Find out about the City of Stirling sustainability programs and initiatives you can get involved in including TravelSmart, gardening workshops, and recycling. You can also access the sustainable living guide here.
Stirling's 2013 Gardening Workshops
Want to learn more about gardening in Perth? Stirling's is running a series of workshops in 2013 to help residents discover great gardening techniques. Unfortunately the scheduled workshops are fully booked but keep an eye on this site to register for the next group of sessions. To keep up with gardening workshops and other sustainability initiatives happening around the City register for the Sustainability and Environment Enewsletter.
Foodscaping Seminar
The foodscaping event will look at landscaping an edible garden that looks beautiful while providing delicious food. Learn about design and how to manage an edible garden.
Bushtucker Seminar
The bushtucker event focuses on native bush foods that thrive in the harsh Perth soils and climate. Learn how to design a garden that requires minimal maintenance - while providing you with some tucker! A guided bush walk will follow this session but numbers for the walk are limited. The walk is through Star Swamp Reserve, next to Henderson Environment Centre and will go for up to an hour, starting at 3 pm.
| Thursday 28 May |
Foodscaping Seminar: Creating edible gardens |
Dianella Community Centre, 18 Kerry Street, Dianella
6:30pm-8:30pm |
Event is Full! |
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| Sunday 16 June |
Bush Tucker Seminar
Bush walk to follow (limited capacity) |
Henderson Environment Centre, Groat Street, North Beach
2:00pm-3:00pm
Bush walk at 3:00pm through Star Swamp Reserve (Henderson Environment Centre) |
Event is Full! |
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Fun, entertaining and always booked out! Tell your friends, family and neighbours but remember registration is essential!
Light refreshments provided.
For more information call 9205 8555.
Generation Green - Cook Create Cultivate
Generation Green is an exciting program of themed workshops, activities and events to help you
re-think food, water, waste and energy. The City holds this event in spring-time each year.
In 2012 the program of events included:
Sustainable Living Guide
The City's online Sustainable Living Guide is packed with top tips and handy hints to live a healthier, greener and more community-minded life.
Reduce your power and energy use
Electricity generation and use contributes 33% of total greenhouse gas emissions and up to 20% of domestic emissions.
Simple changes you can make to save power are below:
- Change to solar or gas hot water and heating (save up to 30% on your bills!)
- Insulate your home
- Buy green electricity through Synergy's Natural Power
- Switch off appliances and lights when not required to reduce stand-by power drain (up to 10% over the year)
- Use low-energy light bulbs
- Buy only 4-or 5-star green energy rated appliances
- Use air conditioners only when necessary and keep cooling/heating setting for summer and winter at 21–23°C for most efficient use
- Offset electricity and gas emissions by being carbon neutral.
Reduce your waste production and recycle
Waste ends up in landfills that produce harmful methane gas, a major contributor to greenhouse gas emissions and global warming.
Reducing your waste production is easy. Just think about the things you buy and remember to refuse first, reuse second, recycle third!
Things you can do to reduce your waste:
- Use recycled paper products where possible (e.g. toilet paper, tissue, copy paper)
- Refill your old ink cartridges and buy new ones made from recycled plastics
- Listen to the news on TV or radio rather than buy newspapers or magazines
- Use a compost bin or worm farm for food scraps and organic wastes
- Do not purchase of bottled water
- Buy products in bulk using your old containers (cleaners, grains, nuts and cereals can all be bought in bulk)
- Recycle the plastic pots from garden plants you buy at nurseries
- Say no to plastic shopping bags, and remember to put the green ones in your car (make it a competition with the kids to put them back after you unload the shopping, or hang them on the handle of the front door).
Battery recycling
The School Battery Recycling Program competition aims to keep batteries out of landfill. Read more about it on our School battery recycling program page.
Electronic waste collections
Recycle your old computers and TVs instead of dumping it.
Balcatta recycling centre
The City of Stirling encourages residents to drop off of recyclables and reusable items, household hazardous waste, and general waste at the Balcatta recycling centre instead of dumping them.
TravelSmart
An average car produces 2 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions each year. Move your body—walk, cycle or take public transport to reduce the emissions generated from the car.
Activities could include:
- Catch the bus or train to work
- Walk the kids to school twice a week
- Limit the number of plane flights
- Offset your emissions by joining Carbon Neutral
- Walk to the shops and post office
- Carpool with fellow workers
- Plan your trips in the day
- Service your car and keep your tires correctly inflated.
Find out more about TravelSmart.
Housing and possessions
Energy used to make your housing and possessions accounts for over 20% of domestic emissions.
You can make you house more energy-efficient by:
- Living in a house occupied to capacity
- Use low-energy materials and passive solar design principles to build and insulate your home
- Only having possessions that you'll use often
- Hire, share or borrow rather than buy.
Find out about our Home energy assessment toolkits .
