The Green Parent
Raising kids with conscience
2 Apr 2009
Make do and mend
The majority of Britons believe the country should once again embrace the wartime spirit in an effort to cut down on waste, according to research from the Energy Saving Trust, the UK’s leading organisation set up to help people fight climate change.
Make do and Mend – Today, try making the most of your existing wardrobe by customising or adapting your clothes to fit current trends and repairing items that are in need of a new button or zip. If you are ready to clear space in your wardrobe why not organise a clothes swapping party with a group of friends or take items to your local charity shop.
Walk Short Distances – Try walking or cycling to work to save on season ticket and fuel costs.
Save Fuel – There are many ways we can now reduce our fuel bills. Small behavioural changes such as only boiling as much water as you need, turning your thermostat down by one degree or insuring your home is fully insulated can lead up to savings of around £340 per year.
Save Kitchen Scraps to Feed the Pigs! Keep a kitchen compost caddy: Over 30% of an average household bin can be composted at home, from vegetable peelings and teabags. Using a container or kitchen caddy to collect your compostable waste from the house will save you having to make a trip to the compost bin every day! Composting your kitchen food waste not only reduces the amount of waste sent to landfill but also provides a free nutrient rich soil that your plants and flowers will love.
Don’t Waste Water – Stop those drips: Mending your dripping tap washer could prevent the waste of up to 5,500 litres of water and, if you’re on a water meter, it could save you over £18 a year.
(Source: Waterwise)
Waste Paper is Still Vital – In 2007, some 8.6 million tonnes of paper were recovered in the UK – half of this was recycled by paper mills here and explains why our newspapers are printed on 100% recycled paper. Where possible always try and recycle your paper.
(Source Recyclenow).
Dig for Victory – Try and eat locally produced, seasonal fruit and vegetables or grow your own in a patch of garden or a window box.
Holiday at Home – During the holidays why not spend time visiting your local area and enjoying local parks and attractions.
Don’t be Fuelish! Priced from just £2.00, energy efficient light bulbs last around 10 times longer and for each bulb you fit, you can save around £3 on your annual electricity bill. If every UK household installed just one energy efficient bulb we’d save over £75 million per year!
Keep Calm and Carry On – If you need more information and would like to speak to a local advisor for free impartial advice call the Energy Saving Trust on 0800 512012.
Melissa Corkhill is the editor of The Green Parent magazine, mother of two and author of the book Green Parenting
Bookmark this article
RSS Feeds 
Get notified when new articles are published via RSS (what is RSS?). Grab the Green Parent RSS Feed
Marketplace
The Green Parent is the UK's leading green lifestyle and natural parenting magazine. A truly inspiring read, TGP is like nothing else on the newsstand, with insightful intelligent journalism covering topics from babywearing and attachment parenting to home-education and alternative medicine. Each issue features regular columns on Organic Gardening, Seasonal Food and Drink, Green Travel, Ethical Fashion and lots more.
You must be logged in as a registered user to make comments. Login or Register