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Being green is easier than ever with these tips
Save your screen
You can almost halve the
power used by an LCD monitor
by setting it to run on low
brightness (about 2 0 watts
compared to 34 watts on full
brightness). And always turn
off your computer at the
power point when you’re
-5
not using it.
m
Plant your own vegie garden. Start w ith easy
growers such as salad greens, silverbeet and bok
choy. Use rosemary for a hedge and grow basil
or garlic in decorative pots.
■ Organise a food cooperative w ith your friends
and buy produce in bulk from local markets.
■ Plant trees that will provide you with food for
years to come. Orange, grapefruit, lem on and
lime trees are easy to grow and have high yields.
■ Take a leaf out of grandm a’s book and bottle
fruit w hen it’s cheap and plentiful. For tips on
preserving fruit, visit www.sustainfood.com.au
■ Lobby your local M P to take action on climate
change and protect the w orld’s food supply.
smart
e a t i n g
A
fter the Q ueensland floods
and C yclo ne Yasi, bananas
rose in price from about
$3
per kilo to
$15
per kilo in parts of
Australia. T his m ay be a sign of things
to come, as experts say climate change w ill
put increasing pressure o n food sup p ly and
drive u p costs. H ere are a few sim ple ways to
help you save m oney o n yo u r food bill w hile
being good to the environm ent.
u s t a i n a b l e
liv in g
For the latest in eco-friendly
home, travel, beauty, health
and fashion products, take a
trip to the Eco Xpo in Sydney
from 6-8 May 2011. More
than 2 0 0 exhibitors will take
part at the Royal Hall of
Industries, Moore Park. To
save $2 on entry, bring your
unwanted clothes to donate
to St Vincent de Paul. Visit .
www.ecoxpo.com.au
Smelling
sweet
naturally
EzyFresh contains natural
ceramic balls that eliminate
odours from the air, absorb
moisture and kill airborne
bacteria. You can refresh
the ceramic balls each
m onth by rem oving them
from the shell and placing
them in the sun, w hich
w ill ensure they last for
up to three years. EzyFresh
is available online from
www.ezylifestyle.com.au
for $
29.95
(plus p&h).
This month’s eco hero
Congratulations to Sleepy’s,
The Mattress Experts,
for their new range of
environmentally sustainable
beds. The beds have steel
springs and timber sourced
from recycled materials
and renewable rainforests;
mattress covers made from
recycled plastic bottles;
foam made from a soy
blend material that replaces
much of the petroleum used
in ordinary foams; and latex
derived from rubber trees.
Visit www.sleepys.com.au
go to
bhg.com.au
for more planet information
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8ETTER HOMES AND GARDENS, MAY 2011 bhg.com.au
Words Helen Hawkes: photography iStockphoto
