... sustainability (why + how) BROUGHT TO YOU BY qut guild & ENVIRONMENT OFFICERS SEREN WYATT + HANNAH SMITH Acknowledgement of Country. In the spirit of Reconciliation, the 2020 Environment Officers acknowledge the tradi- tional custodians of the land on which this e-book was created: the Nunukul, Goenpul, and Ngugi people of Quandamooka Country, and the Turrbal people of Yuggera Country. We pay our respects to the Elders, past, pres- ent, and emerging; and acknowledge that sovereignty was never ceded. Foreword. Thank you for downloading our eBook! This eBook is all about waste, what it is, how to reduce it and why you should. Its a handy guide that can explain, clarify and reinforce the importance of living a sustain- able lifestyle. As students, we acknowledge how import- ant it is to be budget and time-conscious. As a result, we have ensured that this guide is not only affordable and easy to follow, but is filled with student discount codes! Enjoy! Contents. Recycle. Breakdown ................ 05 Food ..................... 07 Plastic .................. 08 Paper / Metal ............ 10 Printable ................ 11 Reuse. Essentials ............... 13 Composting ............... 14 Other Tips ............... 16 Diet. Introduction ............. 20 Land Use + Clearing ...... 21 Water Use ................ 28 Greenhouse Gas Emissions . 30 Meat (inc. Fish) ......... 34 FAQ ....................... 39 Beauty. Reading Labels ........... 42 Shower Routine ........... 43 Products ................. 46 Cleaning. Products ................. 51 Fashion. Seven Forms .............. 55 Purchase ................. 56 Dispose .................. 57 Ethical Brands ........... 58 End. References ............... 62 ... 4 recycle. 5 the Breakdown. In modern society, almost everything we consume comes with waste – it’s become impossible to avoid. OVER 80% OF IT CAN BE SEPARATED A Food. INTO FOUR DISTINCT AREAS: B Plastic. C Metal. D Paper. ... 6 RECYCLE What really highlights this global issue is simply how unaware people are of how much waste they produce. We are so used to our lives of pre-packaged convenience that we probably don’t even realise the sheer magnitude of rubbish we leave behind in our wake. It is so important that we become conscious of our waste so that we reduce our impact on the environment. From June 2016-17, Australia produced a staggering 67 million tonnes of waste. While the previous page highlighted the four main contributors, this gives you a more in-depth breakdown – The average Australian produces FOOD [30%] PAPER [32%] TEXTILES, ETC [15%] around 540kg of waste per year. PLASTIC [16%] GLASS, METAL [7%] THAT’S 10KG PER WEEK — SRC: CLEAN UP AUSTRALIA PER PERSON. 7 RECYCLE A Food. 30% of our food waste is made up of food scraps. Most of this can/ should be recycled. RECYCLE + Fruit Scraps + Vegetable Scraps + Coffee Grounds + Egg Shells + Old Wine + Old Herbs & Spices DON’T RECYCLE - Animal products - Meat - Fish skins - Bones - Butter - Milk - Inorganic Materials - Aluminium Foil So that’s food waste, but what other organic material and pet related items should/ shouldn’t you recycle? RECYCLE + Dry Leaves + Finely-chopped Wood + Shredded Newspaper + Manure + Grass & Plant Clippings + Pet Bedding (herbivores only - rabbits, hamsters etc) + Dry Cat & Dog Food + Dust from Sweeping/Vacuuming DON’T RECYCLE - Pet Droppings (esp. cats & dogs) 8 RECYCLE B Plastic. Plastic makes up 16% of household waste, but nearly ninety percent ends up in landfill when it can be recycled. RECYCLE WOOLWORTHS ACCEPT: + All firm and flexible plastic + Soft Plastics – those returned to + Soft drink bottles store are recycled by our partners + Takeaway containers REDcycle and Replas into benches, + Margarine containers bollards and other items that can + Milk and juice bottles be used in our stores and car + Yoghurt tubs parks. We collect reusable green + Biscuit and sushi trays bags when they get old and worn, + Detergent and shampoo bottles single-use plastic bags, bread + Disposable plates and cups bags, biscuit wrap and frozen food bags. DON’T RECYCLE - All soft plastics - Plastic bags - Plastic Film - Cling wrap - Chip packets - Toothpaste tubes - Bubble wrap - Styrofoam and polystyrene products - Straws - Disposable nappies - Toys - Toothbrushes But just because we can’t put some plastics in our bins doesn’t mean we can’t recycle them elsewhere. BRISBANE CITY COUNCIL ACCEPT: + Toys – good quality for donation, or broken plastic toys recycled in the hard plastic bin + Electronic waste 9 RECYCLE B Some plastics can also be recycled for money! Containers for Change. Accepted. For each bottle recycled, you will receive a 10c refund. This can either be used as cash, store credit or can even be donated to charities. WHAT CAN BE DONATED? PLASTIC