Aussies Urged to Go Green for New Year Resolutions

Sydney, Australia, December 11, 2011 --(PR.com)-- HomeSource Managing Director Pia Vogel said that “the team at HomeSource wanted to remind people of some valuable advice especially relevant with the new carbon tax coming into force next year, which is expected to drive up energy and living costs.”

“Fortunately, making your house more eco-friendly doesn’t have to mean giving yourself too much hard work; nor having to spend thousands of dollars on new household equipment,” said Ms Vogel.

“Going green can be as simple as noticing things you usually overlook around the house that can save you money and would greatly help the environment if we all did them,” added Ms Vogel.

While eco-friendly tips are widely known among the general public, it could help to take note of some specific advice for the holiday season to avoid being too wasteful in the festive period.

1. Do not turn on the oven too far in advance
Unless baking bread or making other baked goods, you will usually not need to preheat the oven for very long in advance. When checking the progress of your Christmas turkey, remember to look through the window instead of opening the oven door – this will preserve the heat inside and save energy.

2. Creative wrapping
It’s easy to re-use gift boxes, bags or brightly colored paper from last year for this year’s presents. You can also use old cards, magazines, newspapers, or clothing fabric to make very original and unique wrapping materials. In addition to being helpful to the environment, you will impress your friends and family with your creativity.

3. Use highlighters when hosting guests
In the rush of talk and entertainment at a party it is easy to lose your plastic cup or plate; and you will have to get a new one. There is an easy solution: just leave a highlighter next to the plastic cups and plates and let the guests mark their own items with their names.

4. No plastic bags
Each year the world uses 500 billion plastic bags. They do not decompose and often end up in the oceans, subsequently killing marine life. If possible, try to use reusable bags made of either recycled or recyclable materials. Hand-made cloth grocery bags can be creative, cheap and a nice idea for presents.

5. Unplug your chargers
There is no need to leave your appliance chargers in the electrical socket when you are not charging anything. Many people don’t know that it is not enough to simply turn off the device (phone, laptop, etc.); but it is also necessary to pull it out of the socket, as electricity still being used in this case. In addition, always unplug Christmas lights when you don’t need them, such as during the daytime.

Please remember to share these tips you have read with your friends, and use them to reduce your waste in the holiday period. Even one person can make a big contribution, and if everyone follows this advice, then these small steps will amount to invaluable help to the environment.

For more tips visit their website.

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