Easy Ways Your Family Can "Go Green"

There are lots of easy ways your family can go green. Going green is not about huge sacrifices or expensive products and technology. It's about conservation (of energy, natural resources, water, paper, the environment, the flora and fauna we share it with) and small changes will often make a big difference, benefiting your family as well as the planet.


Regardless of all the controversy and debate about global warming, it makes sense to treat our home (the planet we live on, the only inhabitable planet in the Universe as far as we know) with respect and consideration.


It's a good idea to calculate your carbon footprint (the measure of your impact on the environment) to understand your current impact on the environment.


Then you can try implementing some of the following simple tips.

Don't overwhelm yourself, just choose one or two of your favourites and start there.



1. Turn Down the Volume


Making small changes will reduce your CO2 emissions as well as your household bills.


Standby: Appliances on standby account for 6-10% of household energy use. Turn off and unplug appliances when not in use.


Kettles: Only boil the amount of water you need.


Batteries: Use rechargeable batteries. While they use electrical power, they prevent the necessity for disposing of toxic material, which may leak into the ground and have a detrimental effects on wildlife and ecosystems.


Washing Machines: Turn down the temperature and always put a full load of washing in.


Dishwashers: Wash pots by hand wherever possible. Lots of pots means lots of people have been using them. Lots of people = lots of dishwashers!


Energy Providers: Switch to an energy provider that uses renewable energy sources.


Thermostats: Turning the thermostat down just 1 degree can save 10% of your heating bills and reduce your carbon emissions by over 5%.


Light Bulbs: Use energy efficient light bulbs.


Insulation: Half of the heat lost in a home escapes through the windows and walls. Invest in cavity wall insulation, double glazing and loft insulation. (It's worth investigating whether you are entitled to various grants available to help people with insulation.)


Power Gadgets: There are a number of gadgets on the market that will show you how much energy you are using. Some will even display your carbon emissions.


2. Eat Well


You can help your family go green and also improve their health in the ways you purchase, prepare and cook food.


Buying Local Produce: Buy fresh, local, organic food in season. Buying local produce minimizes CO2 emissions from food miles, means the food will be fresher and probably cheaper, plus it supports the local economy.


Buying Organic: Organic food means you will be eating food free from chemical pesticides.


Honey: Choosing local honey not only supports local bee colonies (many of which have been struggling recently) and beekeepers, but is the healthiest option too. Eating local honey reduces hayfever, for example.


Fish: Be aware of where your fish has been caught and under what circumstances.


Preparing Food: Only prepare and cook the amount of food you need to avoid waste. Recycle leftovers into another meal rather than throw them out. Leave the skins on vegetables rather than throwing them away, or recycle them by putting them on a compost heap, or feeding a pet rabbit.


Cooking: Convection ovens use less energy. Try not to open the oven door when you are cooking something. Save energy by cooking twice the amount you need and freezing. This will save you time as well as money on fuel bills, as you will only have to (thoroughly) re-heat the food rather than cooking a meal from scratch. Use lids on your pans and turn down the heat or use a smaller ring to fit the size of pans on the hob.


3. Travel Lightly


Thinking carefully about the ways in which you travel and whether you can adapt them, will help your family go green by cutting down CO2 emissions.


Local Travel: Walk, use public transport or car-share.


National Travel: Use public transport or car-share for unavoidable journeys. Only travel when it's necessary. Perhaps a business meeting could be conducted by video conference. Perhaps information or materials could be sent technologically or by post rather than delivered in person.


International or Interstate Travel: Holiday at home rather than abroad. We spend so much time escaping to far-flung places when there are treasures on the doorstep. When you do travel abroad, travel by sea, an adventure in itself. Use the train or bus rather than the driving/flying when traveling overland


4. Make a Splash


Water consumption is as important as energy consumption when going green.


Bath/Shower: Taking a shower rather than a bath generally uses less water (and energy) but be aware that using a power shower for five minutes can use as much water as a bath, and that old shower heads will use more water. The average bath uses 30-50 gallons of water, the average shower (4 minutes with an old shower head) uses about 20 gallons, and a low flow shower head uses about 10 gallons.


Water-Saving Appliances: Low flow showers will use less water but are designed not to have a negative effect on performance. The cistern of a toilet can flush effectively with half the water. Take up some space in your cistern by filling a large bottle with water and placing it inside the cistern.


Washing Machines: Always wash a full load and use an economy programme wherever possible.


