to ask for your green living tips

[PeonyBlooms]

I try to do my bit - vegan, buy used, try to avoid plastic where possible, etc. - but I'd like to get more serious about eco-friendly living. What do you do? What can I do that will make the most difference day to day?

I try not to tip too many chemicals down the drains. I use vinegar/bicarb/lemon/essential oils. I do buy harpic toilet cleaner and washing up liquid though. And washing tabs.

I try to cut down on packaging & food miles where possible and buy from the farm shops instead of the supermarket. We recycle all our rubbish and only throw away what can't be recycled. I'd get a composter but then you're stuck with what to do with the compost.

I'm going to grow my own salad/veg next year. I'll get a rain water butt to water them.

I'm going to stop using wipes for everything and buy a load of flannels to keep in a tub with solution in instead.

I'm going to stop buying things new and try to get stuff from ebay. I've got 3 jumpers - 2 Debenhams & 1 next - this week for less than £15!

I'm going to try to sell or pass on as much of our stuff as possible but due to various moves etc we've got a lot of clutter to get rid of and I'm torn between just getting it all gone or selling it. It will all end up at the charity shop most probably.

We don't waste water, we have a bowl in the sink and use that to wash hands and then pour the water down the toilet to flush it. Always turn the tap off when brushing teeth.

I've started buying bar soap now instead of shower gel & hand soap too.

Another one is I use a moon cup and cloth sanitary towels.

I am struggling with green living vs. cheap living at the moment. A recent change in circumstance means I need to really cut down our food bill and a lot of the cheaper choices are less environmentally friendly - frozen veg instead of fresh, so it's all in plastic, and loose potatoes are literally twice the price of the plastic bag of value potatoes in Tesco. Luckily I am pretty well set up with reusable sanitary wear, but I suspect I'll face similar dilemmas with toiletries and cleaning products when they start running out. Definitely a middle class problem (we are nowhere near the poverty line) but it's frustrating me.

Hedge - look into home made cleaners eg vinegar. So much cheaper and just as, if not more, effective than shop bought. Plus easier because they are interchandable and "greener".

OP -

1. have you considered your washing machine/drier use? Only wash clothes when they are actually dirty and look at alternatives to washing powders.
2. is your house properly insulated etc?
3. jumpers instead of turning heating up.
4. reusable cloths instead of paper towrls.

Oh sorry I didn't give any tips! Probably you do most of these already but:
eCloths for cleaning that can be rinsed out/ washed and don't need as much product
Recycled loo roll and kitchen roll (ecoleaf have compostable packaging)
Smart meter if you can get one to become more conscious of energy use
Solid shampoo, conditioner, bar soap, deodorant (I like Lush)
Packed lunches (if the alternative is buying stuff that comes in packaging/ has huge food miles)
Reusable water bottle/ coffee cups if you need these at work/ out and about

Eliza, some great tips there, I do some of them like making my own cleaning products,, using a mooncup, and buying local already, but getting a water butt, growing my own food and buying less stuff are all good ideas that I will implement ASAP!

I try to only use the tumble drier in a real emergency, but I could do better with putting on an extra jumper when it’s cold - I don’t have many warm clothes at all actually!

Hedge, I do most of that already, but I haven’t got a smart meter yet, so that’s definitely something I’ll look into.

As stuff listed above (shampoo etc) runs out I'm going to replace with solid bars.

I have a crystal deodorant, and it lasts ages if you don't drop it and crack it. I'm on my second one (dropped the first) and haven't bought deodorant in at least 4 years.

www.hollandandbarrett.com/shop/product/optima-healthcare-ice-guard-natural-crystal-deodorant-twist-up-60081664?skuid=081664

Re: energy consumption, I saw a good tip on facebook the other day. Someone put ingredients into 3 different roasting bags and put them in the slow cooker to cook 3 different meals at once, chilli in one bag, spag bol mince in another & something else, I can't remember what in the other so they got 3 meals for one lot of cooking.

I've got a slow cooker but never used it, so I really should try it out.

I follow this group on Facebook - has lots of good ideas and downloads etc www.facebook.com/thefrugalfamilyblog/

Cut down massively on cleaning products.My cupboard now has one multipurpose ecover liquid.Plus use their washing up liquid for loads of stuff e.g..cleaning my patio.One bottle of disinfectant used sparingly. No longer use bin liners.All bins are plastic anyway so rinse with hot water and a bit of disinfectant does the job.Vinegar for mirrors and windows.Bicarb for the oven.Lemon for freshening the microwave.
Bar soap for hands.Found some lovely ones that last ages so no plastic pumps.Bar shampoo whenever possible.
Always have reusable cloth bags in both our vehicles.Which are electric and lucky enough to have our own parking area and solar panels to help with charging.
Compost loads of stuff.Again lucky to have a garden to use it which appreciate not everyone has.
Wherever possible buy loose fruit and veg straight into basket and into my bag.We're eating a lot less produce flown in eg strawberries,asparagus etc and waiting for our own in season.Again lucky enough to have room to grow stuff.And it is hard work,but I'm now part time at work and family grown so I have time.A luxury busy working families don't have.The time I used to spend mooching around shops and buying new clothes is now spent in the garden.I don't have the money to shop for the sake of it,but honestly don't miss it.
We could do a lot more, so watching for tips with interest.