Benalla Sustainable Future Group - Light Ideas

'Light Ideas' from BSFG's WasteWise action group on Facebook!

Sat, 06 Dec 2025 20:03:13 GMT

We haven't been posting regularly on Light Ideas, but are still enthusiastic about the sharing of Light Ideas. Our WasteWise Benalla action group members regularly update the WasteWise Benalla Facebook page with light ideas - well worth following!

A reminder of the benefits of sun drying our clothes!

Fri, 05 Dec 2025 13:00:00 GMT

In addition to 2025 research area findings that using clothes dryers is a source of microfiber pollution, see for example - https://www.dri.edu/household-dryers-are-significant-sources-of-microfiber-pollution-study-finds/ (accessed 6 December 2025) - research summary from the internationaljournalofresearch.com reports on the benefits of sun drying our clothes...

" It is cheap: Sun drying your clothes is much cheaper than buying a clothes dryer and dryer sheets. It is technically free of cost and saves money.

Sun Drying Clothes Promotes Energy Conservation: Sun drying laundry conserves energy and helps to protect the environment by saving precious fossil fuels. It is the pinnacle of green laundry and sustainable living. According to Pew research centre, there are more than 90 million clothes dryers in the United States and sun-drying clothes can reduce the average household’s carbon footprint 2,400 pounds a year. Experts determined that if all Americans line-dried clothing for just half of a year, it would save 3.3 percent of the country’s total residential output of carbon dioxide.

Sun drying clothes enhances freshness and helps remove strong odors: Sun dried clothes and sheets smell much fresher than clothes that are tumble dried without the use of additional chemical laundry fresheners like dryer sheets and fabric softener. This is particularly important for those sensitive to perfumes and dyes used in detergents and dryer products. And fresh air is less expensive than dryer sheets.

Sun drying is gentle on clothing: Tossing and tumbling in a dryer can cause wear and strain on clothing fabric due to stress on seams and snags from buttons and zippers. Excessively high heat in the dryer can ruin some fabrics and cause irreversible damage. When not tumbled around and subjected to the high heat of the dryer, clothing and home linens don’t wear out, fade, develop holes, or pill as quickly. Line drying prevents clothes from withering or shrinking each time it’s sent to get dried, and it will also save the cost of re-purchasing them over time.
Sun drying helps whiten and disinfect laundry: The ultra-violet rays of sunlight help to bleach and disinfect laundry. This is particularly beneficial for white sheets, towels and cloth diapers. However, for dark-colored clothes, excessive sunlight can cause some harm. So keep dark colors in the shade, if possible, to prevent fading.

Sun drying increases physical activity: Hanging up laundry is a physical activity that you can do inside or outside. Fifteen minutes of hanging laundry or removing it from the line burn 68 calories. That’s saving enough calories to enjoy a snack of 20 olives or three mini candy bars. There is something very therapeutic about sun-drying clothes outside, especially when the weather is refreshingly beautiful. Sun-drying clothes means a little extra time in the sun which is good for vitamin-d and for overall health.

It reduces wrinkles: After drying your clothes from pins on a clothesline, hang them up outside and let the wrinkles dissipate. Since the clothes are weighed down by the water, they naturally stretch to their original form, thus removing any wrinkles that may appear.

If people around the world, especially in the US, used a clothesline for sun drying just once a week, we could make a huge difference in reducing the damage we are doing to our environment with our dependence on fossil fuels, which is not only important for the planet, but is absolutely vital for the health of our families and communities too."

Photograph and quoted article content acknowledgement : 'Benefits of Sun Drying your Clothes' https://internationaljournalofresearch.com/2020/06/23/benefits-of-sun-drying-your-clothes/ accessed 2025/12/6

Wondering how to reduce your personal use of plastic?

Sat, 02 Sep 2023 04:53:19 GMT

No shampoo.... Use the same bar of soap you wash the rest of your body with.

No conditioner.... Massage a very small amount of olive oil into your hair. Can be left in or rinsed out.

