Green England Tips

Drink tap water, not bottled and save money as well as helping the planet. If you don't like the taste use a filter. UK tap water is more tested and regulated than most bottled waters. The industry uses around 2.7 million tonnes of plastic in packaging not to mention the transport cost in fossil fuel. Even the plastic that is recycled has a transport overhead. So next time you want water - turn on the tap.

Buy Fair Trade where possible. It directly benefits producers and their families ensuring they can meet their needs for food, health, housing and education. Look out for coffee, tea, chocolate, bananas, rice, pasta, honey and many more delicious foods.

By unplugging your telephone charger once your battery is fully charged, you will save energy and money.

When you open the fridge door up to 30 per cent of the cooled air escapes. Have it open for the minimum time possible. Save energy and money.

Reduce the volume of waste by using re-usable rather than disposable items. Buy cloths instead of paper towels that you can rinse or wash and re-use. Saves money too.

Plastic bags take years to break down in landfill. Re-use the ones you have or better still buy long lasting cloth bags and re-use them time and time again.

A 40 degree wash cycle uses 3 times less electricity than a 90 degree wash.

Buy products that are locally produced to save on transport, create local jobs and encourage local business. Think of the pollution and waste of resources that come from buying goods from far away.

Before you go to bed, switch off appliances at the wall - remember the kitchen as well as the lounge. If everyone switched off we'd save up to £1 billion of electricity in Britain

Boil only the amount of water you need each time you use the kettle saving energy, time and money.

Fruit and vegetables that are in season are healthier, taste better and their cultivation has minimum impact on the environment - especially if you buy locally. Try ordering some organic vegetable boxes from a local farm and may be try something new!

When choosing between products, buy the one with the least packaging and with packaging that can be recycled. And then ensure you recycle it.

Next time a light bulb needs changing, replace it with an energy saving light bulb. It will use 20% of the electricity of a normal one and last up to 12 times longer. Saves money and energy and the hassle of changing bulbs so often!

When you cook a big meal using lots of pans and dishes means more dishwasher runs and/or washing up water. Save time, energy and money using one pot recipes.

Save water by turning the tap off whilst brushing your teeth and only using what is necessary. The same goes for washing hands or dishes.

Lend your support to a green campaign. Green England are currently asking for support in a petition to the Government to introduce a 10p tax on plastic bags and for the money to go to environmental projects. For more information see the petition

Anything other than recycled paper is not necessary for toilet paper. It is often cheaper than the main brands. Plus if you buy recyled paper it increases the market and thus further encourages recycling.

Don't get caught short! Take a fold up shopping bag - even a plastic bag that you can re-use - out with you so you never have to accept a new plastic bag when you purchase an item. And sign our petition

Get books from your local library. Save paper and money. Order new books to borrow for a fraction of what they would cost to buy. And borrow DVDs and CDs too.

Sprinkle some bicarbonate of soda on and clean with a damp cloth then rinse away excess for sparkling sinks, baths and hobs. Much more environmentally friendly than most cleaning products and cheap to buy too.

Keeping the lid on you pans whilst cooking saves energy allowing you to turn the plate or gas ring right down. Keeps your bills down too.

If you are just going out to the local shop or nearby friend, walk the distance. If cold or wet dress accordingly. Enjoy the walk and the weather - get exercise and save money and fuel.

Get a steamer with 2 tiers. Boil your organic potatoes in the bottom one and steam your organic veg at the same time. Save energy and have nutritious vegetables.

Turning off the oven 10 minutes before the end of the required cooking time and the oven will retain enough heat to finish the cooking. Ovens are so well insulated that they retain the heat often beyond this 10 minutes. Save energy and money.

Next time you need some new clothes - try the charity shops. You may be surprised at what you find there. Clothes that may have been thrown away available for re-use at a fraction of their original cost and you are contributing to a good cause at the same time. Reduce, re-use, recycle.

Next time you go shopping buy an eco-friendly cleaning product instead of your normal purchase. See blog and website for ideas.

Buy a traditional razor where you only have to replace the blade so you are not wasting all that plastic each time you need a new blade.

Don't go to the dump! Advertise for free any unwanted items that you are not going to sell on Freecycle. Someone may want your furniture, computer equipment, phone etc. And you never know what you might find in return...

Cooking food from frozen can use twice the electricity than cooking defrosted food. If you do this regularly you can significantly reduce both the the energy used and the cost of running your oven.

If you are going to an event, meeting or social gathering and you know others who are going too, offer to give a lift, or ask for a lift and share fuel costs. Every time you travel, consider if you could car share.

Its the Soil Association's Organic fortnight(1-16 September). Organic vegetables are usually higher in vitamins and minerals, grown without the use of pesticides and if you buy locally much lower in transport costs. And they taste great!

When eating out, try not to use outlets that supply the food with throw away plates, cartons and cutlery, being wasteful of energy and resources.

Many products now come in individual portions increasing packaging. Wherever possible, buy in bulk and split up at home in containers you use over and over again.

Soapnuts grow on trees, contain a natural detergent and cuts your laundry costs by at least a third. Environmentally friendly, sustainably produced, bio-degradable and compostable. Search our website for suppliers.

It takes far less energy to produce recycled paper than from virgin pulp and reduces paper ending up in landfill. Always buy recycled - ideally unbleached. If your local supplier doesn't stock it ask why. Find suppliers on the Green England website.

When buying cotton, choose organic. The cotton industry uses around 25% of the world's pesticides and insecticides.

Harvest time and with much UK fruit and vegetables in season, this is a great time of year to buy organic and local. Choose from plums, tomatoes, apples, pears, sweetcorn, damsons, blackberries, beetroot, courgettes to name a few.

