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Solar Saver in anyone's language!
Solar Saver in anyone’s language! We want everyone in Darebin to hear about the Solar Saver program. Can you help us reach out to your community? We can:
• Visit your group to provide advice about solar (with an interpreter if requested)
• Provide fact sheets in languages other than English
• Conduct a question and answer session with members
• Distribute our Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
• Help your members register for the program
• Provide refreshments for the information session
The Solar Saver program is open to all Darebin households, with priority given to pensioners and low income households. Please contact us if you would like more information or you would like us to visit your group. For more information ring 8470 8389, email solar@darebin.vic.gov.au, or visit www.darebin.vic.gov.au/solar.
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Ditch the Plastic this Plastic Free July
Did you know that half of all plastic produced is designed to be used only once – and then thrown away?
Join Darebin Council and thousands of others in saying NO to single-use plastic by taking the Plastic Free July challenge. You can help us beat plastic pollution by eliminating one or two single-use plastic items, or by going plastic free for the whole month! Make the commitment to refuse “the big 4 take away items” – coffee cups, bags, bottles and straws. The Plastic Free July website is full of great ideas for actions you can take, tips for alternatives, information and encouragement. You can register online.
Here at Darebin, we’ve been working hard to realise our commitment of eliminating single-use plastic at Council run events and events on Council land. If you’ve attended a Darebin event recently, like the Community Kite Festival or Homemade Food and Wine Festival, you may have noticed no single-use plastic! Bottled water was replaced with water refill stations and the community was encouraged to BYO bottle, bag and cup to the event – with great take-up by everyone! You can read more about our single-use plastic elimination commitments at www.darebin.vic.gov.au/plasticfree.
Get on board this July – take the challenge and beat plastic pollution with us! Make sure to follow Darebin on social media, we’ll be posting each week in July with tips and encouragement to refuse single-use plastic from our daily lives. And remember, if you can’t reuse it, refuse it!
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Darebin Resource Recovery Centre
Ever wondered what to do with your unwanted household items? The Darebin resource recovery centre accepts a range of items for reuse and recycle year round. Items such as batteries, light bulbs, scrap metal, paint, computers and TVs can all be recycled for FREE! You can also drop off excess recycling that doesn’t fit in your household bin, like cardboard and bottles. The centre also accepts other waste for a fee.
While you're there make sure to check out the Outlook Market. You can donate your good condition furniture, toys, tools, clothes and much more. You never know, you might find a great bargain while you're there!
For a full list of accepted items and opening hours, call 9462 3455 or visit www.darebin.vic.gov.au/resourcerecovery.
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Autumn Backyard Harvest Festival
The 2018 Homemade Food and Wine Festival was held from 26 May to 3 June and featured an amazing diversity of home food growing and preserving activities. The Backyard Harvest Festival was proud to present 4 workshops by passionate local food growers and makers.
They included Darebin home food gardener and permaculture designer Kat Lavers in conversation with cofounder of Permaculture and ‘Retrosuburbia’ author David Holmgren, exploring stories of our urban landscapes adapting to more resilient, cooperative and sustainable living, with a particular emphasis on the ecology of urban farming. A lucky group toured Kat’s garden ‘The Plummery’, a case study in ‘Retrosuburbia’ which demonstrates how a tiny 280m2 block can provide a small household with almost all the vegies, herbs, fruit and eggs they need.
Life Cykel cofounder Ryan Creed gave a fascinating talk on how gourmet mushrooms can be grown from waste coffee grounds, the health benefits of mushroom products as well as how they can be used to make ethical leather and biodegradable packaging materials!
Life Cykel produce their grow it at home mushroom kits at the site of the new Alphington Community Food Hub and weekly farmers market where the last event was held. Local Lynton Tapp (My Market Garden) gave a tour of the producers stalls where participants were impressed by the passion and love that goes into the quality seasonal local produce on offer. He also highlighted the challenges faced by producers exacerbated by climate change, such as irregular harvests, lower yields, and higher temperatures and humidity. The best way to recognise and value the effort and resources that go into the produce is to waste none of it, and Lynton provided creative ways to prevent food waste through shopping tips, storage and recipe ideas in a delicious cooking demonstration.
To find out more about the Alphington Community Food Hub, follow the updates on the website or Facebook.
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Fairfield Physiotherapy goes Green!
Christine Flanagan, from Fairfield Physiotherapy, was one of the first businesses to install LED lights through Darebin Council's Light$mart program and solar through our Darebin Business Bulk Buy program. Christine has also found other ways to reduce energy and waste in her business and was featured at our April 2018 Sustainability Matters Event. Watch this short video to see what they have been up to. Fairfield Phyisotherapy and Sports Injury Centre is listed as one of Darebin’s 174 Green Businesses. To find out which other businesses are on this list go to our Green Business Directory .
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