How to be more sustainable

Our everyday actions and decisions help to reduce emissions.

Here are some day to day things you can incorporate to help live more sustainably.

Transport

  • Use public transport if it’s available
  • Walk and cycle instead of driving
  • Consider using car share programs
  • Offset air, other travel, freight and other unavoidable emissions
  • Consider purchasing an electric vehicle (view a map of electric vehicle charging stations).

Food and home

  • Eat less meat to reduce the need for land clearing, intense water use, and greenhouse gas emission associated with grazing animal production
  • Grow some food, join a community garden, buy organic, and shop locally to reduce transport miles
  • Reduce food waste, recycle, use your organics waste bin or compost food waste at home to reduce methane gas emission
  • Plant a tree, bring plants into your home and workplace.

Tips for sustainable living can be found on Sustainability Victoria's website.

Your Home is a Commonwealth Government initiative that provides a range of information and tools to encourage the design, construction or renovation of homes to be comfortable, healthy and more environmentally sustainable.

Energy

  • Have solar installed on your home, plan an all-electric home and make the switch from gas to efficient electric appliances if replacing items
  • Advocate for solar on your workplace, school or sports club
  • Buy renewable energy, such as Greenpower
  • Insulate and draught proof your home, plant vegetation to assist with shading and cooling.

Rebates for the installation of solar and/or batteries for owner occupiers and landlords, solar water heating, heating and cooling upgrades, and on electric vehicle purchasing are available through the Solar Homes Program. 

Purchasing

  • buy fewer disposable products
  • use what you already have more and buy less in general
  • buy used goods and support the second hand economy
  • give experience gifts rather than things
  • shop locally, choose low waste and less packaged items
  • use a web search page such as Ecosia – the search engine that plants trees   
  • choose banks and super funds that don’t invest in environmentally damaging activities, particularly thermal coal.  

Model your passion

  • create new social norms by what you do to be more sustainable
  • talk about climate change and what decisions you are making to reduce your emissions with friends, your children, and on social media
  • join a local group such as ‘Transition Kingston’ ‘zeroKingston2030’ or ‘Climate for Change’
  • write to your MP asking for action
  • prioritise climate action when you vote
  • bring friends and neighbours to an information workshop in your local area related to sustainable living topics, such as Kingston’s Our Place workshops. 

Learn

  • Kingston’s Our Place enews and workshops throughout the year provide free information and community connection opportunities around sustainable living. Subscribe to receive the enews or come to a workshop or webinar.
  • Kingston’s Living the Better Life for you and the environment - Webinar recording video
  • Kingston’s A-Z of waste disposal and Rubbish & Recycling guides will help you recycle correctly, including using your green organics bin for food waste recycling.
  • Kingston’s Gardens for Wildlife Program offers free onsite habitat planting advice in your garden and a follow up report and information booklet. Free plant vouchers for residents each year during Autumn provide you with five native plants.
  • Use this carbon footprint calculator to work out your carbon footprint and understand how choices you make can significantly reduce your impact.
  • Market Forces provides a guide so you can compare your bank and super fund and find out which institutions do and don’t support the fossil fuel industry.               
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