Sustainable living and events

While some of us struggle to meet basic human needs for food, clothing and shelter, many of us have much more than we need. Food goes to waste and closets are overfilled. Many of us find our homes cluttered with stuff yet we continue to buy more products and add to the chaos.

In 2020-21 Australians sent 100,000 tonnes of clothing to landfill, with the average Australian disposing of 12kgs. Cessnock is throwing out to landfill around 288 tonnes (equivalent to approximately 36 000 washing loads) of clothing per year. That’s huge! To help reduce this figure commit to waiting at least a fortnight when you get the urge to buy something new and instead shop in your own wardrobe. Check out this guide (below) to help reduce your families clothing waste. 

It’s a similar story with food waste  - with a staggering 2.5 million tonnes of food waste coming directly from our homes each year. People have become obsessed with having ‘more’. This overconsumption and waste causes water pollution, air pollution, excessive waste, climate change and many social issues.

We tend to think of recycling as the answer to our overconsumption and to deal with the associated problems. Recycling is not the answer – living with less is. To help, Council has designed the Less is More program. We hold a number of events during the year, which will help you live a better life with less. Helping you make do, reuse, repair, and swap to generally live better with less. 

Did you know the average NSW household throws away $77 worth of edible food every week? Discover how making small changes can save you money and time, while reducing the amount of food you throw away: 

• we cook too much food without considering portions for the number of people or family members.  Check out this Perfect Portions video for some tips.

• food passes the use-by/best-before date.

• we forget about leftovers in the fridge/freezer or we don’t know how to use leftovers. Sign up to the Love Food Challenge to assist your planning. 

• we buy too much because we don’t stick to a shopping list or we don’t check the cupboard or fridge before going shopping.

• we’re not planning our meals and menus as much as we could. This meal planning video will help you get started.

Are you interested in creating habitat for native animals in your backyard but don’t know where to start? Join the Habitat Stepping Stones program.

Interested in trying your hand at bee keeping? Check out the following useful beekeeping resources:

• Beginning in Bees
• Hunter Valley Amateur Beekeepers Association
• Bee Agskills Book
• Healthy Bees AgGuide
• Backyard Beekeeping Primefact
• Beekeeper Registration

Council has joined a Hunter Joint Organisation program with ZapCat, a certified social enterprise, to help our community electrify their homes and businesses, reduce emissions, and save on energy bills!

Through this free program, residents and small businesses can:

• Get an instant online estimate for costs, savings and rebates.
• Book a free virtual consultation with a ZapCat expert.
• Submit quotes for review to see if they are good value for money.

ZapCat can provide advice on:

• Solar Panels & Batteries
• Electric Vehicle Charging
• Induction & Electric Cookers
• Heating & Cooling
• Hot Water Heat Pumps
• Insulation and Draught Proofing
• Energy Efficiency

If you need help finding a quality installer, the ZapCat team can connect you with vetted local installers. Find out more here and start by getting your instant estimate: https://www.zapcat.com.au/hunter

Where to start

Follow the links below to select an equipment type to receive an instant online estimate for costs, savings, and available rebates.

ZapCat's expert independent advisors offer free online consultations to answer your questions, review quotes, and help you make confident, informed choices.

When you're ready, ZapCat can connect you with vetted local installers who may be offering discounts for residents.

Select from the following options and start your journey today.

1. Home Owners
2. Renters

Please note: Cessnock City Council has engaged ZapCat to vet local installers but is not directly involved in the vetting process. Council is not liable for the outcomes of any installations conducted by vetted installers.

Discover ways to reduce your energy use and save on power bills on the NSW Governments Energy Saver website.

If you are thinking of going solar, check out SunSPOT. SunSPOT provides a secure online tool that analyses your roof space and power bills to tell you how much you can save through installing solar or solar + batteries.

You may also qualify for a battery incentive. This offer allows homeowners to access a discount on installing a battery in their home or small business with an existing solar system, or have the discount priced into a quote for a combined solar system and battery installation. 

And if you are in the market for a new electrical appliance, remember to look out for appliances with a high energy star rating.

Mains water and sewage in the Cessnock Local Government Area (LGA) is provided by Hunter Water (Hunter Water) and any issues with these systems should be reported directly to Hunter Water.

The Hunter Water website also has information on saving water and a water usage calculator so you can identify where changes can be made to save water in and around your home.

Look for the water rating label on all products to help you make informed choices about the water efficiency of products you are buying.

Council monitors any on-site sewage management systems and is responsible for undertaking inspections of all systems within the LGA.

If you need to buy a car, check the green vehicle guide to compare the air pollution and greenhouse emissions of vehicles.

Hybrids and electric cars are emerging as viable alternatives to reduce fuel consumption and greenhouse gas emissions. If you are considering a hybrid/electric vehicle, have a look at the Electric Vehicle Council website.

With more and more electric vehicles entering the market, charging stations are being installed all the time. You can keep up to date with where they are being installed via the Electric Vehicle Council charger map. 

Council has yearly tree giveaways. Future tree giveaways will be advertised on the Events page of the website and on Council's Facebook page.