Save water
Water supply is a major issue for sustainability, as the climate dries and warms.
Visit the Water Corporation for information on the range of rebates available.
The City of Stirling encourages home owners to install greywater systems and will waive the $200 application fee for households that do so. To take advantage of this incentive, please contact us .
Other things you can do:
- Install dual flush toilet systems, grey water recycling systems and rainwater tanks
- Use AAA rated washing machines (rebates available)
- Repair leaks
- Do not water the garden more than necessary, even if you have a bore
- Use mulch and plant native plants in garden and on verge (visit the mulchnet website for more information)
- Install water-saving shower heads and keep showers short to save heating.
Local and fresh is best
Eat fresh foods and vegetables and only buy what you can eat.
The transportation distance to bring garlic from China and oranges from California all increase the production of global greenhouse gases. Besides do you want to eat a fruit that has been in storage since it was picked months ago across the globe? Buying your fruit and vegetables from local markets means less transport emissions, your food is fresher, and you are supporting your local growers.
More fertilizer, nutrient and fuel inputs are required to produce a tonne of meat or milk than to grow the same amount of grain, vegetables or fruit. Cattle and sheep also give off methane, which has 20 times the global warming effect of CO2.
You can also:
- Replace one meat meal a week with vegetables
- Support and participate in your local community gardens
- Buy organic whenever you can, even if only a few fruit and vegetables.
Find out more about gardening at home and our community food gardens .
Help our planet—plant a tree
Tree cover in urban areas plays an important role in ground level ozone production, and studies in US cities predict a decrease in surface temperatures of 1–2°C will occur when more trees are planted in an urban environment (estimates range from 10–40%).
These changes are due to the lessening of the urban “heat island” effect. Heat islands form as cities replace natural land cover with pavement, buildings, and other infrastructure.
In Los Angeles, scientists estimate that every degree above 21° is a 2% increase in the demand for cooling power.
The scientists estimated that about 1 to 1.5 gigawatts of power are used to compensate for the impact of the Los Angeles heat island. In sustainability terms this is an important urban environmental issue for all cities and one that can be addressed through the planting of trees.
Things you can do:
- Request the City of Stirling to plant a street tree on your verge
- Plant native plants and shrubs on your verge
- Plant native plants and trees in your front and back gardens
- Provide sources of water in your garden for native animals including birds and lizards
- Retain any trees in development and re-development of your property.
Find out about the City of Stirling’s Million trees initiative .
Your money has power—make a fair trade
The global trade of products, including coffee and chocolate, has the power to harm or improve local communities.
Fair trade is a growing international movement which ensures that producers in poor countries get a fair deal. This means:
- A fair price that covers the cost of production and guarantees a sustainable livelihood
- Long-term contracts which provide income security
- Support knowledge and skills needed to develop local businesses and increase sales.
Sound too hard to do your bit and help?
It’s easy! Next time you are at the shops, including major supermarkets, look out for fair trade branded items including:
- Coffee from a range of countries including Brazil, Kenya and East Timor
- Chocolate from across the globe
- Shoes, clothing, homeware like cushions, crockery, decorations and more.
Go on a detox
There are many harmful chemicals around your home everyday posing a risk to your health. Have a look around: under your kitchen sink, in the laundry, even in the bathroom. Many of the common household cleaners contain toxic chemicals which can create health issues and affect indoor air quality.
For a home that is clean, healthy and environmentally-friendly try these tips:
- Throw out any bleach and toxic cleaners.
- Buy 2 simple items—white vinegar and bicarbonate soda. With these items you can clean anything! Simply mix into a paste, apply to the surface and rub. Shower screens will sparkle, ovens will never look the same (and no more holding your breath while you clean) and kitchen benches shine.
- Add a little eucalyptus oil for freshness.
Give something for free—your time
Would you like to improve your local community? Don't know where to start? Think about volunteering!
Volunteering is an opportunity to make an impact on your area, meet new people, gain new skills and enhance the social sustainability of your community.
There are many formal and informal organisations and groups in our community that provide essential support services. Activities range from local bushland care (with weeding, fencing and planting days) to Meals-on-Wheels, Adopt-a-Park and Volunteer Graffiti Control.
With so many options out there, all you need to do is decide when you are available!
Find out more about volunteering.
Interesting websites
UN Sustainable Development
The United Nations Division for Sustainable Development published its Agenda 21 plan, which was adopted by more than 178 Governments at the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) held in Rio de Janerio, Brazil, 3 to 14 June 1992.
Department of Climate Change and Energy Efficiency
This Federal Department of Climate Change and Energy Efficiency is responsible for driving Australia’s efforts in creating a more sustainable living environment.
Earth Charter
The Earth Charter Initiative is an extraordinarily diverse, global network of people, organizations, and institutions that participate in promoting and implementing the values and principles of the Earth Charter.