Ideas for simple eco friendly actions, suitable for beginners

[beeble347]

Feeling a bit despondent today but boosted by being outside and in the sunshine and really enjoying some of the greener actions I've done recently. I'd love some tips from this great community along the lines of helping biodiversity, cleaning up your local area, reducing waste and consumption, home and garden cooler in summer or warmer in winter and just generally enjoyable.

I feel like I need to pick up some of the skills that people had to resort to more in years past - sewing, preserving, growing plants from cuttings or kitchen scraps. I do have a job, I hasten to add 😂 not trying to go full trad wife but I think these are great skills for making do and mending and I ought to make an effort with a few.

Already started:

• growing fruit and veg (newbie)
• made water dish for birds/bees
• organised a toy swap (170 toys swapped, hooray!)
• bringing a container out and reusable cup out with me so no need for disposables
• collecting soft plastic for recycling at the supermarket
• suggested idea for reducing waste at no extra cost to my employer which they liked and are looking into! Fingers crossed

On the list:

• get a water butt
• home composting (total newbie)
• organising a baby/kids clothes swap with local mums
• school uniform swap if I can handle it!

No idea where to start:

• upcycling clothes: tie dye? Sewing? I do have my late mum's sewing machine but have never used it and always been completely crap at it.

• planting trees? Apparently you can get involved with the council. I'd love to plant one in the front garden but it's a gravel driveway over earth, not sure if anything would survive there or need to be in a pot

• mini bog garden in a container? Would love a pond but have a very young toddler. Something to catch some of the last bit of water that drips out of the garden tap before I can switch it off would be great

• wildflower seed bombs, do these even work?

• swift box, but think I'd need DH to get a large ladder to install one

Anyway just some thoughts, I'd love some recommendations. Have you tried anything similar that's worked well?

Why are you feeling despondent? About the planet?

Go vegetarian or vegan.
I'd forget tie-dyeing and upcycling clothes if you don't have the skills, they'll look rubbish, and the clothes will be wasted. Better to donate.

Don't eat much meat or fish, if any. I find this quite hard.
Don't buy kitchen paper towels, they can't be recycled. You can just cut up old natural fibre clothes into rags that then go in with the laundry.

I try to help by thinking about the shipping distance and weight of anything i buy.
Fruit and veg locally sourced if possible. If not possible then Europe only. If its something only sourced abroad try Africa rather than Asia or the Americas.
No non European wines.
Solid shampoos and soaps
No bottled drinks if possible
No convenience foods like pre made salads in big bowls or microwave rice.
Reusable coffee cups only
Large tubs of yoghurt rather than lots of little cartons

Buy things like soap (try castille soap), washing up liquid, hair shampoo/conditioner in bulk if not in bars then decant into pump bottles. Buy food in bulk and decant into jars.
Get a refillable deodorant.
Quit eating things like single bags of crisps.
Use white vinegar and cloths for as much of your cleaning as possible.
Leave the edges of your lawn if you have one to grow wild. And don't worry if you have wild things like dandelions in there - no need for weedkiller.
If your gravel drive has soil underneath then go ahead and plant a tree. If you don't want to spend any money go collect sycamore seeds they'll grow just about anywhere (although note they're not properly native).

Get your house insulated. Get solar panels. Reduce food waste, use up veg for soup etc.

Create hedgehog highways in your fence. Grow native wildflowers for pollinators. Do a local litter pick. Use public transport or walk as much as you can. Plan ahead to reduce journeys.

Think ahead for consumable home made gifts for Christmas....sloe gin, blackberry jam, chutney and some local cheese etc. Start collecting jars, think ahead to collect fruit / freeze fruit. If you have a sewing machine google scrap fabric projects and use up old off cuts to make things like placemats. Turn old jeans into a bag etc.

Elderflower cordial is a nice one to make at home but tends to need freezing for it to keep. I think using citric acid in it is meant to help as well, but I hadn't found anywhere that sold it last time I made it (I have now).

Organise a litter pick locally?

Set of cutlery to use while out and about to avoid disposable cutlery?

Since watching David Attenborough’s Ocean, I’ve stopped eating fish and buying any mass produced fish products. I’ve written to my politicians about bottom trawling and marine protection and am following campaigns, signing petitions etc.

Nancy Birtwhistle has lots of great content, and really practical ideas for reducing waste, cooking with a careful eye to energy consumption.

Teach dc and model saying no thank to freebies, and unnecessary clutter.

Research before you plant anything. There are a lot of invasive or problematic plants openly sold in garden centres. Be especially careful sowing in the wild where you could be damaging the natural balance.

Reduce plastics as much as you can. Avoid microplastics in particular (in clothes and cosmetics).

