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Week 3: Storing food for freshness Bananas and bread are two of the top wasted foods in Australia, but this can easily be avoided using these handy storage tips.

Join Amy and Mickey from Little Acre Gourmet Mushrooms for a fun discussion on: What is a mushroom? Mushroom life cycle What role fungi play in the eco-system What types of mushrooms we can grow at home Best way to cook mushrooms About your host Urban farmers Amy and Mickey Pascoe, founders of Little Acre Gourmet Mushrooms, are on a mission to educate people about the fascinating world of fungi.

beginning on 21 September, as well as a program of free online events on 17th October. You can view our full program on our website now.

After registering, you’ll receive an email with a list of ingredients for the event if you’d like to cook with us. If you prefer to watch and not cook, that’s fine also.

When: June 19th, 2021, 2pm-5pm (AEST) Where: Online (Zoom link provided upon booking) Sponsored by: Queensland Chapter of the Australian Institute of Architects (AIA)

“…and this is all the plastic shit I found in my house” Image: Plastic Planet Documentary (2009) We brush our teeth with it, eat and drink from it and even wear it: from the moment we wake up until we go to bed, plastic is all around us.

Have you ever wondered where your clothes were made? Or who might have made them? Sometimes it’s hard to picture the kind of conditions our clothes were made in when they’re presented as pretty items in store and online, but unfortunately the fashion industry has an ugly side.

It can also be challenging to figure out which items can be recycled. A recent WWF study found that of 82 common packaged products, only 20% were recyclable at home.

Concerned about the disastrous effects a “throwaway society” has on the environment and humanity, they built a “second-hand house”, where all materials and furnishings were recycled, from the biggest of walls to the smallest of light fittings.

Love your Leftovers Veggies = Frittata Bundle those leftover roasted veggies into a frittata by adding some eggs and cream. Use up all those leftover herbs and add a couple of tasty items such as capers or anchovies, olive oil and lemon juice to make a sparkling salsa verde to add zing to your frittata.

Christmas decorations can be as easy as stapling pretty-coloured paper into chains. This is a great activity to do with your family and stored properly, will last for years.

Martin and Kim encourage us to break out the old family favourite tableware or buy some bling from the local op shop. This is an opportunity to let your kids’ creativity shine in front of the whole family.

The most wonderful time of the year is also the time of the greatest waste. Food goes uneaten, wrapping goes to landfill, unwanted gifts end up at charity.

The three day program will focus on the opportunities for the Cleantech industry as an instigator of innovation, economic development, creative collaborations and inclusive prosperity.

Attendees have the opportunity to meet with 2 architects who are experts in environmentally sustainable design, for 20 minutes each on Monday 5 October between 3-5:30pm .

Moving to the Sunshine Coast several years ago, Helen wanted her family to experience the same connection to food that she did growing up, so they bought acreage where the family could grow their own produce.

Join the local fermenting legend Elisabeth Fekonia, accredited permaculture teacher from Permaculture Realfood, Friday 24 July, 10am to learn how to make fermented sourdough. Be sure to schedule it in the diary and pre-prep your ingredients.

After reading Bea Johnson’s book Zero Waste Home Amy was determined to reduce the amount of landfill her family generated with a focus on plastic use.

Now, how to line a garbage bin at home has become a hot topic of conversation…and a source of confusion. Sure, you could use the fifteen cent heavy-duty bags from the supermarket but that would defeat the purpose of trying to reduce single-use plastics.

We recommend starting in the kitchen as it’s generally the place where our plastic-using habits are most prolific. It’s also where most plastic is brought in from outside the home.

There’s nothing like the smell of freshly baked sourdough bread…the irresistible, comforting aroma that that evokes a sense of the simple life. With many of us having extra time at home time on our hands, due to Covid-19, more people have been discovering the soothing ritual of sourdough breadmaking.

