War on waste

capfantastic

I believe that being sustainable is counter intuitive to the advertising we are constantly being influenced by. We can be happy with less. We can be happy to be a part of a cultural shift towards the security of the planet. Even if we have to drag everyone kicking and screaming. It’s the only planet we’ve got and there’s no turning back from the renewable energy revolution, in whatever form it will take.

Debbie

Always making an effort to reduce waste and sometimes that means buying less, or particularly not in plastic. Even though some plastics are recyclable, it is best to not buy the plastic in the first place. Take shopping and produce bags when shopping, if everyone did this we could be saving up to 5-6 plastic bags per person....think about it :)

joye

am trying to recycle as much as possible. it is hard to know where to recycle some stuff eg computer disks & cds

mustang6000

What annoys me most about this topic is that we, as individuals, are all doing everything we can to minimise our waste including recycling, reuse, cut down food waste etc. Than I find that place like some government offices, hospitals, commercial properties and industries do not have recycling programs in place. Also, if I recall correctly, some local councils were collecting recycling and then dumping it in landfill. On the other side, our local, state & federal governments are not supporting the development of recycling industries in Australia.

natsk80

I have started with small steps. We have a home compost bin and also can put food scraps in our green waste bin. We now grow some of our own vegetables. We collect our soft plastics and take them to the supermarket for recycling. I try to choose package free options where possible (eg fruit and veg) and use reusable produce bags. I'm in SA so have been using reusable bags for groceries for a while. I've also purchased bees wax wraps and silicone sheets as alternatives to glad wrap and baking paper. Have changed from throw away dish clothes to ones I can throw in the washing machine and this year when relatives asked what my kids wanted for presents I suggested 'experience' gifts (for example a voucher for the cinema, or bowling etc). I have drastically cut down the amount of clothing I buy myself and have a rule that if I buy something it has to be replacing something that is worn out/doesn't fit anymore. I don't drink coffee so no need for reusable cups there and now make sure I request no straw when ordering a drink when out. I'm using bar soap instead of body wash (less packaging) and am looking at trying a shampoo and conditioner bar when I next need to buy shampoo/conditioner. Have also made the move to less chemicals in the cleaning products I use too. There is so much more I can do, but it's a gradual change process for me and taking little steps at a time so I stick with the changes and they are long term.

l0lapx

NO, we never had waste, we only had what we needed, we recycled etc from the day we walked.. we still dont have dryers, dish washers etc.
SO NO we have live a simple healthy life, with our own vegies, fruit milk, cheese etc. more now than in the ities

IF

isaacsmum

I am so passionate about this topic, the only way is to role model good practice and not rely on others to do the right thing. Everything, how ever tiny is a step in the right direction, it's a movement and we can influence the change! Things that my little family do:
We only buy what we would cook each week and we eat it all. Avoid packaging (not just plastic shopping bags) and buy seasonal 'ugly' produce. We have reduced our meat consumption to once or twice a week. Absolutely no disposable coffee cups, or water bottles. On this front I am taken action to convince as many cafes to be responsible and promote byo cups. If I happen to forget my frank green cup, I'll take a mug or just have it there (insisting it in an actual cup!). Education is vital - my kids are lucky their school are huge advocates of recycling and have a school garden with dedicated teaching. We are avid recyclers taking care to understand how to sort properly. On a very personal front, we used modern cloth nappies - just couldn't stand the thought of a soiled nappy takes hundreds of years to breakdown (if they ever actually do!), imagine that every disposable ever used is still hanging around! Also Ive been using washable cloth pads for many years which I've found better for my health as well as the environment. Currently we are trying harder to complete the cycle and buy products manufactured from recycled material. For this we need better labelling to support consumers in making the right choice and to allow people to see the benefit. Those that are already on this journey don't need more convincing, it's those who haven't begun that need is to help them along the way. Wow I can just go on...but will stop here :)

Ashar

I recycle everything that I can but I am not convinced that even after placing my items in recycle bins that it is not going into landfill. I am making a difference but many others aren't. They can't even be bothered to place the right items into the correct bins. Food waste is a major problem with fruit and vegetables during harvest left to rot in the ground. Blemished fruit and vegetables should be used to make juice that is in glass bottles. The government should have regulations in place to force producers and manufacturers to take back disused items. Selling takeaway coffee should be banned altogether.

Kashi

I was recently informed that take-away coffee cups were not recyclable! I had been putting all mine in the recycling!
Anyway i have purchased my own special mug to get my coffee in and hopefully prevent more waste.
# Takeaway coffee cups are NOT recyclable!

funnysag

I noticed a local coffee shop takes 50cents of each cup if you bring your own cup. I totally support this idea and more shops should do this. Also I never get a plastic shopping bag at the shops as I always take my own or put it in my car directly from the trolley.

funnysag

I recycle everything I can possibly do and compost all my vegetable matter. I also only buy clothes at second hand shops & look for brands that I like that have hardly been worn or new as possible.
A lot more can be done by asking every industry to support the war on waste and advertising on TV at prime time to educate people.

Mickey

I watched the program on War on Waste. It was a very interesting. I was already doing things to reduce waste around a home. I recycle has much as I can.
I think supermakets need to stop placing fruit and vegetables in plastic containers. Fruit and vegetables need to be loose so people can choose what that want

smart_ass13

So a few months ago, I participated in the Great NSW Food Waste Study – it was quite an interesting project as it breaks down your household food waste.

You are provided with food study bags which are marked (1/4, ½, ¾ and full) and go through the process firstly of cleaning out your fridge (emptying out any spoilt or expired items), then add any peelings, plate scraps/unserved portions that won’t be eaten.

Once this has been done, you complete the online survey (basic details, how full the bag was, number of people etc.).

It’s an eye opener as you don’t realise how much food you actually waste unless you see it in front of you (collated).

It has made me more aware of my fridge contents and I regularly go through the fridge to use up nearing end of life items to save money, utilise the item and saving the environment by not just throwing it out.

Any excess food not eaten that day/next day for lunch, is either frozen or taken into work and given to my work colleagues.

When I am making a soup, I use all the veggie scraps for the stock (along with the leg of lamb bone) also.

Nita

I didn't watch this series 'War On Waste' but I have always kind of been aware of the amount of extra 'stuff' I buy and ensuring I really don't purchase anything more than what my family actually need, apart from less wastage, my main priority was to save money.
I think everyone should be aware of what they buy and how they go about ridding themselves of their rubbish. But I think the Government and businesses have a major role to play in this...especially the businesses, who should be creating ways to sell their products with much less packaging.
Unfortunately, I have a feeling we as a society are fighting a losing battle. We can all do our part as consumers but if Government don't create a more innovative way of disposing of waste, then our country will continue to become a large waste dump.
After watching Four Corners this week and seeing the whole 'Recycling Program' rort, it proves a point that if our Government can't control what, who and where happens to all of our recycled waste then we really have no hope at all with general waste.

Rein

It is certainly not easy to reduce the amount of waste that my household produces. After all, many products need plastic containers to hold them. We have tried to bring our own containers to shops that we are buying takeaway food from, use our own coffee cup for buying takeaway coffee, and unless it is really needed, we try to keep the documents digitally instead of printing all of them out.

linnyj

I have recycled my soft plastic bags at the depots in local supermarkets and chopped vegetable peelings into the garden. Both very easy things to do.

PSYCH 2 Be

As a mum of two young children I find we have alot of recyclable trash and a need for extreme amounts of storage. One thing I have been doing is making use of the plastic containers their fruit and veggies come in. Because they are big and clear I can see what's inside them. They make awesome cheap storage solutions and are normally the perfect size for storing little toys, trinkets, etc. I use them to store their loose paper craft items, stamps, beads, toy fruit and we even made a treasure chest out of the black celery plate and apple bucket by covering in paper and sticking on gems over the school holidays. I use the black ones from celery as sushi plates for their play sushi set. It's not a huge waste saver but it's cheap effective storage for children's toy's and craft items. May not look trendy but for the purpose of kid's being able to use their toys it's effective and if they ruin it. I just go buy another packet of apple's or celery. Winning!

Stitchfan93

Yes I have. Before this, I didn't care too much about how much waste I produced. However, after seeing recently how full rubbish dumps were I told myself I better start doing something about this.

I started by keeping track of what I throw away now. Before this, I would normally throw away anything if its broken or what, however I now check to see if it can be salvagable or given away rather than throw away (old clothes, technology and so on). Besides that, I try my best now to recycle whenever I can, whether it's glass bottles, plastic, old newspaper and so on. Furthermore, I'm now currently trying to learn how to make compost using my food waste so that not a lot of food waste rubbish can be thrown out and my garden and plants will enjoy this!

For me, it was hard for me in the beginning as I wasn't used to the habit. However, over time it got easier for me as I'm used to i now. I believe I can make a difference, as anyone's actions count. Plus, my own actions have motivated others to try and do the same thing as well (reduce waste!) Finally, I would say maybe offer incentives to those who do a good job of reducing waste (like prize money), as this could encourage others to do the same thing. Besides that, encourage people to reduce their waste by educating them how to do so and make it easier for them to do so.

devon

Since recently moving house and cutting down on space I've made some changes on reducing waste and I now take more active steps to keep that up. Instead of going for big, weekly shops for groceries, my housemate and I will do more frequent small shops only for things we need once we almost run out. I donate all that I can when it comes to fashion and misc items or I try to sell some items. I used to spontaneously buy new clothes and I got no wear out of them at all. I'm trying to sell those clothes or else donate them. I don't do that anymore now I'm more aware and have seen just how much I hoarded over time and what a waste of money it was. My family have always recycled but we've taken more active steps just so it's easier to do every day, like we bought a duel bin with a larger pay for recyclables. I also have always been aware of the effect of bottled water, so for a few years I have just bought one bottle which I refill and take with me. This is one thing I'm very passionate about so I always try to encourage my friends, family, colleagues to do the same.

