Go Green

For cutting waste

Family

• Next Birthday, Christmas, Valentine's Day or Easter, send an e-card instead of a paper one
• Having a shower instead of a bath saves about 40 litres of water. Install spray taps for new sinks, as they use less water than normal taps.
• Join the 15 per cent of parents who now use cloth nappies for their babies.
• Join a toy library to borrow toys and give old ones to other families.

Shopping

• Refuse plastic carrier bags - use a cotton one instead.
• Buy loose fruit and veg from a local market or grocer rather than highly-packaged goods from supermarkets - it can be cheaper too.
• Buy cotton cloths for the kitchen clean-up instead of disposable kitchen roll.
• Buy refills for sturdy packs of washing powders, liquids, salt, etc.
• Use a milk delivery service - the glass bottle kind - if there's one in your area.
• Making your own lunch instead of buying from a sandwich shop saves on packaging, and could also save you more than £4 a day or about £1,000 a year.
• Give cinema or concert tickets as gifts instead of disposable goods.
• Hire videos and DVDs, and borrow books from a library rather than buying them.

Home, computers and phones etc

• Avoid disposable batteries - use rechargeable ones with solar powered rechargers.
• Avoid single-use cameras.
• Only print when you really need to.
• If you do print, use both sides of the paper.
• Get a pad of 100 Friends of the Earth re-use mailing labels printed on paper made entirely from post-consumer waste for £2.50 (including p&p)

The Wuppertal Institute calculates that the amount of waste generated in producing everyday products is 1.5 kg for a toothbrush, 75 kg for a mobile phone and 1,500 kg for a personal computer.

• Recycle your inkjet cartridges
• Bear in mind the amount of energy your PC uses - don't leave it on standby all day.
• Recycle your old mobile phone via HFRS's freepost envelope which donates £2.00 per phone to the Fire Fighters charity.

'Green' Fingers

• Mulches are an invaluable garden aid. They are used to reduce water usage, to clear ground and to suppress weeds in planted areas. They work in weed suppression by excluding light, without which plants cannot grow. Mulches are applied as a 5-10 cm layer, depending on the material.
• Home compost your garden and kitchen waste - most councils now offer advice.

Electrical goods

• Buy reconditioned electrical appliances from organisations such as CREATE (London, tel: 0208 885 6209; Liverpool tel: 0151 448 1748).

• Avoid patio-heaters and electric lights in the garden - use citronella beeswax or vegetable-based candles to keep insects away.

• Old fridges contain CFCs and HCFCs. Recycle them and buy a "Greenfreeze" model. Retailer Comet will collect your old one and deliver it to Ozone Friends where it will be reconditioned and sold, or CFCs will be removed.

• Don't throw away old computers - sell them online (http://www.ebay.co.uk/), donate them to charity (http://www.digital-links.org/), donate to someone else (http://www.donateapc.org.uk/) or recycle them (http://www.wasteonline.org.uk/).

Recycling office furniture

The old furniture bank is going really well, so far over 100 items have been recycled and re-homed. More items have also been added to the stock. If you require any office furniture, or have old stock to dispose of, please contact Eunice Mabey with your requirements and hopefully she will be able to accommodate your request.

Energy Calendar

Most people would like to be greener, but this can be quite a challenge.  Breaking energy saving habits into smaller, manageable sections is a way of making those resolutions last. The energy saving calendar, is a month by month guide, to help you do something green each month

January The New Year usually means a good clear out.  Why not recycle instead of putting straight in the bin? Contact your local council to find what facilities they offer, donate to your local Charity shop or just give it away with Freecycle, the online giveaway site.

February Leaving something on standby uses 80% of the energy it does when in use ! Switch off at the mains, no more standby’s.

March Spring is in the air, so try turning that thermostat down a degree, or even off in rooms you don’t use regularly.  Still chilly put on an extra layer and see the change in your gas bills !

April Get that washing out on the line for that fresh feeling.  Tumble dryers are particularly uneconomical.

May Summer is on the way so why not install a water butt and composting bin in the garden.

June National Bike Week 13^th – 21^st June 2009. Try leaving the car at home and cycling in, failing that using public transport or walking.  Give it a week or too, it maybe easier than you think.  

July Help to save water, fix leaking taps, switch from baths to showers and turn off the tap when brushing your teeth.

August Planning a summer holiday, why not stay locally and let the train take the strain.  Or if you are going to fly offset your emissions.

September Before winter sets in make sure your home is fully insulated.  Up to a third of heat produced is lost through the walls !  You maybe even entitled to a grant, check out the Energy Saving Trust’s website for more information. www.energysavingtrust.org.uk

October Darker mornings and nights, so switch to energy saving bulbs, you can save £8 per year per bulb and they last six times longer.  Energy Saving Week 19^th-23^rd October 2009, visit the exhibition at HQ and received your free energy saving bulb.

November Join the car sharing scheme, save financially and make new friends.

December Christmas shopping, why not go green and local, presents from recycled goods can make interesting and original gifts.