Greencap Eco-News  |  Issue 6 |  April 2022

Refuse, Reduce, Reuse, Recycle

As part of Greencap's commitment to all things sustainable, we are pleased to send this regular communication where Greencap's own Eco-Sustainability Committee team members provide interesting facts, quick eco-tips, and recent environmental news.

This issue includes loads of interesting information on aluminium recycling and how to stay sustainable this Easter!

Did you know that aluminium is 100% recyclable? 

Production of aluminium is an energy intensive process, using finite natural resources and resulting in significant greenhouse gas emissions. To produce aluminium in Australia, mineral bauxite is mined from open-cut mines in Queensland and Western Australia and then transported to local refineries where it is converted into alumina, a fine white powder. The alumina is then smelted into pure aluminium and cast into large ingots or rolled into long sheets before its end use in a wide range of products from soft drink cans to cars and buildings.

Aluminium’s life cycle provides significant benefits through recycling, saving 95% of the energy it would take to make new aluminium metal.

It is estimated that each year Australians consume 450,000 tonnes of aluminium for building and construction, packaging, and transport, using over 3 billion aluminium cans annually (a staggering 350,000 aluminium cans are made every minute globally).
 

"In Australia only 56% of cans are currently returned for recycling, despite 94% of households having access to recycling facilities."

- www.act.gov/recycling

So, while nearly all Australia households have access to aluminium recycling there is certainly more we can all do!

To learn more on what household recycling options are available to you, please reach out to your local council or click on one of the links below.

Container Deposit Schemes by State / Territory

• ACT:  actcds.com.au/ 
• NSW:  returnandearn.org.au/
• NT:  returnandearn.org.au/
• QLD: containersforchange.com.au/
• SA:  epa.sa.gov.au/environmental_info/container_deposit
• TAS:  epa.tas.gov.au/policy/other-topics/resource-recovery/container-deposit-scheme
• VIC: vic.gov.au/container-deposit-scheme (by 2023)
• WA: der.wa.gov.au/our-work/programs/111-wa-container-deposit-scheme

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5 Helpful Tips for a Sustainable Easter

1. Recycle your Easter egg foil!
   Now we all know that aluminium (and that goes for aluminium foil too) is 100% recyclable, it's important to recycle it correctly, as if the foil pieces are too small or light they may get lost in the recycling process.
   
   Simply collect all the aluminium foil from your Easter egg wrappers and bunch them into a tight ball (about the size of your fist) prior to placing in your council recycling bin.
   
    
2. Ditch the plastic grass and decorations - go DIY!
    

   It may be a tradition in many Australian households but the extra packaging, plastic, confetti and other decorations used to dress up the simple chocolate eggs into a hamper can be a big source of Easter waste.
   
   On that note it's important to always remember 'the 4 Rs' - 
   Refuse, Reduce, Reuse, Recycle so as to make better use of the resources we already have (feeding them back into the resource loop), preventing unnecessary rubbish entering the environment and waste going to landfill.
    

3. Get crafty!
   If you still wish to present in a basket, why not make your own! You can create your own DIY Easter basket (for a fraction of the price) and reduce the rubbish that comes with store-bought alternatives. Whether it's weaving your own basket from old materials or swapping plastic grass for recycled alternatives, there are plenty of ways to cut down on your Easter footprint this year. The  homemade touch is sure to bring a smile to family and friends alike.
   
    
4. Think outside the box (or the egg)!
   You can swap foil wrapped choccy eggs for wooden eggs that can be reused year after year! It's a fun way to hide treasure for an Easter hunt and is a perfect alternative if you're trying to cut back on sugary treats.
   
   Likewise don't feel obligated to even do something around eggs. There are plenty of other great ideas that make for a perfect easter gift such as wild seed balls which are a wonderful gift for a gardener (and a great way to grow native plants for an eco-friendly splash of colour). Check out this step by step guide from ABC's Garden Australia to make your own seed balls from clay.
   
   Continuing on the gardening theme, if buying / gifting established plants it is worth  reading CSIRO's  great guide to choosing plants that will attract Australian Native Bees (who are under threat from introduced species and habitat loss) first.
   
    
5. Don't give pets as a present!
   This should go without saying but while baby bunnies and chickens might seem like a cute gift idea it's obviously best to avoid live pets as a present.
   
   Far too many of these animals end up dumped at shelters after the Easter period when they grow too big or don't fit into the post-holiday schedule. Some of these animals are even released into the wild where they can do a lot of damage to native flora and fauna.
   We suggest you stick to the ideas above and give the pets a miss this year.

While there is potentially still time to solve the climate crisis, choosing both a prosperous and sustainable future, restoring nature to build a healthy planet for our children and their children, time is short.

We need to invest in our planet now by acting (boldly), innovating (broadly), and implementing (equitably)  to preserve and protect our health, our families, our livelihoods.

"It’s going to take all of us. All in. Businesses, governments, and citizens — everyone accounted for, and everyone accountable.… Together, we must Invest In Our Planet."

- www.earthday.org/

Please visit www.greencap.com.au/sustainability to learn more