My Action Plan

So how can you help? By taking small steps in your day to day life, together we can make a big difference. So choose a couple of actions you think you can commit to below, and see the difference you could make in one year in the "Potential annual savings" graph below.

Make sure you come back every two weeks to tell us what you've done. That way we can add your savings to the GreenHome total.

What state do you live in?

select one... NSW ACT NT QLD SA TAS VIC WA

Environmental impacts vary from state to state due to differing conditions like electricity supplies, water supply and agricultural practices.

I will eat less red meat
(one serve equals 60-100g or two small chops)

select one... I don't eat any meat 1-2 less serves each week 3-4 serves less each week 4-6 serves less each week 7+ less serves each week

Animal products make up the biggest part of your eco footprint - 34% to be exact. Meat, particularly beef, has a very high environmental impact, using much water and land to produce it, and creating significant greenhouse pollution. In fact if you reduce your intake by one 150g serve of red meat each week, you'll save 10,000 litres of water and 300kg of greenhouse pollution in a year.
More on food

I will eat less dairy food
(a serve is one slice of cheese or a 250ml glass of milk)

select one... I don't eat any dairy 1-2 less serves each week 3-4 serves less each week 4-6 serves less each week 7+ less serves each week

The high quality pastures and crops which feed dairy cattle require a lot of water. In Victoria, where most of Australia's dairy farms are, the dairy industry consumed 24% (1685GL) of all water used in 2000 - enough to fill about 750,000 Olympic swimming pools!! Milk and cheese are here to stay, but we need to bring our dairy consumption down to a more sustainable level. If you reduced your dairy intake by just 2 cups of milk (or equivalent) per week, you would save 13,000 litres of water and 250kg of greenhouse pollution in a year.
More on food

I will waste less food

select one... I don't waste food now reduce wastage by $5 per week reduce wastage by $10 per week reduce wastage by $20 per week reduce wastage by $30 per week

Wasting food wastes the environmental resources that were used to produce that food. Australians wasted $5.3 billion worth of food in 2004. This included takeaway, fresh food, frozen food, leftovers and drinks which mostly ended up in landfill. Making an effort to buy only food you will use will reduce your eco-footprint, reduce the amount of waste you send to landfill and will save you money.
More on food

I will buy fewer new clothes

select one... I hardly ever buy new clothes spend $50 less each month spend $100 less each month spend $150 less each month spend $200 + less each month

Producing clothes has a significant environmental impact, using much water, energy and land. The amount of water used in the production and transport of clothes bought by an average Australian household each year is 150 000 litres - buying second hand clothes or repairing old clothes could save much of this water. Cotton in particular requires a lot of water and often also uses a lot of chemicals. On average worldwide, every new T-shirt made takes about 1.5 kilograms of chemicals (pesticides and fertilizers) to produce. So only buy what you need and buy clothes that will last.
More on shopping

I will spend less each month on goods (other than food and clothing)

select one... I don't buy things spend $1 - $50 less each month spend $51 - $200 less each month spend $201 - $350 less less month spend $350 + less each month

Everything we buy has an environmental impact. Goods such as clothes, appliances and toys all need water, energy, land and materials to be produced. An easy way to reduce your impact is to spend less money on “stuff”. Services such as movies, theatre and sport usually have much lower impacts than goods, so you could spend the money you save on goods and clothes on entertainment. Or better still, put your savings in the bank (or even donate it to an environmental project)!
More on shopping

I will cycle or walk 10Km each week instead of driving

select one... I never drive anyway Yes

Cycling 10km to work and back twice a week instead of driving saves about 500 kg of greenhouse pollution each year and saves you about $770. It'll keep you fit and save you money on your gym membership too!
More on transport

I will reduce the number of cars in my household by one

select one... I don't have a car Yes

One car costs about $7700 to run each year and produces 7 tonnes of greenhouse pollution (average Australian figure based on travelling 15,000 kms per year). This is not including the embodied energy and water used to make a car: 83,000 litres of water and 8 tonnes of greenhouse pollution are used in the production of one mid-size car.
More on transport

I will take fewer air flights this year

select one... I never fly anyway take 1 less domestic return trip take 1 less international return trip