No detergent. Use a bar of kitchen soap. Put a bar into a mug or similar container. Run the hot water over itwhile filling the sink. Sunlight Soap has been made locally in Shepparton for over 100 years. Packed in cardboard.

No plastic laundry bottles. Buy laundry powder in cardboard boxes which come without a plastic scoop. Keep a spoon in the box.

No plastic bottles of wool mix laundry detergent. Add the tiny remains of bars of soap to a jar of hot water. Shake. Wash wooden clothing in the mix.

No plastic wrap. Use bees wax. The more it is used, the more user friendly it becomes.

No spray cleaners. Use white vinegar and bi-carb soda. Spray with vinegar. Sprinkle with bi-carb soda. Leave. Scrub. Rinse.

Sourced by Rhona for Food Coop's weekly News Email, late August 2023. Thanks, Rhona!

'Old sneakers not good enough for the Op Shops?"

Mon, 13 Mar 2023 20:08:37 GMT

Old sneakers not good enough for the Op Shops? Don’t throw them in the red bin for landfill. Clean old sneakers can now be recycled to produce safety matting for play areas - just as an example!

WasteWise has been searching Benalla for participants to assist in recycling household products which can be diverted from landfill and effectively reused. We are thrilled to announce that Sportspower Benalla has a box in store for recycling CLEAN old sneakers.

The store has an arrangement with Sportspower Wangaratta for pickup of the collection as necessary; Wangaratta has an example of the recycled matting should you be interested to see this product when in Wang.

Sportspower is convenient for Benalla residents, so we encourage anyone with old sneakers needing to be thrown out to recycle them there instead and support a local retailer trying to do the right thing. Other retailers are also joining this movement to reduce landfill, and we will feature them in future articles.

WasteWise Sub-group

Check out your butcher's shop - will they accept your containers?

Sat, 18 Jun 2022 20:20:05 GMT

"Hi, Karen here, I had a small step today in reducing my plastic waste.

I took my own containers to Donohues' Butchers and they were very happy to put all my purchases in them, no plastic bags.

Please support our local businesses that help us help our environment!"
#plasticwise"

BSFG Facebook post by Karen Nankervis, 14 June 2022

Ask your butcher if they will accept your containers - if not, either change butchers or remember to take along your own reusable carry bag. Ask them to use this instead of a (usually) single use carry bag; or just accept the paper wrapped parcel/s!

Footnote - there were some thought provoking comments to the FB post, including 'Absolutely, but the single most thing a person can do to help the environment is to stop eating meat. I just thought it was a tad ironic that it was at a butcher’s shop!' Perhaps Karen's post should also be added to 'Hot Topics and Kitchen Table Conversations'.

"10 Steps to Prevent Microfiber Pollution From Your Home"

Sat, 23 Apr 2022 19:41:15 GMT

"1. Buy less and buy natural
Do you really need yet another new fleece? When possible, consider shifting your purchase choices to natural fibers like organic cotton.

2. Use a front-loading washing machine instead of a top loading washing machine
Front loading washing machines shed way less (7X less) microfibers than top-loaders

3. Wash less, and when you do use cool water
A little campfire smell only gives your clothing more character. Washing with cool water won’t make that much of a difference in how clean your clothes come out, and it will avoid the additional shedding from hot water breaking up the fibers.

4. Do not wash with solid items (like shoes or backpacks)
Heavy items lead to more friction, which means more fibers breaking during washing and ending up in the ocean.

5. Separate soft textiles and hard textiles
The goal is to have less agitation in the washer and dryer, so separate out the heavy clothing from light clothing.

6. Avoid using a tumble dryer, air dry instead
Synthetic clothing air dries fast anyway and the dryer may also contribute to microfiber release.

7. Reduce rotation speed when washing
Skip the spin cycle to prevent additional friction from causing more fibers to break.

