Undertake a waste audit to identify the types of waste created by your home or business and what you currently do with waste and landfilled items that you may be able to reduce, reuse or start recycling. Compare your performance against others and identify the steps you can take to improve your waste management practices. You can also seek guidance from your council or a waste professional. Avoiding waste creation and minimising waste disposal to landfill will ultimately save households and businesses money.

For individuals

• Household waste factsheet. Cool Australia's waste factsheet is an easy guide that helps you to understand more about household waste and what you can do about it at your home. Find out more.

For business

• Take action to reduce waste. There are many ways you can reduce waste in the workplace. Resources include: waste assessment fact sheet (how to do it and why); waste assessment recording sheet; guidance for taking action to save paper, reuse and recycle. Find out more.
• Improve the performance of your building, tenancy or home. You can measure and improve the environmental performance of your building, tenancy or home using the National Australian Built Environment Rating System (NABERS). This system assesses the energy efficiency, water usage, waste management and indoor environment quality. It provides you with an easy to understand rating scale from one to six stars. Accredited NABERS assessors can undertake energy audits and provide advice on energy efficiency improvements. Find out more. 
• Sustainability support to office based businesses. You can improve the sustainability performance of your office by joining CitySwitch Green Office. There is information, education, resources, expertise and incentives to support office based businesses transition to a global low-carbon economy. Find out more.

Cut down the amount of waste your home or business generates. You'll be helping to reduce the emissions associated with the production, marketing and transportation of the products you are wasting. Switch to becoming a paperless office or choose products with less packaging and avoid single-use 'disposable' products, like take-away coffee cups, bottled water, lunch containers and shopping bags - instead bring your own reusable ones.

For individuals 

• Recycle Right. Interested in recycling, reuse and waste avoidance? Need to know what goes in what bin? Find out more.       
• Make your coffee habit eco-friendly! Next time you head out for coffee, do your bit by bringing a reusable cup. Takeaway coffee cups have a plastic lining that will outlive the average person – and one million of them end up in landfill every minute! Find out more.
• City of Adelaide Compostable and Reusable Coffee Cup Pilot. The City of Adelaide is partnering with CBD cafés with the aim of reducing the amount of waste generated by takeaway coffee cups in a pilot which will run until May 2018. The pilot area is bound by Gawler Place, King William, Flinders, and Grenfell Streets with many participating cafes offering a discount to customers for reusable takeaway cups. Find out more. 
• Choose responsible cafes. Help avoid generating over 3 billion takeaway cups each year. The Responsible Cafes program connects thoughtful cafes with conscious consumers through one simple idea - BYO cup, get a discount. Find out more.
• Share N Save. Share N Save map free stuff, shareable stuff, swappable stuff, community stuff you can borrow. Put in your postcode and find out how you can get involved. Find out more.

For business

• Take action to reduce waste. There are many ways you can reduce waste in the workplace. Resources include: waste assessment fact sheet (how to do it and why); waste assessment recording sheet; guidance for taking action to save paper, reuse and recycle. Find out more.
• Make your coffee habit eco-friendly! Next time you head out for coffee, do your bit by bringing a reusable cup. Takeaway coffee cups have a plastic lining that will outlive the average person – and one million of them end up in landfill every minute! Find out more.
• City of Adelaide Compostable and Reusable Coffee Cup Pilot. The City of Adelaide is partnering with CBD cafés to trial incentive payments with the aim of reducing the amount of waste generated by takeaway coffee cups. The pilot area is bound by Gawler Place, King William, Flinders, and Grenfell Streets and will run until May 2018. All businesses selling takeaway coffee within the pilot area will be eligible to apply for once-off financial rebates if they agree to offer a discount to customers who bring their own cups and/or provide compostable takeaway coffee cups and lids. Find out more. 
• Choose responsible cafes. Help avoid generating over 3 billion takeaway cups each year. The Responsible Cafes program connects thoughtful cafes with conscious consumers through one simple idea - BYO cup, get a discount. Find out more.
• Business Sustainability Program. Green Industries SA (state government) service to support South Australian businesses and organisations to improve resource efficiency (including materials, energy, and water efficiency), waste management, and lean production practices as a way to reduce operating costs, boost productivity, and environmental performance. Funding and support is available for individual businesses and business groups to investigate and implement resource efficiency and improved waste management practices. Find out more.
• Business Recycling Directory. Make recycling at your work easy with this directory of recycling options for around 90 different materials. You can search by location or material type. Find out more.
• Wipe Out Waste. Your school can become more sustainable with KESAB’s Wipe Out Waste program. Find out how your school can reduce waste, monitor progress and encourage your whole school community to adopt more long-term sustainable behaviours. You can access professional development, audits, assessments and resources. Find out more.
• Australian Sustainable Schools Initiative. Your school community can become more sustainable with the Australian Sustainable Schools Initiative. This is a whole-of-school approach that includes real-life learning experiences and improvements in a school's management of resources and facilities including energy, waste, water, biodiversity, landscape design, products and materials. Find out more.
• NRM Education.Want help to plan and manage sustainability initiatives for your school? Natural Resources Adelaide and Mount Lofty Range’s NRM Education program uses a whole-school approach to work with school or preschool communities to plan and manage sustainability initiatives. You will receive resources and support to help students, staff and parents take informed action at a local level. Find out more.