Australians are flying more than they used to. In fact greenhouse pollution from domestic air travel in Australia is increasing a massive 5.9% each year. One domestic return flight in Australia creates nearly one tonne of greenhouse gas per person (total fuel and embodied energy). Discovering the secrets of your own state instead of flying overseas for your holiday will reduce your environmental impact and probably save some cash too.
More on transport

I will compost or worm farm my food scraps

select one... I already do Yes I'll do this

Food makes up nearly 40% of household waste so by starting to compost or wormfarm you can cut your landfill waste by up to 40%. This means all that food nutrition will be reused on your garden plus you'll reduce your greenhouse pollution from transport and landfill (food breaking down in landfill produces more greenhouse gas than in compost because it breaks down to methane, a more potent greenhouse gas, rather than CO2).
More on waste

I will switch to Green power for my home electricity

select one... I already have Green Power switch to 100% Green Power switch to 50% Green Power

The average home creates 7 tonnes of greenhouse pollution per year through electricity consumption - you can choose to get renewable energy from your electricity retailer instead and cut those emissions. Make sure it is accredited GreenPower - see www.greenpower.com.au for a list of accredited products.
More on energy

I will reduce my heating and cooling bills by insulating or draft proofing my home

select one... I've done this insulate ceiling or walls seal windows & doors insulate & seal my rooms

Insulation can reduce your heating and cooling bills by up to 10%. Sealing around windows and doors can also stop heat from escaping in winter and cut heating bills by up to $90.
More on energy

I will replace my hot water heater with a solar or gas one

select one... I already have solar hot water gas with gas-boosted solar electric with gas-boosted solar electric with electric-boosted solar electric with 5-star gas

A conventional electric household water heater produces about 3.2 tonnes of greenhouse pollution in a year. A gas-boosted solar system would reduce this by about 2.9 tonnes every year, a 5-star gas water heater about 2.5 tonnes, and an electric-boosted solar system about 2.2 tonnes. If you can't replace your whole hot water system now, check our Hot Water section for other ways to save on hot water.

I will install a rainwater tank

select one... already installed install a 5,000 litre tank install a 10,000 litre tank

Install a rainwater tank and use water off your roof instead of mains water for your garden or within the home. Better still, combine this with a water reuse system (greywater or water treatment system) and save even more.
More on water

I will water my garden 30 minutes less per week

select one... My garden is water efficient Yes I will do this

By watering your garden 30 minutes less per week you'll save 26,520 litres of water a year. Plus mulching your garden beds is a great way to reduce the watering needed to keep your garden healthy (by up to 70%).
More on gardens

I will fix dripping taps or leaking toilets in my home

select one... None of them are leaking fix one dripping tap or toilet fix 2-3 dripping taps/toilets fix 3-4 dripping taps/toilets

A dripping tap can waste up to 20,000 litres of water a year and a leaking toilet between 4,000 and 96,000 litres a year. This is an easy way to stop unnecessary wasting of water.
More on water

I will install a AAA water efficient shower head and reduce water used in my shower by 50%

select one... already installed replace one showerhead replace two or more showerheads

Replacing one shower head with a water-efficient one will save around 44,000 litres of water a year and 2500 kg of greenhouse pollution.
More on water

I will replace my single flush toilet with a dual flush toilet or reduce the amount of water flushed

select one... I already have a dual flush toilet replace single with dual flush install a cistern weight or equiv flush toilet half as many times

Replacing a single flush toilet with a dual flush one can reduce water used by 20,000 litres. A cistern weight or two bottles of water in the cistern would each reduce water use by about 10,000 litres a year if fitted to a single flush toilet. Or, flush your toilet half as many times and you'll save!
More on water

I will turn the tap off when I brush my teeth

select one... I already do this Yes I will start doing this

Leaving the tap running when brushing your teeth can waste up to 22,000 litres of water over a year. Change your habit and you'll save lots of water!
More on water

I will contact my local MP or Federal or State Environment Ministers about an environment issue that concerns me.

select one... Yes I'll do it

Click here for contact details for Federal and State MPs

I will contact a newspaper, radio or other media outlet about an environment issue that concerns me.

select one... Yes I'll do it

Make sure your voice is heard! Ring talkback radio, write a letter to the newspaper or web site or contact your local paper to alert them to an environment issue you're concerned about.
Take action with ACF