Little changes make a HUGE
Saving the planet need not be all compost toilets and shivering under blankets. Here the Daily Express reveals how the Banfield family embraced the challenge of living a greener life… and found even small steps take you in the right direction.
YOU don’t have to turn your life – or anyone else’s – upside down in order to help the environment. Small changes can lead to bigger changes that inspire others to make a difference too. Soon what seemed unusual feels normal, but cuts carbon emissions AND your bills. Doing less laundry conserves water and cuts down on harmful detergent pollution, choosing eco-friendly products reduces the amount of non-biodegradable plastic microbeads in our watercourses and tweaking your diet can reduce greenhouse gases from meat and dairy production.
You may already be recycling more, buying more local produce, or choosing less plastic, but don’t beat yourself up if you are not yet as green as your neighbour.
A local school’s decision to ban plastic straws had the knock-on effect of encouraging nearby cafes, pubs and restaurants to do the same and inspired parents Joe and Mandy Banfield, 43, from Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire, to become more eco-friendly.
Now the Banfield family – including children Amelie, 10, Archie, six and Ayla, four – are trying greener lifestyle choices, along with their family and friends, as they try to be more environmentally aware.
They recycle more, reuse more and refill glass jars with products rather than buy plastic-packaged goods.They eat less red meat and buy local products wherever possible; they buy less fast fashion and more second-hand clothes; they holiday more in the UK, have tried out an electric car and are looking into solar panels for their home.
KEY worker Mandy says: “Everything we have done has cost no more and has been a positive change and none of the alternatives have been a problem to find.We’ve made new friends researching greener alternatives, and converted a lot of our existing friends to greener lifestyles. It has been brilliant.You start with a few things and it kind of snowballs. I just wish we had been aware of the possibilities a lot sooner.”
Mandy adds: “It is really easy to make the changes and I can’t see any disadvantages.”
They are still weighing up the pros and cons of going food shopping or getting groceries delivered.There are two schools of thought.
Some say you should get shopping delivered because one supermarket van delivering 20 families’ groceries is better than 20 cars burning fuel to go to the supermarket.Also you are less prone to impulse buys if you are not browsing the supermarket shelves.
Others say you should shop locally, little and often, avoiding the big weekly shop when you are more likely to impulse buy food you end up wasting. It is easier to choose products without packaging.
Fruit and veg can also be around a third cheaper at local markets or greengrocers than it is at big supermarkets, saving a family almost £3 a week. Mandy has not always been happy with the fruit and vegetables in supermarket deliveries, meaning she ended up making another journey to replace them.
She prefers to bulk buy cupboard goods and have them delivered but finds she can sometimes be guilty of over-buying, increasing food waste.
Mandy says: “Most of the supermarkets have stopped delivering the food in plastic bags, which is good, but I would be happier to get deliveries if more of them used electric vans.”
Here’s the Banfields’ easy guide to going green:
Electric cars They swapped their seven-seater Seat Tarraco and five-seater Kia Picanto for a five-seater Kia e-Niro EV (electric vehicle) for a fortnight. They plugged it in just three times, at a cost of around £5, compared to the £125 they would have spent on petrol. At the moment the initial outlay is a barrier to them going electric but it is still their aim. Joe says: “If you’re trying to improve your environmental impact, the biggest thing you’re doing in terms of generating carbon is cars.”
Take staycations Mandy said: “Lots of people did in lockdown, of course, but we have now been five or six times to a caravan in Norfolk where the kids love to do a beach clean, litter-picking when we go walking, and we have been camping more.” Mandy and a friend from university were going to celebrate 25 years of friendship with a foreign city break but went to the Cotswolds instead and had a great time doing water sports.
Cycle and walk more The Banfields now walk to school and back, even in the rain. Mandy says: “If it’s wet we just take umbrellas. Parking near the school was always a nightmare anyway.We’ve even managed to get Joe to go on a bus for longer journeys.”
Cut back on meat Mandy says: “We used to eat quite a lot of meat. Now we are regularly doing a meat-free Monday and both Joe and I now prefer Devil’s Kitchen vegan burgers to meat ones.We have a notice board near the kitchen we use every Sunday to plan the week’s meals, and we have a food caddy to compost any food waste. But planning saves money and reduces food waste.” Even their cat Jasper is eating Yora cat food, made from insect protein, beetroot and seaweed. Mandy says: “He doesn’t seem particularly keen – but he needs to go on a diet anyway!”
Switch to a green energy supplier The Banfields’ renewable energy firm went bust but they will look for a new renewable energy company when the current global energy crisis eases.
Install an energy monitor Mandy said: “It’s
noticeable how much better Joe and the kids are at turning off lights when they see the blue light on, and we definitely only use the dishwasher when it is full. I also try to line-dry clothes as much as possible, though it’s difficult with three little ones and British weather.”
Get a water butt They reuse rainwater to water the garden.
Buy from charity shops “We have been donating for a long time, but it seemed that people looked down on you if you wore second-hand clothes,” says Mandy. “Now it is more than acceptable.” They also sell unwanted clothes through online apps and buy sustainable clothing from companies like Rapanui, which buy them back and recycle them.They have been investigating W’air sustainable fabric care, which removes stains without the need for a complete wash. Mandy said: “It could be a game-changer for school uniforms.”
Stop using single-use plastic They try to use cotton tote bags and paper carriers from sustainable sources, and have ditched plastic razors for reusable metal ones. Replace kids’ juices in disposable plastic packets and bottles with reusable drinks containers.The family has swapped plastic straws for washable rubber ones they carry with them for occasional treat visits to
McDonald’s.
Get milk and juice delivered in glass bottles
The Banfields started using a local dairy during lockdown. Mandy says: “I now loathe buying milk in plastic cartons unless we run out towards the end of the week and I have no choice.”
Use refill shops Mandy says: “We are lucky we have at least four in Milton Keynes.” As well as dried goods, they also buy washing products in refillable, returnable and recyclable packs, like toothpaste in glass jars, refillable Wild deodorant, sustainable Gruum shampoo bars, hand wash from Splosh, and dishwasher tablets from Smol, and Neal’s Yard Remedies made using renewable energy.
Joe is keen to buy more sustainable cleaning products in concentrate form. He says: “With traditional products, the proportion of costs and energy to ship what is largely water is frightening.”
Buy sustainable toilet rolls
Try loo roll made from bamboo, like Naked Sprout and Bumboo. Mandy said: “At first the kids turned their noses up at the idea, but they soon realised it feels no different. It’s not much more expensive and does not come in plastic wrapping.”
Stop buying disposable personal care products
Mandy converted to sustainable period products and washable cotton pads for make-up removal. She says: “My biggest regret is not getting involved in reusable products before I used disposable nappies for the kids.”
Buy reusable gift wrap
Mandy says: “We will definitely make use of it at Christmas.”