8. Wash for a shorter amount of time
The more time in the washer, the more chances for microfibers to escape.

9. Use less detergent and without bleach
Liquid detergent is best and use it sparingly.

10. Consider using a filter/microfiber system
Though these devices are not an end-all solution, they provide an intermediate option to reduce the amount of microfibers that go down the drain, and are great ways to raise awareness about the issue. The Guppyfriend is a bag that you place your synthetic clothes in when you wash them. It catches microfibers that may shed from synthetic clothing, but more importantly it reduces the level of agitation in the washer, a significant factor in microfiber release. The best solution to catch microfibers in your laundry is an actual filter attached to your washer. Recent studies have shown that filters like Lint LUV-R and Filtrol 160 have a catchment rate of up to 87% of microfibers."

Source: Bills and Best Practices for Microfiber Pollution Solutions (2019) accessed 24/4/2022 The list was adapted from https://stopmicrowaste.com/tenfortheocean

You'll Never Want to Buy Synthetic Clothing After Watching 'The Story of Microfibers'

It's Veganuary!

Wed, 19 Jan 2022 21:40:06 GMT

In the spirit of reducing our carbon footprint, Veganuary challenges us to introduce vegan meals into our diets, providing many delicious recipes as an encouragement to do so. Even if your first step is to download the free cookbook, that's a start!

'Choose tap with extras' - better for the environment!

Fri, 12 Nov 2021 22:14:31 GMT

NE Water is very keen for us to 'Be Smart Choose Tap'! Their October/December 'Splash' newsletter reminds us that making a jug of infused water increases vitamin intake, is healthier than soft drink and much better for the environment than bottled or canned drinks, and 'a whole lot cheaper too'!

'Simply add some slices of orange or lime, a handful of mashed strawberries or some sprigs of scrunched mint.' They've also published a resource sheet on 'Flavoured Water Recipes'

Another trick, keep some long glasses together near your kettle and after making a coffee or tea, make a 'spare' coffee or tea to chill for an iced drink later in the day.

Office Works 'circular economy' - return your unused computers, printers etc for recycling - Albury and Shepparton

Fri, 06 Aug 2021 14:00:00 GMT

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A local food sharing idea...

Sun, 16 May 2021 23:39:01 GMT

It was thrilling to see this little 'grow free' table in my street yesterday, packed full of limes and early grapefruit. I stopped, keen to take a photograph and collect a few limes. The owner saw me and was happy to chat. He explained that he and his wife have been using a cardboard box on their nature strip to share extra produce with neighbours. It seems they were out recently and saw the little pine table on a kerbside collection 'free to good home'. His wife suggested they pick it up to display and share their produce with their neighbours. What a wonderful opportunity to repurpose and reuse the table, as well as promoting local food sharing and reduced food miles. I only had to drive half a block for my freshly picked limes!

The Occasional BLogger

Setting up a 'Grow Free Cart' to share local produce

Fri, 14 May 2021 19:17:22 GMT

Benalla Local Food Network convenor and local dietitian Kathryn McQualter is always on the look out sturdy wooden baby changing tables or auto-trays to convert into 'grow carts' to place in community settings to share fresh fruit and vegetables, home made jams and sauces, seedlings and other produce.

'Before Covid', Kathryn's Grow Free Cart was a popular feature in the waiting area of Benalla Health's Community Centre in Coster Street. Continuing restrictions in the health sector have led to the need to find it a new home. It has just been relocated to a new home at Tomorrow Today Foundation, Corner of Cecily Court/Nunn Street, Benalla, Shop 10 Cecily Court, 66 Nunn St, Benalla VIC 3672 +61 3 5762 1211 tomorrowtoday.com.au.

How to set up a grow cart in your local community ...

Reading and resources:

'Grow Free' Gardening Australia, ABC (Includes video)

Grow Free Website and Grow Free on Facebook

Grow free movement springs up around Perth to encourage neighbours to share food

Saving water with 'The Shower Song'

Sun, 14 Mar 2021 17:34:49 GMT

A role for house numbering in reducing greenhouse emissions?

Thu, 08 Oct 2020 19:51:33 GMT

Is the number of your house clearly visible to others?

A retired friend with a long history of working in the transport industry said in conversation recently.... 'You know, you Greenies should promote the idea of making sure houses are visibly numbered. :Lots of fuel is used and emissions increased when delivery drivers go around in circles trying to find houses without clearly visible numbering".