GLASS Most aluminium, glass, plastic, steel and liquid paperboard beverage containers between 150ml and three litres are eligible for a refund when returned to a container refund point. To be eligible, the beverage container must: ALUMINIUM PAPER BOTTLES + Have contained a beverage product that is not excluded from the scheme* + Contain the refund mark– 10 ¢ Excluded. *EXCLUSIONS. - Less than 150ml or greater than 3L - Containers without a refund mark - Any plain milk containers PLAIN MILK WINE - Any glass containers that contained wine or spirits - Containers 1L or more which have contained flavoured milk, pure fruit or vegetable juice, cask wine or cask water - Concentrated/undiluted cordial or syrup containers SPIRITS CORDIAL - Sachets above 250ml which have contained wine - Registered health tonics To find your nearest collection point, access this link : https://www.containersforchange.com.au/qld/ where-can-i-return 10 RECYCLE C D Metal. Paper. RECYCLE RECYCLE + Vegetable and food cans + Newspaper + Pet food cans + Junk Mail + Soft drink cans + Gift Wrapping Paper + Pie trays + Packaging Paper + Aerosol cans + Used Note Books + Aluminium foil + Glossy Paper - Magazines + Paint tins (empty and dry) + Envelopes + Greeting Cards + Paper Bags DON’T RECYCLE + Scrap Paper - Batteries - Gas bottles - Wire DON’T RECYCLE - Scrap iron or tin - Padded Envelopes - Cutlery - Photographs - Thermal Fax But just because we can’t put some metals in - Paper Tissues our bins doesn’t mean we can’t recycle them - Toilet Paper elsewhere. - Baking Paper - Nappies BRISBANE CITY COUNCIL ACCEPT: + Batteries (domestic quantities only of household batteries including AAA and D batteries, and lead acid batteries such as car batteries) + Gas Bottles + White goods and appliances Here’s a printable guide for quick reference! Food + Organic. Plastic. Metal. Paper. Recycle. Recycle. Recycle. Recycle. + Fruit Scraps + All firm and flexible plastic + Vegetable and food cans + Newspaper + Vegetable Scraps + Soft drink bottles + Pet food cans + Junk Mail + Coffee Grounds + Takeaway containers + Soft drink cans + Gift Wrapping Paper + Egg Shells + Margarine containers + Pie trays + Packaging Paper + Old Wine + Milk and juice bottles + Aerosol cans + Used Note Books + Old Herbs & Spices + Yoghurt tubs + Aluminium foil + Glossy Paper - Magazines + Dry Leaves + Biscuit and sushi trays + Paint tins (empty and dry) + Envelopes + Finely-chopped Wood + Detergent and shampoo bottles + Greeting Cards + Shredded Newspaper + Disposable plates and cups + Paper Bags BRISBANE CITY COUNCIL: + Manure + Scrap Paper + Batteries (domestic quantities + Grass & Plant Clippings BRISBANE CITY COUNCIL: of household batteries like + Dry Cat & Dog Food + Toys + Electronic waste AAA and D batteries, and lead acid batteries like car WOOLWORTHS: batteries) + Soft Plastics – worn, + Gas Bottles single-use plastic bags, + White goods and appliances bread bags, biscuit wrap and frozen food bags. Don’t Recycle. Don’t Recycle . Don’t Recycle. Don’t Recycle. - Animal products - Soft plastics ** - Batteries * - Padded Envelopes - Meat - Plastic bags ** - Gas bottles * - Photographs - Fish skins - Plastic Film - Wire - Thermal Fax - Bones - Cling wrap - Scrap iron or tin - Paper Tissues - Butter - Chip packets ** - Cutlery - Toilet Paper - Milk - Toothpaste tubes - Baking Paper - Inorganic Materials - Bubble wrap - Nappies - Aluminium Foil - Styrofoam and - Pet Droppings (esp. polystyrene products cats & dogs) - Straws - Disposable nappies - Toys * - Toothbrushes * can be recycled via Brisbane City Council. * can be recycled via Brisbane City Council. ** can be recycled via Woolworths. 12 REUSE. 13 REUSE Now that we’ve discussed how to dispose of your waste, its time to take steps to reduce it. Being waste-free doesn’t mean giving up Being waste-free is a lifestyle. It’s no use all your favourite things. You can still get owning the products if you forget to take takeaway, coffees, bubble tea; and it also them out with you! If you know you are going doesn’t mean inconvenience – yes, you can to feel like having bubble tea, pack it! If you still put your produce in individual bags know you want takeaway, take a container when grocery shopping. Fortunately, there with you. It also helps to carry spares in the are many options you can use for all of those car, in case you forget or make an unplanned things instead of using single-use prod- stop at sushi. So what can you include in your ucts. While the cost may seem big upfront, uni bag? like $30 for a pack of reusable Ziplock + Straw bags, it saves you money in the long run – + Reusable cup (coffee, bubble tea, (you won’t need to top up on Ziplock bags tumbler – whatever you’re most every fortnight)! likely to use) + Container if