A snap-shot of our progress to date
Indoors:
Out and about:
Future projects and works in progress:
I'll be adding an album to the photo gallery when I get a chance too.
- LED lights
- Recycled cellulose ceiling insulation (R6)
- Reused, reclaimed, preloved and recycled furniture
- Behaviours - turning things off
- Energy meter - knowing what our appliances use
- HRV ventillation system - heats and cools using the air from the roofspace
- Draft sealing around doors and windows
- No electric blankets or heaters at night - dogs under dooners instead!!
- Curtains and blinds
- Draft stopper on shower fan
- Buckets in shower and other grey water collection
- 6 Star energy rated fridge
- Eco Kettle
- Palm oil free cleaning with only Clean Conscience, Enjo, water and home made products using essential oils
- Clothing racks instead of the drier
- Composting all food waste
- Solar Tube skylight
- And much more...
- 1.95 kW solar system
- Chooks
- Native, indigenous and edible gardens
- Limited lawn areas - never watered
- Mulching throughout
- Organic & heirloom vegetable production
- Fruit trees
- Kiwi Fruit, Passion Fruit and Grape Vines to shade northern parts of the house
- Composting (4 bins), bokashi (1 bin), worm farming (5 bins)
- Water gardens and swayles (soon to be featured on Melbourne Water's website)
- Restoring old furniture rescued from the tip
- Water saving from downpipes into buckets, drums and rain garden
- Natural pest control - chooks!
- Recycled plastic fences and posts
- Second hand building materials for chooktopia and other construction
- Reclaimed timber veggie beds
- Absolutely no bought herbicides, pesticides or fertilisers
- And much much more!
Out and about:
- Public transport where possible
- 5 star rated Toyota Yaris - even to tow a trailer!!
- Take own reusable coffee cups and drink bottles
- Bring recycling home with us
- Bring home left over food from eating out, for chooks and dogs
- And much much more!
Future projects and works in progress:
- Water tanks
- Pelmets (home made on a budget)
- Increasing PV system
- Solar hot water
- (somehow) reducing hubby's meat consumption
I'll be adding an album to the photo gallery when I get a chance too.
Our swale rain garden protecting our place from the deluge
Partnerships
We have partnered with the lovely Adele from Delight Inn Langwarrin, to recycle all food waste through our bokashi systems, chooks, and compost bins.
Other partnerships include:
Other partnerships include:
- No Frills Websites - our bread and butter
- Tree in One - hubby's garden care, bushland care and tree doctor business
Watch this space for...
- Information on the building of Chooktopia from reclaimed and recycled materials (This is also featured in Owner Builder Magazine December 2011)
- Our commitments and signatories (eg FluoroCycle, Waste Wise etc)
- Our environmental and purchasing policies
- Information on our waste generated including waste minimisation and recycling
- Product Stewardship
- and more...