Australian environmental advocate, Lottie Dalziel, knows how to practice living sustainably in order not only help the environment, but save money while she’s at it.
Dalziel, while promoting eco-friendly lifestyles, is quick to admit that many of the commonly marketed solutions to climate change, such as driving electric cars, or buying only expensive organic produce, are prohibitive to the average person. But these pages prove there are many more actions we can take to help our planet. This book is a treasure trove of ideas.
Although I am an enthusiastic advocate for composting, and when I remember, I use my reusable coffee cup, I obviously need to have much more consideration for our planet. As Dalziel states, we have access to almost anything at the click of a button in turn creating mindless overconsumption.
Step one of your sustainable journey is to make a plan, and the easiest plan is with your food purchases. Check your pantry, fridge and freezer to see what you’ve got and plan meals around those ingredients. Don’t go shopping when you’re hungry or it will be an expensive and overindulgent shop. I enjoyed the frequent tips in this book, such as the recipe for oat milk, or to hang my bunches of herbs upside down to dry if I’ve had surplus and they’ve wilted. Keep all the crusts from your bread, dry them out and blitz them into breadcrumbs to freeze or store in jars.
The author also gives us a rundown on the ‘mighty four’ products that will cover all household cleaning situations, starting with eleven ways to use a lemon, twenty ways to used baking soda, ten ways to use vinegar and eighteen ways to use castile soap.
Another chapter of interest was on plastics. I was horrified to learn of the foods including, mussels and crustaceans, fish, salt, honey and bottled water that all contain microplastics. Humans are consuming microplastics at an alarming rate due to the prolific use of plastics. Dalziel suggests ways to cut out the hidden plastics and how to rethink our ‘rubbish.’
Dalziel says we should keep a ‘single-use quitter kit’ in our cars or at the office which contains a keep cup, recyclable straws, shopping bags and containers for take away foods. Collect your daily muffin, sushi fix or your Subway in a clean container you keep at work for this purpose—a small step to help Mother Earth.
This book covers everything, from cleaning and travel to working, shopping and relationships. I particularly loved the section that included conversation tools—ways to introduce and encourage others to embrace this way of life and boost their savings. A five-star read for me.
Reviewer: Carole Brungar
Murdoch Books