Info

Eco Chat with Laura Trotta Podcast

Join environmental engineer and eco-living expert Laura Trotta and special Eco Hero guests in this fun and thought-provoking podcast on sustainability. Laura's mission is to make green mainstream and ensure her listeners get all the inspiration and help they need to create an ecoceptional life they love.
RSS Feed Subscribe in Apple Podcasts
Eco Chat with Laura Trotta Podcast
2022
July
May
April
March
February


2021
December
November
September
August
July
June
May
April
March
February
January


2020
December
November
October
September
August
July
June
May


2019
October
September
August
June
May
April
March
February
January


2018
December
November
October
September
August
July
June
May
April
March
February
January


2017
December
November
October
September
August
July
June
May
April
March
February
January


2016
December
November
October
September
August
July
June
May
April
March
February
January


2015
December
November
October


Categories

All Episodes
Archives
Categories
Now displaying: 2015
Dec 27, 2015

If you’re ready to step up and set some New Year Eco Resolutions for the year ahead, than this episode is for YOU!

So many of us focus our new year resolutions on health areas such as losing weight, getting fitter or quitting smoking, and while these are great goals to have, it make sense to include an eco resolution or two as well.

Why?

Because we can’t be truly healthy if our environment isn’t healthy. It’s a bit of a chicken verses egg kind of thing.

In this episode I wrap up my 2015 – where I did well eco-wise and where I didn’t go so well and why. Plus, I share my green goals for 2016 and encourage you to set some too!

If you're keen to learn more about how to get healthier, save some cash and live a big lighter on the planet this year, head on over to lauratrotta.com and pick up your FREE eguide '11 Steps to Eco-fy Your Home (and Your Life!).'

Dec 22, 2015
It's still early stages in the Australian summer but many areas of the country have already experienced heat wave conditions.
 
This isn't great news for our comfort levels but it's also not great news for our home energy consumption...... and power bills!
 
In this Eco Chat episode I share some tips to help you reduce your home energy consumption, without compromising your lifestyle.
 
I share the most effective ways to stop your home heating up in the summer months, the most effective ways to cool your home down (when it invariably does warm up), PLUS some of my best home energy tips for reducing your consumption without impacting your lifestyle.
 
If you're keen to dip your toes in further and learn the basics of reducing your home energy consumption, check out my FREE 5 Day Home Energy Challenge.
 
Aannnddd....if you're ready to dive head first and significantly reduce your home energy consumption with the guidance of myself, a former Home Energy Assessor, I'd love to have you on board greenHOUSE, my 21 day Home Energy Blitz.
Dec 15, 2015

Typically stretching from mid-November through to early January, the season to be jolly is a far contrast from the season to be green.

 

In fact, it’s fair to say that Christmas and excess go hand in hand. There’s often an oversupply of food and drink and for those of us with children in our lives, stacks of presents that can be played with once and discarded, or worse, broken shortly after receiving.

 

But that needn’t be the case.

 

You can enjoy the festive season without the wasteful trimmings and without being a party pooper. Often a little extra preparation and thinking outside the green box is all that’s needed for a sustainable Christmas.

 

In this podcast episode I share some tips to get you started eco-fying the three main areas of Christmas consumption – food, gifts and decorations.

 

PLUS if you're looking to get in Santa’s good books without costing the Earth, I have you covered!

 

Get your FREE eGUIDE for a Greener Christmas here.

 

It's my early Christmas gift to you so you can get cracking on dreaming of a green Christmas.....

Dec 8, 2015

When we typically first step out on our eco journeys so many of us are keen for information and have a real thirst for knowledge on how we can live cleaner and greener.

 

Over time this thirst can continue to grow and our quest to remove toxins from our lifestyles can be seen by others to be obsessive. Sometimes, we can start to feel isolated from family and friends who may not be as concerned, knowledgeable or interested in this way of life.

 

But what is obsessive?

 

Is it tossing out your entire Tupperware collection? Is it never wearing sunscreen when you venture in to the sun again? Is it never eating food that you haven’t prepared yourself?

 

In this episode I’m joined by one of Australia’s leading medical professionals, Fertility specialist, gynaecologist and Reproductive Endocrinologist, Dr Natasha Andreadis to chat about this exact issue and the dilemma may people face when it comings to knowing where to draw the line on eco and low tox living.

 

We chat about:

  • Why reducing our exposure to toxins is important,
  • Why it’s unrealistic to reduce our exposure to toxins to zero and why getting smart and savvy and taking a risk-based approach is the key,
  • How to tell the difference between a reputable and nonreputable website and why you shouldn’t believe everything you read,
  • Why we should consider how our bodies get rid of toxins as well as looking at our exposure to toxins, and
  • How to handle when family and friends just aren’t on the same page as you and why it’s best to lead by quiet example.

 

To get started on removing toxins from your home environment, download your FREE eGuide 'My Top 10 Natural Products For Cleaning Your Home Without Harsh Chemicals'' here.

 

Keen to learn more? Join me and my Home Detox Community in my popular Home Detox Boot Camp.

Dec 1, 2015

If you’re really striving hard to live a greener life but feel dismayed when you see all your efforts just slip away during a busy patch …. then this episode is for you!

This time of the year is crazy in most households. Christmas breakups, school assemblies and awards nights, dance concerts, work parties….. the list goes on!