Reflecting later on his comment, it seemed a Google search was in order. I couldn't find any links relating house numbering to the reduction of greenhouse gasses. Most links mentioned one or more of the reasons listed in an article titled '7 reasons why you need a visible house number' -1) Legal 2) Emergency Services 3) Postie 4) Deliveries (eg. parcel; food, take-out) 5) Family and Friends 6) Home Services 7) Potential Home Buyers.

It seems an eighth reason could be added - 8) To reduce greenhouse emissions!

The '7 Reasons' article makes a number of suggestions for effective house numbering:

"BEST WAYS TO DISPLAY A HOUSE NUMBER

Your house number should be displayed on the house, on the mailbox (if you have one) and around two feet from the driveway to be seen on the street.
The colour of the number is important, you will need it to be visible. Place a lightly colored number on a dark coloured background. You will need to check if the sunlight does not make the number fade out of sight.
Small LED lights will help brighten up the number in the evenings, making it visible for people to see.
Instead of using stickers, try to use numbers made of brass, acrylic, metal, glass and other materials that will give it a more visible but elegant look.
Remember to think about size too, bigger is always better. You could display a large sized number on the outside of your house but a small and unique number onto the house itself."

Living in Benalla, every seven years or so itinerant 'house numberers' arrive at my door holding number stencils, iridescent paint and brushes and cheerfully ask if I'd like the house number painted on the kerbside guttering outside my house freshened up. After agreeing on the price, they proceed. This visible house number numbering, together with the brass numbering on the letterbox outside the house, appear to 'do the trick' as deliveries and visits proceed without complaint.

Perhaps 'house numberers' should add 'Reduce Greenhouse Emissions' to their marketing spiel!

The Occasional BLogger
(name supplied!)

'Don't forget to cut the straps... better still, get reusable'

Thu, 10 Sep 2020 17:25:44 GMT

Better still, get reusable instead of adding to the waste.
Posted by Roxanne Bodsworth on Friday, September 4, 2020

Do fans make any difference? A synopsis of a useful article

Fri, 27 Dec 2019 00:17:25 GMT

As someone who has recently updated the ceiling fans in the house, also has a large pedestal fan and a tower fan, and only uses the air conditioner as a last resort, this article captured my eye...

Do fans make any difference during a heatwave? ABC, Kelsie Iorio, 20 December 2019

"The way a fan keeps you cool is that it either blows cold air across your skin so you lose heat via a process called convection and it helps sweat evaporate faster."

Ollie Jay, an associate professor in thermo regulatory physiology from the University of Sydney's Faculty of Medicine and Health, interviewed for the article, said fans can be extremely beneficial in heatwaves, especially when you know what kind of heat you're dealing with.

Fans are particularly effective when the heatwave is humid - with a recent Australian clinical trial by Dr Jay and his team on the effects of electric fans under different resting heat index conditions finding that in higher humidity, fans reduced core temperature and cardiovascular strain and improved thermal comfort.

"The reason that humidity is very problematic is that it prevents the sweat that you're producing from evaporating. ...The issue is getting the water off the skin and getting it to evaporate so it cools you down. You can really accelerate that evaporation by increasing airflow across the skin."

"When the air goes above 35 degrees Celsius, you're no longer losing heat via convection. But, it still helps sweat evaporate at a faster rate. That's the most important way in which we keep cool."

The Federal Government's YourHome sustainability tool, suggests fans as 'the first choice for mechanical cooling in most Australian climates, recommending any kind of fan, floor, wall, ceiling or stand-alone as the cheapest cooling option to run with the lowest environmental impact.fans. If you don't already have ceiling fans installed, floor fans, pedestal fans or tower fans are readily available and entry-level models are often fairly affordable. Pedestal fans are apparently really good for generating airflow and don't need to be expensive.

Dr Jay's research has found the situation regarding the use of fans in hot-dry conditions more complicated, even deleterious, in very hot-dry heat conditions over 42 degrees Celsius.

