What are your tips for being more environmentally friendly? Tell Unilever for a chance to win a £300 voucher!NOW CLOSED

[MichelleMumsnet]

Unilever have asked us to find out what Mumsnetters' tips are to make sure that your family is more environmentally friendly.

Here's what Unilever say, "At Unilever, we believe there has never been a better time to create a better future for our children; a world where everyone has enough food to eat and no child goes to bed hungry; where everybody can enjoy life today while protecting the planet for future generations.

"If we all work together to take small actions every day that make a real difference, we can build a world where everyone lives well and lives sustainably.

"We're committed to taking positive action on climate change within our business, but we also want to inspire our consumers to make those small changes that can make all the difference."

So, what positive habits have you got in to which help you be more environmentally friendly which you can pass on to other Mumsnetters? Maybe it's as simple as getting yourself and your DCs into the habit of switching off the lights as you leave the room? Are you a champion for only buying sustainably sourced products or managing down the food miles in your weekly shop? Perhaps you're now using reusable instead of disposable products, everything from batteries to razors to ink cartridges? Or maybe you've ditched the car in favour of cycling? Whatever your tips are, we'd love to hear them!

Everyone who posts their tips on the thread will be entered into a prize draw to win a £300 Love2Shop voucher!

Thanks and good luck,
MNHQ

We make it fun to do. Even the pet's stale drinking water is used to water indoor plants. Recycle everything the local council provides bins for. A water saver placed in the toilet systems, as well as dual water saving flush. Unwanted items are taken to the charity shops, as well as purchasing the odd bargain too. We usually shower instead of using the bath, & appliances are the top A ratings as & when they require replacing. A water butt is used for collecting rain water to use on the garden in the warmer weather.

Dispose of waste in recycling bins, food bins, garden bins etc. Only use energy efficient bulbs in lamps rather than main ceiling lights. No longer required clothing taken to charity clothing bins. Only use car for work, rest of time walk as much as possible. I purchase reusable bags and use in various shops around town.

Use public transport

Use freecycle and charity shops for all old toys etc etc

Make sure all bottles are empty before throwing them out, dont leave any milk or juice in them!

I just jump in the kids bath water when they're finished

I use reusable nappies and wipes, I sometimes use the kids' bath water to flush the toilet, clean their nappies bins, waste paper bins and on the odd occasion I need to water the plants. I try to turn off all lights and appliances

switch lights off when leaving the room and recycling :)

we generally buy loose fruit & veg (as opposed to pre-packed) as its a lot cheaper, you can choose each piece yourself and you don't have to worry if the packaging is biodegradable

we try very hard to not waste food, we make sure we only buy what we need and don't throw food out, we make sure we use it all or freeze for later. we recycle as much as possible, lots of things end up in the crafting box to make things on a rainy afternoon. also we take out own jute bags to the shops rather using carrier bags. Also, we try to reduce the amount of power that we use, we have all our lights on dimmer switches and never leave a light or appliance on that is not necessary.

we recycle and reuse what we can, also walk to school,we share bath water,(only myself and daughter- oh and sometimes the dogs if they're lucky!)we also buy second hand goods and clothes from charity shops.

Take up cycling. It's free and it's a great way to stay in shape and keep fit.

I try to walk as often as possible, we recycle anything the council allow us to recycle and pass on any unwanted household items/clothes to charity shops. I also think having a gas meter has made me far more aware of how much energy I use and so we turn lights out when not needed, and plugs off when appliances are not in use, and try to limit our heating in the winter by using more layers of clothing/blankets when on the sofa and the like.

We are trying to go car free in september as a trial

We try our best to recycle as much as we can, we turn off lights when we're not in the room and we try to do without the heating as much as we can.

The biggest thing we do to reduce waste is using washable nappies, it's nice not having a bin full of stinky disposables waiting 2 weeks to be collected. I am such a convert I even run a cloth nappy library...!

Think of other uses for things before chucking them out. If you don't want to clutter your house by hanging on to them until you can think of a further use, then recycle by giving to charity or to schools who can make good use of them. If you look online, there are so many things you can recycle and there are lots of companies out there, who will be happy to do so for you. I quite often recycle through car boot sales too. One man's rubbish is another mans treasure!

Make sure you don't leave lights or electrical items switched on or on standby, and always try to recycle as much as possible.
Instead of throwing things out when you don't want them, take them to charity shops or put them on sites such as freecycle.

Never buy more than you actually need

Thanks KittiesInsane viburnum looks beautiful.

We meal plan on a Saturday evening (will be part of the Strictly Come Dancing routine shortly) and make sure we only buy what we need. We then batch cook most of it on Sunday and then make sure it is cooled before putting it in the freezer to avoid making the freezer use more electricity than it needs to. We also encourage the kids to turn off the tap whilst brushing their teeth, recycle etc.

Think about everything you do from leaving lights on as you go out of a room, to whether the nip in the air really requires heating to go on, to not throwing things away but RECYCLING everything you can. Don't use a car but your legs/feet, bike or public transport. Yes, and donate things that have a value to charity.

It's a very easy mindset to get into really. It's sheer laziness and irresonsibility not to be environmentally friendly and to teach one's DCs the same mantra to living their lives.

make sure you use up every single piece of food that enters your house. It also saves you money too

I think it's laziness that stops people recycling (my family included) so I have different bins for recycling, not just in the kitchen but upstairs as well. Seems to stop everything getting thrown into general waste.

We also give old clothes to charity shops and try to buy local produce as much as possible

Make notepads from old scrap paper stapled together