save money
save the planet a handy guide for families about sustainable living
by Phoenix St Children’s Centre
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A Vietnamese version of this publication is also available at Phoenix Street Children’s Centre, 80 Phoenix Street, North Sunshine 3020 T: 9310 2929 : Phoenix Street Children’s Centre CMYK / .eps
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a sustainable future
Welcome to our user-friendly handbook with essential information about reducing household waste, and conserving water and energy in our local community.
This guide demonstrates the many ways that we can do our bit for the environment, such as: • reducing your rubbish • saving water • keeping chickens • planting your own fruit and vegies • composting ideas, and; • recycling in the home The more we understand the environment, the better we are able to care for it, and education is the first step the early childhood industry can take towards that.
At Phoenix Street Children’s Centre we strive to empower children, families and the community with sustainable living principles. Children are our future, so teaching them about sustainability is essential to the well-being of our planet. We hope you find this guide useful; keep it close by for a handy reference. Narrelle Cahill, Director, Phoenix Street Children’s Centre
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reduce Reduce simply means living more carefully so that you have less rubbish to get rid of later on (at the same time your savings will add up). Shop by looking for products with minimal packaging , or that are made from recycled materials or can be refilled, reused or recycled. Make gifts and cards for family and friends, rather than buying them. Maintain and repair clothes, toys, tools and appliances rather than replacing them with new ones.
downsize your bin
Q:what do I do
with old batteries?
A: take them to
the detox centre
Detox Your Home Centre Brimbank Council offers a drop off centre for a range of products which must not be placed into your house bins. Stadium Drive, Keilor Park Open Mon - Fri 9-4 1st Saturday of each month Accepted: All types of batteries, fluoro tubes, paint and motor oil, gas cylinders, TVs and computer monitors, computers, hard drives, printers, faxes, keyboards and modems.
and save
Hire, share and borrow items rather than buying new ones. Join a toy library, or swap toys with friends. Have a clothes swap party. Did you know you can downsize your rubbish bin to an 80 litre size and pay a smaller fee? Contact Brimbank City Council for more information, or refer to the “Waste and Recycling in Brimbank” brochure available at the Council offices. 4
Buy quality products that are durable, won’t go out of fashion quickly, and that can be repaired. Buy rechargeable batteries so you can use them over and over again.
Grow your own vegetables and flowers. Buy food from bulk stores or markets. Take your own bags to be refilled. Buy fresh foods where possible and compost the scraps. Make foods at home instead of buying takeaways or convenience foods.
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saving water at home Cutting back on your water usage means not only a happier environment but a lower water bill.
Try these easy ways to conserve water at home. Avoid wasting drinking water from a running tap: collect it in a bottle or jug and store it in the fridge until it is cool enough to drink. Garbage-disposal units use about 6 litres of water per day. Put suitable food scraps into a composter or worm farm rather than down the kitchen sink. When you clean your fish tank, use the ‘old’ nitrogen and phosphorous-rich water on your plants. Install a water tank to collect rainwater to water your garden. Cut down your shower time. Use a timer to keep your shower to less than four minutes, and save up to 90 litres per day.
Water saving tips WORKSHOP City West Water will provide information and samples of water saving resources. Contact Phoenix Street Children’s Centre for more details on 9310 2929
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dishwasher tips Look for dishwashers that have a WELS label. The best water rating achieved by dishwashers is 6 stars. Only use the dishwasher when you have a full load. Use the rinse-hold setting on the dishwasher, if it has one, rather than rinsing dishes under the tap.
tap tips When washing dishes by hand, don’t rinse them under a running tap. If you have two sinks, fill the second one with rinsing water. If you have only one sink, stack washed dishes in a dish rack and rinse them with a pan of hot water. Use washing-up liquid sparingly as this will reduce the amount of rinsing required when washing dishes by hand. Use a plugged sink or a pan of water. This saves running the tap continuously. When boiling vegetables, use enough water to cover them and keep the lid on the saucepan. Your vegetables will boil quicker and it will save you water, power, and preserve precious vitamins in the food. Flow-controlled aerators for taps are inexpensive and can reduce water flow by 50%. Don’t use running water to defrost frozen food. Ideally place food in refrigerator to defrost overnight. If you have a leaking tap, replace the washer or other components as required. Dripping taps can waste 30–200 litres of water per day.
