The Sustainable Living Festival is one event I never miss. This year was no exception.
Ben, Amy and I were team Webber this year. We caught the train into the city, had a quick vegan breakfast at Lord of the Fries, and walked over to Federation Square where the event was being held.
The very first thing that I couldn’t help notice was the Tesla Model S. At a princely sum of ~$150,000, it looks like I will be waiting a little while longer before I upgrade from my Honda Hybrid to one of these babies!
Tesla Model S
Great looking car, one of the safest I’ve seen, and that is from a bloke that’s not into cars at all.
Tesla Model S inside
Anyway, a man can dream. It would certainly be carbon free running if plugged into charge at my place!
There was the usual food market that catered for vegetarian and vegans. As always the food for lunch was delicious.
There was even dancing at the coffee van. Very cool, and not a disposable cup in sight. All crockery was collected and washed on the festival and the hot water used to wash up is solar of course! They think of everything at the SLF.
Erin Rhodes – The Rouge Ginger
One of the reasons we chose the Saturday to visit the SLF was because Erin Rhodes from The Rogue Ginger was giving a talk about her plastic free and zero waste lifestyle. You may have seen her on the telly and in the paper over the last few months, however you heard her first here on my podcast! Have a listen to Erin again on TGoG 113.
Anyway, her talk was a hit and it was fantastic to listen to her journey in person.
Next we visited the long line of vendor and Non-profit stalls in the Green Market Place. One in particular that caught my eye was WozWaste. Some great items upcycled into all sorts of new products. I liked the bags and Amy loved the jewelry.
We had been giving Ben a bit of pocket-money for helping out at our workshops, so he lashed out and bought an organic strawberry milkshake. He told me that it was the best milkshake he had ever drunk.
Ben was so flushed with cash that he bought his sister Amy a Soy Flat White, which she said was delicious.
We had a great day and as always it recharged my sustainable living batteries for another year! However, one thing I did mention to Amy was that because it was my 9th year of visiting the Sustainable Living Festival, it was beginning to feel a little same same. A real sense of deja vu lingered with me for the entire day.
Maybe it is because I’ve implemented so many of the things that are presented and talked about. Mind you, I’m no eco-warrior; just an ordinary bloke trying to do the best he can in the ‘burbs.
Maybe I should apply to talk next year. I will have to think of a ripper of a topic though.
Yes! You should talk and have a stall for little green workshops 🙂
Sounds like a plan Liz! A stall certainly does get exposure there. Thousands of visitors, all interested in what we have to offer.
Yes, apply for a talk!!!!
Hi Gavin
I went to the SLF this year purely as an observer rather than being on the Permaculture Victoria stall as in the last few years.
I have noticed that the event along the Yarra is becoming smaller and smaller each year and seems a little tired.
Thought the range of talks was improvubg though. And it would be great if you were a speaker next year.
Claire in Mooroolbark
We had a lovely day at the Festival too and particularly enjoyed hearing Erin speak. Like you we visit annually and are finding the event is getting smaller and ‘same old’. The highlight for us are the talks. I would love to see some DIY tutorial stalls. Perhaps Gavin you and Kim could do something on this line with your soap and cheese making. We bought a wallet from the WasWaste stall. Feels like leather and we hope it will wear well. I did wonder though how much the seamstresses are paid in Indonesia for putting the articles together.