So many people are looking for ways to be more self-sufficient and sustainable, no matter where they live. Plus, with the cost of living always on the rise, it makes sense to try and find cheaper ways of doing things that are also great for the environment.
Let’s take a look at some of the ways you can make your kitchen more sustainable in a strata environment.
Community gardens
Some strata buildings have gone to great lengths to help residents become more self-sufficient, and one of the ways they do this is with community gardens. A community garden is essentially a garden in one of the building’s common areas, tended to by residents who want to benefit from it.
Not everybody will use the community garden, but for those who do, it offers a host of benefits. You can foster a sense of community and shared responsibility, and everybody can benefit from fresh fruits, vegetables, and herbs. If you’re interested in building a community garden in your strata environment, you’ll need to table it for a vote at a General Meeting.
Herb gardens
Although most apartment buildings don’t provide much room for a full garden, you can often still grow a couple of plants on the balcony. If that’s not enough, you can always consider starting a herb garden. Herbs are traditionally quite easy to grow, requiring very little upkeep. If you’ve got a busy lifestyle, it’s the perfect way to be a bit more sustainable.
A simple herb garden could be placed on your balcony, on a windowsill, or even on the kitchen bench. While it may not feed an army, you’ll still be able to enjoy fresh herbs in your cooking without needing to hit the supermarket.
Compost
If you’re like most people, you’ll have plenty of food scraps going into the bin each day. Vegetable peels, leftovers and even old food that’s been in the fridge a little too long. Rather than waste this, you could start composting at home – even in an apartment building.
Most garden centres sell various composting kits that you can use in your own home. In fact, there are even electronic ones these days (although, one could argue the use of electricity for eco-friendly composting might cancel each other out). Still, it’s easy to set up a compost station, and you can even include worms that feed on the scraps and break them down for you.
The extra benefit is, compost serves as a great garden additive, so if you do decide to grow some herbs or implement a community garden, you can use the compost to help out!
Need help managing your strata environment?
We understand that strata managers and committees don’t have the time to handle everything that’s involved in running a happy, healthy and financially secure strata scheme. Rather than cause more stress for everybody, More Than Strata can take over the management of your scheme. We specialise in helping strata schemes reach their full potential, so if you think we can help yours, contact us today.