Organic waste contributes to our carbon footprint. When organic materials such as food waste is disposed of into our landfills, it creates methane as it decomposes. Methane is a greenhouse gas 25 times more potent than CO2 (carbon dioxide). Place organic material in your green lid bins so it can be processed into compost, enhancing soil and crop yields and significantly reducing carbon emissions. Alternatives include creating your own compost, having a worm farm, or using food scraps in your garden.

For individuals

• Recycle Right. Find out how to Recycle Right® with this simple online search tool that covers most common householder waste and recycling queries. Results are customised information for you based on services in your area and you can also call the Recycle Right® hotline on 1300 137 118. Find out more.
• Council waste and recycling services. Most Councils encourage food waste to be placed in the green organics bins, with some offering kitchen organics baskets and compostable liner bags to support this. Contact your local Council to find out what options are available in your council area for food waste.

For businesses

• Business Food Waste Recycling Directory. Food waste recycling collection services for businesses are provided by a number of private waste contractors. You can contact your current waste and recycling service provider or find available food waste recycling services through the business recycling directory. Find out more.

Recycling services are available from Councils and private waste contractors. In SA we are great recyclers with over 81.5% of our waste being diverted from landfill, but we could still do better. Set up your home or business with separate bins and make recycling easy. Educate your family, staff or students on what can be recycled. You'll be surprised how many things can be recycled with a little planning and organisation.

For individuals

• Recycle Right. Find out how to Recycle Right® with this simple online search tool that covers most common householder waste and recycling queries. Results are customised information for you based on services in your area and you can also call the Recycle Right® hotline on 1300 137 118. Find out more.

• Council waste and recycling services. Check with your local Council regarding waste and recycling services provided in your council area, collection timetables and recycling resources.

For business

• Business Recycling Directory. Make recycling at your work easy with this directory of recycling options for around 90 different materials. You can search by location or material type. Find out more. 
• CitySwitch waste management guides and signage. Information and resource toolkits to support office based businesses to establish the most suitable recycling and waste management system for your site. Find out more.
• Wipe Out Waste. Your school can become more sustainable with KESAB’s Wipe Out Waste program. Find out how your school can reduce waste, monitor progress and encourage your whole school community to adopt more long-term sustainable behaviours. Schools can access professional development, audits, assessments and resources. Find out more.

Water conservation reduces the carbon emissions associated with pumping and treating water and waste water. Recycled water further reduces our carbon emissions and conserves our precious water resources. Use water efficient appliances, tap and shower fittings, and irrigation. Use rainwater or treated greywater, adopt water efficient behaviours to help conserve water, reduce associated carbon emissions and save money. A water audit will help to identify where you can improve your water efficiency at your home or office. Using less hot water brings further energy and cost savings.

For individuals

• Water use in SA. There are many ways you can save water in and around your home. Find out more.
• Incentive for installing rainwater tanks. Rebates of up to $500 for rainwater tanks or $3,000 for communal use rain water tanks in apartment buildings are available through City of Adelaide's Sustainability Incentives Scheme. Find out more.
• Rebates available for reducing energy and waste. Find out if you are eligible for rebates or government assistance for reducing energy, water, waste and travel emissions. Find out more.
• How to make a raingarden. Make every drop of water count by setting up a raingarden in your yard. By collecting the rain that runs off your roof, driveway and other hard surfaces and funneling it into a raingarden, you can look after plants in your garden that you might forget to water. And with the right plants, raingardens can also clean the water before it heads out to sea. Find out more.
• Improve the performance of your building, tenancy or home. You can measure and improve the environmental performance of your building, tenancy or home using the National Australian Built Environment Rating System (NABERS). This system assesses the energy efficiency, water usage, waste management and indoor environment quality. It provides you with an easy to understand rating scale from one to six stars. Accredited NABERS assessors can undertake energy audits and provide advice on energy efficiency improvements. Find out more.

For business

• Improve the performance of your building, tenancy or home. You can measure and improve the environmental performance of your building, tenancy or home using the National Australian Built Environment Rating System (NABERS). This system assesses the energy efficiency, water usage, waste management and indoor environment quality. It provides you with an easy to understand rating scale from one to six stars. Accredited NABERS assessors can undertake energy audits and provide advice on energy efficiency improvements. Find out more.
• Incentive for installing rainwater tanks. Rebates of up to $500 for rainwater tanks or $3,000 for communal use rain water tanks in apartment buildings are available through City of Adelaide's Sustainability Incentives Scheme. Find out more.
• Australian Sustainable Schools Initiative. Your school community can become more sustainable with the Australian Sustainable Schools Initiative. This is a whole-of-school approach that includes real-life learning experiences and improvements in a school's management of resources and facilities including energy, waste, water, biodiversity, landscape design, products and materials. Find out more.
• NRM Education. Want help to plan and manage sustainability initiatives for your school? Natural Resources Adelaide and Mount Lofty Range’s NRM Education program uses a whole-school approach to work with school or preschool communities to plan and manage sustainability initiatives. You will receive resources and support to help students, staff and parents take informed action at a local level. Find out more.