"My Nana says..."

By Natalie Isaacs
Founder and Co-CEO of 1 Million Women

Many people don’t realise, but food waste is a BIG contributor to climate change. In Australia, every one in five shopping bags of food gets wasted. That’s about four million tonnes of perfectly good food going to waste each year! This would have been unheard of when our nanas were girls.

That’s why on April 11, 1 Million Women launched My Nana Says, a national campaign and competition encouraging young women to reduce how much food they waste by sharing tips and pieces of wisdom passed on from their grandmothers or mothers.

The fortunate thing is that cutting food waste is one of the easiest things we can do in our own lives to make a difference. By reducing food waste, many households can save $500 plus ½ a tonne of greenhouse gas pollution a year.

It’s such an easy step towards shrinking our carbon footprint. That’s why we’re asking our wonderful 1 Million Women community for a little ‘Nanatechnology’and inspiration from their nanas to share around.

My nanny’s advice was, “don’t let your eyes be bigger than your tummy, and NEVER shop on an empty stomach!” It’s simple advice, but keeping that in the back of my mind really influences my daily decisions. We want to know your nana’s tips, because there’s an abundance of wisdom out there just waiting to be shared!

The attitude that we’re trying to promote is that it’s not too hard to make a difference. Change is not out of our reach – quite the opposite! The potential for change is embedded in every choice we make, every action, and every word we speak. Women are powerful natural networkers and have huge influence in the consumer market place.

In Australia women make an estimated 85% of the purchasing decisions that affect our household carbon footprints. Absolutely every dollar we spend, how we live, and the choices we make directly affects the planet, the climate and future generations. To create change we have to make it, not think it. It’s about regular actions, however small. If 1 Million Women reduce their food waste, imagine the impact we will have!

My Nana Says is a competition in which we’re asking people to send in a tip and/or a picture of themselves and their nana (or another wise woman in their life – perhaps their mother or auntie).  Five entrants will WIN all expenses paid professional photo shoot for them and the one who taught them the winning tip. It will be such a fun bonding experience and a memory to last a lifetime. The competition is based on sharing knowledge and wisdom, which is what 1 Million Women, is all about!

Above all, 1 Million Women is a community. We engage women from the developed world and give them the tools to create change, because we are the ones with the power of choice and our everyday consumer choices make a bigger impact than we can imagine! So send in your tip! With your help we can make such a difference!

Good luck!

Thanks a million for being involved.

Nat

Note this prize is national; there will be 5 winners (plus their Nana/Mum/special wise lady) and all transport/travel costs will be covered for this amazing day in Sydney.

How do I enter?

SMS name, email address and pic and/or tip to 0419 815 102

Email: mynanasays@1millionwomen.com.au

Facebook: Go to the 1 Million Women Facebook page

So, what does your Nana say?