Shopping with plastic, paper or something else?

This week has seen the last days of ‘end of year’ sales in most shops around the town. As consumers have piled their selection of discounted goods to the counters and stretched their Visa cards a bit more, we asked ourselves what option should they choose when it comes to carrying the shopping home?

According to a Australian study, about 6.9 billion plastic bags get used in Australia every year. Approximately 75% of these get a ‘second life’ being used as bin liners, and for one reason or other, total of 6.6B bags end up in landfill. Knowing the long or none biodegradability of these bags, we looked on.

Paper bags are becoming more common in shops nowadays. However, when you compare the amount of energy, resources and CO2 making a paper bag vs. plastic bag requires, you will be probably surprised to hear the results from an American study we came across. Energy requirements for paper bags at zero recycling rate is 20% to 40% more than for equivalent amount of plastic bags, and even with 100% recycling rate, plastic bags still require less energy. Equally plastic bags contribute c. 80% less solid waste than paper bags (again at zero recycling rate) – meaning less material in landfills, and c. 63-73% less emissions.


Third option obviously is to use “long-life” reusable bags. According to the first study we referred above, canvas bags are 14 times better than plastic bags and 39 times better than paper bags, assuming that canvas bags get a good workout and are used 500 times during their life cycle. Instead of virgin cotton canvas bags, there are plenty of options to choose from when it comes to materials - recycled rubber, old billboard adverts, jute, bamboo, strong polyester, and more. So choose your favourite and stick with it. Less waste, less landfill, less emissions.

Happy shopping!




Images courtesy of Stora Enso and Envirosax

Recycling is all fun and games

What would you do with old shipping containers? Scrap them? Think again. Melbournian Phooey Architects got a better idea!

Phooney Architects designed and built a shipping container playground for the City of Port Phillip ( VIC, Australia), which revanps four shipping containers and other reclaimed materials into an attractive yet functional activity centre, designed to provide kids living in South Melbourne's public housing with safe spaces to create art, dance and play. This is a low-cost, zero-waste project using a variety of recycled materials. Even the railings and overhands are sliced parts of the original containers. Outdoors, a bed of weeds is used to catches rainwater. This is truly a magnificent project – a kid-centric space which allows the community’s children to take an active part, teach them about the multiple uses of recycled materials – and allowing them to build upon their imaginations.

The project has been complemented highly in the media, including being in the cover of Architecture Australia, featured in green news inhabitat.

We salute the team who came up with this concept. Not only it is a true sustainability showcase of what can be done with clever design and existing materials that otherwise would have gone to waste - but also an example of what can be done with minimal, 'penny-pinching' budget too .But most importantly for the kids - it is fun, free for all - and educational. More of these please!

Australia recieved alarming news about climate change

Last Friday Dr.R. Garnaut released his draft report on Climate Change. Borrowing words from one minister 'the report {reads} like a disaster novel'. Scientists predict that the country will be hit by a 10-fold increase in heatwaves and that droughts will almost double in frequency and become more widespread because of climate change.Apart from the drought, the proportion of the country having exceptionally hot years could increase from 5% each year to as much as 95% - again due to the climate change. Dr. Garnaut urges Australians to adapt now and change their habits - in personal and nationwide level.

Garnaut's report brings up important thoughts to the table. Will we be willing to sacrifice some of our budget and living standards in order to support more sustainable way of living and cleaner energy practices and aim to slow down the climate change - and the threats it brings? Even during this era where there are concerns about the strength of our economy due to uncertainties about housing markets, job security, and the constantly rising living costs, specially petrol and food prices?

Would you?

In our local goverment, bigger businesses' and international level the changes required can be massive and very costly. Good news is that in our individual level we can make more subtle changes that still make a difference. We hope that the money recieved from the carbon trading sceme profits will be put forward to support energy efficiency, renewable energy, and public transport - things that can help people like you and me.

Whilst we are waiting for the government to reply to the report - and act on it, we can do our bit. Think smart. Think green.

UK government steps ahead

Whilst Australian Government is putting brakes on spending on alternative energies - specially via discouraging Australians to invest in solar by putting rebates behind means testing, the UK government is looking ahead to greener fields.


UK Prime minister Gordon Brown with his cabinet is planning a Renewable Energy Strategy, hoping the strategy will not only allow UK to meet it's 15% renewable energy target by 2020 - but extend it to level where they are looking to encourage 30-35% of electricity to come from renewable sources - mostly offshore and onshore wind - by 2020.

UK ministers are also planning more effective support for microgeneration - which could include introducing feed-in tariffs - and strict sustainability criteria for all biofuels.

Microgeneration would be a viable option also in Australia. It can be used to provide energy to a great range of needs for urban dwellings, but it would be a viable self-sufficency energy option as well - especially to the harder to reach rural communities and farms.

Be the solution a solar, wind, geothermal - or a combination of some or all of them, options are plenty and benefits are measurable. As the popularity and technology of these options progress, the prices come down and make them affordable for a wider portion of the community. Meanwhile, we hope that the Australian government would follow the lead of some of the more forward thinking countries.