Living Smart hosted a series of workshops for Plastic Free July, designed to cut through the information overload and make waste and plastic reduction achievable for everyone.

Recent discoveries indicate First Nations Australians were turning seeds into flour for breadmaking over 36,000 years ago. The origins of leavened bread (using a raising agent) are uncertain but it is thought that sourdough, one of the oldest forms of leavened bread, dates back to the Middle East around 8000 BC!

Repairs and repurposing Identify what needs to be done and determine if you can do it yourself (or if it is a job for the professionals - like electrical or plumbing work).

If you’ve been following Robyn’s hilarious Facebook live “Random shit in my house” videos during lockdown, you’ll know she has a keen interest in the wild and weird things that people have in their homes.

ARISING from Disruption is a series of interviews with thoughtful, creative and entrepreneurial people stepping up and talking about how they are coping, adapting and thriving despite the uncertainty of what lies ahead.

The fashion industry is responsible for up to 10 per cent of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions. Watch this video for three ways you can reduce your fashion footprint and still dress to impress.

With the outbreak of the serious virus COVID-19, known as coronavirus, we are naturally concerned about whether natural hand sanitisers will be as effective as synthetic chemicals.

Multigenerational housing has the potential to offer creative solutions to some of the social and environmental challenges of our time. A panel of experienced and emerging architects, along with community members with lived experience discussed the role multigenerational housing could play in shaping our communities of the future at the recent Sunshine Coast Open House forum held at the Innovation Centre.

How are your New Year’s Resolutions tracking? Hands up if you set a New Years Resolution for 2019? Keep your hand up if you’ve already lost momentum or you realise it’s quickly taken a back seat?

Many of these items contain toxic chemicals that can reduce indoor air quality and negatively affect our wellbeing. When it comes to selecting furniture and furnishings, understanding the nasties that can be used in the manufacturing process and being aware of the eco-friendly options available can help ensure you select greener, non-toxic products for your home.

Succulent plants are everywhere right now. You’ll find these quirky, fun splashes of greenery adorning tables in cafe’s and bringing colour to interior and exterior spaces.

There are loads of places across the coast where you can self-serve bulk foods, bringing your own reusable containers or using paper bags or reusable glass containers supplied.

Moving house can be an exciting and stressful time. There’s so much to think about and organise. It’s also an excellent opportunity to ditch excess stuff that you have accumulated and no longer need or use.

The single-use plastic bag ban is here and it’s now illegal for retailers in Queensland to supply customers with singlet-style plastic bags for purchases.

Composting creates nutrient-rich soil conditioner that provides nutrition for plants, flowers and vegetables and is a fascinating way for kids to learn about the life cycle of plants, soils and different types of waste.

In fact, a sustainable home may not cost you any extra if you design features in right from the start - and it may even cost you less by making some clever design decisions and reducing excess space.

A survey conducted by Social Marketing @ Griffith University for Redland City Council, aimed to explore the food-related habits of residents, inviting participants to audit their fridges and list the foods they most often throw out.

The 12 DOs of Christmas are twelve simple positive actions that everyone can use to help fight the festive war on waste. From green gifts, food and tech waste tips to sustainable summer holiday renovations and decluttering we’ve got it covered!

OzHarvest groups across the country are waging their own “war on waste” by rescuing surplus fresh food that would otherwise end up in landfill and getting it into the hands of needy families.

Using kerbside recycling bins to recycle household items reduces the amount of waste that goes into landfill. However, contamination of the recycling remains one of the biggest challenges for Council kerbside collection programs.

The inspiration to bring about change can come from unusual places. For Helen Andrew, a surplus of mandarins that no one else wanted was the motivation for starting an online community aimed at creating connection and reducing waste.

The state-wide ban applies to all retailers including supermarkets, take away food outlets, restaurants, pharmacies, butchers and convenience stores. The ban covers singlet style plastic bags less than 35 microns thick including compostable, degradable and biodegradable bags.