However his team's follow up research in both hot-humid and hot-dry conditions has found that externally applying water to the skin using a flannel or spray bottle, even without a fan, and submerging feet in water to manage extreme heat can reduce body heat via evaporation or conduction when body parts are submerged.

"That water evaporates and basically prevents you having to produce too much sweat because it's doing the job sweat does anyway, and it keeps you cool."

After reading the article I feel reassured that I am on the right track in my use of fans, but as the heat waves in my area usually fall into the hot-dry category, am looking in the cupboards for flannels and spray bottles and will be taking particular care to supplement my use of fans with water applying strategies once the temperature enters the late 30C's and 40C's.

An occasional BLog.

Responding to climate deniers' arguments...

Sun, 08 Dec 2019 16:40:04 GMT

An interesting piece from Peter Sainsbury's environmental roundup on John Menadue's Pearl's and Irritations site on Saturday 8 December...

"Don’t know about you but I refuse to engage with climate deniers. Life is too short to waste my time on them. That’s not to say that some climate deniers are not very influential politically and in business circles but Rupert and Gina and their friends don’t frequent my haunts very often. That all said, it is useful to be well acquainted with the more common concerns people express about climate change and be able to respond to them: How can there be global warming when there’s a snowstorm? Scientists can’t even predict tomorrow’s weather, much less the climate in 100 years. How do we know humans are to blame? Carbon dioxide is good for plants. What about the economy and jobs? etc. etc. To help you, the Climate Reality Project has produced a useful guide: ‘The 12 questions every climate activist hears and what to say’.

You can see some of the deniers’ points being made in Craig Reucassel’s short video about Australians’ views on climate change'.

When it comes to attitudes towards climate change, where does Australia stand? @craigreucassel investigates and reveals what action the country wants taken. #AustraliaTalks pic.twitter.com/6fJeOutrhD
— ABC TV + iview (@ABCTV) November 18, 2019

Have you determined your carbon footprint?

Tue, 10 Sep 2019 00:58:56 GMT

Have you determined your carbon footprint? There are a range of online carbon footprint calculators. This one seems to take in quite a lot of data so it should be fairly accurate https://www.carbonfootprint.com/calculator.aspx.

I have put this on the BSFG website, https://www.bsfg.org.au/energy-overview.html.

I found this carbon footprint calculator at Australian Ethical https://www.australianethical.com.au/carbon-footprint-calculator/. My footprint is 9.96 Tonnes CO2e per year which is about what I get using other calculators.

However the most interesting thing about this calculator is that it allows the inclusion of financial investments which have a very large effect on my carbon footprint. Assuming I had $200,000 in mainstream investments my footprint increases to 37.67 tonnes of CO2 emissions (CO2e) and accounts for around 26.7 tonnes CO2e or 70.9% of my carbon footprint. If I invest in low carbon funds I would reduce my overall annual carbon footprint by approximately 43% to around 21.47 tonnes CO2e. Is investment environmentally sustainable?

Carbon Footprint Calculators generally give a report showing total annual carbon emissions, but may also include a breakdown on where emissions are coming from such as transport, including air travel, housing, food and consumption expenditure, highlighting areas where reductions can be made.

Peter Maddock

This article appeared initially in the September 2019 edition of the BSFG Newsletter.

Recycle soft, scrunchable plastic in REDcycle bins at our local supermarkets...

Thu, 06 Sep 2018 22:43:24 GMT

It is encouraging that the Coles and Woolworths supermarkets in Benalla both now have REDcycle bins in their foyers to collect soft plastic items for recycling. A Melbourne-based company RedPlas has been collecting and recycling soft plastics for a number of years now, and turning them into products such as benches, signs, boardwalks and bollards. They collect plastics that cannot be recycled in our yellow bins, and that would otherwise end up in landfill.

