eco savvy
look out for the Ecolabel on light bulbs, paints and textiles - its awarded by the European Commission to products that meet regulations limiting environmental impact in every stage of the product's life.
stop
using plastic shopping bags that are a waste of money and contaminate our planet -
get a fabulous carry-a-bag that you will want to take to the shops - choose from a handmade range of plain linen, printed, ticking and vintage style fabrics and they are happy to make bags to commemorate a special occasion such as a wedding or special birthday
save money and energy
turn off appliances left on standby by simply plugging them into an automatic Energie Standby Shutdown - it takes control and automatically switches off the power... to switch back on, you simply press the reset button on the device www.energenie4u.co.uk
only boil the water you need for example, when making a cup of tea.
where possible use
rechargeable batteries
a short flush on a dual-flushing loo
repair
consider repairing, restoring or re-upholstering furniture as the alternative to buying new.
before you throw it away
check info on giving unwanted household items to www.freecycle.org which distributes them free of charge to others in your local community.
recycle
recycle ash, preferably sustainably managed hard wood by digging it into garden borders once a year or mixing it into the compost bin