Ask at your local takeaway if you can supply your own containers to take the food home in.

Dispose of your vegetable and biodegradeable waste by investing in a wormery or compost bin. If you recycle all your paper, glass, cardboard, plastic and tins and compost your biodegradeable waste there will be little left to go landfill.

Putting foil behind the radiators will help to reflect the heat back into the room allowing you to turn the dial down a little.

If you are not sure how to cook the veg in your box or not even sure what it and item is then have a look at the recipes on this site www.vegbox-recipes.co.uk

Switch the on button only when the Dishwasher or Washing machine is full. Save energy, water and money.

When choosing which make and model to buy of an electrical item whether washing machine or computer, fridge or photocopier, check out its electricity consumption at http://www.sust-it.net.

For all your dusting needs take an ordinary duster, soak in approx 2 tablespoons of warm water and use for all your dusting needs. Collects the dust up rather than spreading into the air. For glass and tiles add 2 tablespoons of white vinegar in addition. You can also add your favourite essential oil or lemon juice for fragrance. Tip contributed by Chris Hayward of Stop for Breath - seller of soapnuts.

Pour about 10 tablespoons of bicarbonate of soda down the sink, followed by 100ml white vinegar. The reaction between these two substances will get rid of the blockage. Rinse with boiling water.

Its been a great year for British apples and they are in season during the Autumn. So buy British apples, as local to you as possible, rather than the familiar varities from far flung lands. Support local growers and reduce food miles.

When you get a new pair of glasses, don't ditch your old ones. Ask your opticians if they take part in collection schemes or give them to a charity such as Vision Aid Overseas.

When buying new clothes, look at where they have been made, how far they have travelled and what they are made from.

Hairdryers use a lot of electricity. Give yourself time to let your hair dry naturally. Save energy, money, the environment and so much better for your hair.

To reduce food wastage plan your menus and write a list in advance of shopping. WRAP has reported that we waste as much as one third of the food we buy.

Use Green Oil .Green oil for your bicycle. Good for your bike and the environment. Green Oil is created from naturally occurring oils and plant extracts produce the same qualities you would expect from a quality chain lubricant.

Next time you want to redecorate, look at eco-friendly paints - an alternative to solvent based paints. These paints are also great for those who suffer from allergies, young children and people who dislike the smell of traditional paints. See Eco-Decorator for more information.

When buying consumable items, consider buying the largest size possible to get the best ratio of product to packaging. It usually works out more economical too.

Use a slo cooker for your meals - energy efficient and you can cook a whole meal in one pot.

Prepare not to send Christmas cards. Use email, telephone, meet people and greet them. Plant a tree, give to charity instead. But if you need to send a few cards, buy recycled cards and/or charity cards.

When you have a houseful of guests, you can probably turn the heating down or off, and anyway, all that partying and food will keep you warm! For more energy saving tips UK Energy Saving UK_Energy_Saving

At Christmas we use enough wrapping paper to more than cover Guernsey. As christmas approaches save wrapping from parcels, newspapers, magazines and other materials that could be used for wrapping presents. Be creative in your present wrapping!

Giving tickets to events, shows or the cinema ensures no packaging or wasted resources - maybe throw in a train ticket as well!

Pretty as they are when you are there, remember to turn the fairy lights off when you leave and at night. And try fairy lights and candles without the main light for romantic cosy nights in!

Recycle your Christmas cards by keeping them to make tags or cards for next year or to use as decorations on presents wrapped in newspaper. Or take them to Tesco, WHSmith, TKmaxx or M&S to be recycled for the Woodland Trust Scheme

Dry cleaning solvents are potentially poisonous. Do not buy dry clean only clothes. If you have to dry clean try a more eco friendly method - see Green Earth and find your nearest branch.

Look out for Fairtrade cotton when buying your summer T-Shirts. Some high street stores now stock them or look online at Green England.

When you are cooking meals with fresh ingredients, cook twice the quantity and freeze the extra. You will have home cooked meals to heat up for busy days with no time to cook. Avoids over packaged, over processed and over transported supermarket ready meals.

If you run water whilst waiting waiting for your shower to heat up, collect the water in a bucket and use it to flush the toilet or water plants. You will surprised at how much you will save from going down the drain. This tip was submitted by - UK Energy Saving - advice and tips on UK Energy Saving in your home and business.

To prevent leaving your bags behind when you go shopping; get into the habit of leaving them next to your car keys. Tip suggested by Lets Be Greener

Most mobile phones only take a couple of hours to charge. A plugged in charger continues to use energy even when the phone is charged so should not be plugged in longer than necessary.

If you are unsure of how to start your own organic garden or allotment, why not find somebody who would also be interested? You will make the most of your organic gardening adventure when you find someone to share work and the rewards – plus, helping each other out means you can go on holiday without worrying about your seeds and you can share tips and tricks to make a success of it! Tip submitted by Baby's Best

Next time you boil an egg, turn the heat off just after the water is boiling and give it just a few seconds longer than you normally would. A perfectly boiled egg using 3-4 minutes less energy!

Don't buy new furniture until you have checked out antique stores (not always expensive), second-hand stores or companies making furniture from reclaimed wood.

If you want to check that the fish you eat comes from well managed sources and caught with minimum danger to wildlife see www.fishonline.org

If you have unwanted CDs and DVDs that are no good for the charity shop, send them to Polymer Recycling for them to be recycled.

Plan your journey carefully before you go somewhere new in the car, checking the shortest routes and taking directions. Ensures minimum petrol use - saving CO2 emmissions, time, money..... and arguments!

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