For our New Year’s resolutions in 2020 it seems only appropriate that we do them in a green fashion.
Repurpose glass jars. Because they have screw-top lids they are great as leftover containers or bulk storage. Ideal for taking down to For Earth’s Sake, in Cranleigh, to restock.
The inevitable New Year clear-out. Make sure you donate to our wonderful charity shops. They take almost anything, even clothes with holes in! Try to save it from going to landfill.
Use reusable bags for shopping, grocery or otherwise. Keep a stash of them in the boot of your car or somewhere that you won’t forget to take them with you.
Turn the lights off when you leave a room.
Hang your laundry to dry rather than using the tumble dryer. This time of year with the heating on I find that it dries perfectly well when hung indoors.
Switch appliances off when you’re not using them, rather than leaving them on standby. We all know that we should but most of us don’t!
When the sun reappears open the curtains rather than switching on the lights.
Pay your bills online to save a paper bill from dropping through your letter box.
Use Ecosia as your search engine. For every 45 online searches they will plant a tree. And it’s just a good as google. (ecosia.org)
Switch your utilities provider to one that deals only in green energy. It’s easy to find one if you head to uswitch.com or any of the comparison websites.
Before buying anything (non-food) check that you can’t get it second hand first.
Mend leaky taps and toilets. A tap dripping just 10 times a minute will waste 3 litres of water every day!
Collect rainwater for your garden and indoor plants. Obviously at this time of year the outside plants are getting plenty of water but now’s the time to fill a water butt or two for when the rain decides to stop.
Turn the temperature down on your thermostat by a degree or two. Lowering your heating by a single degree can save you as much as £80 a year in heating costs. Fetch out those winter jumpers and fluffy slippers to keep you cosy instead.
Check that the seal around your front door, back door and windows are working effectively. Especially at this time of year a gale can blow in, seriously increasing your heating bill.
Grow houseplants, they help to remove toxins from the air in your home.
Plastic is found in tampons and sanitary pads! Visit citytosea.org.uk to find out how easy it is to cut plastic out of your periods and save you money.
Where you can, buy organic and locally sourced fresh produce. Where that’s not possible check out the Clean Fifteen fruit and vegetable list. These 15 products are not typically as contaminated with pesticides as others. Though also be aware of the Dirty Dozen list that should always be bought organic because they can be highly contaminated if bought non-organic.
Always buy recycled toilet paper. It’s estimated that over 100,000 trees are cut down each day, worldwide, to make toilet paper! These days you can even buy it without a plastic wrapper. Who Gives A Crap and Greencane are just 2 companies that sell it plastic free but there are probably others.
And above all reduce, reduce, reduce. Every purchase should be carefully considered. Your purse and your planet will thank you.
