Eco Chat With Laura Trotta Podcast

This past month I presented at the online Ecopreneur Summit, sharing tips and strategies for how to how to make your business more sustainable. It’s this presentation on How to Grow a Green Business that I share with you in this podcast episode. I also share details of my new Eco Business Collective, a major focus for me for 2021 and beyond. Eco Business Collective will become the premier online membership community for ecopreneurs and eco business builders. Members receive personalized coaching support and a network of connections to help them grow a thriving and profitable eco business online. If you’re growing an eco business and would like the support of an experienced environmental engineer and eco business coach (that’s me!) plus the support of a growing community of eco business builders, click HERE for more information on the Eco Business Collective. For a limited time you can take advantage of a FREE 30-day trial and lock in foundation member rates for the duration of your membership! Click HERE to j

This year I was invited to join the judging panel for the Australian Non Toxic Awards, a role that involved testing and critiquing a large range of zero waste products for the home. The full list of winners can be found on the Australia Non-Toxic Awards website, but I wanted to take the opportunity to showcase a few of my favourite zero waste products. I encourage you to support these eco businesses so you can reduce your environmental impact and in turn, help them make a bigger impact. For strategies and support to ditch single-use plastics, join my FREE 5-day Plastic Free Challenge. In just five minutes a day for five days you’ll learn how to break up with single-use plastics in and around your home and while out and about.

If you’re keen to reduce your toxin load AND you love cooking, this episode is for you. And if you use non-stick pans and your lining is damaged or you’ve accidentally overheated your pan and created fumes, this episode is especially for you. I’m discussing toxins you need to be aware of in traditional non-stick cookware and share some safer alternatives for you. Click HERE to download my Home Detox Cheat Sheet Click HERE to join my Home Detox Bootcamp

If you’ve changed some of your habits and have embraced a sustainable lifestyle, but you want to go one step further by offsetting your carbon emissions this podcast episode is for you. I’m joined by Louise Tarrier, CEO of Carbon Positive Australia. Louise will share how individuals and organisations can easily offset their carbon emissions to become carbon neutral and create a better future for us all. Follow Carbon Positive Australia on: Instagram Facebook  LinkedIn  

Electric vehicles are slowing making their way into the marketplace across Australia and overseas with companies such as Nissan and Telsa offering affordable entry level electric family car options.  In this episode we are joined by Dan Deleur, Vice Chair of the Australian Electric Vehicle Association South Australian branch to discuss the pros and cons of electric vehicles.  Dan's interest in EVs originated in Auto Racing 10 years ago and is augmented by his desire to reduce his environmental impact. His most recent endeavour is Designing and Building an Independently Constructed Vehicle (ICV) which is predominantly constructed utilising second-hand parts from several manufactures. The most relevant of which is the Electric Motor and Drive train sourced from a 2013 Tesla Model S. Progress on the EV Project nicknamed ‘Short Black’ and the associated Distractions and Creations that life with so many hobbies provides, can now be seen on Dan’s YouTube Channel Australian Electric Vehicle Association

Fresh lemons are a natural, safe and economical way to clean your home (especially if you have your own lemon tree!).  By replacing several common commercial cleaning products with fresh lemons you’ll reduce waste, save money and improve your health. In this episode I’ll share six simple ways to clean your home naturally with fresh lemons.  For tips on how to use natural products from your pantry to clean your home, join my FREE 5-day Green Cleaning Challenge For my complete framework to reduce chemicals and toxins in your home, join my Home Detox Boot Camp

Pure soap is the original general purpose cleaner. In its purest form, natural soap contains no extra additives such as colours and fragrances and biodegrades completely. In this article I’ll share the benefits of using pure soap for household cleaning tasks and my three favourite uses for pure soap flakes. For strategies and support to reduce chemicals and toxins in your home, including a heap of natural cleaning recipes, join my Home Detox Boot Camp

Did you know that one of the growing threats to our coral reefs lives in your beach bag? Sunscreen, or more specifically the chemicals found in many sunscreens, are contributing to coral bleaching and the subsequent death of our beautiful reefs. In this episode I share what to look for in an eco-friendly sunscreen, and in particular how to ensure your sunscreen is reef safe. Always look at ingredient lists to make sure reef-damaging substances (such as oxybenzone, butylparaben, octinoxate and 4-methylbenzylidine camphor, all of which have been shown to cause coral bleaching even at low levels) aren’t included. For strategies and support to reduce chemicals and toxins in your home, join my Home Detox Boot Camp. Resources: 2008 Sunscreen by University of Marche Environmental Working Group Sunscreen Choices

In reaching the milestone of 150 episodes of Eco Chat I thought it was timely to take a look back on the past (almost) five years of podcasting and share the top ten episodes, as downloaded by you! Did your favorite make the list!?! Be sure to leave a review for Eco Chat in Apple Podcasts to show your love and help other Eco Heros get the tips and info they need to create a healthier and more sustainable home and lifestyle. 

