20 WAYS to save the planet AND your cash!

Ditch shower gel. Ignore best before dates. Switch light bulbs . . . just some of the little changes that could give you £2,500 extra a year

THERE is a misconception that ‘going green’ is expensive. But you don’t need to spend thousands on solar panels or buy only pricey organic food to save the planet. There are lots of simple ways to help the environment while also putting money back in your pocket. Here, ROSIE TAYLOR explains how you could save nearly £2,500 with our top 20 eco-friendly lifestyle swaps . . .

1. DITCH LAUNDRY DETERGENT

TRY switching from traditional laundry detergent and fabric softener to environmentally-friendly Ecoballs. The plastic balls contain natural materials, eliminate the need for fabric softener and last much longer. Customer reviews say they clean effectively, but are unscented, so you may need to add a drop of essential oil.

SWAP: Persil Non Bio, £7 for 38 washes (18p per wash) and Lenor conditioner, £3 for 54 washes (5p per wash).

FOR: Ecoball £19.95 for 1,000 washes (2p per wash). YEARLY SAVING: £34.32 (based on three washes per week).

2. BRING YOUR OWN CUP

BUYING a reusable coffee cup not only stops plastic- coated single-use coffee cups ending up in landfill, it can also save you money. Most High Street coffee chains offer discounts to customers who bring in any reusable cup, as long as it fits in the machine. Discounts include 50p off at Pret a Manger, 25p off at Costa and 20p off at Greggs. At Starbucks, you get 25p off plus you avoid the 5p disposable cup charge, saving 30p in total.

SWAP: Starbucks tall americano, £2 plus 5p disposable cup charge.

FOR: Starbucks tall americano, £1.75 in reusable cup.

YEARLY SAVING: £75.90 (based on one coffee per working day).

3. IGNORE BEST BEFORE DATES

THE average UK household throws out £700 of food every year — nearly £15-worth per week — according to campaign group Love Food, Hate Waste, partly because we stick to ‘best before end’ dates.

You can safely ignore ‘best before’ dates on most foods as they only show when the product is past its best quality. Experts recommend you examine and taste-test food past its ‘best before’ date to check it is good enough to eat. But don’t ignore ‘use by’ dates on meat, fish and dairy products, as this could lead to food poisoning.

YEARLY SAVING: Up to £700.

4. SWAP SHOWER GEL FOR SOAP

MANY toiletries come in plastic bottles which take energy to manufacture and can end up in landfill or in the ocean. Modern soaps and shampoo bars lather effectively, don’t come in plastic packaging and can last much longer.

But skin therapist Louise Thomas-Minns says check the ingredients of bars and try different ones until you find one suitable, as some can be alkaline which can lead to sensitivity and dryness. She also warns they can break up easily, but keeping bars in a tin can help them last longer. Lush sells tins for £2.50.

SWAP: Radox shower gel, 250ml, 98p, and L’Oreal Elvive shampoo, 400ml, £4.99.

FOR: Suma Handmade Natural Soap Rosemary & Lavender, 95g, £2.09, and Lush Jumping Juniper Shampoo Bar, 55g, £7.50.

YEARLY SAVING: £49.38 per person (based on showering every day and washing hair every other day).

5. GO VEGGIE ONE DAY A WEEK

MEAT Free Monday, a campaign launched in 2009 by Sir Paul McCartney and his daughters Mary and Stella, encourages people to eat more healthily and save natural resources by sticking to vegetarian food one day a week. This will also save you money on your weekly shop. The latest Office for National Statistics figures show meat costs families an average of £12.80 per week, while vegetables cost £4.30.

SWAP: One meat-based meal per week, around £1.83.

FOR: One vegetable-based meal per week, around 61p.

YEARLY SAVING: £63.44.

6. SWISH AND SWAP CLOTHES

‘SWISHING’ is the practice of giving away clothes you no longer want in exchange for others’ unwanted items. You can do this privately by organising a swishing evening with friends, or attend a public event such as one advertised online ( swishing.com). If you don’t want to give away clothes permanently, you can borrow instead. Next time you have a big social event, why not borrow an outfit from a friend who won’t be attending instead of buying something new.

SWAP: Buying a new outfit for a big event, £70.

FOR: Borrowing one from a friend, free. YEARLY SAVING: £140 (based on two big events per year).

7. USE THE ECO CYCLE OPTION

YOUR washing machine will clean just as effectively on a 20c or 30c cycle but it will save you around £10 per year, according to green energy supplier Ovo.

Consumer website Topten.eu says most normal washing can be effectively cleaned at 20c as long as any stains are pre- treated and the washing is allowed to dry thoroughly, preferably outside. Only heavily stained cleaning cloths, work uniforms, soiled children’s clothes or mud- stained sports clothes need washing at 40c to 60c.

Ovo recommends that you still run an occasional hot wash to kill any bacteria. SWAP: Washing at 40c. FOR: Washing at 30c. YEARLY SAVING: £10.

9. BANISH THOSE PLASTIC BAGS

THE Mail’s Banish The Bags campaign has seen an 85 pc reduction in the number of plastic bags used since it was launched ten years ago — but we all need to do our bit to help.

Taking your own durable ‘bags for life’ with you on the weekly shop will save money on the carrier bag charge, especially as many supermarkets have now ditched the thinner 5p bags for thicker ones costing 10p. SWAP: Supermarket bags, 10p each. FOR: Bringing your own bags, free. YEARLY SAVING: £26 (based on using five bags per weekly shop).