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home grown eggs are tastier
Shop bought eggs can be there for days or weeks. Air seeps into the porous eggshell and affects the nutrients, taste, and consistency of the eggs. Fresh eggs should have firmer whites and bright orange yolks.
why keep chickens? 1
backyard chooks are healthier
Factory farmed chickens are kept in confined areas and are often fed a diet with hormones and antibiotics to increase growth quickly and cheaply. The added stress of unhappy surroundings affects the taste and nutrients and the ampunts of eggs laid.
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home grown eggs are more nutritious
In contrast to factory farm eggs, eggs from backyard chickens have 25 percent more vitamin E, a third more vitamin A, 75 percent more beta carotene and more omega-3 fatty acids.
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good for your compost
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they improve your garden
Chicken poop is high in nitrogen which is great for your compost bin. You can even compost the used egg shells.
They are natural foragers so freerange chickens will scratch the soil looking for bugs like earwigs; the same bugs that eat your summer fruits and veggies. Plus, as they turn the soil, it’ll aerate, break up vegetations, and accelerate the decomposing process.
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a great lesson for kids
It’s important that kids have a connection to their food and understand the farm-to-plate chain. They can participate in all chicken-related chores, especially egg collecting.
the average laying hen will produce about 300 eggs a year
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planting guide
Turn the page for a pull-out calendar with when to plant and harvest your own fruit and vegies. Stick it on your fridge for easy reference throughout the year.
this guide is based on the weather for a temperate climate such as Melbourne
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JANUARY
FEBRUARY
PLANT
PLANT
Lettuce, radish, silverbeet
Chilli, garlic, leek, turnip
HARVEST
HARVEST
Sweetcorn, zucchini, tomato
Basil, cucumber, herbs, potato
MARCH PLANT
Broccoli, brussels sprouts, onion, peas HARVEST
Apple, apricot, beans, fig, pumpkin, radish, zucchini
APRIL
MAY
PLANT
PLANT
Broad beans, cabbage, cauliflower
Celery, coriander, rocket, spinach
HARVEST
HARVEST
Chilli, silverbeet, spring onion
Capsicum, eggplant, lettuce
JUNE PLANT
Fennel, fig, parsnip, swede HARVEST
Olive, turnip, cumquats
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JULY PLANT
Apples, apricot, cherry, beans (French), silverbeet HARVEST
Coriander, peas, rocket
AUGUST
SEPTEMBER
PLANT
PLANT
Asparagus, lemon, lime, olive, orange, passionfruit, rhubarb
Beetroot, bok choy (pak choy), carrot HARVEST
HARVEST
Broccoli, cauliflower, spinach
Broad beans, brussels sprouts, celery, leek
OCTOBER PLANT
Herbs, potato, strawberry, sweet corn HARVEST
Bok choy, cabbage, fennel, garlic, lemon, lime, orange
NOVEMBER
DECEMBER
PLANT
PLANT
Cucumber, pumpkin, tomato, zucchini
Basil, capsicum, eggplant, spring onion
HARVEST
HARVEST
Artichoke(globe), beetroot, carrot, passionfruit
Asparagus, onion, plum, strawberry
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pumpkin, carrot & lentil soup Ingredients Olive oil 1 brown onion, diced 1 tsp cumin seeds 1 tsp coriander seeds 2 carrots, diced 2 cups of pumpkin, chopped 1 potato, diced 1 tin tomatoes 1/2 cup split red lentils Juice of 1/2 lemon A few coriander leaves
Method Heat the oil in a soup pot over low heat. Stir in onions and sautĂŠ until soft. Add the spices, salt and pepper and sautĂŠ for a few minutes. Add the vegetables and lentils and enough water to just cover them. Pop the lid on and simmer until vegetables and lentils are tender, about 30 minutes. Blend with a handmixer in the pot if you want a smoother soup. Add lemon juice and coriander leaves just before serving.
