6 tips for living a sustainable lifestyle in strata settings

Leading environmental scientist and award-winning conservationist Tim Jarvis AM shares some easy tips for living a sustainable lifestyle in strata settings

Now that climate change and its impact on everyday life is high on the global agenda, it’s only natural for everyday Aussies living in strata-title properties to wonder how to be part of the solution.

The truth is, there is so much each and every one of us can do to live a more sustainable lifestyle in strata settings. With this in mind, we got in touch with Tim Jarvis AM, to pick his brains on little things strata property owners and owners corporations can do to increase sustainability at home. Tim is a leading environmental scientist and award-winning conservationist, so he has plenty of experience and knowledge on this particular topic. Keep reading to learn about Tim’s tips for living a sustainable lifestyle in strata settings.Here are 6 tips for leading a more sustainable lifestyle in strata settings, as recommended by leading environmental scientist and award-winning conservationist Tim Jarvis AM:

1. Be more energy efficient
2. Avoid wasting water
3. Tweak your dietary habits
4. By less clothing and avoid fast fashion
5. Reduce your carbon footprint when travelling
6. Invest in environmentally conscious initiatives

1. Use less energy

There are so many easy ways to be more energy efficient around the home. In fact, this is probably one of the easiest ways to leave a sustainable lifestyle in strata settings.

A few easy things you could do to improve your strata property’s energy efficiency include:

• Turn off the lights in rooms that aren’t in use
• Switching to LED lights
• Setting your air conditioner temperature to 20-22 degrees calcium
• Switching to renewable energy sources such as solar power
• Prioritising energy efficiency when purchasing new appliances

You could also investigate improving your strata scheme’s energy efficiency by introducing LED lights to all common property hallways and other common areas such as gyms. Don’t forget; your owners corporation must vote on any changes to common property before they are actioned.

Avoid wasting water

Pumping, heating and treating our water takes up a lot of energy. That’s why it’s so important to reduce water consumption whenever possible to live a more sustainable lifestyle in strata settings. Not only will you be doing our dams and other water supplies a great favour by reducing water wasting, but you’ll also be reducing carbon pollution too.

You can reduce your water consumption quite easily by doing the following:

• Taking shorter showers
• Turning off your tap while brushing your teeth or shaving
• Making the switch to water-efficient appliances and fixtures.

Tweak your dietary habits

Research shows that reducing your meat intake can have a positive impact on the environment. A vegetarian diet will save a tonne of CO² emissions a year compared to an omnivorous diet, as cattle take up a lot of land and produce a lot of methane. While going vegetarian won’t be possible for everyone who wants to lead a more sustainable lifestyle in a strata setting, a simple act like cutting out meat just one day a week can positively impact the environment.

You could also consider buying locally produced food and drinks that haven’t travelled great distances to reach your plate. This reduced the environmental impact your food can have due to transportation.

Sadly, it has been revealed that Australians throw about 40% of the food we buy into landfill. Reducing food wastage at home is among the easiest and most effective ways to live a more sustainable lifestyle in a strata setting.

4. Buy less clothing, and avoid fast fashion

While fast fashion is popular due to its affordability, buying a new wardrobe each season and discarding it for the next season’s newly-released styles a few months later is terrible for the environment.

Did you know that it takes roughly 2600 litres of water to make a t-shirt? Also, rubbish in landfills produces large amounts of methane, which is a potent greenhouse gas that is 24 times worse than CO2.

Statistics show that Australians throw away 6 tonnes of clothes every 10 minutes to landfill. We can all play a part in changing this worrying statistic for the better by buying less clothing and choosing high-quality clothing that will stand the test of time when needing to purchase new garments. Buying pre-loved clothing is another way to lead a more sustainable lifestyle. Not only will you stop perfectly good clothing from ending up in landfill, you’ll also be reducing the demand for fast fashion items that are bad for the environment.

If you are among the growing number of people who would like to lead a more sustainable lifestyle in strata settings, you could also think twice before purchasing plastic items. If you use plastic, make sure you reuse the items before disposing of them.

Reduce your carbon footprint when travelling

Driving cars account for around a quarter of Australia’s energy usage. Not only do cars increase congestion, they are also responsible for emitting carbon monoxide, which plays a role in rising temperatures around the world.

Many of us who live in strata settings may find that public transport is highly accessible in our localities. If you would like to live a more sustainable lifestyle in strata settings, you could choose to take public transport, cycle, walk or car-pool when travelling around your city or local area.

When you do fly for work or holidays, consider paying a little extra for carbon offsets. While they only add 1-2% to the cost, they can do a whole lot of good for the environment.

Invest in environmentally conscious initiatives

Consider investing your money or superannuation in an ethical fund that doesn’t invest in environmentally damaging activities. Ethical funds are some of the top-performing funds these days as they invest in growth areas like technology and renewables, which means you can earn a better return on your investment while saving the planet too.Supporting sustainability, increasing building value, and opening doors to potential savings… that’s our passion when it comes to enhancing community living. Ask about our CommunityUtilities energy savings program or explore our various green initiatives through CommunityGreen and other related services. If you would like to learn more about improving sustainability in strata settings, you can browse our article library here.