Articles

Wardrobe Decluttering Success Story

Wardrobe Decluttering Success Story

One of our eco-friends over in SA had ago at our wardrobe decluttering. Here's how Jenny went. I cleaned out all my clothes storage! I had got a dress on Buy Nothing and decided I had better practice what I preach and move some things on. I’ve been through the...

Care and Maintenance of Secateurs

Care and Maintenance of Secateurs

The most important aspect to consider is keeping your secateurs clean and lubricated. After every use they should be cleaned by dunking in a small jar of 100% methylated spirits for half an hour then wiping with a clean rag. This removes gum and also sterilises so...

Clothes/Textile Recycling –  A Last Resort

Clothes/Textile Recycling –  A Last Resort

Reuse is always better than recycle. If you haven’t already, check out our previous articles  ‘What’s in our wardrobes?' and 'Where Should it Go?’ and ‘Alternative Uses for Textile Waste’. If there really is nowhere else for it to go - then see if it can be recycled....

Alternative Uses for Textile Waste

Alternative Uses for Textile Waste

If your clothes or other textiles are ripped, stained or simply can’t be donated, could you use any of these strategies to avoid sending them to landfill?   Put a pretty patch or pocket over work decals, stains or branding so the item can still be worn. Check out...

Where should our unwanted clothes go?

Where should our unwanted clothes go?

I found it surprising to learn, that of the clothes that go to charity, it is estimated that only 15% are resold within Australia. The rest are sent to landfill or overseas to developing nations and what happens to them there is not always clear. So, if you can find...

Customer Experience of Our Decluttering Service

Customer Experience of Our Decluttering Service

A Decluttering Testimonial  From initial engagement with Jo, to waving her off as she drove my (no longer) beloved clutter away, the whole process was more recharging, empowering and simple than I could have ever imagined.  The unique approach by A Single Leaf South...

What’s in Our Wardrobes?

What’s in Our Wardrobes?

In short, a lot! A lot of clothes we love and wear. A lot of clothes we don’t wear. A lot of manmade fabrics. Not a lot of recycled fibres. According to the 'National Clothing Product Stewardship Scheme' we wear 70% of what is in our wardrobes. So that means 30% of...

Conduct Your Own Wardrobe Audit 

Conduct Your Own Wardrobe Audit 

What's in your wardrobe? Do you wear it? Do you want it? Download our template to get you started and edit the specialist clothes section to suit your hobbies and what you know is in your wardrobe. Leave some spaces to add things which don’t have a category when you...

My Wardrobe Audit

My Wardrobe Audit

If you have been following our Solutions to Textile Waste Series then you’ll know that I am not a fashionista and I only own 2 pairs of heels. You’ll also know that, on average Australians buy 56 new items of clothing per year. To help inspire you to buy less or not...

My Clothes Buying Habits

My Clothes Buying Habits

“There is currently no local data on the amount of clothing being held in Australian households. Based on data from like countries, we estimate clothing in use to be 3.75 times annual sales, so a total of 1.44 million tonnes.” - ‘National Clothing Product Stewardship...

Clothes and Textiles Let’s Be Part of the Solution

Clothes and Textiles Let’s Be Part of the Solution

So, I have just spent the morning reading this fun little piece of literature “National Clothing Product Stewardship Scheme, Milestone 1.4 | Clothing Data Report” by the Australian Fashion Council. Fun times. Textile waste has been concerning me (and many others), for...

Why We Need to Tackle Our Textile Waste and How To Do It

Why We Need to Tackle Our Textile Waste and How To Do It

Welcome to this educational mini-series.   If there was a list of the top 10 countries in order of how much textile (clothing) waste they produced per person, per year, where do you think Australia would be? We’d be second!! Australia is now the second-highest...

Reduce Food Waste

Reduce Food Waste

The number 1 thing you can do to improve the impact you have on the planet is reduce your food waste.  Whatever diet you choose meat-eating, vegan, pescatarian, vegetarian there are many factors that influence the footprint of your food (what meats you eat, how often,...

Community Reuse & Recycle Map

Community Reuse & Recycle Map

Download our free map and guide to find local businesses and community groups helping you reuse or recycle your waste. Download the PDF document.

Go Green, Financially

Go Green, Financially

Do you have savings? Investments? Super? Do you know what your money is doing while it isn’t in your pocket? You might be disappointed - there is a good chance it is supporting coal.   I have been doing some research that I have been putting off for a while,...

Make Your Own No-Sew, Reusable T-shirt Bag

Make Your Own No-Sew, Reusable T-shirt Bag

T-shirts that are stained, have rips or holes` or are faded or misshapen cannot be donated to op-shops. Choose a t-shirt that can't be donated and turn it into a reusable shopping bag instead. Enjoy using your bag knowing that, not only are you avoiding using a bag...

How to use timers to reduce your carbon footprint

How to use timers to reduce your carbon footprint

The Timers Wizards. The vast majority of the power used in Australia is used in our homes. 1,228 PJ in 2019-20 used in households according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics. Compared to 910 PJ used by the next largest consumer, manufacturing. Imagine if every...

Feel the Power

Feel the Power

Simple Ways to Reduce Your Energy Consumption and Your Personal Contribution to the Climate Crisis The vast majority of the power used in Australia is used in our homes. 1,228 PJ in 2019-20 used by households according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics. Compared...

This is the Decade of Choice. Let’s Choose to Change.

This is the Decade of Choice. Let’s Choose to Change.

The 2020s are where it counts, environmentally. This is the decade that decides if we thrive or if we slide deeper into the chaos. More fires, floods and droughts, hotter heat waves, rising seas, melting ice and warming oceans. Unless we choose to change.  We need to...

What’s in a logo?

What’s in a logo?

Reusing and repurposing is a passion here at A Single Leaf South West and even our name and logo have had a previous life. They represented a successful theatre company in the UK. But now? Now, they have been refreshed and given a second life as the sustainability...