What is your shortest car journey? Could you walk / bike it? Or make it part of a longer journey (ie you are driving past anyway).

Don't bin food - have a "scraps night" (everyone has something different reheated) or meal like soup or stir fry that uses up lots of bits.

One reason yeah (may just be a bit hormonal!) just from reading a lot of comments on MN from people who plainly "don't care" about the planet, can't be bothered to use their recycling bin. It's all good, I just thought let me try and connect with people who do care and get some great ideas!

Very true, I was thinking of taking some kind of course but that's probably a long term idea

It is hard, you're right. I haven't eaten meat since I was very small but am pescatarian and newly diagnosed coeliac, on iron supplements for very low iron. It does make me a bit nervous to take another thing out of my limited diet but I could certainly make sure breakfast and lunch are vegetarian or vegan. Often happens anyway actually, I've always cooked a lot of plant based food, lentils, chickpeas and so on.

Love the rags idea! We recently actually got some reusable cloths specifically for cleaning up our toddler and the highchair, that's been really good. Also reusable bamboo make up pads are great

Thanks for all the brilliant ideas! I thought of another one from my MIL, who gave us two leather pouffes and suggested stuffing them with old clothes. Brilliant! They would have gone to the charity shop and probably not sold/gone to landfill. You could do it with anything that might otherwise require buying filling. Especially good for worn out clothing that isn't easily resold.

These are great, thank you! I definitely try and buy larger or refillable packs/recyclable packaging where I can, buy coffee locally in recyclable packaging (though ofc that's got its own emission problem). Great suggestion to think go as close as possible where I can't buy local

Thank you so much for the tips! I was also looking into native wildflower seeds that might do well on gravel actually. California poppies apparently but then I don't think they're the best if not native. Will definitely do more research into hardy trees especially native ones

I don't think you need to start thinking about upcycling clothes, and I speak as someone who does know her way around a sewing machine.

In terms of clothing and other items, it's about buying less, buying well, buying second hand. No more mindless consumption. No buying clothes just because, or because you fancy something new. Keep clothes until they fall to bits beyond repair and then use as cleaning cloths. Basically a total rejection of fast fashion.

Amazing tips thank you! Definitely plan to get solar panels, insulation then heat pump, just getting the funds in order.

I need to be better about food waste, I always try and use things up but my memory/organisation is terrible. I'll get a better system for it.

Love love these ideas, I found this website actually - I thought because we back onto a field with a picket fence we'd be okay for hedgehogs but apparently not! Will remedy this. Love the local litter pick. I've seen people cleaning rivers locally and thought it was brilliant.

I did the Great Water Blitz for anyone reading, intend to do the next one.

Definitely handmade gifts for Christmas! We did it for years as a family growing up. This one just gone I made edible gifts in recyclable or reusable packaging. Year before I gave books but in brown paper with string and evergreen clippings, family loved it. I keep meaning to start Christmas gifts in summer and make things like vanilla essence, maybe this will finally be the year! Very poncy as I saw on MN at Christmas 😂

Love these! I can immediately do the set of cutlery one. A no brainer if I'm bringing a box isn't it?

Gosh yes I should probably watch that. Again makes me nervous taking another thing out of my diet but I can at least reduce consumption when I'm controlling cooking at home. Amazing you're writing to MPs - I've had some great responses actually from local county councillors about the People's Emergency Briefing. And encouraging updates about reducing emissions locally.

Love Nancy! But don't spend much time on IG tbf. That's a really great tip, I'll make sure I only plant things that will suit the local area.

A great suggestion yes. I live in what is essentially a hamlet which is a bit of a pain but do have an EV. But I could plan better re food shopping. I have been thinking could I get a bike with a toddler trailer for our local shop - it's just everywhere else you either definitely need a car or have to go on your own down a secluded path by the river for example, I just don't feel safe doing that alone with my toddler. Bit of a trade off for living somewhere with lovely nature! Grew up in London and didn't learn to drive at all until a few years ago

Thank you, that does make sense! And prob too much to take on right from scratch isn't it.

Really encouraging. I've got almost everything for myself and DC secondhand for years, it's very rare I've had to buy something new. Just makes more sense again doesn't it! I've heard this quote about there being enough clothes on the planet already to clothe the next six generations 😬

Actually an unlikely source of anti fast fashion was the Handmaid's Tale series, talking about all the clothes they used to covet, spend on, waste energy producing. I know I buy secondhand and carefully but it made me think! I would still like to have a wardrobe clear out but I don't want to just dump things at the charity shop, I might try and see about clothes swaps.

Travelling bag is a good idea I heard for clothes swapping without a specific in-person event