We are taking one serious sustainable step every month to move towards a more sustainable lifestyle. Our starting point is making a list of what we currently are doing and over the course of the month, add to that list in meaningful and significant ways.
Each month will have its own sustainability focus, giving us a full four weeks to explore, experiment, and embed one new habit.
In June we look at rediscovering the art of sharing.
Here’s one that’s equal parts practical and social – organise a clothing, book or tool swap with your neighbours, friends or workmates. The environmental cost of producing new clothing alone is staggering in terms of water and energy use, and swapping is one of the simplest ways to sidestep it entirely.
But let’s be honest – nobody wants to swap their everyday basics. But that pretty sequined dress hanging in the back of your wardrobe that’s been to exactly one wedding? The ski jacket taking up half your spare room for eleven months of the year? The power drill your neighbour bought for one shelf and hasn’t touched since? That’s exactly where a swap makes perfect sense.
Get a group together, lay it all out, and see what treasures other people have been hoarding. You might be surprised what comes home with you and what finally gets the use it deserves.
We all (accumulate) an abundance of tools and resources that are better shared around a group, rather than all of us owning, storing and maintaining the same things.
Asking to borrow something makes us feel vulnerable. But maybe it’s time to get over that, because it not only saves money, time, and earthly resources, it might also spark a community connection and a good conversation.
Nat Mendham | Multi-discipline Creative
Shout out to the local library. Have you lost touch with your local library? I know I had. And of course, the local library is not just about books. There are free services such as book groups and literacy programs, tech support, author talks, craft sessions and spaces you can use. And of course you can also borrow DVDs, CDs, console games, magazines, and audiobooks. And using their app, you can place a hold on a book, and they will bring it in from another library. And notify you when it’s in. What’s not to love about libraries!?
Of course, we can also share skills and knowledge. A few friends and I have started to meet up regularly to quilt. Mary is a complete beginner, while Ivana has made dozens of quilts. I’m somewhere in between. Together we are learning, sharing knowledge and enjoying our time together (with a glass of wine on the side).
Writer: Colleen B. Filippa
With a background in Environmental Science (Melbourne University), Colleen is the Founding Director of Fifteen Trees. In 2009, after 20 years in secondary and tertiary education institutions, Colleen left the classroom to start the company. Fifteen Trees is a social enterprise assisting individuals and companies to reduce their carbon footprint by supporting community groups such as Landcare.
