ANCHOR:
Melbourne plays host this year to Australias first Going Green Expo. It is providing a showcase for the latest sustainable products and ideas that dont cost the earth. Our reporter takes a look.
STORY:
If you want to learn how to make simple changes to stop the damage to the environment, you can find the answers here. The Expo organiser, Anthony Doran says there are over 200 exhibitions - from a car that runs on air to a wash ball that washes clothes without soap.
[Anthony Doran, Expo Organiser]:
I think that 88 per cent of all Australians believe the environment is our single largest issue, that we have to deal with but I suppose what we are trying to do with the show is getting that consciousness into action by showing people great products and ideas that they can actually introduce to help us reduce our environmental impacts.
Theres plenty of advice on how to be green clean: For instance, how to make an existing home or factory sustainable; the use of non toxic paints and its clean disposal; and the recycling of wastewater to preserve our oceans.
Look at this electric motor bike, no petrol costs! And here would you believe, is a car with an engine that runs only on air!
[Angelo Di Pietro, Engineair Director]:
The technology we have would allow us to take the weight off the car because we eliminate such things as the clutch, the gear box, the differential, the radiator, water pump, oil pump, oil.
You can move that car with just one finger.
What about this? A laundry ball to wash your clothes! No soap or washing powder is required! Marietjie Lacomme says the Biowashball also saves water as no rinsing is needed.
[Marietjie Lacomme, Biowashball Consultant]:
It consists of ceramics which releases negative ions. Negative ions are very good for the human being and also for the earth. It is a natural anti oxidant and also works against anti ageing.
Just look at these useful carry bags! they are made from non-biodegradable plastic. The XS Project Foundation buys it from trash picking communities in Jakarta.
[Cassandra Schultz, XS Project Foundation]:
That's the sort of packaging and if this stuff ends up in landfill it can be a real problem, so by making all these useful products we divert them from landfill, but we also create sustainable employment for people in poverty. So they serve a couple of purposes and theyre gorgeous.
Expo Manager Anthony Doran says its so very easy to go green.
[Anthony Doran, Expo Organiser]:
There are a myriad of easy solutions in there and one of the easiest solutions that people can do is to actually change over to organic foods, because organic foods lessen the impact on the environment. There are no toxins used in their production, no chemicals used in their production.
The Expo will be held annually in Melbourne.
Philippa Rayment, NTD, Melbourne
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