Are you ready for a lifestyle challenge?

‘The New Joneses‘ are showcasing lifestyles that are better for the people and the planet. The main idea behind this project is to maximise resources and minimise waste. With lifestyle coaching from Denise Drysdale, Eco-warrior Wayne Slattery, decided to spend a week in the world’s first carbon-positive home, that produces more energy than it consumes. ‘The New Joneses’ house was open to the public during February 2015 and was free to visit and listen to positive lifestyle talks.

By taking the challenge of living in an eco-friendly way, Wayne proved that each consumer has the choice and the power to develop a better world and reduce the negative impact on the community we live in and on our environment. In his journey, Wayne only used second-hand stuff and thus, reduced the need for new things.

If we stop for a moment and think about a 6 star luxury hotel, we come to the conclusion that we are sleeping in beds and use towels someone else has used before. If we are fine with this, why wouldn’t we implement the same strategy when it comes to our daily lives? This is exactly what Wayne did. He bought goods only from enterprises and businesses that exist not only to a make profit, but also to create change. His food was sourced from local farmers and independent producers.

Wayne’s tips for a sustainable lifestyle

By following Wayne’s journey, we learned simple, everyday tips and ways to save energy while making a positive impact on our planet Earth. For instance, by holding a meat free Monday we learned how one day a week can make a world of difference.

Our choice of car can be more friendly to both our pocket and the environment. Electric cars add no tailpipe emissions to the air and are an excellent choice for reducing global warming emissions.

Think about the carbon footprint when doing dishes! When set up on the right setting, the dishwasher can save up to 60% of power and up to 5 times the water used when hand washing. By using less energy, you can reduce air pollution and greenhouse gases caused by burning fossil fuels. On the other side, reduction in water consumption saves our lakes, rivers and oceans.

By living the motto ‘love food, hate waste’ we can learn that ‘ugly fruit’, that would usually be thrown away, can be delicious and filled with nutritious stuff just as good looking fruit. Just by following some easy, practical advices we can all waste less food, which will be beneficial for our wallets and our community.

When we throw something away, where is away?

Have you ever questioned where does your waste go? If not, now is time to think about it. Every year, we throw around 7 million tonnes of food and drinks from our home, the majority of which could have been eaten. If you want to participate in reducing waste, start with learning the best ways to store food and keep it fresh for a longer time.

Have you ever questioned where does your waste go? If not, now is time to think about it. Every year, we throw around 7 million tonnes of food and drinks from our home, the majority of which could have been eaten. If you want to participate in reducing waste, start with learning the best ways to store food and keep it fresh for a longer time.

There is a lot we can learn from ‘The New Joneses’ stylish, sustainable, waste-free lifestyle. Although we can never know the exact impact of The New Joneses‘, what we do know is that they’ll be back soon to spread their message further of a safer, fairer, and more sustainable world for all.