10. SWITCH TO GREEN ENERGY

MANY green energy companies, which use wind, solar and other renewable energy, offer competitive deals. A family in a semi-detached home could save £289 a year with Octopus, or £282 per year with Pure Planet, compared to a standard variable tariff with EDF Energy.

SWAP: Dual-fuel standard variable tariff with Big Six energy supplier, around £1,367.

FOR: Dual-fuel deal with green energy supplier, around £1,078.

YEARLY SAVING: £289.

11. COMBINE YOUR ONLINE PURCHASES

AVOID buying one item at a time online or you could be hit with high postage costs.

Instead, save goods into your basket until you have enough for free or reduced postage — this also means fewer delivery trips and less packaging.

SWAP: Amazon standard delivery, up to £4.49 per item.

FOR: Free delivery by buying multiple items at once.

YEARLY SAVING: Up to £ 233.48 (based on buying four items per month instead of one per week).

12. JOIN YOUR LOCAL LIBRARY

INSTEAD of buying every new book you want to read, sign up to a lending library.

You can also borrow DVDs and CDs, meaning you can save on subscriptions to online film and music services.

Some libraries offer a free home delivery for disabled people. To find out more, enter your postcode at: gov.uk/ local-library-services SWAP: Buying a new book every month, at around £7.49 each.

FOR: A library membership, free. YEARLY SAVING: £89.88.

13. RECYCLE PRINT CARTRIDGES

ABOUT 40 million cartridges end up in landfill every year, but you could get paid to recycle them.

The website printer-cartridge recycling.co.uk pays around £1.70 for every empty cartridge, or visit therecyclingfactory.com/tesco/ to get 125 Tesco Clubcard points per cartridge. Both sites pay for postage. You can buy refilled recycled cartridges from sites such as stinkyinkshop.co.uk for less than half the cost of an original. SWAP: HP 301XL black/colour ink cartridge twin pack, £58.32. FOR: Stinky Inks Refilled HP 301XL black/colour ink cartridge twin pack, £19.98. YEARLY SAVING: £153.36 (based on buying a twin pack of ink cartridges four times per year).

14. GIFT WRAP IN BROWN PAPER

WRAPPING paper is usually thrown away after a gift is opened — and many feature foil or glittery designs so they cannot be recycled. Make your own eco-friendly wrapping paper by buying brown parcel paper and decorate using an ink stamp, or simply tie with a ribbon.

SWAP: Clintons pink and gold foil spots wrapping paper, 3 metres, £3 (£1 per metre).

FOR: Kraft brown wrapping paper, 8 metres, £3.30 (41p per metre).

YEARLY SAVING: £5.31 (based on using 9 metres per year).

16. CLEAN THE OLD FASHIONED WAY

MAKING your own cleaning products avoids using harsh chemicals in the home. Bicarbonate of soda, lemon juice and distilled white vinegar all make effective cleaning products.

Buy in bulk online to save even more. Search for ‘ homemade cleaning products’ on friends of the earth.uk. SWAP: dettol Power and fresh Spray, £2 per litre. FOR: Homemade all-purpose cleaner using vinegar, bicarbonate of soda and water, 34p per litre. YEARLY SAVING: £ 6.64 per year (based on using 4 litres per year).

17. HEAD TO THE LOCAL MARKET

SHOPPERS can save around a third on their fruit and vegetables by buying them from a local market or greengrocer, research has found.

And because you can purchase the exact quantity you need, it avoids food waste and plastic wrapping.

Buy produce in season as prices go down when supplies are plentiful — your greengrocer or the market stall holder can help. Check local paper listings or search farma.org.uk/members-map/ to find a market near you. SWAP: Supermarket-bought fruit and veg, around £8.50 per week. FOR: Local market-bought produce, around £5.80 per week. YEARLY SAVING: £140.40.

18. SAVE WATER IN THE SHOWER

An ECO showerhead could help you save water, energy and money if you have a mains water or power shower. The claim is that eco showerheads reduce water consumption by up to half, while maintaining the same pressure.

Eco showerheads cost between £20 to £30, but could save a family of four £70 per year on energy, plus £115 per year on water bills, according to the Energy Saving Trust. But check your manual before fitting one to an electric shower as it could cause the unit to overheat.

YEARLY SAVING: £185.

19. TURN DOWN THE THERMOSTAT

NUDGING your thermostat down by just one degree can save 340kg of carbon dioxide from going into the atmosphere every year — and cut £75 off your heating bill. The Energy Saving Trust recommends setting the temperature between 18 and 21c, wearing a jumper inside if it gets a bit chilly and putting the heating on only when you feel you need it. SWAP: Heating your home at 20c. FOR: Setting the thermostat to 19c. YEARLY SAVING: Around £75.

20. KEEP OUT THE DRAUGHTS

DRAUGHT-PROOFING windows and doors in the average semi cuts £20 a year off heating bills, according to the Energy Saving Trust.

And there are plenty of DIY tricks to make your home feel warmer and save you money.

Putting up curtains and placing draught excluders across the bottom of doors can help keep heat in.

If you have old sash windows, try filling the gaps with Exiseal — a plastic tape costing from £1.50 per metre, which can be cut to size to fit between the sashes. This can help seal windows to keep heat in over the chilly winter months.

YEARLY SAVING: £20.

TOTAL SAVING: £2,421.12 moneymail@dailymail.co.uk