Many of us want to adopt more environmentally friendly habits at the start of a new year, but it can be hard to know where to start (or to find the motivation to continue after the initial excitement wears off!).  

To give you some ideas, we asked our team at Baptist World Aid to share some of their best, most achievable tips for living more sustainably. Here’s a round-up:

Around The Home 

‘I remember being so overwhelmed when I started thinking about ethical or sustainable living. What I found really helpful was to pick one small thing I could focus on each year. The first year I swapped my toilet paper. The next year, my cleaning products around the house. The next year I started composting. Sometimes it takes a bit of trial and error.’ 

Rochelle Nyatoro, International Programs Coordinator 

‘The worm farm still works a treat at reducing our red bin waste, while being amazing for our garden. It takes care of our coffee waste too!’ 

Rebecca

‘I’m using ReSmart for soft plastics recycling and other ‘hard to recycle’ items.  While the cost is relatively small, having to pay to recycle responsibly means I think twice about purchasing things with packaging of this nature. I’m currently collecting items for collection from family members too, and I find that with heightened awareness. We have reduced our consumption and the need for collection of these items to around two bags every two months.’ 

Melissa Lipsett, CEO 

Clothes 

‘I’ve been trading repair skills with friends recently. I can sew and mend clothing, but I cannot knit or crochet to save my life, so I’ve been hosting a ‘mend and munch’ afternoon with friends a couple of times a year. I’ll help repair clothes; other friends have darned and repaired knitted items. Others have even designed and printed spare parts on a 3D printer for broken containers or household items. It’s great!’

Kate Devlin, Church and Partnerships Manager, NSW/ACT  

‘My youngest son went to his Year 12 formal wearing the thrifted Georgio Amarni suit we bought six years ago at Vinnies for my eldest son’s Yr 10 formal. This will be its fourth school formal.’ 

Heather Keith, Copy and Feature Writer

‘There is so much amazing stuff to be found at Op Shops; I haven’t bought any new clothing, shoes or belts for two years! At one store, I found a pair of Kate Spade sandals for $2! One tip: always go to the front of the store near the natural light to check for rips and stains.’ 

Baptist World Aid Volunteer

Gifting

‘I love recycling my kids’ artworks as gift wrapping paper! It always looks cute and it’s a great way to use up their many, many drawings and paintings.’ 

Marissa Smithson, International Programs Officer

‘Some organisations have packs of gift wrap made from recycled saris, which I love.  When I give a gift wrapped in one of these, I encourage the recipient to pass it on when they give a gift. I’ve taken inspiration from this and purchased ends of fabric to make my own reusable gift wrap in different sizes.’  

Narelle Barbarino, Gifts in Wills Specialist 

‘I’ve been gifting friends baked goods instead of token gifts for birthdays or special occasions. For Christmas, I have a collection of jars ready to be filled with homemade things like cookies, rocky road, and bath salts.’ 

Bethany Gibson, Digital Marketing Lead 


Food Sustainability 

‘I compliment groceries by getting surprise bags from different bakeries through the Too Good to Go app, which aims to reduce food waste by helping connect consumers with perishables that would otherwise have to be thrown out. The app tells me I have avoided 10,000 full phone charges worth of CO2e!’ 

Brendan Wingrave, Business Analyst 

‘I make my own icy poles using reuseable moulds. I use Greek yogurt and berries or cocoa powder—it saves on packaging, and it’s a good way to trick my brain into thinking it’s had a nice, delicious dessert!’ 

Kelsea Clingeleffer, International Programs Coordinator 

‘To save on plastic takeaway containers, I bring a plate to the office for when I order lunch downstairs at the café, and I have a reusable container in case I need to take the leftovers home.’  

Su Heng, Regular Giving Team Lead