better
heplanetpage
Being green has never been easier - check out these ideas
reduce your food
wastage
The average Australian household throws away
$616 worth of food a year. Besides being a waste of
money, did you know that when food rots in landfill
it gives off a greenhouse gas called methane? This gas
is 25 times more potent than the carbon pollution
that comes out of your car exhaust. So, check out
these easy ways you can help reduce food wastage.
■ Shop at your local growers’ markets where you’ll
find the freshest fruit and vegetables. This produce
will last longer in the fridge.
■ Cook a batch of meals and freeze them while the
produce is at its freshest. Then, on those days when
you come home late from work and are too tired to
cook, you have a healthy dinner at the ready.
■ Plan
meals for the week and write out the list of
ingredients you’ll need. Stick to the list!
■ Keep an eye on your fruit bowl as rotting fruit
will accelerate the deterioration of the other fruit.
Separate fruit that is very ripe from the rest.
■ Revitalise those droopy greens in the vegetable
crisper by immersing them in ice-cold water for
10-20 minutes. Then dab or spin them dry.
■ Prevent herbs in your fridge from wilting and
blackening by freezing them — they’ll keep for up
to six months. You can chop them first if you like.
■ Store food
jar: upside down when the contents
are running low (remember to tighten the lid), so
you’ll be able to use every last bit.
■ Check 01 www.foodwise.com.au for more tips.
Shop green
with your
iPhone
Buying go o d s
that are Australian
m ade or grown
is a good way
to reduce air
kilometres and
carbon pollution.
If you have an
iPhone, there’s
an application
that identifies
and locates more
than 10,000
Aussie products,
from frozen
peas to clothes
or furniture,
online or at the
supermarket.
There’s even a
virtual shopping
strip where you
can browse a lolly
shop, hardware
store and other
retailers. For more
info on this app,
visit www.apple.
com /au/itunes.
Cosy up
Now’s a good time
to do something about
draughts coming in your
doors and windows,
before the cold weather
hits. Why not make a
new set of curtains, or a
decorative door snake?
This month’s eco hero
Good on you Woolworths for
donating another 10 Fresh Food
Rescue refrigerated vans to food-
relief organisations around the
country! Each week, food rescue
agencies and soup kitchens
collect surplus fresh food directly
from Woolies' stores. In the past
year alone, an estimated 747
tonnes of fresh food from
W oolworths w as donated to
charities. The cities that will
receive a new van include
Melbourne, Geelong, Adelaide,
Perth, Darwin, Townsville,
Brisbane, Mackay and Wollongong.
g o to
bhg.com.au
for m ore planet inform ation
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BETTER HOMES AND GARDENS, APRIL 2011 bhg.com.au
Words Helen Hawkes; photography iStockphoto