Some things I've made routine and its been easy to keep those habits up. But in other places, although I'm aware of what I could be doing, I forget or I'm not as prepared. Like with shopping, we have been bags at home that we mean to take with us but often forget and end up using plastic bags. I've seen others take active steps like leaving the green bags in the car boot, which doesn't always work but it's something I can definitely adopt. I think when you have enough disposable income it's easy to lose track of all the unnecessary things you collect over time, which makes it more difficult to get rid of later. Since being unemployed for a year now, I've drastically reduced my spendings and I think more carefully about what I buy. Despite this, I always choose the environmentally friendly option when shopping.

I'm happy that I try to do my bit, even if it's something small like carrying around one water bottle or making the effort to throw all my paperwork in the recycling bin. If everyone just does something, wants to contribute positively and is informed on the problem then I think we can make a massive difference. I just focus on what I'm doing to help rather than the negative side of things. I believe in the ripple effect and always encourage other people to do something.

I think education and reminder cues and advertising are things that can be improved within the community to help cut down on waste. Maybe new practices adopted, like more small businesses donating food or cashiers asking if you'd like a bag. Many times when I'm at the shops and I buy a single item it's put into a bag, rather than asking if I need a bag. I also worked at a bakery for a few years so I saw first hand how much food was going to waste every day. I went around interviewing other bakeries and brought the issue up with my boss and staff and later on we were able to start donating some. Businesses are reluctant there to do so because of health and safety implications. So if they were incentivised or had some sort of protection then more would be likely to donate.

heeleen

I did not see the series so cannot comment on that. I have always recycled and taken own bags to shops when I remember them. We now have three bins here a new green bin where we put all our food scraps, grass etc only problem is we have to keep buying the biodegradable bags and they are expensive. My daughter wastes a lot and I am always trying to get to to stop. But a lot of young ones today just don't get it. I am in my 60s and I remember as a child, we recycled all our bottles, milk, softdrink and beer etc all came in glass bottles. We used to take the softdrink bottles back to store and the milk bottles as you would get 5cents for them. We did not have plastic bin liners, rubbish was wrapped up in newspaper. I am not sure how much of a difference one person can make I suppose the people all add up. I really think companies should do more regarding how much they use for their products, when I buy toys for my grandchildren, there is so much plastic, cardboard etc, Half of what they use would be fine. I think a lot of people today a just plain lazy or think nothing they do makes a difference and that is why they do not do it. Oh well.

Ant450

I've always been on the "greener" side, but War on Waste was definitely still an eye opener! Some of the things I'm doing:
- I've set up a worm farm on my apartment balcony, which I use to divert my food waste from landfill, and then to take care of my herbs and other potted plants.
- Making a conscious effort to reduce the amount of plastic I use and dispose of, by using shampoo bars, and lots of homemade skincare stuff.
- Doing my best not to buy any "new" household items or clothes, and am sourcing them from op shops, gumtree and facebook groups wherever I can.

I think the biggest barrier to becoming a more environmentally friendly planet is that eco-friendly alternatives are not all that easy to come by. I hope that as we move forward, recycled products and eco-friendly packaging becomes the norm, rather than the alternative!

shelly47

Hi, I didn't watch the program The War on Wastebut I would have liked too. We recycle as much as possible by always sorting what can go in garbage or recycle bins. When I shop I try to buy just what we need so there is no waste and the foods don't go past the use by dates.i buy a lot of fresh food like fruit and vegetables and cook from scratch as much as I can. I avoid buying ready made meals or things in extra packaging as much as possible, but it makes me mad when some vegetables or fruit are in a plastic pack when no need to be. We have a compost bin and we throw all veg peelings and garden clippings in that or in the green recycle bin for council pick up. I take green bags when I go to the supermarket but sometimes I forget or don't take enough bags and have to get groceries in the plastic ones. If they don't have holes in the bottom I re use them as kitchen tidy bags or cat litter bags or for my daughters baby nappies disposal so I figure that is using them again anyway. I'm not sure if Woolworths and Coles doing away with using plastic shopping bags is going to have much impact on the waste as there is so much other plastic used in packaging before you get to the checkout and all the plastic used in retail shops as well. Why can't they make a more Eco friendly bio Degradable material for use instead or go back to using paper bags. I guess we would get an argument for too much trees being destroyed!
I am thinking of making some cheap calico bags to use for my shopping as I don't want to have to buy more recycle bags when I go to get my groceries.

tibi

Smokers throwing cigaret buts out and emptying ashtray in car parks do more damage than smoking it self.

tibi

It is very easy to follow when you set the rules for every body in the family

tibi

With very little effort you can make very big difference, and it starts at home

tibi

Paper mags.news papers, I receive my bills when ever possible electronically, then I decide if I need hard copy of not

tibi

Always make sure that the only thing end up in recycle bin is that is market recycle, another way it will all end up in land fill, If possible use product that is made from recycled plastic or glass, most metal containers are recyclable, anything too big for the bin saves it for hard rubish day.

tibi

I am very keen re use anything, I don't believe in this throwaway society, I come from Europa where after the second WW we had to make use of everything

Littlelegs

I did not see this TV series "The War on Waste" but I constantly try to reduce waste as much as possible, both by recycling cans, bottles, paper, etc and also by not throwing away food where possible. This is sometimes difficult with the food, as things do not seem to keep fresh as long as they used to, and as the prices of some food is quite high unless you buy a larger amount, you are really buying more than you would probably normally use within your household. Admittedly, some things you can freeze for future use but there are items that this would not apply to.

(none)

Most of it was interesting, although it's a while ago and I can't remember a lot of what was said. I do know that I have always been against waste, even when the popular thing was to demonstrate how rich you were by wasting. I didn't grow up on a farm for nothing. One thing that struck me, that I can add to what I already do, is to re-use take-away drink containers. I have gotten myself a mug to put takeaway coffee into, and I wash it and return it to my bag for the next use. I avoid those takeaway food containers - they are so difficult to use, but if I do end up with them, I give them to friends I know who buy them. I take plastic spoons with me so that I need never use a takeaway spoon; I re-use plastic bags; paper that has been used on only one side is made into shopping list paper; food scraps are composted or fed to the chooks (or buried in the garden), clothes are worn till they are rags - good clothes, to around the house clothes, to rags. (This used to be because I couldn't afford clothes, but the habit has continued). I used to give the rags to the Op Shops to sell to garages etc that side them, but these days, it seems that people are more up-market... I'm not a very good gardener, sadly, so I need to buy food.

Angieg

Being on a limited budget means that there's hardly any waste my way. I recycle everything possible and take my own bags when doing grocery shopping. So-called "Ugly Fruit and Vegetables" are perfect to use and saves money. I often buy second hand clothing also plus donate unused items to charity. I think that electronic products have a huge negative impact on the environment, especially now that most things are deliberately made to only last a few years, however I've noticed more drop-off areas for these which is terrific - anything big or small will be accepted for free. The worst culprit regarding waste would have to be plastic, it is absolutely everywhere and it is scary hearing that there will soon be more plastic than fish in our oceans. There's still a very long way to go but thankfully most responsible people are trying to do the right things to help the environment and are supporting companies that are heading down the environmentally friendly path. Just small actions such as using biodegradable cleaning products, toilet paper, coffee cups/capsules and avoiding excess packaging can make a huge difference collectively. People who do the wrong thing by illegally dumping should be fined more and actual dump sites should reduce their price to dump; it's way too expensive. Also, I would love to see harsher penalties for those that litter because after a public event, it's shocking at how many people just leave their rubbish.

ezz19

I have made an effort to reduce the amounts of packaging I buy especially with vegetables - I find a lot of supermarkets package pre-cut vegetables and I used to buy those for convenience. I usually keep a bag with me in case I go shopping any days, but it still can be difficult to avoid bags especially when you forget to bring the bag. I end up buying so many reusable bags - it would be great to have somewhere to return the stash so that others can make use of these.

I think supermarkets need to stop selling pre-packaged cut-up vegetables because people will generally only buy them because they're there. They're usually significantly more expensive than unpackaged vegetables - families who are looking for convenience but want to save money would save a lot if they did not have this option. It's disheartening that even stores that are supposedly eco-friendly like About Life still sell products with heaps of unnecessary packaging.

I think it's important to keep the word out with tips for household purchases/items that can be recycled and reused. A lot of waste happens because people don't know they can get rid of it in an eco-friendly way that isn't time consuming.

