Reducing our impact

The Shire of Bridgetown – Greenbushes has a 2-bin system and currently there are no viable diversion options for food waste. Rotting food waste in landfill contributes up to 40% of the methane produced. 

Ideas to reduce food waste at home are to: 

  • Meal prep and only buy what you need,  
  • Make smaller meals, 
  • Value leftovers and make sure you either eat them or freeze them, 
  • Use veggie scraps to make your own veggie stock 
  • Feed inedible leftovers or scraps to animals like dogs, poultry or worms, or compost them. 

We do not have a 3 bin system due to high costs of processing, issues with contamination and the distance from processing facilities.   

The Shire of Bridgetown – Greenbushes has been endorsed as a Waterwise Council since 2021, committing to investing in water efficiency technologies and progress towards reducing corporate scheme water usage.

If you are a scheme water user and property owner you are eligible to swap your showerhead for a free water efficient showerhead. This initiative is supported by Water Corporation, with the Shire Office and Greenbushes Community Centre as swap points. Water saved from waterwise showerhead swaps in WA last year was 19,400L per household! 

We can all do our bit to minimize the amount of stuff we bring into our lives and reduce how much we are wasting.
Simple actions to get involved: 
  
Pantry

  • Avoid disposable takeaway coffee cups and single use water bottles by taking your own – keep a cup or bottle in your car and at work.  
  • Swap store bought granola, muesli, or crackers for homemade and eliminating plastic packaging. 
  • Avoid bagged fruit and vegetables and choose to buy and support loose. 
  • Swap bagged tea for loose leaf - a lot of tea bags contain plastic, which when hot water is added release microplastics into your tea. Loose leaf tea can also be added to your compost or worm farm to decompose. 

Laundry

  • Replace plastic pegs with metal which last far longer and don’t disintegrate in the sun overtime. 
  • Swap out traditional washing detergents and powders for a laundry strip. 

Bathroom

  • Consider trying a reusable safety razor instead of disposable. These are easy to use, cost effective and recyclable. 
  • Swap to a plastic free deodorant or lip balm wrapped in cardboard or in a reusable tin. It is also easy to make your own.