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smart ways to live sustainably This list contains simple, smart ways to help you save energy, water, waste – and money. Start with easy
things at the top of the list and work your way down.
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Set your thermostat to 18–20°C in winter. Set summer cooling temperatures at 26oC to maximise efficiency and save money. Keep your showers to less than four minutes. By doing this an average household can save around 90 litres of water per day. Use a timer to keep track of your time.
Wash clothes in cold water whenever possible. As much as 85 percent of the energy used to machine-wash clothes goes to heating the water. Use a drying rack or clothes line to save the energy otherwise used during machine drying.
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Buy in bulk. Purchasing food from bulk bins can save money and packaging. Wear clothes that don’t need to be dry-cleaned. This saves money and cuts down on toxic chemical use. Invest in high-quality, long-lasting products. You might pay more now, but you’ll be happy when you don’t have to replace items as frequently (and this means less waste!).
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easy steps to fast compost
get garden-ready compost in about 30 days
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shred & chop
Shred or chop materials as finely as you can before mixing them into the pile. For example, you can chop fallen leaves by running your lawn mower over them. The same applies to kitchen scraps “the smaller, the better” is the rule for compost ingredients.
Composting and Worm
WORKSHOPS
Learn how to set up and care for a worm farm or a compost bin. Contact Phoenix St Childrens Centre for more details on 9310 2929
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Making compost is probably the single most important thing you can do for your organic garden. The success of your garden depends on the soil, and the health of your soil depends on the compost you give it. And making compost isn’t difficult. With very little effort on your part, you can turn throw-away materials into this sweet-smelling, nutrient-rich, no-cost soil conditioner.
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mix dry browns & wet greens
The two basic types of ingredients for making compost are: 1. Carbon-rich materials, or “dry browns,” include leaves, hay, and straw. 2. Nitrogen-rich materials, or “wet greens,” include kitchen scraps and grass clippings; these work best when used sparsely and mixed in well so they don’t mat down. Keep a fair mix of these materials in the pile.
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strive for size
Build the pile at least 1 cubic metre so materials will heat up and decompose quickly. (Don’t make the pile too much bigger than that, though, or it will be hard to turn.) Unless you have this critical mass of materials, your compost pile can’t really get cooking. Check the pile a couple of days after it is built up - it should be hot in the middle, a sign that your microbial decomposers are working hard.
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add water
Make sure the pile stays moist, but not too wet. (It should feel like a damp sponge.) You may need to add water occasionally. Or, if it rains a lot, you may need to cover the pile with a tarp to keep it from becoming too soggy.
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keep things moving
Moving your compost adds air to the mix. You can open up air holes by getting in there with a pitchfork. Even better, shift the entire pile over a few feet, bit by bit, taking care to move what was on the outside to the inside of the new pile, and vice versa. Or consider using a compost tumbler, a container that moves the materials for you when you turn it.
Brimbank Council sells compost bins and worm farms at a discount 15
recycle right and create less landfill
recycling basics for the home Put the right items into your recycling bin. Paper, cardboard, plastic containers, glass bottles and aluminium and steel cans are accepted. All other items have to be removed by hand before the recycling process starts. If you put rubbish into your recycling bin, the recyclabes may be too dirty to recycle and may have to go to landfill instead. Bring cloth bags to the shops with you instead of taking home new paper or plastic bags. You can use these again and again. Plastic containers and reusable lunch bags are great ways to take your lunch to school without creating waste. 16
Coffee cans, shoe boxes, margarine containers, and other types of containers people throw away can be used to store things or can become fun arts and crafts projects.