There should also be more widely available links to swap/pay it forward groups, or stores that will take in or buy used goods, especially ones that actually come to pick it up from you.

chicababe

recycle mostly and use my own bags every little bit helps if every one is doing it

Olivia17

I'm definitely trying to save on waste I care about the environment I use everything natural earth choice brands for shopping l take the environmental bags with me it's easy to do when you get used to it you can't go back to plastic bags we recycle almost everything and try to buy recyclable packerging over other brands if everyone used environmental bags then plastic bags would be gone and that would make a huge difference

nette

Changed my household waste bin over from large to small. Composting all vegetable and paper waste for my gardens. Recycling all packaging, newspapers, etc. Taking my magazines up to the local medical centre. Taken all my old sheets, towels, washers to the local vets for use in the animal cages. Stopped using paper towels and napkins and gone back to washable cloth ones. Shop around the edges at the supermarkets, and take my own shopping bags, it saves on so much waste packaging, and saves on my waistline! Share or swap produce from my garden. Make a lot more meals from scratch to use up leftovers I once would have thrown out, and making up big matches each evening meal so I can take ready made lunches to work, this is also saving me HEAPS, and I have enough already for a weekend away as a treat!. Gone through my wardrobe and taken out anything I don't wear and donated it. Given unwanted books to our local swap library. I car share to the train station and catch the train to work now, so am saving heaps on petrol.
I feel I am making a big difference in my little patch of the world and I have noticed that many of my friends and family are now starting to do the same as I am, so it must be getting through. I have also started to live a permaculture lifestyle which is influencing friends and family around me
I think people power is driving change gradually, especially stopping the use of plastic bags and wrapping goods, I just wish it wasn't such a slow process.

Pammy67

We have a box inside that we put all recyclable items in, and then transfer to the council recycle bin - plastic milk bottles, cans, plastic, paper - which goes fortnightly. It is easy enough to do, and helps the environment. There is a lot of waste generally in the community, and if everyone did a little bit, it would help greatly.

BL

We do work hard on reducing waste in our home. We now recycle all that we can and feed the worms in our compost bin much of the food scraps. When shopping preference is made for non wrapped fresh items so as to avoid packaging wast and use our own bags to carry groceries. We end up each week with our rubbish bin being only one quarter full.

tinapay

The War On Waste program is a perfect eye opener for all Australians to recycle stuff that can be use again. It saves us a lot of money personally and all sustainable resources that we have.

blueposy

waste not want not.I have been minimizing waste for over 40 years,recycling.composting food scraps,my own shopping bags,conserving water and yes its easy and if everyone did it yes it would make a huge difference because of people power

Kyant

the amount of plastic coffee cups being thrown way is just incredible! High time to have re-useable ones.

divergent

Envirobank Rewards are a good way to recycle cans and plastic bottles and get rewarded for it. I did this for a couple of years until the local machine played up so much that I gave up out of frustration. People love to jam garbage in the machine chutes for some reason, probably kids. Ever since, everything has been put into the local recycling. I've always promoted recycling, ever since the first home recycling containers were delivered. It makes you feel good to do your bit. I still see people tossing garbage out their car windows, even friends who I frown upon, but I try to make up for it by being careful about my own recycling and garbage disposal. We're not a perfect bunch of humans on this planet, but most of us mean well.

Yankeedoodle

Not sure what you classify as waist but here are just a few things that I do with household items I need to get rid of.
1. All my scraps that will break down i.e. egg shells, dinner scraps, bread etc. go into a bucket and when full gets buried in my garden and works as a fertilizer.

2. I haven't used plastic shopping bags for over 20 years and they should now ban all plastic bags in supermarkets when buying fruit, meat, bulk nuts etc. If they are going to stop plastic bags for shopping why not these items as you have to throw them out when you take the product out. Wake up manufacturers you pack everything in plastic. And now you have vacuum packed meat and what is it in? PLASTIC!

3. I make paper logs and burn them in my wood heater. With all the junk mail we get and the papers I buy it is cheaper than buying wood and works just as well.

4. I recycle what is recyclable i.e. cans, bottles (not plastic) etc.

5. When I go to the grocery store to buy fruit I don't use plastic bags they provide I just put it in the trolley and it is the same with loose bread.

When I was growing up we didn't have anything like plastic, it was all paper and we should go back to it as paper will break down and there are many uses for leftover paper. I have been burying my scraps and a lot of other things I won't mention because it might bother some readers but I will give you an example. I am a hunter and fisherman and when I kill some game or catch fish you have to clean them before you consume them so those scraps get buried as well.

If people just use some common sense you would be surprised how much we could solve some of our environmental problems. The problem is that not everybody grew up in my era and we now live in a throw away society so if you really want to get serious about his people have to wake up and start looking at going back to the old ways we used to do things. Will it happen? I doubt it because people will put it in the to hard basket!

I hope everybody has a great day!

Cheers,
Duane

Goofus

The show was certainly eye-opening. What amazed me was the amount of clothing thrown out. I recycle everything I can, especially the food. It goes down the chain at my place, to the dogs, chickens, compost, worm farm and the rest, usually cooked bones and the like, go into the wheelie bin. It is a really good feeling to recycle.

mysteron347

Having spent 16 years fending for myself without a job (because I saved and invested when I was younger so I wasn't destitute) and without any support from the community whatever, I don't feel any obligation to make any contribution to the "cause" being championed by the the usual noisy crew of "everybody"-representatitves (who actually represent the idle.)

Rubbish goes in the bin. Not the bin with the green top (which originally had a green top that "needed" to be replaced with a different-colour green by someone with a job) but the new one with the red top. The other bins the council foists on me I use for compost for my garden which is providing me an ever-increasing proportion of my food.

Despite the fact that I put out the red-top bin half-full about one week in two, I still get to pay the same amount for having it disposed of as those who put out a full bin every week and add their rubbish to their neighbours' bins into the bargain.

All fine in theory - just as long as there's some rules and regulations to be administered by some group of professionally-concerned agitators wantingto tell everyone else what to do and how to do it.

Frankly m'dear, I just don't give a damn.

mysteron347

Having spent 16 years fending for myself without a job (because I saved and invested when I was younger so I wasn't destitute) and without any support from the community whatever, I don't feel any obligation to make any contribution to the "cause" being championed by the the usual noisy crew of "everybody"-representatitves (who actually represent the idle.)

Rubbish goes in the bin. Not the bin with the green top (which originally had a green top that "needed" to be replaced with a different-colour green by someone with a job) but the new one with the red top. The other bins the council foists on me I use for compost for my garden which is providing me an ever-increasing proportion of my food.

Despite the fact that I put out the red-top bin half-full about one week in two, I still get to pay the same amount for having it disposed of as those who put out a full bin every week and add their rubbish to their neighbours' bins into the bargain.

All fine in theory - just as long as there's some rules and regulations to be administered by some group of professionally-concerned agitators wantingto tell everyone else what to do and how to do it.

Frankly m'dear, I just don't give a damn.

Liza May

A late but urgent effort for all members of the public to follow.
Your illustrated "Waste Paper" poster a wonderful reminder of
that most successful (First World War). "Lord Kitchener" pictured (I need you) poster.
Keep it up.

Beaverquick

Yes, I am more particular about recycling soft plastics; also using less single use bags.

meg

I didn't see the show but we recycle as much as possible. I personally believe in reusing or adapting for reuse, which is probably why I am a bit of a hoarder.We have compost bins for peelings & similar scraps but the problem is that you can end up with more soil than you can use. The majority of metals & plastics can be recycled the problem is that it can cost more to process them than the end product is worth. IDEALLY if a product or packaging is not recyclable we should not be using it.

Sarahg8

I throw all my food scraps in the compost which helps feed our aquaponics system, but the carrot peel goes to the ducks. Plastic bags are re-used, and old newspapers make good carpet for the parot cage. Also cardboard is good for getting the fire started, so not much gets wasted. It is easy and routine to keep up, and it makes a difference to our household, if not the wider community. I think one of the good community initiatives is second bite which helps to feed the poor.

sweetypieelizabeth

Oooooooh.........I love this Topic and have been waiting for a hearty Discussion in which I can contribute and voice My opinion......!!!!
Basically I mostly Wear Vintage/Recycled Clothes...many of My Garments are very apparently from another Era......and as long as They are Clean, Ironed and well presented I never feel I have to explain why I Wear These Clothes...................The Exception is Underwear............That is always, always NEW !
I will Wear My beautiful Vintage (pre-Loved) Clothes until it is no longer possible.............They become too holey etc !
I am Proud that No-one has Made My Clothes in a horrible Sweat Shop in China.......Why I do not mind that I can Smell Moth Balls on These Vintage Pieces..................at least I have contributed to saving the Planet in some very small way............
The next thing I want to say is that I have a few Jobs and one of Them is in a Market Selling and Serving Customers.......I Noticed after that "War On Waste" that No-one, Not one Customer wanted a Plastic Bag to Put Their Purchases in...........................They all Bought Their Own Bags....................It was just amazing and Beautiful to Watch People follow this through...!!!

***Pottsy***

I only managed to see half of one episode. I have been recycling and re-purposing since the 1960s. It is how I was bought up. Respect the environment, don't waste things, be frugal, minimize personal belongings and be aware of how the things you do in life affect others and the world around you. I had wise parents. Whilst it is not always possible to know all your 'footprints' on the world, it hasn't stopped me from trying to understand the impact of my decisions.

-Since I became aware of the tv series, I have not changed a single thing because I was already doing as much as I could. What I have noticed since the show, is more of my friends and family cutting down on spending on non-essentials.