Items they want include bread bags, silver lined chip packets, clean cling wrap, frozen food and fresh produce bags, bubble wrap, plastic Australia Post satchels and zip lock bags to name just a few. But they DON’T WANT plastic bottles or containers, drinking straws, glass, polystyrene, paper or cardboard. The REDcycle website shows what plastics can be recycled through the REDcycle bins at Coles and Woolies. Basically if it is soft plastic that can be scrunched up into a ball, it can go in the REDcycle bin. A detailed list of what and what NOT to REDcycle is attached below.

Kathy Costello

What to recyle in redcycle bins - downloadable pdf

11 Plastic free eco-friendly recommendations from WWF

Thu, 21 Jun 2018 18:00:58 GMT

'10 Handy Uses for Your Old iPad or Android Tablet'

Thu, 18 Jan 2018 17:16:18 GMT

Reduce e-waste in our land fills! This thought provoking article, '10 Handy Uses for your Old iPad or Android Tablet' by Michael Cridon, was published in online magazine 'How to Geek' on December 27, 2017. Many of the suggestions also apply to redundant smartphones.

"Tablet sales are slumping at the moment, probably as a result of big smartphones and convertible laptops chip away at a tablet’s usefulness. But if you have one or more tablets at home gathering dust while you happily poke away at your giant smartphone, there are probably some good ways to put them to use rather than selling them or recycling them. Here are a few ideas.

Turn it into a Streaming Media Machine Android and iOS apps for most streaming music and video services are readily available, even if they’re not specifically for tablets. So why not augment a hi-fi stereo or a Bluetooth speaker with a dedicated tablet controller? It’s much easier to manage than, say, a remote control, and in a kitchen a tablet is easier to press buttons on than a smartphone. Pandora and Spotify are obvious examples, but in a living room a shared tablet can be paired with a Chromecast or Roku for easier Netflix browsing or streaming. And speaking of living rooms…

Use It as a Smart Remote Control Logitech’s Harmony series of remotes is a favorite among videophiles with big AV collections. But the Harmony system can be used with Android and iOS devices too, including tablets—and in fact the touch screen makes them much easier to program. Even if you don’t have a dedicated smart remote set up, many smart TVs and standalone systems like Android TV, Roku, Fire TV, and Apple TV offer remote apps for mobile devices, not to mention dedicated cable boxes and receivers. Individual quality of the apps notwithstanding, it can be a much better way to navigate long lists or complex user interfaces.

Create a Desktop Widget Screen If you have a desktop computer workstation, or even a laptop that you periodically plug into a monitor setup for more comfortable work or play, an otherwise unused tablet can make a great accompaniment. Paired with a stand and a charger, it can make a handy dedicated email screen (especially with push email and home screen widgets on Android), an RSS, Twitter or Facebook viewer, or even a second screen tool for PC gaming enthusiasts to check their thermal statistics. There are even programs that let you display a screen full of custom commands and macro keys that are then sent to your PC over the wireless network.

Turn it into a Second Desk Top Monitor Want to live the dual-screen desktop life without having to buy any more equipment? There are several apps that will let your computer treat your tablet like an extra monitor, either wirelessly via Wi-Fi or with a direct USB connection (which also helps with charging). Note that, unlike most of the other uses on this list, iOS and iPads seem to be better supported for external displays, but it’s still possible on Android—just not quite as good.

Use it as a Guest or Kid's PC Setting up an entire computer just for guests to use when they visit you is a bit of a chore, but don’t forget that a phone or tablet is basically an all-in-one computer that doesn’t need to be tethered to a conventional monitor, keyboard, and mouse. Using guest mode on Android or iOS, it’s easy to let someone use your system and your network without having to set up a new account for them or grant them uncomfortably close access to your own data. You can even add back a stand and a Bluetooth keyboard to make things easier for them. And of course, tablets are already quite popular as “starter computers” for kids who aren’t quite old enough for a full-power Windows machine or their own cell phone.

Give it New Life as a Dedicated Smart Home Controller If you’ve invested enough money into wiring your house with smart gadgets like a Nest thermostat, Wi-Fi lighting, automatic blinds, and even connected appliances, you’re probably already using your phone to control some or all of them. Install all of the applicable apps on a tablet, stick ’em in a home screen folder, mount the tablet on a wall with a charger, and you have a dedicated hub for controlling everything in the house. Oh, and you might want to put a PIN number on that thing, too—especially if it’s within kid reach.

