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'Free the leaves!' Costa Georgiadis on his three most useful objects

If there was any doubt Costa Georgiadis is a man who lives his job it’s dispelled when he answers the phone, freshly washed, after getting himself covered in mud in the garden.

The Gardening Australia host has always offered a wealth of ideas but, during a pandemic that has left many of us housebound, his pragmatic optimism has taken on a particular poignancy – and attracted a surge in ratings, too. So what does the man who has taught Australians to think like a microbe, and guided us through an urban henhouse boom, do for himself every day? We asked him to share three items he relies on.

1. A tea infuser

I have this metal cylinder, and it’s got holes all down the sides, and I use it every day … well, I have two actually. I use it to free the leaves. If tea leaves are floating around in the water, if they really have space to flip and swim about, then they’re going to release more flavour, they’re going to be happier, and your tea is going to taste better. You don’t want them all crunched up in a bag that more than likely has microplastic in it, too.

These tea infusers are actually part of a kit I’ve got together, along with a big 70s Thermos and several different kinds of tea. It’s great because I can take it with me to work, or wherever I go, on the road and make tea for myself and for the crew whenever I want – especially now that I’m not travelling as much. Whenever we’re out shooting I can bring it along.

2. A tabletop food waste bin

These are fantastic. I just use a bucket for mine. A lot of people say to me, “Oh, it’s going to smell,” or they’re worried about getting those biodegradable lining bags. But you don’t need them! Line the bin with newspaper and include paper towel and cardboard as you go. It absorbs liquid, helps prevent smell and keeps scraps form sticking to the bin. Then you can just carry the bin and empty it out if you’ve got a food waste collection bin where you live, or you’re going to put it on the compost pile or feed it to the chooks or the worms. Then on to the garden it goes as compost. It means that waste actually becomes useful to you.

Always make sure the bin has a lid so you don’t get those pesky little vinegar flies. Put the bench-top bin in the fridge for a bit if you don’t have time to empty it.

Related: Grinding away: 11 ways to reuse leftover coffee grounds

As soon as you start separating your food scraps out, you start to become more mindful of what goes in your red (non-recyclable landfill) bin. You can work on getting as little in there as possible. I also have soft plastic recycling, which I separate out. It’s my challenge to keep my red bin as empty as possible, but then it just becomes a habit. I don’t even need to think about it any more. As soon as you take your food waste out of the equation, you’ll be finding you’ll need the recycle bins more and the landfill bin less.

3. A pair of budgie smugglers

All throughout winter I’ve been swimming in the ocean every day. I just wear standard swimmers because when it’s freezing cold the last thing you want is boardshorts – all that extra fabric – flapping around as you make your way back up the beach.

Swimming every day is one of the best things about not being on the road so much. It’s completely refreshing. A shock to the system. You get in and it’s so cold. When the air is actually colder than the water you stay in and just adjust.

I’ve just love flapping around, body surfing – a little like one of those tea leaves – but it’s been great. It’s a real freedom. The other day, coming back from the beach, a jogger ran straight up to me and did this perfect pirouette! I asked him, “Do you hit that spot every time?” And he said yes – he hadn’t even noticed me. It’s that classic carved-in routine, those things you can do without thinking about them. If you stop to ask why you’re doing them, how you’re doing them, it opens your eyes. I love that stuff.