10 ways to go green

Go Green week is the perfect time to eco-up your lifestyle so get started with our 10 ways to go green and reap some pretty awesome benefits!

This week marks People & Planet’s Go Green Week, a national event aimed at raising awareness of climate change and the perfect time to fine-tune your eco credentials. The good news is, it’s actually very simple to tick the eco box. We all know about re-using and recycling paper and packaging, but have you thought the effect your cleaning and beauty routine might be having on the environment? ‘Just by looking after your own health and wellbeing by thinking holistically (and sometimes more simply) we can make ethical choices that save us money, reduce our carbon footprint and increase our health and wellbeing,’ believes Janey Lee Grace, author of the e-book Imperfectly Natural Home, (janeyleegrace.com). There are tons of ways to simply enhance your space and reap the benefits of ditching the chemicals, so try Janey’s top eco-friendly tips to help do your bit for the planet.

1 Choose the right houseplants
Deck your workspace out with plants – but not just for aesthetic purposes. The Peace Lilly, along with the humble Spider plant, was investigated by NASA scientists and found to remove formaldehyde from the air to a radius of 30 feet. They do say have one plant for each piece of electronic equipment though so beware, your office could start to look like Kew gardens.

2 Forget conventional air fresheners
Avoid wall-mounted air fresheners which emit synthetic fragrances, as it’s known that air fresheners in the home contribute to respiratory problems, insomnia and headaches. They can also be highly toxic. For DIY air freshening simply half fill a plastic plant spray bottle with filtered tap water and add a couple of drops of essential oil. Eucalyptus and tea tree are ‘antibacterial’ while lemon or citronella are zingy and refreshing, add a drop of vodka or vinegar to preserve or change the water regularly.

3 For general cleaning go old style
Bicarbonate of soda, white vinegar and a micro fibre cloth work wonders but the best ingredient of all is elbow grease! It works wonders and you can get a great workout and burn a few calories at the same time! Need a little extra help? A great company to look at for natural cleaning products is Mangle and Wringer.

4 Go vintage
When redecorating use eco-paints and when buying furniture consider pre-loved, antique furniture. It’s often well made and doesn’t have a coating of ‘fire proofing’ which can be a potentially toxic mix that includes formaldehyde.

5 Ditch conventional laundry products
In addition to the water wasted in washing clothes too often, chemicals in conventional detergents are a hazard to the eco system. Instead use laundry balls or soapnuts, or invest in some natural laundry bleach.

6 Reduce Reuse Recycle
Most of us are pretty good at recycling – we at least take our cotton shopping bags out with us, and send our unwanted bits and bobs to charity shops. But we aren’t always so good at reducing, and re-using. Simple tips like buying fewer clothes, and using old T shirts or washable cloths to mop up spills, can save you money whilst doing your bit for the environment.

7 Plan meals and shop locally
Devise a meal plan in advance and wherever possible make extra batches and freeze for the following week. And always try to shop at local farmers markets. You could even start a co-operative food buying scheme with neighbours or local community groups.

8 Save energy
Make sure you home is well insulated, and turn down the thermostat by one degree. Fit panels behind radiators to conserve heat, use old style ‘sausage dogs’ made from reclaimed fabric as draft excluders and use heavy curtains to retain heat lost through windows (pre-loved curtains can be a brilliant bargain).

9 Use less paper
Use both sides of paper in the office where possible, recycle paperclips and elastic bands and always reuse envelopes and jiffy bags.

10 Re-stock your bathroom
Avoid disposable sanitary protection and use washable sanitary protection, or a Mooncup – it’s much cheaper and healthier! If you have a baby consider using washable nappies, they are incredibly easy to use and come in a variety of styles.