50 small steps to save the world
Air pollution ‘could kill 200 a year in Coventry’ Five easy ways to waste less & save more
FOR real change to happen to combat climate change, it must begin right now. Our message to you is simple and is underpinned by the hashtag #Do1Thing.
We want to ask you to make one small change today that collectively will make a massive difference for all our tomorrows.
So have a look at our list of 50 things to think about doing. Pick one, or pick several but please commit to changing today, so we can all do our bit to slow down the climate crisis.
1 WALK MORE, DRIVE LESS
LACE up those boots for shorter journeys and take public transport or cycle when you can. Taking your car off the road for one day a week makes a real difference. Cars are said to account for 60.7% of total CO2 emissions from road transport in Europe.
2 BRUSH WITH BAMBOO
THE first plastic toothbrush was made in the 1930s. They take 400 years to decompose, so every single toothbrush made is still out there. Bamboo handles take six months to compost.
3 SPEND LESS TIME IN THE SHOWER
THE average shower in the UK lasts eight minutes and uses around 60 litres of water, according to energy saving advice company TheGreenAge. Try a water-saving shower head which restricts the volume of water.
4 HAVE A LIGHTBULB MOMENT
SWITCH to energy-efficient light bulbs. And don’t forget to turn off lights when you leave a room.
5 GO GREEN WITH YOUR ENERGY
GREEN power can save you money but also sends a message to your supplier that you want to avoid electricity generated from fossil fuels.
6 STAY PUT FOR YOUR HOLIDAY
SWAP this year’s jaunt abroad for something in the UK. Travelling by train will make it even more eco-friendly. The Air Transport Action Group says flights worldwide produced 895m tonnes of CO2 in 2018.
7 PROPERLY INSULATE YOUR HOME
A well-insulated home is energy efficient, saving you a load of money and the planet precious resources.
8 MAKE YOUR MONEY GREEN
MOVE to a green bank that invests in clean energy.
9 FILL UP THE DISHWASHER
BY filling up the dishwasher completely each time, you’ll use less water than you would doing the dishes by hand, says Friends of the Earth. So not only do you have an excuse for not doing the pots straight away, you’re also helping to save the planet.
Talk about a win-win.
10 EAT VEGAN... AS OFTEN AS POSSIBLE
Even if it’s a day a week, try to eat more plant-based food. It takes more than 2,400 gallons of water to produce just one pound of meat but 25 gallons for one pound of wheat, PETA says.
11 MOO-VE ON FROM MILK
EVEN if it’s one day a week, try to go dairy-free. In an Oxford University study, boffins found that “avoiding meat and dairy is the single biggest way to reduce your impact on Earth”.
12 SHARING IS CARING
WHETHER it’s tools, clothes or books, borrowing from friends and neighbours will save you money, too.
13 WASH CLOTHES AT A LOWER TEMPERATURE
WE’VE all heard the wash at 30 mantra. A lower-temperature wash is less likely to shake out plastic fibres too.
14
SWITCH OFF STANDBY
THE Energy Savings Trust estimates up to £80 a year is wasted in the average home because appliances are left on standby while not being used.
15 DON’T BE CLINGY
TIME to stop using single-use plastic. Your lunch is a good place to start.
16 REPLACE SINGLE-USE ITEMS
BABY wipes, razors, tampons and nappies all have reusable alternatives. Start using them.
The average UK household produces more than a tonne of waste every year.
17 STEP UP RECYCLING
WE are all pretty good at recycling now, but we can aim to be better. Think about recycling batteries, old mobile phones, and broken appliances, to name a few.
18 DITCH DISPOSABLE
IS it so hard to buy a can instead of a bottle? A study by Earthwatch Europe found that 5.5 billion plastic bottles are littered, incinerated or sent to landfill each year, producing 233,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide.
19 CLEAN UP YOUR COFFEE
IT’S thought the UK uses as many as five billion coffee cups per year. Most contain a thin plastic lining. Lots of places offer discounts to customers who use their own cups.
20 PLANT YOUR OWN VEG
SAVE carbon emissions and think how chuffed you’ll be serving up your own spuds at teatime.
