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THESE days people are more aware of their impact on the environment according to first-time Sustainable Living Expo exhibitor Mel Cooper. Saturday's sunny weather attracted hundreds of people to the Bathurst Showground for the expo which coincided with the monthly Bathurst Farmers' Market. Not only could the community hear about the latest in sustainable living methods, but guest speaker, and founder of Planet Ark and Do Something! Jon Dee held a captive audience for more than an hour. He spoke about the impact people have on the environment and the need to reduce waste, in particular food waste. "The average household in NSW wastes $1000 a year on food that's good quality that is thrown away," he said. Reducing household waste is also a passion for first-time exhibitor Mel Cooper form Sustainable Education and Eco Chooks. Her stall was laden with information on sustainable information, including having chickens in your own backyard. "Bathurst Council contacted us, they wanted to do something different and focus on reducing house hold waste," she said. "A lot of people are going back to the basics, they've got their chickens, they've got their worm farms and they're composting. "Look at kids today with their allergies, people are conscious about what goes into their food." Ms Cooper said parents often tell her that their children "don't know where fresh produce comes from". She said you don't need a lot of room to have chickens in your own backyard. "You can have anything from a small backyard, apartment, acreage and we also see elderly people, couples, families have them, it's such a diverse consumer base," she said. The community also had a chance to find out about renewable energy at the Bathurst Community Climate Action Network (BCCAN) stall on Saturday. "We've talking to people about climate change and we've shared suggestions about renewable energy," BCCAN secretary Bob Hill said. Among the items on display were solar powered toys to highlight just how powerful the sun's energy can be. Mr Hill said well over one million households across Australia now use solar power. "You can save money while you save the Earth," he said. Bathurst Regional Council mayor Gary Rush said there were a number of new additions to this year's expo and said it was a "coup" for Bathurst to have Jon Dee as a special guest. "[He shared tips] on stopping energy and food waste which will help save you money and time as well as help the planet along the way," he said. During Saturday's expo there was also an animal show as well as talks on composting, chickens and up-cycled gardening.

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