- Yesterday I received 22 pieces of junkmail in my letterbox! 22! I don't have a NO JUNKMAIL sign on my letterbox as the other two members of my family like to read it. Personally, I put it straight into the guineapig hutch for flooring or into the recycling bin without reading it. What a huge waste of paper, ink, delivery costs, truck exhaust etc... Printed junkmail needs to be banned.

dj0003

as a self employed gardener with a thriving 11+ year business (just 2 of us) we are always looking for new ways to reduce all kinds of waste.
Fortunately Tassie rid our shops of plastic bags ages ago and it's pleasing to hear the rest of Aust is finally catching up. If we don't make an effort now, our future generations won't enjoy what we currently do ie home cooked meals and fresh air......................!?

bettythrelfo

I grew up on a normal block in w.a. here, but the amount of garbage you could put out was very small... I think that the cou ncil then, victoria park, had it in mind to keep it low, so you learnt to bury all the scraps if you did not have chooks to each them., we did.. we had eggs from them, and in turn dried the egg shells and they to got crushed and put back into the ground as humus.. the fruit trees on our block did well, we had plum, and fig, and lemon, and grapes, apricots and almonds and peaches. Mum used to make chutneys and jams and all sorts of pickles, so nothing got not used,. the stones did get crushed up and put out for the chooks to pick over. any clothes got given away to your friends, neighbours, or even to the local garage that could use as rag, but mind yo u , most of it got used at home. I still follow the same pattern.. or almost... I take my own shopping bags, and then in turn pack into a cardboard box in the boot. this makes to carry into the house a lot easier... I use a bucket in the shower, and put the water on any plants not out in the rain.. clothes go down to local op shops I either dry my lemon and orange skins, or candy them for cooking.. lemons salted also taste great.. vegs scraps go out under the trees, the birds pick them over, and then we also have some bandicoots wild that come in and feed as well.... paper goes thru the small shredder and back onto the garden, and normally gets dug in. washing machine also only when full.

pammam

I have been a convert for a long time ever since I went on a Council sponsored tour including Replas where they use soft plastics.
Now I preach and badger other people to take soft plastics to Coles even go so far as to get people at meetings to sort out what is recyclable

sussie21

they are trying to get rid of plastic bags from supermarkets but what do people use in their household rubbish bins PLASTIC so what does it acheafe

Beci

I haven't seen this TV series so cannot comment on it. I haven't made any recent attempts to reduce the amount of waste my household produces, but we don't produce that much anyway. Some weeks I don't even have to take the rubbish bin out to be emptied. We have a recycling bin for paper waste as well as empty plastic containers and similar rubbish. Many times I even keep some jars and containers as I can reuse them around the home. My husband uses glass jars to store nails, screws and other small items, and even his cigarette filters. I use them for jam and lemon butter making. I have used ice cream containers as water bowls for the dogs and cats. It is fairly easy to keep waste production down with a little thought and common sense, and I think that if everyone does their part it will certainly make a difference. The practice in South Australia of having 10c deposits placed on cartons and bottles is a great one that should be a nation-wide venture, and it should be applied to ALL plastic and glass bottles (including milk bottles and pure fruit juice containers).

Catenary

For some years, we have made full use of the 'Recyclables" bin supplied by Council. We further miinimise waste by saving the Council time and fuel, by only putting the bin out when it is full about every eight weeks. Our worm farm deals with kitchen waste. What the worms won't eat goes into a compost bin. Once we got into these habits, it has been no problem to keep them going. We avoid the use of paper cups by sitting down in our favourite coffee shop and having our morning coffee from their china cups. Instead of buying the daily paper, and making more waste, we read one of the 4 papers bought by the shop. We often pick up waste paper that is blowing around, and put it in our recycle bin. One of the results of our attention to recycling and waste minimisation is that our Council rubbish bin only needs to go out once every 2 or 3 weeks, instead of every week.

Ruskie30748487

Never watched it,but do my bit to recycle just about everything.

Ann818

We were shocked by the amount of waste created especially by take-away coffee cups, and the fact that so few councils had facilities to recycle them, so we purchased re-usable plastic cups and starrted taking them everywhere we could. Some coffee shops give a discount but others don't, and we will continue to keep asking them to do so. Our church saw what we were doing, and requested everyone to bring their own cups for tea and coffee - and they have also stopped buying cardboard cups for visitors and using china mugs. We recycle everything we can at home, and have also discovered a local environmental garden centre which gives away the liquid results from their worm farm which is fantastic fertiliser for our balcony pot plants. These initiatives have been easy, it's just a matter of making new habits and sticking to them and we'll continue to look for other initiatives we can try.

Dzign

I already recycle, compost & other ways to reduce the waste my household produces. I think households that don't make an effort to reduce waste aren't helping the community. Reducing waste takes time learning how and what to do. A brochure to help people reduce household waste would be a great help.

paulH

I now carry a series of reusable bags in the back of my car including the foil lined cooler bags. That way I no longer bring plastic bags into my home for disposal in waste bins. I purchase large bulk quantities of products I use regularly or ones that do not expire . That way any packaging is small compared to the amount of usable product.
Although it may not seem much every little bit helps.

marianne101

I didn't see the series and maybe I should. I'm probably one of those people that would have gotten the most out of it as I don't think I am doing all I can to help the environment and, I am not in anyway saying it doesn't exist, I just think so much more needs to be done to help reduce waste from big business/corporations/countries that I guess I feel my small contribution is a bit futile. I do recycle and we have solar plus try not to be wasteful with food and, after looking at comments about the lengths people go to that helps reduce their footprint, I can certainly do so much more. I think my point (I will get backlash I'm sure) is that I see so much waste in workplaces and with unnecessary packaging, maybe if good examples came from the top, I would feel inclined to do more? Its not laziness, please don't attack me for that! Our council only just introduced a green recycle bin that's free which is a good start but why did it take so long? Where I used to live (not far away and only up to 12 months ago) didn't even have a recycling bin in the units (a skip was provided for cardboard for the shops downstairs and a skip for normal rubbish). I couldn't even take my recycling to work as it was the same situation!

Amu

yes, we clean up house hold waste to a great extent. We make a plan to clear all the old stuff and old things so that our house will be spick & span.

Homestead1

It was a very interesting programme and showed the need for us all to recycle as much as possible. We have been recycling for many years now and this programme reinforced our creed. Our local council issued a booklet showing the different types of things that can be recycled which is beneficial and we keep it close. We are now recycling our spare plastic bags through Coles and Woolworths after this show. South Australia have been chargfing for plastic bags for several years now and most people tend to bring there own bags to the supermarket. This approach should be adopted by all states. It is easy enough to keep a supply of the bags in the boot of your car so there is little excuse for using plastic bags. Other state governments should bring in this legislation. Thanks

helen30692411

Small things like shopping with enviro bags, but one problem with me is I either don't take enough bags or forget them when I go into the shops, even though they are in the boot of my car. Try and make my yellow bin used for disposing of the plastics and cardboard/paper products to recycle. I have looked at some bins and you can see some people put their recyclables inside a woolies plastic bag, which is NOT on. At my op shop we save the receipts that people don't want and recycle these too..All jam/pickle jars are washed and taken to op shop for people to reuse for their own conserves or pickles. Magazines are donated as well.

Flymow

I recycle as much as i can. I wash out all containers and use all food scraps in a compost bin. I buy recycled goods where possible and try to buy package free fruit, vegies etc. I grow a lot of my own produce. We are a truly wasteful society and if more isn't done they are going to run out of dumping grounds.

aedna

I refuse plastic bags at the supermarket and recycle. I put weeds into a bin and when they are reduced to soilbput them back in the ground. Also put my receipts in water before putting them in garden. However I put my food scraps in small plastic bags before they go in the bin. Just can't see a way round this!

wendel

Saw only first episode, but I feel sorry for those people going without. But we do try to recycle and compost all our left overs, which isn't much, wormfarm is great for scraps and helps the vegetables grow well.

Dallas2255

I did not see the TV series The War on Waste, but I had had my own battle going on for years. I have reusable shopping bags that stay in the car and I choose to buy my fruit and vegetable loose. Rather than using glad type bags I use reusable containers, old coffee, pasta sauce or jam jars etc They are great for taking soup or salad and other meals to work. My household rubbish is now down to less than the size of a shopping bag per week. If every household reduces their wast I believe it could have a significant impact on reducing what goes to our landfill. You just have to think a little before you grab for the nearest plastic bag and the supermarket and always take your own bags with you.

Shemp

With the large green recycle bins emptied fortnightly it's become routinely easy to place all recyclable items into the bin. However, this latest " smoke screen " regarding doing away with plastic bags, which are now mostly biodegradable, and can/are being used multiple times, completely misses the real problem when it comes to landfill overload. Can we have a think - away from any of all the self interest influences in the media, and contemplate what might happen to all the millions of disposable nappies, along with all the black display trays more and more of our meats come in, and the growing range of quick microwaveable foods, etc , are sold in.
The volume of the used disposable nappies, and non reuseable black foods display trays, etc, going to landfill just is staggering.
Not a word has been mentioned about the detrimental effect on landfill and the environment these disposable nappies, black display trays are having - so why the carry - on about plastic bags ? And what about all the takeaway food packaging ???

flo

I did not see the show but I do as much as I can to reduce waste. I have compost bins that I use all the time, and put all other recycling in the recyle bins and if everyone did their bit it would make a big difference

Motherparrot

I had to get my head around the plastic shopping bags, I bought some reusable bags but kept thinking "How will I be able to carry it all" then I realised I could still use the trolley to take it all to my car, d'oh! I no longer have to do large family shops so keep the reuseable bags in the car for those top up shops, has made such a different already. We already recycle a lot, have a compost bin.

nennerb

I loved watching the war on waste it was so informative. I was shocked to see how many disposable coffee cups we go through so I went and brought one I could take with me and reuse Feels like a start also have reduced my use of plastic bags at the supermarket I now take reusable bags from home.I look forward to making more changes thank
you.

nennerb

I loved watching the war on waste it was so informative. I was shocked to see how many disposable coffee cups we go through so I went and brought one I could take with me and reuse Feels like a start also have reduced my use of plastic bags at the supermarket I now take reusable bags from home.I look forward to making more changes thank
you.

