Sustainable households
Households are responsible for a significant proportion of the resources we consume each year in NSW. As a result, the decisions we make about sustainability in the home can make a real difference to our environmental impacts around the state.
- Australians are among the highest water users in the world. Household water use accounts for 70% of Sydney's total water consumption. Nationwide, households are the second largest user of mains water after agriculture.
- The average home today contains more chemicals than were found in a typical chemistry lab a century ago and more than 300 manufactured chemicals have been found in human bodies.
- Australians are the second highest waste producers in the world. We throw away 3.3 million tonnes of food a year - the equivalent of a quarter of the nations food supply.
- The average Australian household also spends $1500 on energy bills each year. 90% of that energy comes from fossil fuels such as coal, which creates greenhouse gas pollution and causes global warming and climate change.
DECC supports individuals and households in NSW to adopt more sustainable living practices through its education programs, information resources and awareness campaigns.
Find out more about the following household sustainability topics
- Reduce the negative impacts from gardening through awareness of run-off, compost, water-wise techniques and possible invasive weeds in your garden.
- How to cut down domestic water use.
- Tips for a more energy efficient home that will save money and minimise greenhouse gasses.
- Households are already recycling nearly 46% of their waste in some NSW council areas, but there's a lot more we can do.
- Natural cleaning or 'green cleaning' is a way to clean your home while producing less waste and reducing the need for harmful chemicals.
- By making some simple changes in the way you buy and use chemicals at home, you can reduce negative environmental impact.
- How to make green choices when making one of your biggest investments - buying your home.
- Renovating your home? Find out how to save money while making your home more comfortable and environmentally friendly.
Household sustainability in the 2006 State of the environment report: Community attitudes and actions
Page last updated: 26 June 2008