Save the planet!!! What small steps have you taken today?

[Mrscog]

Following on from a thread where we were all discussing how we wanted to reduce our impact on the earth I thought I would start this thread for us to share ideas/motivation etc.

This is a non-judgmental thread and is about whatever steps you want to take to reduce consumption. None of us are perfect and we've all got to start somewhere.

My small steps today -

1. Morning school run incorporated as part of DH's commute.
2. Afternoon school run due to be done on foot.
3. Didn't bother going to Aldi as to be honest I have enough food in to cobble some stuff together.
4. Just used microfibre cloth with water to wipe down kitchen rather than dousing with chemicals (hadn't chopped any raw meat etc so no need to be too clean).

I have emailed Clipper, Twinings and Cafe Direct to ask them what they are going to do to eliminate their use of polypropylene in their teabags. Clipper and Cafe Direct both use it, Twinings doesn't say if they do or not.

I am looking into loose leaf tea alternatives. We already have this strainer tea strainer which is very good.

We are using up the last box of plastic straws and will not be buying any more. I might invest in some reusable ones if we need them.

I have emailed Sainsbury's to ask them what they are going to do about the amount of excess packaging their fruit and veg comes in. I have bagless delivery but still get some items in those plastic bags found in the fruit and veg section which really don't need to be put in a bag e.g. 1 lemon.

I know that both Morrison's and Sainsbury's sell loose Yorkshire tea; that's what I use now that I ditched the teabags. It's unfortunately sold in foil film packs, though, which, as far as I'm aware, aren't even recyclable. There seem to be few readily-available, non-extortionately priced brands of tea available in just cardboard box packaging.

I use a small Whittard's teapot I bought years ago that came with a plastic insert to hold the leaves, but there are lots of alternatives available now, mostly glass with metal strainer inserts.

I have two teapots that have loose tea inserts. I get Yorkshire tea from Aldi usually, and it just comes in cardboard. But then the loose tea comes in foil plastic that can't be recycled. Dilemma.

Maybe I should just rock up in Harrogate at Yorkshire tea with a big box and ask them to fill it!

I've heard that only Twinings pyramid teabags don't contain plastic, but can't remember where I read it or whether the information came directly from Twinings.

The only shop where I can buy milk in bottles is only open 2.5 days a week - luckily we don't get through anything like the amount of milk we used to. I also keep a couple of litres in the freezer in case we run out.

It's the mindshift that's important. Tiny steps are still steps in the right direction.

Love this thread! So many good ideas and so nice to see people taking positive steps when it can seem like such an overwhelming challenge sometimes.

This is what I've manged so far:

• refillable washing up liquid from local wholefood shop (been using the same bottle for 4+ years).
• refillable cleaning products from splosh
• using old baby muslins as cleaning cloths
• walk and use public transport wherever possible (fairly easy as we live in a city, so I'm lucky in that respect)
• get electricity and gas from Good Energy

-haven't flown for 5 years (though this is mostly through having small children rather than by design! )

• take reusable mesh bags for loose fruit/veg in supermarket.

There's so much I could do better on though. For example I really didn't get on with washable nappies so I use the software called biodegradable ones now which is know isn't as good. Ditto wipes - I use compostable ones but should really get washables.

So much to think about... this thread has given some great ideas for next steps, though. Thanks everyone!

Good: I am replacing broken clothes pegs with wooden ones as and when needed.

Bad: I have made my own reed diffuser with almond oil and essential oil. It’s pants! Only smells for 5 minutes after turning the reeds over. I might just have to give up on “home scents” altogether.

All diffusers last five minutes. It's a massive con. I use incense sticks. I should probably ditch them too (transport, probably cheap labour somewhere).

I've just ordered a set of 12 bamboo breast pads so that I can stop using disposables.

I have six already but they're all waiting to be washed at the moment after a very leaky night.

I haven’t eaten. Since Friday. I’ve put some washing on though

Pot pourri used to work for fragrance.

I drove home on the motorway for 2 hours, and set my cruise control to 65 instead of 75. I got a few extra mpg!

I've been really inspired by this thread and it's given me some great tips on things I wouldn't normally have thought of so thank you.
With that in mind tonight I blew the dust off my sewing kit and created an insulated bottle holder. It's inside is an old stained baby blanket and the outside is from a ripped pillow case that I lightly damped and then using old dried out felt pens I broke then open and squeezed the ink out to make a lovely tie dyed effect.
So I used old rags, old felts and now I won't need to buy pre-made formula because this will keep it warm

acopyofacopy regarding reed diffusers, I don't think just oil and scent works. This company here is where I used to get some soap scents when I made soap and they have a section on reed diffuser ingredients

sensoryperfection.co.uk/ourshop/cat_919077-Reed-Diffusers.html

I've never made them or looked up how to make them and I don't know how environmentally friendly. But I think oil and scent would just lie stagnant after a while.

My task for today is the Christmas wreath. We've had the same one for 9 years and it is looking a bit the worse for wear. I commented to the DC that we need a new one and then stopped myself and thought hang on we live in a forest! So once the DC are home from school we will go for a walk and collect some bits to pimp it up instead.

That sounds lovely newts, I brought a new one last year, kind of regretting it now as I probably could have spruced the old one up.

I have managed to procure some 'new' school jumpers for ds from other parents at school. I have also passed his too small jumpers on to someone else. I find our school really good for this, parents are always passing clothes on. I've also brought some trousers on ebay for him.

I failed today in that I got given a plastic bag in the fruit and veg shop, despite me having a reusable shopping bag with me. I just wasn't paying attention.

I made my own bread instead of buying a pre-wrapped industrial loaf. I used tea towels instead of cling film. I made the most of the oven being on by also baking some biscuits with the remnants of my toddler's half-eaten apple from two days ago. I still haven't switched the heating on this autumn.

I switched the shower head to eco setting even though it feels like I'm being spat on from above I also turned the temperature down. Unsubscribed from hundreds of email lists.

I bundled up some old clothes that are no good for charity shop. I've written 'rags' on the bag. They will be sold by weight to raise money for a local clothes bank.

I got some free water saving stuff from Thames Water recently:

A filler thing for the toilet tank (though you can use a brick);
Water saving shower head;
water saving thing for kitchen tap (though it doesn't fit on my tap it might work when we move);
And a 4 minute shower timer.

I'm pretty good on the water side of things.

I sorted out a fiendishly complicated lift share rota for this week for the school run. Dcs school is 8 miles away and not on a bus route but we are friendly with three other families in the village. I have a regular lift share arrangement in the mornings with the one who lives closest to me but after school it's all a bit hectic with various sports / after school clubs.

But I have set up a what's up group and think I have sorted lifts for this week and next ...

Can some one explain why unsubscribing emails are good..I have done it since reading this thread but not knowing why

Someone found out the energy needed to send a single email. Therefore it's saving energy by not getting it sent in the first place.

I think it was something like one Google search is the equivalent of boiling a kettle.

I bought ecoleaf products! washing up liquid, multipurpose cleaner and toilet cleaner. Used the washing up liquid and it worked really well-and smelt good too