Family Plan part 2 - green things to start this year
Posted by DavidM in Family plan | 21 October 2006
I've previously written about the first part of my environmental family plan - the things I had already been doing that reduces the impact of my families lifestyle.
Below is part 2 - a much longer list of things I plan to do in the shorter term (about a year) to reduce our impact on the environment. These are based on the book "Go Make a Difference" with my own extras added.
This list tends to be the lower investment activities. Stuff like solar panels are in part 3 - things I want to do but won't get done or can't afford this year.
Items with an asterisk are those I have already done something about since I wrote this list at the beginning of summer.
Shopping
- Try environmentally friendly cleaning products*
- Buy rechargeable batteries*
- Get more low energy light bulbs*
- Buy more Fairtrade/Tradecraft things
- Buy more in bulk
- Buy a fridge saver plug
- Get a solar powered battery charger*
- Buy fruit and veg from a greengrocer
- Buy recycled toilet paper
- Use pure soap
- Find farm shops and buy from them
- Pick 1-2 things to only eat organic
- Only drink Fairtrade coffee
- Buy low suplhur fuel
- Get a solar powered mobile phone charger*
- Change my ISA to ethical investments
Gardening
- Extend the veg patch further
- Use boron-based wood preservative
- Get a ladybird box
- Install a bat box
- Start composting*
- Plant more trees and bushes
Household
- Check plumbing for leaks
- Fix dripping taps
- Reduce water used in toilets*
- Use the over more than the hob
- Turn microwave off*
- Dry clothes on the line when it's nice
- Check the house for draughts
- Use radiator valves more
- Check fridge temperature is 3-5 C
- Dust fridge condenser coils
- Shred newspapers for guineau pig bedding
- Clean chimney and use fire in winter
- Make logs from newspapers
Miscellaneous
- Give coat hangers back to shops and dry cleaners
- Cycle to the railway station and shops*
- Walk to school more*
- Go for weekend country walks
- Join the library*
- Register to end junk mail
- Register with the Telephone Preference Service*
- Take old magazines to waiting rooms
- Drive slower*
- Don't buy Esso
- Check tyre pressures regularly
- Buy retread tyres
Finally, part 3 will be the bigger ticket items. Either costing a lot or more disruption to the family. These will take longer to introduce because I need to save up or work on the family to accept the ideas.
Comments
You can also make a huge environmental difference by using reusable shopping bags instead of plastic and paper bags that cause untold environmental damage. See the facts at www.cleangreenbags.com.