In this episode I share my top 5 tips for staying green during busy periods, including:

  • How to take pressure off yourself during this time of year by scheduling commitments prior to the silly season;
  • How not to go over-the-top when entertaining;
  • Why planning is the key to running an sustainable home (plus a FREE gift for you to help you plan your meals);
  • How I run an efficient, eco kitchen;
  • Why it's important to go easy on yourself when things do slip.

To help you organise your eco kitchen and reduce food waste, download your FREE printable meal planner and shopping list. Consider it an early Christmas gift from me to you.

 

Nov 25, 2015

Does the amount of plastic waste in society drive you crazy? Do you like to party and entertain, but lead a busy lifestyle and want some single-use options that aren’t going to throw your green guilt into overdrive? If that’s you, stay tuned because today I’m talking to my first real-life Eco Hero, Tina Hart from Eco Party Box.

So I brought Tina on the show as my first real life Eco Hero because she’s doing a great job at making green mainstream. Tina is a wife, mother of four and a successful ecopreneur. She created online eco biz Eco Party Box with her husband Jonathan from their home in South Australia and is a great example of someone who’s stayed true to her passions, while providing for her family.

What I love about Tina is that she is so real and she’s open and honest about the struggles she faces with living a green lifestyle. In this interview we chatted about green guilt and how Tina manages it when it hits her.

I hope you enjoy this episode and get some good takeaways.

Click here to visit Eco Party Box's website.

Nov 18, 2015

If your home is being overrun by your kid's toys then this episode is for YOU!

Given it’s been estimated that around $1 billion is spent in Australia annually on retail toy sales, it's not surprising that many homes (and landfills) are simply bursting at the seams with toys.

In this episode I chat about the many environmental impacts of modern toys (including the batteries they contain), eco play alternatives and even suggest some ideas for helping to stop the toy invasion from well-meaning relatives at Christmas time.

For more tips on eco-living, and to get your FREE eguide '11 Steps to Eco-fy Your Home... and Your Life!' join the conversation at lauratrotta.com

Nov 7, 2015

Let me just start by saying I'm a fan of Michelle Bridges.

In 2013 I completed her 12 Week Body Transformation and lost my baby weight (all 18 kg of it) over six months. Her 12wbt promoted the use of fresh, wholefood ingredients and actively teaches participants to cook from scratch using wholefoods.

Which is why, like so many Australians yesterday, I was so disappointed with the release of Michelle's new advertising campaign with Woolworths, promoting her new frozen, microwavable meals. And yes, the fact she labelled those who grow their own vegetables as 'freaks' pissed me off a little too. 

So I decided to write an ode to Michelle and I decided to sing it. Because I do grow some of my own vegetables.....I even keep chickens....but I'm not a freak, or a weirdo, and I do belong here..... (ode inspired by Radiohead and music by claudiettodilusso)

Oct 26, 2015

If you've ever wondered if you should jump all in to a green lifestyle or dip your toes in and take things a bit slower, then today's episode is for YOU!

If you've followed me for a while you'll know that I promote the message that you can be green without compromising your lifestyle and this is something that I truly believe in.

I know I’m more than likely preaching to the converted here but sooooo many people genuinely think that being green equals going without or creating more work for yourself, and in some cases that may be the case, but in most, living greener simply involves being more mindful of the resources you're using and the waste you're creating. And all too often the pros of switching to a greener lifestyle like better health, more cash and deeper relationships, far outweigh any perceived inconvenience.

For more tips on eco-living, and to get your FREE eguide '11 Steps to Eco-fy Your Home... and Your Life!' join the conversation at lauratrotta.com

Oct 26, 2015

‘Eco’ and ‘frugal’ are pretty much the same thing, right? You might think that having the dollar and the environment in mind are interchangeable and complimentary, but they're actually quite different things. 

From a sustainability point of view, trying to live in an eco way is much better because whereas frugal people might buy the cheaper product because it will save them money in the short term, from an eco point of view we take into account so much more than the dollar value … things like where and how the product was produced, the lifecycle, quality, how long it will last, and how much waste it produces. So we might end up paying a lot more for an item in the initial outlay, but would be happy to spend more on a quality item that wouldn’t need replacing.

After all, quality always beats quantity!

For more tips on eco-living, and to get your FREE eguide '11 Steps to Eco-fy Your Home... and Your Life!' join the conversation at lauratrotta.com

Oct 26, 2015

If you've ever downplayed the efforts you're making to live greener because there's things you know you're doing that so aren't eco-friendly, then today's episode is for YOU!

So last week I met an amazing business mum in a group mastermind I've joined. We started chatting about our businesses and just life in general and before too long she said "oh, I'm not eco at all!" She went on to list all the things she hadn't done, like mentioning the fact she never got around to using cloth nappies on her kids.

The funny thing though was the conversation swung to just general living and she started talking about her chickens and pretty simple lifestyle on a rural block out of town and it dawned on me..... "You're more Eco than you think"! I mean, food waste alone makes up around 40% of the waste from Australian households and when you keep chickens you eliminate that pretty much altogether!

But our chat got me thinking a bit more. We often downplay the efforts we're making and feel guilty about the stuff we're not doing (like not using cloth nappies) but we forget to focus on the awesome stuff we are doing (like keeping chickens).

It's human nature to dwell on our misgivings, rather than our wins, but I really want you to focus on the great things you ARE doing. Give yourself some positive reinforcement every now and then, rather than beating yourself up and going on a guilt trip. You'll then be more inclined, and be in a much better headspace, to take the next step in your eco journey.

For more tips on eco-living, and to get your FREE eguide '11 Steps to Eco-fy Your Home... and Your Life!' join the conversation at lauratrotta.com

1