At the OEP, we're committed to environmental sustainability. Below are a number of tips from our students to help us lead sustainable households, workplaces, and communities.

Please send your sustainability tips to query-environment@unimelb.edu.au!

Plastic

Reducing plastic use while travelling

Staying environmentally-conscious can be difficult when paired with the stresses of travelling. But, as Eleanor explains, there are many ways to reduce plastic waste while away from home, including:

• Paper Bags
• Keep Cups for beverages and snacks
• Purification tablets
• Bamboo toothbrushes
• Re-usable cutlery
• Plastic-free deodorant paste

Courtesy of OEP student Eleanor Percival

Creative alternatives to cling foil

Cling foil is a big part of our reliance on plastic. Larissa Barrows shares her family's alternative:

Courtesy of OEP student Larissa Barrows

Food Waste

It's estimated that Australians waste $8 billion worth of edible food every year.

Here are some delicious recipes we love for using up leftovers and reducing food waste, whether you're cooking for one or for a family:

Vegetable Soup

Almost any collection of vegetables can be turned into a nourishing soup. Here's how, using whichever vegetables you have leftover:

Photo courtesy of https://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-make-soup-from-almost-any-vegetable-cooking-lessons-from-the-kitchn-35301
Recipe courtesy of https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/8029/versatile-veg-soup

Equipment:

• Cutting board
• Chef's knife
• 4-quart (or larger) pot, with a lid
• Wooden spoon

Ingredients:

• 200g (per serve) of chopped raw vegetables
• 300g potato
• 700ml of stock
• 1 tbsp oil
• Optional: aromatics (such as herbs, onions, garlic, or leeks); crème fraîche for serving

Steps:

1. Fry raw vegetables with potatoes, peeled and cubed, in 1 tbsp of oil for a few minutes until beginning to soften;
2. Cover with 700ml of stock and simmer for 10-15 minutes until the vegetables are tender. Blend until smooth;
3. Serve! You may choose to add a dollop of crème fraîche or some fresh herbs.

The soup will freeze for up to 1 month.

Veggie Fried Rice

A great way to clean up excess rice and vegetables!

Equipment:

• Cutting board
• Frying pan
• Chef's knife

Ingredients:

• 2 tsp oil
• 1 egg, beaten
• 175g mushrooms, sliced
• 200g frozen peas
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• small knob of fresh root ginger, grated
• 2 tsp dark soy sauce (plus extra to serve)
• 1 tsp suger
• 250g cooked basmati rice

Steps:

1. Heat the oil in a frying pan, then tip in the egg. Leave to set for 30 seconds to 1 minute, swirling every now and again. Then tip it out and finely slice. Add mushrooms to pan, then fry for about 3 minutes until golden. Add peas, garlic, and ginger, then cook for 1 minute;
2. Mix the soy sauce and sugar together. Turn up the heat, add the cooked rice to the pan, heat through, then splash in the sweet soy sauce;
3. Stir through the egg and serve straight away (with more soy sauce if you choose).