and that you support companies that are ethical and sustainable.
• Reduce... what you do buy. Do you need that impulse item, can you buy less of something so you don’t throw any unused items?
• Reuse... what you have. Instead of buying something that is single use, buy something that you can use over and over again or upcycle and make a new treasure.
• Rot... any organic matter. Any food waste we send to landfill emits methane, a gas 20 times more damaging to the climate than carbon dioxide. There are many ways to divert your organic waste - compost, worm farm, chooks, an Ipswich City Council FOGO bin... and more.
• Recycle... what you can. If you can’t do any of the above, make sure you recycle so the item can be recovered and is not sent to landfill

Use your purchase power!

• Look for local stores that promote zero waste - there's a number of them around Ipswich
• Opt for a nude (unpackaged) lunch and take your re-useable coffee cup when you get coffee.
• Single-use plastic packaging takes energy and resources to make, just to end up as landfill - avoid buying single use items
• Do a waste audit at home, school or work and see how much could be diverted. Check the Ipswich City Council waste and recycling webpages for local information, but see the Other Resources section below for organisations recycling everything from e-waste to soft plastic.

Did you know the Riverview Recycling and Refuse Centre accepts some recycling items free of charge? Residents are permitted to dispose of:

• approved recyclables, including scrap metal and aluminium; car batteries; cardboard; motor oil (20L limit) and e-waste
• glass bottles and jars
• paint and eligible products accepted through the Paintback scheme, in accordance with the limits specified in the scheme

The goods and services we choose to spend our money on have a huge effect on carbon emissions. It’s very easy to trim our carbon footprint down even further by choosing locally made goods over imported wherever possible.

Reasons to buy local:

• Reducing the distance your purchases travel means less transportation, refrigeration and energy used
• Local communities are able to provide almost everything we want or need
• Supporting local retailers - remember to look for the 'Made in Australia' logo or search online for local Ipswich suppliers for your next purchas

Start your buy local shopping trip at the Ipswich Community Directory

What's the carbon footprint of your diet? Find out the climate impact of what you eat and drink via the climate change food calculator

Planting a tree or shrub is not only enjoyable, it improves your environment, physical and mental health, reduces your carbon footprint, provides habitat for wildlife and beautifies the space.

Native plants:

• Are likely to thrive
• Require less maintenance
• Use less water
• Provide habitat for native wildlife
• Produce an abundance of flowers, adding colour and fragrance to your garden.
• Community Planting Day

Ways you can be involved:

• Get proactively green and plant some trees to help improve our air and water quality by joining an existing Ipswich Bushcare group as a volunteer.
• Find events, workshops and information on Landcare activities at Intrepid Landcare.
• Keep your garden growing by claiming your free greenery through council's Free Plant Program.
• Find out how easy it is to attract bees and butterflies to your backyard to get and keep it sustainable at Pollinator Links.
• Receive free trees and the opportunity to apply for grants to support environmental activities by applying to be a council Landholder Partner.