Keep Australia Beautiful Week begins

Australians will learn how to become more sustainable and save hundreds of dollars a year, as Keep Australia Beautiful Week launches nationally 28 August with the theme "˜Save the World. Start at Home'.

Despite living in the driest inhabited continent in the world, Australians are among the highest water users in the world, with an average daily domestic water use of 350 litres per person. The average Australian home also produces around 15 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions each year, a major contributor of climate change.

Parliamentary Secretary for the Federal Minister for Environment & Heritage, Greg Hunt MP will be joined by Olympic gold medallist, Alisa Camplin; Miss Universe Australia 2006, Erin McNaught; and Home & Away's, Sharni Vinson to distribute free Energy Saver Packs to passers-by to help them reduce their household's ecological footprint and save money on their bills.

"Per capita, Australians are one of the largest consumers of water and energy, and producers of waste on the planet," Don Chambers, national chairman of Keep Australia Beautiful said.

"If everyone around the world lived as we do, we would require four planets, not just the one, to sustain the population."

As an added incentive, Keep Australia Beautiful is asking people to make a "˜Pledge for the Environment' for the chance to win a range of prizes.

To find out how you can reduce your ecological footprint, visit www.kab.org.au.