Don’t throw out clothes, toys, furniture, and other things that you don’t want anymore. Somebody else can probably use them. You can bring them to a centre that collects donations, give them to friends, or even have a garage sale. Check out www.garagesaletrail.com.au for tips and host a sale. Borrow from libraries instead of buying personal books and movies. This saves money, not to mention the ink and paper that goes into printing new books. Share power tools and other appliances. Get to know your neighbours while cutting down on the number of things cluttering your closet or garage. Wash glass jars and uses them again to store food or things like buttons and nails. You can also give glass jars to friends or groups who make jams. 17
global calendar
Clean Up Australia Day - 4th March World Water Day - 22nd March Earth Hour - 23rd March Turn off, Switch off to play Day - 30th March Earth Day - 22nd April World Environment Day - 5th June International Mud Day - 29th June National Tree Day - 26th July Nude Food Day - 17th October Garage Sale Trail - 26th October
links & references Brimbank City Council www.brimbank.vic.gov.au City West Water www.citywestwater.com.au www.savewater.com.au Garage sale trail www.garagesaletrail.com.au Diggers Australia’s biggest gardening club. www.diggers.com.au Sustainable Table Learn about sustainable food production. www.sustainabletable.org.au Very Edible Gardens Melbourne’s permaculture design and education experts. www.veryediblegardens.com 18
Ollie saves the planet Kids website exploring the 4R’s Reduce, Reuse, Recycle and Rethink. www.olliesworld.com/planet/aus Ceres A not-for-profit educational organisation located on 4 hectares of rehabilitated landfill in East Brunswick, Melbourne. www.ceres.org.au The Little Vegie Patch Co. A Melbourne based business that specialises in the design, installation and maintenance of chemical-free vegetable gardens. www.littleveggiepatchco.com.au Soilworx Garden, building and landscaping products. 987-995 Ballarat Road, Deer Park www.soilworx.com.au
local markets Ardeer Vegie Swap 3rd Saturday of the month, Ardeer Community Playground, Forrest St, Ardeer www.ardeerplayground.org.au Brimbank Community Market 614 Ballarat Rd, Ardeer Saturday & Sunday 8.30am - 4pm www.brimbankcommunity market.com.au Footscray Market Hopkins and Leeds streets, Footscray Keilor East Farmers’ Market Every 4th Saturday of the month, 8 - 1pm Centreway Park, Wyong Street, Keilor East
recycle facilities Sids for Kids bins Donations of quality clothing and household goods accepted in the red bins at Phoenix St Childrens Centre Mobile Muster Recycle your mobile phones at Phoenix St Childrens Centre, www.mobilemuster.com.au Frameworks Recycled Materials Art and craft shop www.frameworksrecycledmaterials.com.au Toy Library www.marthaarmstoylibrary.org.au
community groups Permaculture Out West Permaculture in the Western Suburbs www.pow.org.au Friends of Iramoo Sustainable community centre at St Albans www.iramoo.org.au Friends of Kororoit Creek www.fokc.org.au Selwyn Park community garden Every 2nd Sunday of the month www.communityclub.org.au
op shops Sunshine Recycled Outlet 149/153 Anderson Road, Sunshine Brotherhood of St Laurence Shop 1, 112 Westwood Drive, Deer Park Vinnies Centres St Albans - 71 Main Rd West, St Albans Sunshine - 56 Station Place, Sunshine Sunshine Salvos 26 Withers St, Sunshine Goss’n’shop - Sunshine 100 Anderson Rd, Sunshine (at the Holy Apostles Anglican Church) Wayside Opportunity Centre 30 Withers, Sunshine Braybrook Salvos 296 Ballarat Rd, Braybrook
Printed on recycled paper. This booklet can also be viewed online at www.issuu.com
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competition
For a chance to win a worm farm, answer this question or complete the picture in the frame, and send by Nov 30, 2013 to: Competitions, Phoenix Street Children’s Centre, 80 Phoenix Street, North Sunshine 3020
Q
What is a good way to reduce your amount of rubbish?
&
A
Draw some things you would put in a worm farm.