Share your greener living tips and make MN make a difference

[PumpkinMilkshake]

I am getting more and more concerned by whats happeneing to our environment. And as such i try and lead a greener lifestyle. However I want to do more and need your help in educating me in to what else I could do.

I already use energy efficient light bulbs.
I use a quick cycle on my washing machine and the half-load button.
None of my appliances are left on stand-by
I dry as much of my washing as possible on the line and clothes airers
As a family we dont use the car for short - walkable journey's
I get my shopping delivered
And I will be using reuseable nappies for my 2nd DC when s/he arrives in December

How else can I improve our greeness and still run a practical efficent household?

Not bumping - just sharing now. Have just bought a set of Tumble dryer balls on e-bay which reduce drying time between 15-25%. And I know from a friend they also reduce your ironing pile!

If you have a garden invest in a water butt....
Turn off lighs as you leave the room (this is my constant battle with dp)...

Stop doing 3 loads of washing a day.

Am going to ask DH for a water butt and a composting bin for Christmas.....He'll think I need the men in white coats to come and see me. Much harder to wrap than th usual diary. But then no wrapping is better for the environment anyway!

Recycle your paper, glasses and plastic
Get water savers for your taps
Try to use local, seasonal produce
Don't put your veg into plastic bags in the supermarket
Use bags for life instead of carrier bags
Use an eco-friendly car
Use bi-carb and alternative cleaning products instead of the chemical ones sold
Don't buy mass-produced chicken/fish/meat
Use Fair Trade foods

Put cardboard and old woolly jumpers in the garden composter
Get a worm composter as well - takes a while to get the hang of it, but is very satisfying once up and running
Freecycle is fab

Also, join your local LETS scheme , which lets you trade (barter) stuff. Useful for swapping gluts of homegrown veg, for example.

And grow your own

Where can you recycle batteries? Have rechargeable ones on my mouse because I couldn't believe how many we got through.

Have just discovered from a friend that our council will deliver you a compost bin for £5. am ringing as we speak to order one.

Have just been on www.recyclenow.com and ordered myself a compost bin and kitchen caddy for £6, free delivery. And there seems to be loads of tips on how else to other waste, am going back to see if they mention batteries.

Also re the balls for the dryer, a friends says you can use tennis balls too.

Oh, I like that website, VMS. There's an animation here about how compost bins work!

This is a fantastic book selling site:

green metropolis

where some money goes to Trees for All charity. Easily the best way of selling/buying books. Came from a MNer.

Another MNer pointed me in the direction of this site too...

downsizer

Anyone else got good websites up their sleeveys?

We are house swapping next year - did it this year too - which means we are not taking up resources by staying in a self catering cottage (which must be pretty wasteful for a lot of the year) or hotel (likewise).

Use soap nuts instead of washing powder, then put them on the compost heap.

If you have to use the tumble dryer, put in a dry towel or two - helps the other clothes dry faster.

Sorry - what's a soap nut??

Don't fart, not ever! If everyone stopped farting we could cut down carbon monoxide emissions.

Manufacture botty bungs for cows.

soap nuts more soap nuts

Thanks - they (soap nuts) look really good, but DH is in shock at my green drive right now and I think these may be a push too far....ATM - but do watch this space.

I am still excited at ordering a compost bin this morning.

Oh, I'll have to get those free sample soap nuts from the first website. Thanks, Tatties!

don;t wash clothes that don;t need it- l/o's sleepsuit will do for another night unless its got mucky.

lime, bottle or moss

Drive intelligently - if the lights turn to red take your foot off the gas (why do people race to the lights? ). Keep a distance from the car in front so you're not brakeing all the time. If there's not much traffic and you know what's coming up that you need to slow down for (e.g. roundabouts, bends) you shouldn't need to brake at all.

Put an overhead airer in the space at the top of the stairs if you have one like this one