Lilibet

I actively look for items with as little packaging or the recycle symbol before buying. Everything that can be recycled in my home is placed in appropriate bins when finished with. Having come from Tasmania where one use plastic bags have been removed from supermarkets for many years, I find it very easy to remember to take reusable bags each time I go to a supermarket or shop. I carry a nylon shopping bag in my handbag at all times and use it, rather than taking the heavy plastic bags that some stores offer. I like to upcycle, repurpose or donate unneeded clothing and household items to charity rather than throw them away. I make a conscious effort to reduce the amount of waste that is placed in bins which end up as landfill. I feel that every small action that anyone makes to reduce waste. Is a step in the right direction

eric

I have always been very watchful on all my waste. I use only green bags for all my shopping and refuse any once off plastic bags. My general waste bin would not have any more than a 4 ltr. ice cream container a week. My recycle bin only about 1/2 full mainly newspapers magazines and pamphlets in it. My food waste bin only has peelings and that only equates to a 2 ltr. ice cream container a week.

Tha

I think the vast majority of people either don't think about it at all or choose their own convenience above any other consideration. I have already had several conversations at supermarket checkouts about the proposal to ban plastic bags with people who consider it their right to use a plastic bag (then throw it away) if they want to. And whilst I found that series very interesting and informative, most people wouldn't so they just wouldn't watch it and thus remain ignorant of the effects consumer choices have on the wider environment. Personally I have banned disposable straws and dug out my reusable takeaway coffee cup, however, most of the other issues were already known to me and I already try to avoid waste as much as possible. I think some degree of coercion is necessary like banning plastic bags or at least making them chargeable. Much more education of older generations is needed - the message is getting through to our children via school initiatives. And as usual is it is the big players; governments, big business, supermarket giants, fast food chains, etc, who make a massive impact and create a huge amount of waste but whose only concern is the bottom line who need to take more action, or be forced to take more action. At the grassroots level in lots of places there are initiatives to reduce waste (out of date food distribution, plastic bag free towns, local recycling shops, etc, etc) but each of these can only make a tiny difference compared to the big players.

annieboo

I have a wicker basket that I take shopping with me, and have done for about 30 years, I also use the green bags. My household waste is usually 1 bag in the rubbish bin most weeks, 2 if we have visitors. I composte what I can and recycle bottles and shred papers etc. It is reasonably easy to do, you just have to think that not everything need to go into the rubbish bin.

Bsquared

Rejecting fruit on the basis of cosmetic appeal is disgusting.
I buy the odd bunch, grow my own veg and fruit and compost to reduce my waste to a minimum.
Take our own shopping bags and try to recycle as much of the packaging as possible.

jkl421960

I did not see the programme, but try as much as possible to reduce my waste, but sometimes I find it very hard because I am in a lot of pain, and it is harder during winter with the rain to have to take the waste out to the rubbish bins as I have no overhead protection from the elements

Wendy810

I dotry to keep waste to a minimum, especially food. Leftovers are usually made into another meal in some form. I recycle wherever possible.

bj

if each person really thought about what they purchase and how much paper or plastic waste is in the products wrapping it may start a single wrap item.
Some items have more wrap than the article itself.

neusje

I recycle everything that is recyclable. I also have two small containers I keep, one for the compost which holds anything that will break down in the compost and one for food scraps that the chickens will eat. Easy as. As a result my counsel waste only goes out once a fortnight for collection.
I am aware of people complacent irresponsible attitude toward recycling. I think they should be fined somehow.
Also as in south Australia, make people pay a deposit for bottles and cans that can be refunded on return to a depot.
Watch the improvement!
Also people's rubbish bins should be checked on collection and not emptied if they don't do the right thing.
That's my opinion.

rosi

Well I am still confused about plastics and what to put in the recyclable bin, but I have stopped using Coles plastic bags and now buy bio ones from the environment shop. What worries me most are the plastics that are wrapped around our foods and the containers used for all sorts of things. Until this issue is fixed nothing will change

spunky70

We recycle everything. Hardly use our food bin cause we have chooks and a dog we give any scrapes to. Our yellow recycle bin is always full in the first WK. We have asked for another recycle bin. The black food bin is hardly a 1/4 full

Mixxsteria

No hassle at all as have always focused on cutting down on waste & it has just become routine. I think that more incentives could be provided for being more conscious about waste both at a community level & for business & industry

Leonardus

Put as much as possible in recycling bin, metal, plastic, paper. Return used shopping bags to shops. Easy to sort out. Every household helps. Refund on empty containers.

tanners

Our school promotes rubbish free lunches!

Sweets1

It did not take this show to make me reduce waste. I have done so for years, very little gets thrown away. I buy what I know I will eat and if for some reason it has been in the fridge for a while I will make something out of it to use it. Maybe left over v gies becomes a soup or a stir fry. Not to mention having things reheated the next day makes a quick easy dinner or to have for lunch is a great thing as well. Things are to expensive to be just thrown away.

mtg

We have been doing this for years its a part of daily live in our house hold. Every recyclable thing gets washed and all scrapes of food go into a worm farm. We even will avoid buying this if the package is not recyclable.

ivory

A great show. I have got a reusable cup for takeaway drinks! Grow vegies, eggs at home and some fruit. Recycle and compost. Wear recycled clothes. Drive a small car. Every little bit helps.

China1

We recycle all products that can be recycled in this household.

Jude30693100

It was a great reminder that we can all make a difference. I am trying to live more sustainably and be more mindful when shopping.

Jude30693100

It was a great reminder that we can all make a difference. I am trying to live more sustainably and be more mindful when shopping.

Nellyy

The War On Waste raised my awareness that takeaway coffee cups are not recyclable. So I now sit down in the cafe and drink the coffee from a ceramic cup and saucer and have also acquired two (different sizes) reusable takeaway cups. It's also made me think that we should ban plastic drinking straws and go back to the old fashioned waxed paper ones which we had when I grew up in the 1960s. Plastic may be cheap, but at what cost to our planet.

pjohnw

Never watched it , not a big fan of most ABC programs as most display a too one sided a view

Keerah1

As I live in a one bedroom apartment. It's easy to place all unwanted items in one plastic bag. Which I throw in the general bin once a week. Every so often I feel guilty and recycle bottles and carboard. I do cut the plastic rings from milk bottles and dispose of it. I know I should do more. As for take away cups I never use them. I love cafes to sit and relax. Yes I do agree I should be doing more. I know there's no excuse. But cause there's limited space in my apartment it makes it easier doing what I'm doing for the moment. I feel if someone could invent a material without harsh chemicals that can hold liquids and groceries. That would be the best bet. I do agree if we all do our bit. We would live in a cleaner, organic place.

catfishhat

I've always tried to minimise my trash and recycle as much as I can, just just seems like a waste otherwise! While it's obvious when it comes to the kitchen, I like to focus on tarting up my old clothes with new buttons and ribbons to give them a new lease on life and finding new uses for old things eg taking the magnet off my old 'to do' list and just gluing a handmade pad (made of scrap paper) to it for a new list. Sometimes it's fun to see just how creative you can be recycling your own things in your own home! It can be easy (eg always recycling plastic bottles) or it can be challenging (eg redesigning an old dress - but either way it's rewarding.

I know what I do won't create a miracle, but if I can inspire just one person to give something old a new lease on life then it's a job well done. The best way to cut down waste in the community is to avoid things high in waste in the first place - don't buy overpackaged items (do you need individually wrapped biscuits?), don't buy into fast fashion (educate yourself on where cheap fashion comes from too) and don't mindlessly buy things you don't need (think about the resources wasted on that plastic Kinder surprise toy and stick with a chocolate bar).

- as my mum says, "it's like eating an elephant, you just have to do it one bite at a time!"

Ramsay123

At first I felt a dilemma: I have been trying to sort recyclables, reduce food waste and upcycle plastic containers and yet many companies regularly dump a million times what I am trying to save. I wondered why I bothered then realised that I was doing what I believed was right so why should I stop.

I think we need even more education. I think we need to make an effort to reuse and not to buy overpackaged products. I think councils should reduce the size of the garbage bins AND the recycling bins.

Put heavy tariffs on plastic
Imported packaging: make new laws. That's a start.

bearman

I have been recycling for many years into my worm farm for the vegie patch. I take my own bags to the shops and always reuse any meal leftovers into a bubble and squeak type of dish for the next night. i don't think world wide i make any difference but I feel better for it and I am instilling these values in my children.

Zelda

I haven't watched this show yet, but will look for it.

nome0171

At home i do what i can to save on waste. I purchase foods in bulk then break it down into meal size packets. Vegetables i buy a weeks worth in one shop then part cook and break down into meal lots for me family.
I recycle as much as possible.
I am annoyed at the supermarkets charging so much per bag .15 cents,or pay upwards of 2.00 for a bag that the straps break or the zips do second use of them. i reuse them as much as i can. These bags are not environmentally friendly. but as the shop can still charge me for them.
I will not fully get on board with the supermarket push as they, wrap fruit and vegetables in packaging that is not needed and cannot be reused. Then lets look at the disposable nappies... not needed at all. Terry towelling ones work fine and did. but as our laziness got worse these damaging things are the normal now. Until our shops stop selling disposable nappies i will not support any push to do away with my plastic shopping bags.
We are a lazy race. Always looking for easy ways. Easy is not good for our environment.