Taps: A leaking tap can lose up to 15 litres of water a day. Fixing leaky taps will save water and might even save you money: feng shui belief is that water is the element of money and that leaking taps mean financial energy is also lost.


5. Re-use, Repair or Recycle


Most things can be either repaired, re-used by someone else or recycled into another product, saving the energy needed to make new products.


Household Refuse: Most household refuse can be recycled. Glass, paper, plastic and metal can all be recycled through local schemes. Much of what is left can be recycled by putting it on a compost heap.


Clothes: Take clothes to a charity or second hand shop, sell at car boot or garage sales or pass on to friends and family.


White Goods: Various organizations including charities and local community schemes will recycle white goods. When you buy a new item, ask the supplier if they have a recycling scheme for your old items. Fixing a fridge seal will prevent the necessity of disposal.


Electrical Equipment: Upgrade electrical equipment like computers, if possible. Local community exchange schemes or charities, including ActionAid and Oxfam will recycle or redistribute things like mobile phones, hoovers, computers, stereo and television equipment.


6. Plant a Tree


Trees are essential to human life, the great forests are the lungs of our planet. They are also essential to local biodiversity, providing excellent habitats for a great variety of species.


Choose Carefully: Always plant a native species of tree as it will be more likely to thrive and will support the local biodiversity. Sourcing seeds or saplings locally will cut down any CO2 emissions involved in transportation as well as supporting local economy.


Woodland: Get involved in maintaining a local woodland.


Local Conservation: Explore other local conservation projects.


7. Make Friends with Nature


Working with natural rhythms and powers is essential to being green in the garden.


Food: Growing your own food means it will be organic and incredibly fresh, plus it will save you money.


Water: Use a water butt to collect rainwater and use this to water your garden, or recycle household water from baths and washing pots. Consider drought tolerance when choosing plants.


Wildlife: Encourage wildlife into your garden by building a pond or placing bird boxes and a bird bath in your garden, or build a hedgehog home from a pile of old logs. Keep a messy spot in your garden, perhaps a patch of unruly nettles.


Organic Pest Control: Wildlife will help with pest control, but you can also use organic products.



Ask for advice at your local nursery or garden centre.


8. Go Paperless


The world is increasingly becoming paperless with the development of new technology.


Paper v. Power: Consider the balance of using less paper but increased energy.


Communication: There are many ways to communicate today without paper - emails, texts, instant messenger services, video phone calls, etc.


Bills: Pay as many bills as possible online.


Books: Read ebooks, use the library or buy second hand.


Junk Mail: Sign up to a Mailing Preference Service to opt out of junk mail. If you do get junk mail, recycle it through a local scheme or at home, by using envelopes to make notes, or by making your own beautiful hand-made paper (there are plenty of books about this or online recipes.)


9. Use Your Consumer Choice Wisely


As a consumer, you have a great deal of power and can use it to benefit the environment and local economy.


Bulk Buying: But store-cupboard essentials like rice and flour in bulk.


Packaging: Almost 20% of household rubbish is packaging. Avoid this by choosing concentrated or unwrapped products. Take your own bag when shopping to avoid using plastic carrier bags.


Energy Efficiency: When buying a new electrical item, ensure it is energy-efficient.


Local, Sustainable Sources: Choose green companies that use local, sustainable materials. This will limit CO2 emissions from transporting goods and will support the local economy.


Recycled Products: Buy recycled products whenever possible, toilet paper for example.


Clothing: Choose clothing from ethical companies, using natural materials and environmentally sound processes. Consider also how far clothes have traveled between the place they are made and the place they are sold.


10. Detox Your Life


We use many products and materials that are harmful to us and to the environment. Helping your family go green means disposing of these safely and replacing them with more natural products.


Disposal: VOCs in paint and preservatives are harmful to people and to the environment. Never dispose of them down the drain or in the bin. Contact your local council for safe disposal. Likewise, take medicines to your local pharmacy to be disposed of carefully.


Natural Cleaning Products: Use natural cleaning products either purchased from an ethical company or make your own. White vinegar, bicarbonate of soda, lemons and olive oil will clean most surfaces in your home.


Natural Materials: Use natural materials like wood, cotton and wool in your home.




Useful Websites:


Smart Planet

The Consumer Energy Center

Energy Watch

Top Tips to save energy and money from Friends of the Earth

One small, simple step to helping your family go green, a step you can take right now, is to sign up to the Nag, an environmental site that will send you one small thing to try every month in your effort to go green.


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