Hello, fellow eco-warriors! 🌿We made it through our first year of becoming more sustainable, so Mid Green Family have our top 5 most impactful changes that are cheap and easy to do, to share with those just starting out🌟.
1. Reduce your beef intake.
2. Compost.
3. Buy less clothes.
4. Slow travel.
5. Talking about climate.
We're still holding to our ultimate goal - of hitting net-zero by 2030 - by making small and big changes to the way we live, that we can hold to and build on, over time.
But first, a quick reminder: Adding our voices, our time and our resources to advocate, educate or act for change (collective action👯) can be one of the most immensely impactful ways to fight the climate crisis. For me, collective AND individual actions still matter, especially in high-income nations like Australia, where the combined impact of our individual choices are baked into our National climate plans. Our individual actions also help us flex our "trade-off" muscles, where we weigh decisions, actions, and consequences— and can extend that muscle to our work and activism too. Every step on this journey counts!
Top 5 sustainable actions for families just starting out
Choosing just 5 actions was a little hard so I nutted out a few criteria to guide me -
high impact (bang for buck emissions reduction or better environmental outcomes)
relatively inexpensive to swap / transition
comparable time commitment for already busy families
kids can get behind it too
1. Reduce your beef intake.
Why prioritise cutting beef from your diet, especially if you're dealing with 'steak-loving' family members? Beef has the highest environmental impact of any food (check out why here), due to its disproportionately high per kg methane emissions and land use. Making the switch is easier than you think. Begin with minced beef dishes - try substituting pork or chicken mince, a change that's often more palatable initially. If there's resistance, mix half beef with half pork mince, or use red lentils (protein, fibre, iron👍) to bulk up the dish without altering taste or texture significantly.
For homemade burgers, experiment with alternatives like haloumi, chicken, or plant-based options. These can be surprisingly well-received, even if traditional lentil burgers aren't a hit (my kids still hate lentil burgers).
Lastly, for the die-hard steak fans, explore alternatives like salmon, marinated chicken, or lamb steaks. There are many flavorful options that can make this transition smoother and more enjoyable.
Incremental cost: Nil to $ some savings
Time to transition: Two to three months to fully get off beef (for us)
2. Compost.
Diving into composting is like starting a mini eco-revolution in your backyard. It’s not just about chucking leftovers into a pile; it's a meaningful step towards cutting down landfill waste and its methane emissions. Plus, it's a fantastic way to enrich your garden naturally (and for free!). It’s pretty easy to get going – just pick a spot for your compost bin, and start layering those kitchen scraps with garden or paper waste. The trick is in the balance: equal parts green and brown, and a bit of stirring to keep things lively. This is also how I dispose of secure documents, brown paper bags, paper towel (we're trying to cut this out) and other paper or cardboard packaging waste, torn into strips and chucked in.
It doesn't have to be a fancy setup - we literally started with two old 20L plastic tubs with lids, and holes drilled into the bottom for drainage, before eventually upgrading to our worm buffet🪱🥬. It took a couple of weeks to get used to the habit, and has stuck ever since.
Getting the kids involved turns it into a fun family activity. They can be the ‘compost detectives’, keeping an eye on what goes in – apple cores, yes; plastic fruit stickers, no! They'll be amazed seeing everyday scraps transform into rich soil. And sure, you might have to deal with an insect or two, but that’s all part of the compost’s charm. To laugh at my past misadventures read here). I can't beleive we ever used to throw out our food scraps
In essence, composting is a simple yet impactful way to contribute to a greener planet, and it's a journey filled with little surprises and learning moments. For more insights, check out Waste Not Want Not - Food Waste on the Journey to NetZero.
Incremental cost: $0 to $230 (from bury your compost, $10 for a painters bucket or a couple of hundred for something fancy. The worm buffet was $39)
Time to transition: A couple of weeks to get the habit, then refinement over time
3. Buy less clothes.
This is a great goal to get you away from the habit of buying things you don't need (but love😉). Shifting away from buying new fashion is a powerful step towards sustainability. The fashion industry, with its hefty environmental footprint, demands a rethinking of our shopping habits. It's not just about the clothes; it's about the excessive water, carbon emissions, and waste that come with every new garment (check out why here).
