Clean Living in the Tropics - April
Clean living is being mindful of what you put in your body, mindful of keeping a healthy home and work environment, and mindful of your environmental footprint.
By Lina Paselli
This year I’m feeling very organised having prepared my waste-free, Indigenous-crafted basket to keep at home, ready to take whenever I go out and about. It contains all the essentials to reduce waste – reusable coffee cup, stainless steel water bottle, veggie shopping bag, green container and a set of reusable spoon, fork and knife.
Not only am I satisfied in knowing I have lowered my carbon footprint and that the planet will love me back for it, but I also receive a discount from some of my favourite stallholders at the markets and cafes around town – win, win!
Waste Free NT has been working hard during the Wet season at Parap Village Markets, educating our community on reusable products to use when out and about.
These include glass jars of all shapes and sizes for ‘bulk’ buys of nuts, flours and fruit; upcycled pieces of cloths that are colourful and fun to use – perfect for wrapping gifts in an unusual and attractive way; stainless steel, glass or bamboo straws which are not only stylish and fun to use, but also create a talking point around plastic straw usage too – all while reducing your own plastic waste.
The options are endless, just tap into your creativity and get the kids involved – they have some great ideas to share from school.
Together we can change our habits by thinking ahead and being more mindful of the choices we make every day. In turn that can have a long-term impact on our environment.
For a real eye opener about the extent of plastic waste in our oceans, watch the documentary A Plastic Ocean. It starts as one man’s search for a blue whale and ends up revealing how marine animals are living in an estimated five trillion pieces of plastic rubbish.
Lina Paselli is the joint owner of Clean Living in the Tropics, an online publisher dedicated to championing clean living individuals and businesses in the Top End. Lina is also the co-founder and General Manager of award-winning Malak Marketplace, Darwin’s premier organic, sustainable farmers’ market and eco-tourist destination. She also owns Paleo in the Tropics.
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