2020

Havwell i do most of the things already so i think im ahead of alot of people

chocogirl

I did not see the TV series but I have been recycling for years. I do not waste food either. I buy what I need so that there is no extra to throw out. I don't think it is hard to reduce waste or hard to keep it up.

jules 1

It is pretty hard to reduce waste, but what we have tried to do is create a worm farm, so we put all our veg, and fruit peelings in to the worm farm, which then helps us to make a better veg garden. We recycle all plastics from the home.
Cut off using plastic bags all together., supermarkets have to stop using them as well!

jules 1

You're welcome, Jules.

Here's another idea you may like to try, if you haven't already... . For a really great non-chemical deterrent to pests in your vege patch, create white butterflies...

Hi Brad,

WOW, what a brilliant idea, ... cut-out butterflies, will tell my husband to do this, as I'm so fed up with a lot of our veggies being eaten.!

Really appreciate your reply, so a bit of cutting happening today! Brilliant idea.! THANKS Julie

Brad

Yes, we add egg shells to our mix, but we don't have a electric blender, will check with Good Sammie's.

Many thanks for your reply.
Julie

You're welcome, Jules.

Here's another idea you may like to try, if you haven't already... . For a really great non-chemical deterrent to pests in your vege patch, create white butterflies by cutting their shapes out of white plastic bags. Suspend your fake cabbage moths on light fishing line, 30 - 50 cm above your lettuces, silverbeet, cabbages and broccoli. The slightest breeze will see them fluttering about above your food crops. Apparently, real moths will avoid areas where other butterflies congregate, as their offspring (those little green grubs) would have to compete with others. This _really_ works! You'll still notice (very frustrated) wasps buzzing about, attempting to predate the grubs, without success. They just can't figure out why there are no grubs, with all these butterflies fluttering about... . Two notes here: 1.) Initially I constructed the fake moths from paper. They failed during the first downpour... . 2.) A friend, who frequently harvested greens during our holiday up north, did not 'see' the fake butterflies. They look so real, fluttering about, that he did not spot them, or the light fishing line, at all. Sounds unbelievable, but it's true!!~

jules 1

We're able to recycle almost everything. Being retired and living on ten acres helps! Recently I discovered a new use for coffee grounds, eggshells and banana peels. Twice each week I toss them...

Yes, we add egg shells to our mix, but we don't have a electric blender, will check with Good Sammie's.

Many thanks for your reply.
Julie

Brad

It is pretty hard to reduce waste, but what we have tried to do is create a worm farm, so we put all our veg, and fruit peelings in to the worm farm, which then helps us to make a better veg...

We're able to recycle almost everything. Being retired and living on ten acres helps! Recently I discovered a new use for coffee grounds, eggshells and banana peels. Twice each week I toss them into an old electric blender ($6 from Good Sammies!) and blend a creamy-brown mixture, which I then stir into four litres of water. This is poured onto our raised vege gardens. It's a wonderful soil enhancer / soil improver ... and coffee grounds deter slugs, as well.

Research has shown that ground-up eggshells are the most efficient component of the mix, restoring and enhancing even the most polluted oil/fuel-affected soils.

(Each year we create tonnes of new garden soil... mainly by hand. It's comprised of raked leaves, ash, sawdust, chicken manure / deep litter, topped off with sheepsh*t and potting mix. We grow nearly all our fruit and vegetables.)

musicmum

Why does it always have to go back to the individual to try and make a difference, when it is really the fault of the manufacturers. They choose the cheapest packaging and always supply small packs of everything nothing in bulk. If you want for example a kilo of oats you can only get 500 gm and then they are packed in plastic so you buy two and have double packaging. I have tried to buy them in bulk online but it is more expensive when you add postage. But there are some items I do buy in bulk online, like flours, nuts, seeds and other staple pantry items. Also why isn't councils doing anything about recycling plastics, I have to take my bags and plastic food wraps to the supermarket for recycling. Our council does not even tell you about this service saying you should put all plastic bags into the rubbish bin!. Since I found out about the plastic bag recycling ( this includes all bread wraps, snack wraps, fruit bags etc) I found my rubbish bin is empty, I have not put it out for weeks. Only the recycling bin goes out fortnightly. We need to get the manufacturers selling in bigger containers, bags and boxes for those who want to buy in bulk and using only compostable packaging.

katalin

l like to buy meat,fruit and vegetables from the market and when l need to buy other groceries from supermarkets l look for eco friendly products.Food scraps l will dig into the garden for composting.And when l go shopping l take with me carry bags made from fabric instead of resorting to using plastic bags Supermarkets are also donating more food to charities that is either close to use by date or the product is damaged in some way.l have volunteered at a food bank and have seen many products donated rather than going into land fill, to help the needy.l think people should try the best they can to avoid products that are packed in a way that is harmful to the environment.Everyone can make small changes to the way they shop in the long run waste can be reduced and we can have a healthier environment.

Ellie 30656027

Our municipality have a recycle bin and general waste bin that are separated. Years ago we only had one. Its very easy. Makes a big difference. Not sure what else.

Nefertari

I did not see that TV series but in any event I try to recycle as much as possible and have neither a heater nor air conditioning so that accounts for less electricity use.
I don't find any of this too hard to do at all and although it might not make much of a difference, at least I have contributed my bit towards the war on waste

anglesea

Congratulations to my local Council who encourage us with a small red bin, and large bins for recyclable stuff and food. It really encourages me to do the right thing. Every item I buy and dispose of is subject to the 3 bin test.

lynneeime

I would love to reduce the amount of household waste but living in a caravan park, we do not have recycling bins, so everything goes into the rubbish. I do recycle milk bottles for my ex-husband to use for putting worm juice in them because he has a worm farm.

Gerry1945

I rarely have a garbage bin out, maybe 5 a year, I have all recyclables put out every 4- 6 weeks, and the green waste once or twice a month. All compostables go into the soil.

no name

Great to see these issues aired on main stream TV, but some of the issues really pricked my conscious, especially discussions about disposable clothes! I actively seek ideas on using leftovers and also have drastically reduced our use of plastic, So many blogs and sites with information about using less and getting more out of what you've got, so quite easy to get good ideas.
During heavy rain I am dismayed at the water gushing into storm water drains and running into the oceans and wonder why no effort is made to retain, filter and use this water.Always interested in new ideas on using less.

Moongold

Yes, it's of course harder and certainly far more frustrating than it once was. The increased detail of what you can or can't put into your separate (now 3 allocated in Victoria) garbage bins can be difficult, especially as the Council will leave your bin full of non-recyclable rubbish if you forget or make a mistake! It's as almost as if we're doing at least part of any rubbish-collector's job (but don't get paid for it, of course!). Additionally we're now having to put food waste into small green biodegradable bags which hardly cover the meal scraps for one meal for a family, let alone for over several days of eating! We're also told we can't put plastic bags in any bin excepting the food waste bin, and can only use newspaper or paper bags (which you can't even get these days unless you pay an exhorbitant amount for them online!) to wrap items meant for the recycle bin! This is particularly difficult as it was extremely helpful to be able to line a bin with the large black bin-liner bags (which you can still buy at Woolworths & Coles!), as these prevented empty bottles, cans, and jars that may still drip from seeping into the recycle bin - the bin stayed clean and no foul odours came from it especially on hot Summer days and nights! Council notified this wasn't allowed any longer, so now we have to scrounge to try to find some sort of large paper bags to prevent seepage, which you cannot any longer buy unless you order them online at considerable expense. I feel the government should provide some sort of large, natural fibre or paper bin liners for the yellow recyclable bins and also much larger biodegradable ones for the food scrap items. Bad and ineffective planning overall so far, as far as I'm concerned.

Eugine

When I find that food has gone off unnoticed in my fridge ,I now feel guilty and in the future I will be much more observant and use food that I buy before it perishes. It is easy to get carried away buying fruit and vegetables when they are at a good price, forgetting that there are now only two of us to eat them. With electricity, I find that I have to make sure my partner turns off lights . A lot of power is used running our pool filter but that cannot be reduced , So many pools in our area are unused so are a waste of power. I compost as much of our waste as possible and try to reuse any plastic bags and containers, It is not easy to change one's habits.

vickbenla

I recycle everything I can. I buy clothes from op shops & donate my old ones.
I renovate furniture, don't buy new things. & have things repaired, not thrown out to buy new ones
Shop at Farmers markets, so no packaging on my food & take my own bags to supermarket
Food scraps go to the chooks or the compost bin
I do grow a a few summer veggies, but no room for much
I don't know if my little bit helps the planet, but I like to think I'm doing my best

brenda30656040

I use my yellow bin all the time for recycling. I never buy what I do not need/use...finances do not allow me to be so frivolous. I think all businesses. restaurants/cafes should be made to donate what they regard as waste... to the needy:)

Moongold

I use my yellow bin all the time for recycling. I never buy what I do not need/use...finances do not allow me to be so frivolous. I think all businesses. restaurants/cafes should be made to donate...

Agreed: the food wastage from restaurants is unbelievable - if they would just put it into cheap storage containers to freeze & give to those in need, it may even save lives. Many people today are finding it hard to afford decent food, particularly age pensioners, and they would see this as a real treat.

