October is Buy Nothing New Month - it's an initiative that aims to get people thinking about where a product comes from and where the waste goes when they're finished with it.
The concept, which started in Melbourne in 2010, asks people to try to buy nothing new for the whole month, except essentials such as food, hygiene and medicines.
The Choose Tap education program, an initiative run by Victorian water retailer Yarra Valley Water, is a supporter of Buy Nothing New Month.
The Managing Director of Yarra Valley Water, Pat McCafferty, says Choose Tap aims to increase awareness of the financial and environmental benefits of not buying bottled beverages.
Researchers estimate some plastic bottles take around 450 years to break down in landfill and Australia’s use of bottled water generates more than 60,000 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions each year.
