Zero-waste pop-up educates migrant youth in Melbourne

For many new arrivals to Australia - the concept of a 'carbon footprint' can be either baffling or irrelevant. But high school students have been introduced to sustainable living through a novel pop-up in Melbourne’s CBD.

Tamara DiMattina, founder of the 'New Joneses' at the display home. Source: SBS

A zero-waste pop-up called the 'New Joneses' is helping to educate and inform thousands of visitors on the benefits of sustainability.

From a range of diverse backgrounds, secondary students from Collingwood English Language School received a guided tour from award winning environmentalist and 'New Joneses' founder Tamara Di Mattina.

There were no Joneses in the crowd - but a Lee, a Limb and a couple of Mohamads.

The “old Joneses”, Ms DiMattina explains, thought little of their carbon footprint, but she says those days have gone.

“We're consuming like there's a never ending supply so what the new Joneses do - they live much more thoughtfully,” she said.

Teacher Sean Morice says many students come from cultures where 'bigger is better' and waste can be common, with over-consumption rarely questioned.

So exposure to concepts like efficient LED globes, cross ventilation and the benefits of buying second hand are novel.

“For it to be cool - for it to be fashionable for it to be an option, is a great thing for everybody,” Mr Morice said.

Aden Mamb emigrated from Papua New Guinea eight months ago.

Students in the pop-up home. Source: SBS

The 13-year-old says he's always loved growing fresh fruit and vegetables and today learned even more reasons to develop his green thumb.

“You be fresh from the tree and you can eat healthy and when you go and buy you don't know what's in the vegetable,” the 13-year-old said.

Today's tour coincided with the release of projected figures suggesting Australia now produces enough solar energy to power Perth and Brisbane combined.

But Warwick Johnston who collated the figures says Australia still falls well short of its capacity to generate nine percent electricity through solar.

“Solar power produces most of its energy during the day so it doesn't mean that we've got nine percent of total energy consumption - it's more like 2.5 percent,” Mr Johnston said.

This is a number the 'New Joneses' hope will increase as the youngsters from Collingwood English Language School embrace the meaning and message of sustainability.