Turn It Into a Dedicated Security Monitor or Baby Monitor Your tablet has a Wi-Fi chip, one or two cameras, and a microphone. That means that if you can find an appropriate place to stick it with constant power, it’s already well equipped to be a remote control camera… which can be a handy way to create one if you’d like to save some dough on the genuine article. There are multiple iOS and Android apps specifically designed to turn an otherwise unused device into either a standard Wi-Fi camera with recording capabilities, or a baby monitor that can alert another mobile device with noise or movement notifications. It’s a great way to re-purpose your existing devices. (The article included a link to this YouTube video:)

Convert It Into a Mini Arcade Cabinet This one’s pretty much just for the iPads, because Android tablets aren’t standardized enough to be slipped into semi-custom cases that look like someone took a shrink ray to that ancient arcade machine from your childhood. But the results are undeniably cool: these little stand-up cases include old-fashioned button and joystick controls (connected directly or wirelessly) and uses an iPad’s screen as a replacement for an arcade CRT. There are a surprising number of old and new games on the App Store that are compatible with these gadgets, and the most widely-sold seems to be the branded iCade. Of course you could do the same thing with a regular stand and a Bluetooth controller, but where’s the fun in that?

DIY Your Own Car Stereo Screen If you’re a gearhead who’s seriously into the tech inside your car’s dashboard, and you’re comfortable voiding a huge part of your manufacturer’s warranty, you could try replacing the head unit of your car stereo with a tablet. This is a surprisingly popular car mod, especially for smaller tablets like the Nexus 7. Check out dozens of guides and breakdowns on YouTube if you’re interested…and remember that in most places it’s illegal to watch a video while you’re driving. These kinds of mods are best for music management and performance statistics, and even then, used carefully while the car is in motion.

Use It as a Dedicated Voice Control Hub If you’ve been drooling over a voice controlled gadget like the Amazon Echo or Google Home, it might have crossed your mind that your cell phone can already do pretty much the same thing. Ditto for your tablet—heck, Amazon is even putting screens in these things now. Google and Apple’s tablets can both be activated hands free with “OK Google” and “Hey Siri” commands, and they tie into most of the same services. That being said, a dedicated tablet won’t have the rather nice 360-degree speakers or advanced microphones in the genuine article, but for the low price of free-because-you-already-have-it, it’s not bad.

A Note on Battery Life For a lot of these applications, you might be wondering how to use your tablet untethered and keep the battery going for more than a day or two. Consider that a lot of these suggestions are periodical rather than constant—it’s not as if you need to use a remote for hours at a time. For instances where a dedicated dock or charger is impractical, remember to use your tablet’s airplane mode if you’re not actively connecting to the Internet. Combining low standby power use, no wireless drain, and a battery two to four times the one in your cell phone, most tablets will last for a week or more off the charger.

Cridon, M (2017) '10 Handy uses for Your Old iPhone or Android Tablet' How-to-Geek https://www.howtogeek.com/315258/10-handy-uses-for-your-old-ipad-or-android-tablet/ accessed 19/1/2018

'6 surprising energy hacks'

Fri, 24 Nov 2017 20:38:10 GMT

"There are some basic energy-saving tips that anyone who is conscious of their environmental footprint or looking to save money on bills will have heard time and time again. These are not those. We’ve gone down the unbeaten track to gather six surprising energy hacks that will take your home’s sustainability levels to the next level. Game, set, match.

Pack your freezer tightly As counter intuitive as it may sound, the more you have in the freezer, the more efficient your freezer will be. Avoid buying an unnecessarily large fridge and start getting into the habit of freezing leftovers rather than throwing them out. In those instances where your freezer isn’t full, use newspaper, ice trays, ice packs or bags of ice to keep the space tightly packed.