Rebecca30692828

I find it very hard in this day an age to fight waist
Everything you buy has a waist component to it
I have a toddler and I always think about what the world is going to be like when she has kids or her kids kids and try my best to reuse when I can
I use reusable shopping bags
Snap lock bags that can be rinsed and reused
And Tupperware is great as well
But it is definetly not easy in a busy life

woolysmissus

We've always sort of recycled, but the restrictions on what you can put in those bins sometimes just make it easier to put in the rubbish, unfortunately.

Momma Bear

We have a recycling bin and use it all the time, but we don't really waste much, being on a pension you don't like to waste money so buy what I know we will eat, I cook for my 92 year old dad and know how much he will eat and how much I will eat so very rarely do I have to throw out food.

Cat1162008

I thought the War on Waste series was great. Eye-opening. Things my household has started doing include: not using produce bags for all the fruit and veg we buy (bananas don't need a bag, oranges don't need a bag) and reusing the ones we do use, by keeping them in our reusable shopping bags so they're ready for the next time we go grocery shopping. We have started lightly washing recyclables like tuna cans etc and putting them into the recycling bin, try to avoid buying things like chips, lollies etc that don't have recyclable packaging. Personally, I have bought a keepcup and while I haven't used it at a cafe because I don't usually get takeaway coffees, I used to get coffee from the Nescafé vending machine at work, which gives you your coffee in a non-recyclable plastic lined cup, and now I just use my keepcup. I've started following (on social media) accounts of people and companies who are into the war on waste (fashion accounts, regular people trying to make a difference). Also, while I'm not much into shopping anymore these days, if there's something I want I really think about whether I really need to buy it brand new, or if there's a way I can borrow, buy from an op shop or make it myself. I also refuse plastic shopping bags when I do buy something from a store, as I keep a fabric shopping bag in my handbag to hold these purchases.

I know some people think doing things like that will make no difference, or that even if it does have an effect it's doing something terrible to some other work system etc. for example, the whingers who are opposed to the eastern states government ban on single use plastic bags, because now they won't get free in liners. There's a quote that goes 'in a gentle way, you can shake the world' and it really resonated me. Maybe people like me won't save the planet, because the planet is probably too far gone in terms of getting ruined by humans, but at least I'm trying to reduce my negative impact on earth.

I think workplaces could do a lot more to try and cut the waste. At my work (a hospital) we create lots and lots of waste - literally everything you use comes wrapped in plastic - some things are sterile and some things aren't. We do have recycling bins in all the wards and in theatres but I feel they are under-utilised - I frequently see cardboard being shoved into the garbage bin rather than the recycle bin, because people are lazy, bottles and cans (which are 10c rebateable in SA, and recyclable in general) get chucked into the waste bin because there isn't a recycling bin in the tearoom and people are lazy pieces of crap who can't be bothered walking a few metres out of their way to put it into the recycling bin.

Elsewhere in the community, I think supermarkets and shops in general could do a better job - there's just so many things that come in unnecessary packaging.

jjdrer

I keep re-using my shopping bags until they perish and get holes in them, big enough that things could fall out. Then they are used to put non-cyclable rubbish in before going into the bin so what would otherwise be loose rubbish won't blow around and end up in waterways etc.
I actually made some fabric shopping bags but accidentally put them down on a service countert while returning something faulty, and they were taken. Somebody probably thought they had scored a full bag od groceries and would have been very disappointed.
Before they changed to the later type of plastic shopping bags we would use the same ones for several months, After we had unpacked groceries we would put them back in our car boot ready for the next shopping day. Our car was stored in a locked garage during the week, not out in the sun and the boot gettin g burning hot.

peppi6

I generally buy eco friendly and always recycle, put the things in the right bins. Donate my clothing and whatever is in good nick not jus throwing it in the trash.

Laura30613597

i have been recycling for years. A lot of things however you can donate to places that specifically will take your stuff and for extremely cheap sell to the public to use in arts and crafts etc. You will be surprised how many people are out there that are creative and imaginative to this junk and turn it into art and useful things as well. As far as food waste goes well that will never happen in this household.

kaza1

Yes , I try not to waste any think.
It is easy for me to not waste things.

Yafffy

I didn't see the show. I have always tried to cut down on waste. I make my own compost with household scraps and garden waste. I grow my fruit and veg. I have always tried to save power simply because our electricity here in tassie is one of the most expensive and I can't afford the bills.

Rossissmellingtheroses

I believe it is a matter of commitment. Once the mind is made up, then it is simply a matter of organisation & then sticking to a routine. In my household, we have a dedicated container for all organic matter which is placed in a composter. We place all paper, glass, steel, aluminium & recyclable plastics in our regular Council recycling bin.

l0lapx

Didnt watch, and as we were bought up to care for our house and enviroment, Their is nothing else for me to recycle unless it it myself, and I dont plan on doing that just yet. We have tank water, we recycle or up cyle everything. We either find another use for it or find someone who can use it.... Have always done this for the the past 50 years since and adult, and not about to change, Dont mean to sound irriated, but this is like re inventing the wheel... but then there are people who live on fast food and probaly dont recycle and dont care.... but I dont know any :)

jilln

Thoroughly enjoyed the show and found it so informative I thought I was good at having not much waste but learnt a lot from show. My 9 yr old grandaughter came to stay and announced that her school in Qld was showing the doco and I thought what a good idea, educate children when they are young about waste.

jamais

One really important thing would be to get Supermarkets to stop all the food packaging! It is overdone and mostly unnecessary.

Bella4927

One really important thing would be to get Supermarkets to stop all the food packaging! It is overdone and mostly unnecessary.

I agree, I work for a non-food retailer and it is the same; so I guess that's why I am so conscious of packaging waste too. My company is very good and with over 60 stores nationally, our waste is 83% recycled.

Bella4927

I purchase biodegradable and recycled products; I also take my plastic bags to coles, I also take other plastics to my work as we recycle plastics and cardboard.
I take any unused, expired medicines to the chemist; so it doesn't go into landfill and waterways and pollute the ocean and streams etc;
I take recycle silk/cotton bags shopping.
Any left over paper is cut up into notepads to use as scrap scribble paper and bubble wrap/paper wrap is used for filling when packing is posting items.
I think all receipts should be paperless and sent to emails so there is less paper used.

Brad

I purchase biodegradable and recycled products; I also take my plastic bags to coles, I also take other plastics to my work as we recycle plastics and cardboard.
I take any unused, expired...

Re ocean pollution, back in the 80s, I was scuba diving* off the Old Jetty in Geraldton (just short, submerged stumps, even back then) when I spotted a large serpentine trail of white objects below. On closer inspection, I realised to my horror, that this virtual river of plastic winding along the sea floor was white plastic KFC containers! How and why there were so many 'schooling' there, I don't know... but it appears that diners leaving KFC may have consumed their meals, leaving containers on the beach... and wind and ocean currents had channelled thousands of them together in the sea. Diving in other countries, I've seen pretty sad pollution phenomena at times, but nothing to equal that strange, ghostly procession of discarded containers winding along the seabed... .
* Fitting perhaps that I was searching for (now) antique bottles tossed from anchored sailing ships in the mid-1800s, at the time. We found quite a few very valuable flasks and jugs, in addition to pottery and glass containers. Our carelessness in regard to garbage isn't new, but the volume is accelerating... .

socker

I have always recycled vegetable scraps through the warm farm and put paper and hard plastics in the recycle bin. I do not purchase articles without considering if I really need it or just want it. I do not have much money witch also helps to reduce waste as if you don't buy much you cannot waste much.

MRfuzzy

We recycle as much as we can and buy products with recycle packaging,also recycle some plastic containers to use as small pots when planting seeds,we find it easy to recycle as our food waste goes to a worm farm so nothing goes to waste.We have maybe one or two shopping bags of rubbish to land fill and our recycle bin is always full every fortnight.I think we should all look at our energy footprint as well,we use solar and have a battery system now so we use all our own energy and use a lot less than we did before as our solar energy that went back to the grid ,we did not get any money for it,which was free to Q energy and we could not change our retailer because of a deal that the previous people living here was under.We also grow a lot of fruit and vegetables and some of the plants are fed to the horses and chooks next door.

Izzie

I am quite passionate about recycling: - in my kitchen I have a normal waste bin, plus a recycling bin, as well as a food scraps bin (provided by the local council) on my kitchen bench. The contents of the latter go into the green bin for recycling (no room for composting in my small garden!). In addition I have a set up in the laundry with different containers for a)plastic bags that can be recycled at Coles, b) batteries, c) ink cartridges and d) for light bulbs - when full I take these to the relevant places for recycling. Oh, and being in South Australia with our 10c bottle deposit scheme, I have a large bag for the relevant bottles and cans.
This system works well for me and I feel that overall I am doing a pretty good job of recycling - in fact, I am often unable to make up one bag of general rubbish for the normal bin so I often go a week or so without needing to put that bin out!
But I think we can always learn and do more. The aspect that I most struggle with and which was echoed in the War on Waste program was knowing what can and what can't be recycled. The East Waste company responsible for a large part of the rubbish/recycling in Adelaide currently has an education campaign to help people understand what goes where. But apart from stickers for different bins available from local libraries (and I imagine from the offices of the Councils involved), it feels like you have to seek out the information yourself.
There is a fantastic website called Which Bin (www.whichbin.com.au) which has an A-Z listing of just about every item available and which bin it goes in. It shows through an icon (yellow bin top for recycling, red /blue for normal rubbish bin; green for green recycling and a white cross on a lid for something that can't be recycled in any of those bins. But you can click on the item for more info and possible suggestions of how/where to recycle these items. I think it is a fantastic resource, I don't think it comes as an app but that would be really great as it would be much quicker to access (for me anyway!). Of course the problem is this may only apply in general to the recycling carried out by East Waste here in SA. The War on Waste program showed that what applies for one council area may not apply for another, thus making it confusing for many.
I think it would be great if Councils could run education programs using enthusiastic community members as volunteer educators. Dobbing myself in here! But I think, as the TV program showed, that people would be more keen to recycle if they understood better just how and where to recycle items. Talking to community members or just inviting people in a suburb along to a community event (in the local library or bowling club, eg) to discuss these things would I think be a great way to educate and motivate others and for people to feel connected - a way to encourage others to pass on the message. An opportunity to ask questions, raise concerns and be able to discuss the pitfalls and difficulties of recycling.
Having said my piecet, now I think I should take some action myself and contact my local council to see if such a scheme has been or would be considered. As a previous health educator, I have seen the value in empowering people with knowledge and enabling them to see the value in making positive choices to help the planet. And this is certainly an issue of major importance!