Embracing pre-loved clothes and thrift shopping is an impactful choice. It’s about cherishing the unique and extending the life of existing garments. Capsule wardrobes with high-quality, versatile pieces can help (that's not me - my style's a little eclectic!). It's also about being creative – swapping with friends, renting for special occasions, or upcycling old pieces. These choices, while seemingly small, collectively make a significant difference. They represent a shift from fast fashion to mindful, sustainable fashion practices that respect our planet.
We've made use of our Buy Nothing local facebook groups, bundling up kid's clothes by size, borrowed clothing for special events, enjoyed pre-loved markets and op shopping together and had some real finds. Especially helpful in Tasmania when we didn't have enough warm gear with us and some new to us scarves and jumpers from the Huon Valley op shop went down a treat! Once in the habit, I actually found this an easy choice to make. Note: I don't count underwear and socks in my clothing goal - still buy new form the shops.
Incremental cost: $$ savings - op shopping is much cheaper!
Time to transition: I only felt the urge when I had a fancy even to buy something new
4. Slow travel.
One of my absolute fave things we did last year was triggered from trying to avoid driving by bringing in slower forms of travel - by foot, bike and the odd train - into our weekends.
Switching from four wheels to two feet or bike pedals can be a blast, especially when you're rolling with the whole squad. We had many mini-adventures, with plenty of enthusiasm for the wind in our hair and the sun on our faces.
Incorporating these eco-friendly transport options wasn't just about reducing emissions; it was about creating memories. The kids became champions of the footpath and cycleways, we built stamina for going further distances and up bigger hills, we spotted wildlife and practiced naming native plants or counting how many birds we could hear. Sure, we still use the car (and yes, it's now electric), but now we know the joy and impact of choosing to walk, cycle, or train it. For more tales from our sustainable transport journey, check out the July 2023 Progress on MidGreen Family.
This remains largely a weekend goal for us, with school commutes still by car due to kids' ages. Still, we're not too far off this now which will take us closer again to net zero.
Incremental cost: $$ savings
Time to transition: Immediate. We continue to enjoy our Sunday rides and walking around the neighborhood, a quick transition aided by a few bribes for milkshakes and cinnamon buns initially!
5. Talking about climate.
Ok if you're going to get the whole fam starting to make changes in what you eat, how you shop, how you conserve your resources in the home (water, electricity, gas), reduce waste, change your transport habits and all the other great positive changes you can make for the environment, then everyone needs to know why. The whole family should be able to discuss and understand the science and what changes for the household are more impactful than others, and all members should get a say on what they're prepared to sign up for.
My kids actively choose not to eat beef now and will ask if something contains it. We talked a lot about why this one change could be important and looked at the powerful visuals to explain the big impact of this one food. They know how to spot palm oil in the ingredients list, and which chocolate and lolly brands are better (environmental impact-wise) than others from interpreting symbols on the packets. They know what goes in the recycling bin, and the compost bin. And if they're not sure, they ask.
Sure, they still want things (mainly bubble tea), to play at Archie Brothers and collect unsustainable crappy prizes, eat things with packaging, but they have come a long, long way. I was flabbergasted the first time my 9-year-old asked me for haloumi, avocado and spinach in a roll for his school lunch. Floored!
This transformation comes from keeping the conversation simple, fostering curiosity, and spending time in nature. If you’re looking for resources to help guide these discussions in your family, there are many available online that can provide a great starting point:
For grown-ups, read or listen to the fabulous How to Talk About Climate Change book by Rebecca Huntley. If there are very diverse views in the household, this is one that may take time.
Luckily for me Mr 9 and Miss 11 still readily trust in my guidance and knowledge, and I leave room for their own learning to play a part and add to our joint family view. This is why giving up glitter was our first ever sustainability goal - Miss 11's learning on microplastics at school guided the first step we could make to improving our environmental impact as a family.
Incremental cost: your patience
Time to transition: Unknown
The wrap!
Next post I'll be sharing some of the goals we outperformed on (and didn't) so we can get into the numbers. If you've got some other high impact, low cost ideas for sustainable urban families, hit me up.
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