Get stove smart The smaller the burner, the less energy it uses, so simply matching your pot size to the burner you’re using can save you a huge amount of energy. In addition, only boiling the amount of water you need and adding a pinch of salt to speed up the boiling process can save you energy, and cooking with the pot lid on for as long as possible will help speed up the process.

Use a slow cooker or microwave Despite the fact that slow cookers are on for hours on end and microwaves simply seem as though they would be energy suckers, in fact these smaller appliances use far less energy than the oven. Use these two time-savers and your wallet will benefit, too.

Light up the corners Make the most of your lighting by letting it bounce off the walls to brighten an entire room. Putting a light fixture, like a lamp, in the corner of a room with a lower-wattage bulb will provide your room with an amount of light similar to that given off by a more powerful bulb in the middle of the room.

Redecorate around your heating and cooling If you have curtains or furniture blocking the heating vents in your home, you’ll find yourself cranking up the thermostat more often than you really need to. Shuffle things around to allow for at least 30 centimetres of space so the air can get out and flow through your home.

Close your apps, use airplane mode and unplug your phone charger Our smartphones demand a lot of charging and can suck up more energy than we realise. Cut this down by closing all your apps to conserve battery, swapping to airplane mode while you’re charging to speed up the process and unplugging your phone charger when it’s not in use.

Making sure you’re on the best value energy plan can also help you keep costs down".

Source: Energy Australia
https://www.energyaustralia.com.au/blog/better-energy/6-surprising-energy-hacks

'Reduce, Reuse, Refuse, Rethink and Repair' Wendy Baker

Tue, 06 Jun 2017 21:52:05 GMT

Maybe you are not ready to give up the plastic altogether but there are some easy ways to make a big difference in reducing the amount of plastic waste that is a huge burden to our environment. Recycling goes some of the way to easing the issue; however it is a much better option to avoid the use of plastic as much as possible.

Bring your own shopping bag
I am thinking hessian is best. Or why not make your own out of left over fabric? In addition to bigger carryall bags, you can take your own reusable produce bags or don’t use produce bags at all.

Ditch bottled water
Such an easy way to reduce waste. Keep a refillable bottle handy and take it wherever you go. Bottled water is incredibly expensive compared to the tap. Say ‘no’ to bottled water.

BYO Coffee Cup
Coffee Cups are usually lined with a polyethylene making it difficult to be recycled. Take your own refillable cup....you may even get your coffee at a reduced price!!

Choose cardboard over plastic bottles and bags
Try pasta in a box instead of a bag, detergent in a box instead of a bottle. Even better, see if the cardboard is from a sustainable source.

Say ‘no’ to straws
They are just not necessary. Paper or stainless straws are an option. Get plastic out of the makeup drawer and bathroom

Research microbeads.
Aim for none in your products.

Skip the disposable razor

Re-think your food storage
Try to use glass instead of plastic for fridge/pantry storage. Take your own containers for the left over restaurant meal. Use reusable sandwich wraps e.g.‘Keep Leaf’ eco-friendly bags.

Use cloth nappies over disposable nappies

Shop in Bulk
Consider joining the BSFG Bulk Food Co-op. Keep your eye out for places with refill stations or bulk purchases.

Think about fashion choices
Do you really need another item of clothing? Consider clothes swapping with your friends and family. Check out the Op Shop.

Travelling?
Try to follow the practices you have at home. Carry a lightweight rolled-up reusable carry bag. Purify the tap water – choose to avoid the bottled water. My daughter recently travelled Sri Lanka, India and Nepal for 3 months and used a ‘Steripen’ handheld water purifier....was fantastic, easy to use, saved heaps of dollars, and heaps of plastic bottle waste.

CHOOSE TO REFUSE
Check out the ABC’s “War on Waste”:
http://www.abc.net.au/ourfocus/waronwaste/
And the website for “Plastic Free July”:
http://www.plasticfreejuly.org/
Also recommended reading:
http://treadingmyownpath.com/2017/01/12/onlinezero-waste-plastic-free-stores/

Wendy Baker
BSFG Plastic Bag Action Group

Source BSFG's May Newsletter, 2017

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