7 effort free tips to reduce your carbon footprint

Have a meat-free day

Red meat can have up to 100 times the environmental impact of plant-based food. If this doesn’t work for you, swapping from red meat to chicken can also make a difference.

Leave the lids

If you buy a takeaway coffee – ask for it without the plastic lid. It’s an effort free way to reduce the amount of plastic ending up in landfill. ‍

Shorter showers

Limit your shower time to 4 minutes and use less energy and water.  

Wash your hair less

Washing your hair 2-3 times a week rather than daily is better for your hair. You will be saving water, energy and sending less shampoo and conditioner down the drain.

Drop a degree

You don’t have to swelter through summer but simply turning the air-con temperature up a degree in summer and down a degree in winter can make a huge difference and you probably won’t even notice.  

Choose native flowers

Lots of flowers are grown overseas and flown to Australia. An easy switch is to opt for native varieties or a potted plant instead.  

Switch your washing machine to cold

90% of the power used in our washing machines is heating the water. By switching to a cold wash, you’ll save power and it is better for your clothes.  

What is a carbon footprint?

A carbon footprint is the measure of the amount of carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere by your activities over a particular period.  

For example, the food you buy has a carbon footprint attached to it. This is because it requires resources to grow, harvest, package and transport it to the shop you bought it from.  

It includes carbon dioxide (CO2 - the gas most commonly emitted by humans) and others, including methane, nitrous oxide and fluorinated gases. These trap the heat in the atmosphere causing global warming. Usually, most of a person’s carbon footprint will come from transport, housing and food. 

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