Sustainable Living

Did you know the average Australian sends 23 kilograms of clothing to landfill every year?

'Fast fashion' refers to the cheap, mass-production of clothing and it is a significant contributor to not only waste, but greenhouse gas emissions and other pollution. The fast fashion industry accounts for about 10% of global carbon emissions, and is also responsible water contamination, plastic pollution, and human rights violations.

If you want to avoid fast fashion, there's lots you can do to build a more conscious closet! St Vincent de Paul will be at the Sustainable Livingstone Expo showcasing the great work they do – come along and have a chat about how second-hand shopping reduces waste, shrinks our carbon footprint, and helps the community.

Use this pyramid as a guide when deciding whether you need new clothing.

For more information, check out these resources:

Clean up Australia: https://www.cleanup.org.au/fastfashion

Good on you: https://goodonyou.eco

OpShop.org: https://opshop.org/

Food miles (or kilometres) are a measure of how far food travels from the source of production to consumption. The food in a typical Australian shopping basket has travelled an astounding 70,000 kilometres! Higher food kilometres lead to higher greenhouse gas emissions, fewer opportunities for local producers, and often mean the food we buy is not as fresh or healthy because of the distance it has travelled.

Here in Livingstone we are lucky to have lots of local producers who can help us reduce our food miles. For example, buying a bag of locally-grown Byfield mandarins from the Yeppoon farmer's market, rather than one from a supermarket grown in California, cuts your food kilometres from about 11,500 to just 40!

Here are some ideas on cutting your food kilometres to get you started:

Livingstone Shire is home to hundreds of native plants and animal species! From the iconic Byfield Fern to the lesser-known Yeppoon varicoloured snail, we are lucky to share our patch with many unique living things. Unfortunately, many local native species are under threat: extreme weather, land clearing, invasive plants and animals, and pollution are all causing declines in species.

As locals, there's plenty to be done to support biodiversity in your backyard! You can start with these suggestions - even if all you have is a balcony, you can still play a part!

Check out these resources for more ideas:

Habitat Stepping Stones: http://www.habitatsteppingstones.org.au/

Department of Environment and Science: https://www.qld.gov.au/environment/plants-animals/conservation/threatened-species/how-you-can-help

The average Australian household sends about 4.9 kilograms of food to landfill every week - this adds up to about $3,800 of groceries in a year! When we waste food, we also waste the resources that go into making it - did you know, for example, that it takes about 50 litres of water to grow a single orange?

If you want to reduce food waste at home, here are some simple steps to help you get started.

You can also use these resources to find more information -

Department of Agriculture, water and the Environment: https://www.environment.gov.au/protection/waste/food-waste

Australian Ethical: https://www.australianethical.com.au/blog/food-waste-a-growing-australian-problem/

Clean Up Australia: https://www.cleanup.org.au/foodwaste

Sustainability is a concept about meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs.

Sustainable housing considers the design, construction and operation of your house over its lifetime.

Information about considerations for sustainable housing can be obtained from the following Queensland Government website

Sustainable housing | Homes and housing | Queensland Government (www.qld.gov.au)

Another great information source is the Australian Government authorised YourHome website.

www.yourhome.gov.au

The YourHome website contains a large compilation of information to guide land owners and developers about various matters associated with the concept of creating sustainable homes. Livingstone Shire Council encourages current and future residents to consider the content of this website when planning to develop a new home or renovate an existing home.

Get ready for the single-use plastic items ban starting on 1 September 2021!

Livingstone Shire Council has an abundance of natural features including countless beaches, picturesque national parks, pristine rainforests and idyllic offshore islands, making it an ideal destination and place to live. Council is committed to protecting, sustainable management and enhancement of the natural beauty, landscapes and resources of the country of the Darumbal and Woppaburra people in order to safeguard the sustainability and environmental resilience of the region into the future. Below are some valueable resource that we encourage you to be aware of in our quest for a reduction in plastics.

• Plastic Free CQ
• State Gov Info – 01 September
• Department of Environment and Science

Single-use plastic items included in the ban:

• straws: regular straws, flexible straws, straws with a scoop, cocktail straws and bubble tea straws
• stirrers: hot or cold drink stirrers, swizzle sticks and hot or cold food stirrers
• plates and bowls including single-use expanded polystyrene plates
• cutlery: knives, forks, spoons, teaspoons, sample tasting spoons, soup spoons, chopsticks, splayds and sporks
• expanded polystyrene takeaway food containers and cups.

Single-use plastic items not included in the ban:

• straws and cutlery attached to a shelf-ready, pre-packaged product like a juice box with an attached plastic straw or a yoghurt with an attached plastic spoon
• other single-use plastic takeaway food containers including sushi containers, triangle sandwich containers, food containers with a plastic window and bowls with lids
• serving platters and trays
• foam or plastic trays such as meat and packaged fruit and vegetable trays.

Did you know that all plastic that has ever been produced is still present? Plastic does not break down or decompose - it often breaks up into smaller pieces, which cause problems for wildlife. This is one of the reasons why the Queensland Government initiated the single-use plastic ban which came into effect on 1 September this year.

Jo Stoyel from Plastic Free CQ is a great contact for both businesses and customers to help them make more sustainable choices - check out the Plastic Free CQ website: https://www.plasticfreecq.org/

There are still plenty of ways you can reduce single-use plastic in your life. Here are a few ideas to get you started: