Area |
Issues |
Solutions |
Cleaning products |
- Many cleaning products contain chemicals which are harmful to the environment and to animals, birds, and fish
- Washing your car swills harmful chemicals into rivers
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Furniture and textiles |
- Was the producer of the furniture fairly paid for their work? (is it Fair Trade?)
- Was it made from a renewable resource?
- If the fabric is made from plant fibre, was the plant grown organically?
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Disposals |
- Anything you throw away will end up in a landfill site, emitting methane into the atmosphere
- Many materials are from non-renewable resources (e.g. metal & plastic)
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- Think before you throw it away.
- Can it be recycled?
- Could you give it to a charity shop / thrift store / goodwill store?
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Energy use |
- Is your electricity coming from a sustainable source?
- Have you considered solar panels?
- What about wind power?
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- Switch to a green energy supplier
- Don't leave electrical items on standby
- When boiling the kettle, only put in as much water as you need (this makes the tea taste better too!)
- You can get grants to switch to solar panels
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Heating |
- Gas is extracted from the Earth and is a non-renewable resource.
- Electricity is frequently generated from nuclear energy (and 25% of the power is lost in transmission through the National Grid) or from coal-fired power-stations, another non-renewable resource.
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- Consider using a wood-burning stove (it's carbon-neutral)
- If you have central heating, turn your thermostat down a few degrees and put a jumper on instead
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Insulation |
- No point having green energy if it escapes out of the roof.
- Is your loft insulated?
- Is the insulation material non-polluting and from a sustainable source?
- Do you have double-glazing?
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Recycling |
- Glass, plastic, clothing and textiles, paper and metal can all be recycled
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- Sort your waste
- Don't buy items with packaging which cannot be recycled
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Lighting |
- Uses electricity
- External lighting can cause light pollution and disturb animals
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- Use energy-saving lightbulbs
- Don't leave lights on
- If you have an external security light, make sure it is only triggered by a sensor, not left on all the time
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