The best way to improve environmental and sustainability outcomes is to reduce consumption. The Global Footprint Network has provided an Ecological Footprint Calculator which estimates how many plants would be needed to support your lifestyle.

Below are some activities and resources that can help you reduce your ecological footprint and live a more sustainable lifestyle, all while saving money! 

1. Turn off lights and appliances when not in use: appliances use about 25% of energy in Australian homes. Turn them off at the power point (appliances in “standby mode” can account up to 10% of your bill) and try to buy appliances that are more efficient (have a higher star rating). 
    
2. Switch to LED globes: these energy-saving globes can reduce up to 80% of lighting costs and can last 10 times longer than halogen globes. 
    
3. Shut and seal doors and curtains: draught-proofing rooms and sealing gaps can reduce energy bills by up to 25%. 
    
4. Increase roof insulation: effective insulation can reduce heating and cooling bills by up to 20%. 
    
5. Cold wash your clothes and hang clothes to dry: cold water washing using about 1/5 of the energy needed for warm washing cycles. 
    
6. Reduce energy consumption in the kitchen: 

• Fridge: 
  • Keep fridge between 4-5oc and the freezer between -18 oc and -15 oc 
  • Check the seals are tight 
• Cooking: 
  • Use the microwave when you can 
  • Allow frozen food to defrost over the course of a day 
  • Kip lids on pots 
  • Plan larger meals and freeze leftovers 
• Dishwasher: 
  • Only run when its full, on a green or economy cycle 

7. Control heating and cooling: During the winter months, heating can contribute over 30% of your bill. Only use heating or cooling in the rooms which are occupied. Stricter temperature controls can also reduce this impact: 
    

• Winter: 18-20oc. Every degree higher than 20 oc can increase your energy bill by 10%. 
• Summer: 26oc or above 
   

8. Go all electric: Victorian households can save nearly $2,000 in bills each year by moving away from gas. Installing solar electricity and solar hot water reduces these costs even further. You can find out more online.

You can also save on your bills by comparing energy providers through the state government’s Energy Compare website. 

To find out where you could improve your household energy use, reducing bills and your impact on the environment, you can obtain a Home Energy Rating as part of the Nationwide House Energy Rating Scheme.

There are rebates available to Victorian households and businesses to improve energy efficiency through the Victorian Energy Upgrades program. To find out more, visit Energy Victoria's website. There are also rebates and interest-free loans available specifically for the installation of solar panels and solar hot water systems. You can find more information online.

Australian households throw away twice as much food as we think. An average household throws away the equivalent to 1 in every 5 bags of groceries, which costs on around $2,600 a year. Not only is this waste expensive, but it also wastes the energy and resources used to grow, process and package food. Food which breaks down in landfill is also a contributor to greenhouse gases: roughly 3.5% of emissions which are produced by Australia annually.  

There are many ways you can reduce the impacts of your food waste: 

• Grow your own food: aside from increasing your food security, reducing food waste and grocery bills, growing your own food has many benefits: 
   
  • Health and wellbeing: being outside and tending your garden is fantastic for your mindfulness, while providing a source of vitamin D and an opportunity for exercise. You will also have an increase in more nutritious, locally grown, unprocessed vegetables and fruits to add to your diet! 
     
  • Great for the environment: growing organic food without the pesticides and herbicides used in large scale farming promotes soil and environmental health. Getting food from your backyard also removes the processing, packaging and transport that is needed to buy food.  

You can find out more about what, and how you can grow your own food online.

• Plan your meals ahead: plan your meals based on what needs to be used up and buy only what is needed. OzHarvest has a catalogue of “Use It Up Recipes” to help reduce food waste.
   
• Fridge and freeze it: extend the life of your food by refrigeration and freezing appropriately- you can find tips and tricks from Sustainability Victoria. When you freeze meals remember to rotate based on date, don’t overpack to ensure air can circulate, and use air-tight containers to prevent freezer burn.  
   
• Share food rather than bin it: where possible, look at donating or sharing your excess food. Business can share discounted food for sale to residents at Too Good To Go.

You can find out more about how to reduce your food waste, and calculate your food waste at the Great Unwaste.

Across Victoria, water storage has gone down 17% between 2025 and 2026, while the population continues to grow. As the climate continues to change, it is important to protect our water resources and minimise waste as much as possible. 

There are many ways you can save water at home: 

1. Check for leaks: leaky taps, pipes or hoses can waste over 2,000 litres of water each month. 
    
2. Limit your shower: on average 31% of household water is used in the shower. Try limiting your shower to 3 or 4 minutes.
    
3. Turn off taps: taps left running can waste up to 17 litres a minute. Turn the tap off when brushing your teeth, washing food or cleaning. 
    
4. Run full loads: only run the washing machine and dishwasher when they are full. 
    
5. Use water-efficient tapware and appliances: These products can massively reduce your water use: for example, a water-efficient showerhead uses about half the water that an older showerhead uses, and a dual-flush toilet use up to 60% less water than a single flush toilet. Look for products which have the Smart Drop Certification and check the water efficiency rating. 
    
6. Water conscious gardening: you can reduce how much water is needed to maintain your garden by: 
    

• Use drought tolerant plants: many native plants require significantly less water than non-natives. To find which plants are drought tolerant and require minimal watering, visit Council's website. 
   
• Mulch: organic mulch and compost help to retain soil moisture by reducing evaporation by up to 70%. 
   
• Re-use water: water your plants with rain water collected in tanks, or recycled water using a grey water system. 
   
• Irrigation systems: below ground, drip irrigation water systems are more efficient at getting water to plant roots where they are needed. Only water between 6pm and 10am. 

You can calculate your water use for your home and garden from the Smart Water Mark.

You can also find more information about ways to save water from Make Every Drop Count.

To minimise your waste production at home, remember the 5 Rs: 

1. Refuse: if the product isn’t really needed, and/ or causes harm to people or the environment (in production, use, or disposal), then avoid it. 
    
2. Reduce: cut back on your consumption and purchasing, as well as what you throw away. Avoid products which are single-use or have excessive packaging.  
    
3. Repair: many products these days are not built to last. If you can acquire good quality products and learn how to repair (or invest in getting things repaired) you will be saving money in the long run! 
    
4. Reuse/ repurpose: see if there is another use for a product at the end of its intended life. Or, if you have no use for it, consider selling, donating, or sharing instead of disposing. Look second hand if you need to buy a product, at Op Shops, Buy/ Swap and Sell sites, or marketplaces. FreeCycle is another organisation where you can give away and collect free products locally.
    
5. Recycle: If you can’t apply any of the above R’s to a product, make sure it is disposed of correctly. Council oversees a number of diverse waste management streams to make sure the most is gotten out of materials. You can find out more on the Waste and Recycling page of the Council website. 

You can find a range of resources about minimising your waste impacts at home from Sustainability Victoria, and Zero Waste Home.