Many households who are making an effort to reduce the volume of single-use plastics they consume have trouble replacing one item…..the humble rubbish bin liner. In this episode I’m sharing four alternatives to single use plastic bin liners. For strategies and support to ditch single-use plastics, join my FREE 5-day Plastic Free Challenge.

Farmers and primary producers are experts in land management and meteorology. They need to be in order to survive.  Anika Molesworth is a recognised thought-leader of agro-ecological systems resilience. She is an agricultural science researcher, communicator and works in international agricultural development. Anika is also a passionate advocate for sustainable farming, environmental conservation and climate change action. She is a director of Farmers for Climate Action, a movement that puts farmers on the front lines of climate change and at the front and centre of the solutions.  In this episode Anika and I discuss how climate change is impacting primary producers and how farmers are uniting for climate action.

The catastrophic and unprecedented 2019-2020 Australian bushfire season, colloquially referred to as the Black Summer, burnt an estimated 18.6 million hectares (46 million acres; 186,000 square kilometres, 72,000 square miles), destroyed over 5,900 buildings (including 2,779 homes) and killed at least 34 people (including a number of firefighters). An estimated one billion animals were killed and some endangered species may have been pushed to extinction. At its peaks, air quality dropped to hazardous levels. Smoke from the Australian fires was detected some 11,000 kilometres (6,800 miles) away across the South Pacific Ocean in Chile and Argentina. The cost of the fires is expected to be in the billions of dollars. While the fires that ravaged every state and territory in Australia, particular the south-eastern States, are now extinguished and the world’s attention has turned to fighting the COVID-19 pandemic, we cannot allow the Australian Black Summer to become a memory. The impacts of Covid-19 will be a sp

Gut health is the foundation of good health and it's no different when it comes to our kids. In this podcast naturopath Jessica Donovan shares how to improve our kids gut health so they can thrive in our modern world. Resources Kids Gut Health eBook Natural Super Kids Video Training Series Natural Super Kids on Facebook

Eucalyptus essential oil is a natural, effective and economical way to clean your home. In part three of the Spring Cleaning Series I share many applications for cleaning with essential oil. Resources: Home Detox Cheat Sheet Home Detox Boot Camp

White vinegar is a natural, safe and economical way to clean your home. In part two of the Spring Cleaning Series I share many applications for cleaning with white vinegar in your home. Resources: 5-day Green Cleaning Challenge Home Detox Boot Camp

In this first episode of my Spring Cleaning Series I share how to remove mould from your home naturally without using chlorine bleach. Resources Home Detox Cheat Sheet Home Detox Boot Camp  

Are you curious about what the Council Climate Emergency Declaration movement entails? Want to understand what difference it actually makes to the climate crisis? Keen to know how you can get your local council to lead in climate action? If that’s you, you’re in the right place! In this episode of Eco Chat I’m joined by Climate Reality Leader and elected member of the Gawler Town Council, Ian Tooley. Ian was instrumental in the process of Gawler Town Council becoming one of the first council’s in Australia to declare a climate emergency and shares his experience of the process. Resources: SustainabilityB42L8 Facebook Page Gawler Town Council Elected Members Climate Reality Project Self Sufficiency in the Suburbs Membership Program

I’m a tea drinker and enjoy a wide variety of herbal teas throughout the day. In fact, I often joke that there’s a tea to match my every mood! If you love tea as much as I do, and want to ensure your tea habit is as green as possible (even when you like a black cuppa), this episode is for you! I’ll share five simple ways to enjoy your cuppa, sustainably. Resources: Reusable Coffee Cups at Sustainahome Bokashi Compost Bins at Sustainahome Use discount ECOCHAT10 to receive 10% off your first order

With much of Australia in the grip of drought, and rainfall patterns changing worldwide with climate change, water restrictions and increasing water prices are becoming the norm. It makes financial and environmental sense to reduce water consumption at the household level, and it makes even more sense to start in the bathroom where consumption is often the highest. Here’s six ways to save water in your bathroom. Resources Mentioned: FREE Shower Timer FREE Cheat Sheet: 30 Ways to Save Water in and Around Your Home Cullector Water Saving Shower Self Sufficiency in the Suburbs    

Are you ready to inspire the conscious kids in your life to save the world? If you are it's time you met Captain Garbology, aka Lee Constable. Lee Constable is a presenter, producer and, most recently, children's book author with a focus on science, technology and society. As the host of Australian science TV show, Scope, she researches, writes, presents and produces segments on diverse STEM topics. Put simply, Lee is a scientific artist, or a creative scientist! Lee's book How to Save the Whole Stinkin' Planet is coming out on World Environment Day- June 5th and aims to take young readers (grade 2-6) on a garbological adventure with a superhero called Captain Garbology taking kids on a quest to become Waste Warriors with hands-on DIY activities, waste science 101 and fun quizzes! You can purchase How to Save the Whole Stinkin' Planet HERE.