Living Sustainably

Mum with a kid in the garden

Our household decisions, including the ways we use energy, water, and other natural resources, as well as how we dispose of them, can have a heavy impact on our environment, our neighbours, and our future.

Changing our habits doesn’t have to be hard and it can be a lot of fun.

Here you can learn what you can do to be more sustainable and resilient on a daily basis.

Be an Energy Expert

Unfortunately your energy bill isn’t itemised like your mobile phone bill or a shopping receipt, so it can be hard to tell how much energy you are using in your home, and which appliances may be using it.

Being an Energy Expert can help you:

  1. Pinpoint the main energy users in your home
  2. Find ways to reduce your energy use
  3. Save money
  4. Make your home more comfortable to live in.

See how you could save electricity in your home by doing a home electricity audit.(PDF, 59KB)

Want a Greener Electricity Plan?

Switching to a GreenPower electricity plan is your fastest way go renewable, even if you rent or live in an apartment.

It is a simple way you can make a big difference and for many people, it’s the single thing they can do to have the biggest impact.

Importantly - both homeowners and renters can switch to GreenPower, and you can switch in as little as 10 minutes.

It’s the only government accredited and audited green energy program and it’s ideal for those who can’t install rooftop solar.

When you opt for a GreenPower electricity plan you’ll help get more electricity from wind and sun made in Australia.

Find out more on the GetGreenPower website

Thinking of getting Solar?

Do you want to know how much you can save with solar? Is your roof too shady for solar?

Maybe you’re wondering what the best size solar system is for you, or if it’s time to get a battery?

The not-for-profit SunSPOT solar calculator has been built by solar engineers at the UNSW for the Australian PV Institute, specifically to help householders and small businesses understand the possibilities and benefits of solar on their rooftop.

SunSPOT is free and private to use and you won’t be getting any solar sales calls afterwards.

In two minutes you can get an estimate of:

  1. your optimal solar system size for the best return on investment
  2. the cost of the system
  3. how much the solar system will save you in a year.

For more tailored results add some more information about your electricity usage around the house or building, and what you pay for electricity.

SunSPOT removes the mystery around batteries and costs. You can test 4 common sizes for the savings they’ll could deliver, while also seeing the cost.

Find a recent bill with your average daily electricity usage in kWh on it, and head to www.sunspot.org.au

SunSPOT is supported by the Australian, NSW and ACT governments and is a project of the Australian PV Institute and UNSW Sydney.

Be Water Wise

We hear a lot about the Woronora and Warragamba Dams, but did you know that these dams don’t supply water to the Campbelltown Local Government Area (LGA) or the Macarthur region? In fact, the Cataract and Cordeaux Dams supply most of the water for the region and are fed primarily by rainwater.

Learn more about where our water comes from, how we use it in our homes and how we can preserve it for future generations on our Be Water Wise page.

Be a Waste Warrior

Fight waste at home with our tips on avoiding, reducing and re-using waste to keep it out of the general waste bin.

Discover the magical world of worm farming(PDF, 681KB) and learn how to make your own worm farm.(PDF, 2MB)

Worms don’t have eyes, they breathe through their skin, suck on their food and eat their own weight in food every day! But the best part is these littler critters turn your leftover food into rich soil-like castings which are great for feeding house plants, adding to potting soils or top dressing around plants.

To support your worm farm, why not also make your own compost(PDF, 3MB).

  • Composting is a cheap and easy, returns vital nutrients to the soil, improves soil structure and keeps moisture in the soil.
  • It’s also 100% natural and does not require any expensive artificial fertilisers.
  • A compost heap is a living system containing millions of microorganisms that act as natural decomposers to your food waste.
  • Unlike worm farms, compost heaps can also be fed by grass clippings, newspaper, hair and vacuum dust.

You can also try some smart shopping(PDF, 1MB) to reduce the waste you bring into your home and reduce your carbon footprint.

Be Climate Conscious

It can be a little overwhelming witnessing and hearing about the impacts of climate change, but not all is lost. We can all be part of the solution to the climate crisis by making more climate conscious decisions in our day-to-day activities. 

As a starting point, you can calculate your ecological footprint to see how many 'Planet Earths' worth of resources would be needed if everyone made the same lifestyle choices as you by using the carbon Footprint calculator.

See where we as a community can make changes to help reduce carbon emissions by taking a look at the below data specific to the Campbelltown Local Government Area from 2016/17.

Emissions by source

Campbelltown LGA data showing the biggest greenhouse gas emissions by source (2016/17).

  • Electricity 66.6 per cent
  • Transport 21.7 per cent
  • Waste 8.9 per cent
  • Gas 2.7 per cent.

Campbelltown LGA emissions by source

Transport by mode

Campbelltown LGA residential data showing the most common transport by mode (2016/17).

  • Car- as a driver 50.5 per cent
  • Car- as a passenger 26.1 per cent
  • Train 18.5 per cent
  • Bus 3.9 per cent
  • Walking 0.8 per cent
  • Other 0.1 per cent.

Campbelltown LGA residential transport by mode 2016-2017

Waste by source

Campbelltown LGA data showing waste generation by source (2016/17).

  • Recycling 48.4 per cent
  • Commercial and industrial 36.4 per cent
  • Solid 8.9 per cent
  • Green 6.3 per cent.

Campbelltown LGA waste by source 2016-2017

Be a Natural Explorer

Discover the beauty of Campbelltown with our DIY worksheets for kids and families - download one of our activity guides and explore your backyard, balcony or local park.

Free sustainability workshops

Did you know that Council, in partnership with the Macarthur Centre for Sustainable Living, runs free sustainability workshops to our community.

Check out the latest free sustainable workshops available and book in.