National Sustainable Living Festival 2019
If you have any interest in sustainable living, you will be interested in the National Sustainable Living Festival in Melbourne, which has a massive program that runs for the whole month of February.
From exhibitions to tours to talks and from permaculture to dying your clothes using local weeds and kitchen off-cuts to making your super sustainable, it touches on everything sustainability and has something for everyone.
And, a lot of the events are free to attend.
The program is seriously huge, so we're sharing our top picks below to get you excited and onto some of the best events. Below are 13 brilliant events worth attending, although there are so many more, it is worth going through the whole program.
1. The Big Weekend
The main weekend of the festival is from 8 February to 10 February. There will be numerous eco-conscious happenings at Federation Square and Birrarung Marr aimed at challenging our thinking and inspiring action.
This includes exhibitors at Federation Square on Friday from 12pm to 8pm, Saturday from 10am to 6pm and Sunday from 10am to 6pm. There will be informational stands as well as products, so visit to learn how you can make a difference - even if it's one small change.
Exhibitors include Zero Waste Victoria, where you can learn how to join the war on waste, Beyond Zero Emissions, who you can chat to about creating zero carbon communities, and Permaculture Victoria, who will be sharing their knowledge of permaculture.
And, if you're dreaming of owning a tiny house, you'll want to come check out the Telsa tiny house and talk to Ted's Tiny Houses. These are only a few of the many inspiring exhibitors.
In addition to the exhibition, there are over 100 events over the Big Weekend alone! Many are free and non-ticketed so you'll need to get there early to get a seat.
Some brilliant talks that are taking place include:
· Award-winning author, filmmaker and visionary, Helena Norberg-Hodge on The Economics of Happiness and how we can change the systems that we live by to create a better quality of life
· At the Festival Great Debate, presenters will battle it out to convince you of the most effective form of disruptive change [ticketed $25]
· Peter Andrews on how Australia’s landscape can be saved and how Australia can become a world leader in climate restoration
· Jo Nemeth on living off the grid and in a tiny house
· Well Made Clothes, Oxfam, Finding Infinity and Sustainability Victoria on how the global fashion industry can transition to help support a safe climate
· Financial adviser, author and environmentalist, Stuart Barry on how you can use your money to support a rapid transition to a safe climate future
· Speed date an architect to learn how to improve sustainability in your home
· Environmental Justice Australia, Market Forces and Ethical Investment Services on how to use your power as a super fund member to call on your fund to divest from fossil fuels
There are many more talks on how to tackle the biggest challenge earth currently faces - climate change. Check out the full program to see if there are any others you might want to attend.
2. Create Your Own Cleaning Products
Take part in this workshop to create your own cleaning products to reduce cost, environmental impact and damage to your health. Alex Kung of Reducing Our Footprint Inc, which aims to provide a practical journey for sustainable living, sharing it with the wider community to improve impact on the environment and personal health, will be running the workshop.
3. Mum's and Bubs Zero Waste Swap
Reduce your and your baby's fashion waste by swapping your clothing with like-minded individuals at this clothing swap. Everyone will be bringing up to six, good quality adult or children’s items that are clean and undamaged to the swap, which is being hosted by The Clothing Exchange, Melbourne. It's a great opportunity to find your new fav outfit without contributing to fast fashion.
4. Northcote Productive Paradise
If you want to know how to produce your own food in a small space in an inner city suburb, attend this event to see how a worker’s cottage backyard has been transformed from just lawn into a fully productive patch complete with bee hive, over 11 metres of vertical gardening space and potted fruit trees.
5. Plogging
Join a plogging session to keep up your fitness and keep rubbish off Melbourne's streets! Plogging is jogging while picking up rubbish and this amazing new sport is a great way to help prevent plastic and other litter from reaching Port Phillip Bay.
6. Kinglake Earthship
If you're interested in biotecture and permaculture this one's for you! This is a detailed, three-hour tour on disaster resilience, biotecture principles and permaculture. There will be an extensive guided property tour of Kinship (Kinglake Earthship) and an in-depth Q&A. Practical information on property purchases, planning and building approvals, environmental health and energy ratings will also be covered.
7. Cooking with Food Waste
Food that would have been discarded at Queen Victoria Market is used to make two simple quick recipes at this cooking demonstration. Learn how you can do the same at home to reduce your food waste.
8. Composting at Home
Learn how to successfully and easily compost your food scraps at your home. Katrina Forstner, who processes scraps from over 30 households on her small Preston block, will share her compost system and show you the tips and tricks to succeed with compost in your own home. You'll learn about different composting methods, the best materials for compost, and common problems.
9. GreenMe Green Heroes of Brunswick
GreenMe Melbourne is hosting tours of Brunswick East’s eco scene as part of the festival. The tour takes you around this thriving, multi-cultural, eco-minded, creativity fuelled area and shows you the behind the scenes of some of its eco-friendly initiatives and sustainably managed cafes, businesses, and stores. And you meet and get to chat to the people behind them.
You can read more about and a review of the tour here: www.weekendnotes.com/greenme-brunswick-tour.
10. Mending and Hand Sewing Party
Learn how to mend and save clothing instead of replacing it! By teaching decorative and invisible mending techniques, this workshop will equip you with lots of creative possibilities for repairing and enhancing your clothes.
11. Natural Dyeing With Ilka White
Learn how to use local weeds and kitchen off-cuts to dye fibre and fabric. This hands-on workshop introduces a selection of local colour possibilities, as well as discussing fibre types, mordanting options and safety of dyes. Shibori techniques will also be used to produce patterned cloth.
12. Human-Powered Pedal Cinema
To keep this outdoor cinema carbon neutral, it will be pedal powered using specially designed, grid-connected pedal driven and rowing machine generators. You can pedal for prices like a latte, race a pedal-powered slot car or ride on a pedal-powered carousel.
13. Transitions Film Festival
A festival within a festival, Transitions Film Festival showcases environmental films that redefine what it means to be human in an age of environmental crises and exponential innovation. According to the festival, this year’s selection of films shows us the urgency and opportunity for a new world.