Ashar

I do my best to reduce the amount of waste that I have. I freeze leftover food for later consumption. Recycle all glass, plastic, aluminium, steel containers by placing them in the bin for the Council to collect. I doubt very much whether all that I have disposed of is being recycled. One can make heaps of difference to preserve our natural environment. I strongly support banning plastic bags. There needs to be a change in culture and peoples attitudes. It is not okey to drink from polystyrene or plastic cups to drink your coffee. You should sit down as a civilzed person would in a cafe and drink it from a porcelain cup or mug.

kaylanella

I watched the whole documentary it was really good and even though at the time of it airing I was very pro active changing things around in my recycling habits but soon fell back into my old ways so as hard as I tried it's just to much extra in my already busy day and probably made no difference the only thing that can be done is make more awareness of the problem like docos etc and try and win the war on waste

chuckles

In our household we make every effort to recycle daily using the appropriate waste bins.
Unfortunately we do waste too much food,however were trying hard to reduce food wastage.

super88

I'm more of a conscript to the war on waste than a volunteer.
Immediately outside my home people sometimes discard rubbish (litter) and I dispose of it because I don't want to live in a rubbish dump.
I sort my rubbish and compost what I can, but it is pretty clear to me some people don't care where they dump rubbish.
I suspect some of the litterer's would claim they recycle their rubbish (when they don't just drop it in the street).

Migaloo

I do not have much waste as far as food goes , l do take my own shopping bags o super markets with me in stead of using plastic bags .
I recycle what l am allowed to in to a yellow lid rubbish cycling bin l have at home for the recycle garbage truck , l try to have nothing wasted that can be reused by some one l even take the ring pulls off the cans to recycle in to making artificial legs as my sister collects all those for them .Our local town is looking at following another local town on making shopping bags to do away with plastic bags all together , they will be on loan to shoppers , the locals make them out of any material they are donated even bed spreads etc they are reinforced so they will not tear apart even with a bit of weight in them , so many pretty bags too .

Ant450

Yes this has just happened in our local supermarket. Although I have always taken my own bag. I am not keen on the boomerang bags because I think no one will wash them before returning.

All good if you have your own bags anyway - but even if the boomerang bags aren't washed by everyone, would you generally rinse your fresh produce before using it anyway? I figure that'd be enough so that the possibly dirty bag didn't really matter..? I like the idea of the boomerang bags, because I'm a very forgetful person and often end up juggling a bunch of bagless items at the supermarket because I forgot my own ones and refuse to use the plastic ones! So the boomerang bags are a great idea for habitually forgetful people like me haha

musicmum

I do not have much waste as far as food goes , l do take my own shopping bags o super markets with me in stead of using plastic bags .
I recycle what l am allowed to in to a yellow lid rubbish...

Yes this has just happened in our local supermarket. Although I have always taken my own bag. I am not keen on the boomerang bags because I think no one will wash them before returning.

Peter

For a time now we have been careful not to waste food. Any left overs (very rare) or skins etc. we compost. Since the water shortage many years ago we are careful how much water we use. Indeed, as the electricity bills are getting higher we are careful to switch off lights etc. We have two plastic bags of refuse each week and recycle all the papers etc. Anything from the garden goes in the green bin. It is disgusting to waste so much. Any old clothes etc go to Vinnies or the Anglicare bin. I personally am very careful. I throw nothing away.

rozzey

Also all my vegetable peelings etc goes into my compost bin in my garden,oops forgot about that.

Brad

Also all my vegetable peelings etc goes into my compost bin in my garden,oops forgot about that.

Given the latest research claiming that _half_ of what we carefully wash and place in our recycling bins isn't recycled at all, your composting is efficient and sensible, rozzey. It's disappointing to have confirmed what we have all long suspected... that local councils aren't able to process 50% of the material they collect for recycling.*

The other Rs (repairing, re-using, retaining, etc) are probably far more efficient... and return economic benefits to us _directly_.

* ...and _charge_ ratepayers for that 'service'... !

why?

As an older person I may have learned my habits from days when choices were fewer. I keep chooks that eat my food scraps (and garden weeds!), and their manure fertilizes my vegetable patch. Growing fruit and vegetables saves packaging waste as well as tasting better. I hate plastics but find it difficult to avoid them all the time. However reusable vege bags now available help because not only do I use fewer bags but the reusable ones are made from recycled plastic anyway. Most waste can be avoided although e-waste and hard waste like old appliances are more of a challenge. I have some above ground garden beds made from a hot water unit, etc. But it's hard to find a use for everything.

rozzey

I recycle everything in my yellow recyling bin.

AnneS

I have always kept waste to a minimum in our household. I never throw out good food but find some way to use it in a fry-up or a casserole. I recycle all vegetable peelings or scraps in my three worm farms or my numerous compost bins. I use the compost on my vegetable garden to grow most of my own vegetables. If I have excess food I freeze it to use later. It is easy to cook the right amount so you don't have excess to find a use for.

HappyBaig

Never watched it.
That said, we try 2 avoid being wasteful (we recycle, use bags from home over plastic bags where possible, keep plastic bags at home for other possible times we may need to use them, as opposed to throwing them out, compositing food waste).

robmondo

take our own bags for shopping and we buy what we need(or can afford)top up if we need to and always shop the specials

CWG

Been a big supporter of recycling anything where possible. Kitchen waste turns compost, plastic recycle, minimise use of plastic bags instead bring my own bag for supermarket shopping

Jezemeg8

I'm guessing that I'm fortunate to have never had enough money to be wasteful. For starters I don't buy anything I've no use for and always make a list when I'm doing my grocery shops. To me, being on "special" is not an inducement to buy if I don't use/want the product in the first place. As far as clothing is concerned I don't follow fashion and wear comfortable clothes until they are worn out, when I will buy a replacement for that item only.
It's very easy for me to maintain the no waste regime as I don't have the money to buy more than I need anyway. I think it's a shame that stores and individuals can reject such things as bananas for not having the right bend in them, etc etc etc....when push comes to shove who really cares whether a banana is straight or curved? It tastes the same and contains the same nutrients. The same goes for other fruit and veges that are often discarded for aesthetic reasons only. Proper storage ensures that food remains edible for longer, and even limp veges etc can be used in stocks etc or revived by a spell in iced water...

Jezemeg8

"even limp veges etc can be used in stocks etc or revived by a spell in iced water..." Yes! I think people are all too ready to throw something out as soon as it doesn't look perfect anymore! We...

I agree Ant450...and the last salvage from dumpster by the street folk scored us A LOT of straight bananas (obviously weren't curved enough), three legged carrots, misshapen apples etc etc etc, more than enough to distribute among 20 people, there is a LOT OF WASTAGE, or perfectly good food!!!!!

Ant450

I'm guessing that I'm fortunate to have never had enough money to be wasteful. For starters I don't buy anything I've no use for and always make a list when I'm doing my grocery shops. To me,...

"even limp veges etc can be used in stocks etc or revived by a spell in iced water..." Yes! I think people are all too ready to throw something out as soon as it doesn't look perfect anymore! We cook most of the vegies we eat, so if it's a bit limp before we cook it, it's still fine! As long as it's not actually rotten/mouldy :)

Informal

I'm guessing that I'm fortunate to have never had enough money to be wasteful. For starters I don't buy anything I've no use for and always make a list when I'm doing my grocery shops. To me,...

Seconded.

sumeet3318

I made efforts to reduce the amount of waste produced in my home. I purchased Eco-friendly and bio-degradable items. It was easy for me.I think I can start awareness on environmental-friendly items.

Ways to Reduce Waste:-

Bring reusable bags and containers when shopping, traveling, or packing lunches or leftovers.
Choose products that are returnable, reusable, or refillable over single-use items.
Avoid individually wrapped items, snack packs, and single-serve containers. Buy large containers of items or from bulk bins whenever practical.
Be aware of double-packaging - some "bulk packages" are just individually wrapped items packaged yet again and sold as a bulk item.
Purchase items such as dish soap and laundry detergents in concentrate forms.

Keerah1

I made efforts to reduce the amount of waste produced in my home. I purchased Eco-friendly and bio-degradable items. It was easy for me.I think I can start awareness on environmental-friendly...

Just a thought. That Biodegradable items like plastic are more harmful than good. As they have chemicals in them. Which eventually we breath in or it flies in our oceans. We need to invent a material which holds liquids and other items that's Eco friendly.