21 BUY LOCAL PRODUCE
SUPERMARKET produce can travel hundreds of miles to get to you, so start buying local where you can.
22 CUT DOWN ON COMMUTING
IF your job allows, work from home one day each week. You’ll cut carbon emissions from not travelling and won’t be tempted with plasticwrapped meal deals.
23 BRING YOUR OWN BAGS
STOP using plastic bags for loose fruit, veg and bakery items, too.
24 LOWER THE CENTRAL HEATING
PUT on a jumper! Put on two. Nobody can see you!
25 JOIN THE LOCAL LIBRARY
YOU can borrow books, DVDs, CDs and more at your library... and get a bit of peace and quiet.
26 GET ON YOUR BIKE
YOU’LL be exercising and doing your bit for the planet. If there was a large, worldwide increase in cycling, it could cut CO2 emissions from urban passenger transport by nearly 11% in 2050, according to Cycling UK.
27 SAY ‘NO’ TO FAST FASHION
CONSIDER buying fewer items that are better made so they last longer.
28 DON’T SAY THANK YOU
IF we were to send one less ‘thank you’ email a day that would save 16,433 tonnes of carbon a year.
29 PALM OFF THE PALM OIL
PALM oil is in many everyday products but it is a major driver of deforestation, destroying the habitat of endangered species like the Orangutan and Sumatran rhino, says the WWF.
30 GO NATURAL WHEN CLEANING
MOST cleaning products come in disposable bottles and chemicals can be harmful to you and the environment. Try eco-friendly alternatives.
31 TURN OFF THE TAP
WHEN brushing your teeth or shaving, switching off the tap could save up to 200 gallons of water a month.
32 DITCH DISPOSABLE CUTLERY
INSTEAD use a compact, portable cutlery set.
33 THE LAST STRAW
IF you’re offered one, do not use it. Marine animals mistake these and other plastic items for food. Plastic has been found in an estimated 90% of all seabirds and in all sea turtle species, according to the WWF.
34 NOT YOUR CUP OF TEA
SWITCH to biodegradable teabags. Or even better, loose tea. That’s a cuppa conscience right there.
35 SPEAK TO YOUR MP
ASK them to champion climate change policies. The 2019 general election promised much in green terms, but keep up the pressure.
36 USE YOUR TUMBLE DRYER AS LITTLE AS POSSIBLE
LINE-drying isn’t possible all year round but one dryer is thought to emit more than a tonne of carbon dioxide a year, so do your best.
37 RECHARGE YOUR BATTERIES
IF you use batteries regularly, invest in rechargeables.
38 CANCEL PAPER BANK STATEMENTS
THEY usually just head straight to the shredder anyway.
39 USE SHAMPOO BARS
IT’LL reduce your plastic waste.
40 BUY PLASTIC-FREE LOO ROLL
IT is thought that each person in the UK uses 110 toilet rolls a year – usually wrapped in plastic. There are alternatives out there – including ones made out of bamboo.
41 SOLAR ENERGY
IF you can afford it, invest in solar panels. It’s a renewable energy and doesn’t release any carbon dioxide.
42 SHARE THE JOURNEY
IF working from home or using public transport is not an option, join a car share scheme.
43 CUT FOOD WASTE
BE more mindful of what you are buying and throwing away. Freeze food for later and compost what you don’t use.
44 BOIL LESS WATER
AS Friends of the Earth explains, you’ll save water, money and energy by only boiling as many cups of water as you need.
45 GET A NEW BUDDY
COTTON buds could damage your ears as well as harming sea life.
46 FIX THOSE LEAKY TAPS
THEY can waste up to 60 litres of water down the drain every week.
47
VOLUNTEER FOR THE CAUSE
CHOOSE a charity or organisation and get in touch about volunteering.
48 BUY THINGS IN BULK
LESS packaging is better for the environment. Or go one better and use a zero-waste supermarket.
49 TALK A LOAD OF RUBBISH
IF we all pick up litter whenever we see it, imagine the difference it would make.
50
SHOP VINTAGE
CLOTHES can take up to 40 years to fully decompose, while shoes can take up to 1,000 years to break down. And while you’re buying vintage, why not think about recycling, donating or repairing old clothes, too?