Picking up the pieces

This week (4th-10th August) is Keep Australia Beautiful Week, with the theme ‘Picking up the Pieces … It Starts with Us’, and a focus on preventing litter and preserving the environment.

Whether we’re enjoying a picnic at the park, a day at the beach, or a hike through Australia’s bushlands, we are being reminded to do it without leaving a trace - always take any waste home, even organic waste, and especially dog’s waste.

Here are some other ways you might help out around the neighbourhood:

- Take up the ‘10min Pick Up Pieces Challenge’. Set aside 10 minutes of your week to pick up litter in the local park, schoolyard, beach or bushland — and help protect the habitats and food sources of Australia’s beloved marine and wildlife. If you want to share it on socials, use the tags #KABWeek2025 #10minPickUpPiecesChallenge #10minPickUpPieces #KeepAustraliaBeautiful;
- Join a Landcare Volunteer Group as part of LANDCARE WEEK and assist with regenerating your local area;
- Find out about ADOPT-A-PATCH, an all-year-round corporate volunteer program to get your team onboard and keep a local area clean.

Keep Australia Beautiful also offers these tips to help us all stay green, both at home and on the go:

- Avoid single-use plastic and choose products with minimal packaging.

- Use the Container Deposit Scheme (CDS). All States and Territories around Australia, except Tasmania, now have the CDS scheme in operation, where eligible drink containers can be exchanged for a 10c cent refund.

- Support Sustainable Brands. Look for products with sustainable certifications like Fair Trade, Rainforest alliance or a high energy rating. Keep an eye out for products and produce made locally, as they often have a lower carbon footprint due to reduced transportation needs.

- Buy in bulk. Items packaged in bulk require less packaging than individual purchases therefore create less waste.

- Prioritize Quality. Durable products last longer and have less need for frequent replacement. Even if a quality product appears more expensive at the outset, in the long run you are likely to save money as you won’t have to replace the item so often.

- Buy only what you need. Be mindful about what you’re purchasing and only buy what you truly need to avoid creating unnecessary waste.

- Buy second-hand items, rent or borrow. Buying second-hand items extends the lifecycle of clothing and goods, helping to reduce the demand for new products and keep items out of landfill. If you think you might only need an item once, consider renting or borrowing it to have the same effects of reducing demand and waste.

- Choose digital alternatives. Opt for digital receipts instead of printed ones. Take photos of any information you need like maps or event details instead of taking printed materials like pamphlets and flyers.