What are your best ways of being green and eco-friendly?

[YouCanEco]

We want to find some star eco-mums!

Reduce, reuse and recycle as much as humanly possible.
Eat organic, don't buy plastic items if natural materials are an option.
Do buy for sake of spending, eg kids cotten duvets have been dyed to get rid of younger child patten.
Sew and mend.
Be creative!

I've heard it summed up best as 'be a poor vegan who doesn't travel' (though I am not vegan)

But really I'd say minimise what you use rather than trying to 'buy your way green', avoid travelling, when you do then public transport rather than car, no flying. Also be very aware of how much energy different things use and take embodied energy into account, so that you can focus your own energies in the most relevant places.

Freecycling and buying second hand. Not just because we are broke, it also keeps things out of landfill and means that more resources aren't used to manufacture products that aren't really needed.

Marking place for ideas. We've just moved house and are trying to work out how to keep it as warm as possible in an eco friendly way. For now I'm trying to keep things as minimal and basic as possible - thinking very carefully before buying more stuff.
I would love to be more creative rather than being so dependent on shop bought things.

Hi Natural have you thought of a multi fuel stove with a back boiler for hot water or central heating? A book that has fab ideas in is john seymore's complete self surficiancy, a truly informative book.

We're looking into it at the moment, working our way through a minefield of information about insulation and heating but getting caught out by the companies just in it to make money!
Thanks for the book recommendation.

NaturalBaby how old is your house? If its pre 1919 you might want to check out the Old House Eco Handbook - lots of good advice for leaky old houses that don't have cavity walls. And published with a charity (SPAB) so not just out to flog you expensive systems you don't need!