Little things to help the environment

[Dahnsouff]

As with the Money Saving thread, thought it might be worth having a space to post ideas or things noted to help those interested in reduce their environmental cost

 

Real small, but M&S have started recycling all the horrid plastics you get from ready meals, some crisps, plastic packaging basically

[FoxesDeb]

We need to be careful with our water here, so we've started collecting as much as we can. The biggest saving is collecting the tap water waiting for the hot to come through when we wash up. We easily fill a 2 litre bottle every time we wash up before it runs hot, and then we use it in the kettle. It saves us money on the water meter too, so it's a win win. Until we started doing it I had no idea how much tap water we just poured away unused. 

[danny.]

30 minutes ago, FoxesDeb said:

We need to be careful with our water here, so we've started collecting as much as we can. The biggest saving is collecting the tap water waiting for the hot to come through when we wash up. We easily fill a 2 litre bottle every time we wash up before it runs hot, and then we use it in the kettle. It saves us money on the water meter too, so it's a win win. Until we started doing it I had no idea how much tap water we just poured away unused. 

If you want to save money/water/energy use a dishwasher instead of washing up!

[FoxesDeb]

2 minutes ago, danny. said:

If you want to save money/water/energy use a dishwasher instead of washing up!

Haha yes we do, not everything can be washed in a dishwasher though! 

[danny.]

Ah cool. Thought you were one of those nutters that insist dishwashers use more water and energy! 

[goose2010]

certain supermarkets by the end of the year will be using the bottle return service, similar to what is used in America. Plastic and Glass returns will be accepted and a cashback scheme will be used. 

 

Will hopefully make a massive different with plastic waste. 

[rachhere]

I think the two go hand in hand (and I guess this is what prompted you to make the thread). So much of living costs are out of our control, but key things we can control include our consumption and our use of the resources we already have (or more specifically working as a society to make better use of our collective resources). 

 

I am a big fan of smol products - I get their liquid detergent and cleaning products https://smolproducts.com/ The cleaning products in particular are a no-brainer for me - why on earth are we shipping water round the country in one-use bottles when we can just take a small tablet and dilute it in our existing container at home. 

 

If you have items you no longer need which still have life in them, help them find a new home. Great options are local facebook groups, Olio app or local whatsapp groups. We have a whatsapp group for our road where things are always been offered out, or people text to see if they could borrow something from a neighbour rather than buying new (e.g. a particular tool you might need for DIY). Utilise places like Vinted for clothes, particularly if you have kids who move through sizes quickly. Generally if I am buying something these days the first thing I will do is look to see what is being offered second hand. A while back we picked up a couple of armchairs which perfectly match a sofa we already owned. They had barely been used, we got them for a fraction of the price of brand new, they were going to the tip otherwise... it just makes sense! 

 

Avoid buying food on the go - so much plastic comes from convenience food, or look to places like Subway or Leon where you can generally avoid plastic. 

 

One for the ladies (sorry guys!), but reusable sanitary items can save so much money, and likewise cut down on a huge amount of waste. For those with kids using nappies, look at reusable nappies. 

 

A bit of a shameless plug, but one of my best friends has a blog for sustainable living which might be a good source of inspiration: https://thegreenerguru.com/blog/ 

[Benguin]

I’ve started putting my plastic straight into the sea, that way it doesn’t collect harmful bacterias from the bin. I’ve also started driving more, which means I don’t damage grass by treading on it when I walk. Not much but goes a long way. 

[Dahnsouff]

17 minutes ago, rachhere said:

…

 

I am a big fan of smol products - I get their liquid detergent and cleaning products https://smolproducts.com/ The cleaning products in particular are a no-brainer for me - why on earth are we shipping water round the country in one-use bottles when we can just take a small tablet and dilute it in our existing container at home. 

 

…

Similar deal, we use Splosh ( https://www.splosh.com/refills ) this using refills which you return for free and get reused, will take a look at Smol too 

[rachhere]

1 minute ago, Dahnsouff said:

Similar deal, we use Splosh ( https://www.splosh.com/refills ) this using refills which you return for free and get reused, will take a look at Smol too 

There's so many options out there - which can make it more challenging as companies jump on the bandwagon for commercial rather than ethical reasons. E.g. quite a few big clothing brands these days market their sustainable range, where you can feel good because you have bought something new and its ok because its sustainably made. If they were serious about it ALL of their products would be made that way. 

 

We are fortunate in that we have a refill shop which is less than 10 minutes walk from our house, and I am confident that they have done all the necessary research on the products they sell.

[Nick]

11 minutes ago, Benguin said:

I’ve started putting my plastic straight into the sea, that way it doesn’t collect harmful bacterias from the bin. I’ve also started driving more, which means I don’t damage grass by treading on it when I walk. Not much but goes a long way. 

Okay.

 

Is this a ‘funny’ or a dig as you do you not believe in helping the environment? Not sure how to read this! 😆 

 

We’ve been driving a lot less. We walk to get all our shopping bar one delivery a month. I work from home and, support local producers and do the recycling stuff that everyone does… It saves a fair whack of cash too though it’s easier to do living in a rural location in North Yorkshire with a half decent town with amenities within a couple of miles, as the walks are the same ones people are going in their holidays to do! Which is nice.
 

Things I’m not so good at are where we live being dependent on logs and coal in the winter. What I have done this year is gone out and felled and chopped and sawed the wood taken out by the storms we have had rather than buying it… Not must infrastructure out here for anything else and also the cost of heat in winter is through the roof so probably not excelling on the environmental front there. 😫

[Bellend Sebastian]

I've said it before on here, but when parked up in your car or van, turn the blooming engine off

[rachhere]

1 minute ago, Nick said:

Okay.

 

Is this a ‘funny’ or a dig as you do you not believe in helping the environment? Not sure how to read this! 😆 

 

We’ve been driving a lot less. We walk to get all our shopping bar one delivery a month. I work from home and, support local producers and do the recycling stuff that everyone does… It saves a fair whack of cash too though it’s easier to do living in a rural location in North Yorkshire with a half decent town with amenities within a couple of miles, as the walks are the same ones people are going in their holidays to do! Which is nice.
 

Things I’m not so good at are where we live being dependent on logs and coal in the winter. What I have done this year is gone out and felled and chopped and sawed the wood taken out by the storms we have had rather than buying it… Not must infrastructure out here for anything else and also the cost of heat in winter is through the roof so probably not excelling on the environmental front there. 😫

I wasn't sure how to read it either - @Benguin I know you like to post from a faith perspective. I strongly believe we are stewards of the planet and we have a serious responsibility to look after it (as well as one another of course).

 

@Nick - I like the thought of building in more sustainable ways of living into your leisure time! 

[grobyfox1990]

Reuse. Reduce. Recycle. Saves money and good for the environment! We all use up so much resource it’s frightening. I bet everyone in the western world could consume half of what they do and be happier

[Nick]

8 minutes ago, rachhere said:

 

@Nick - I like the thought of building in more sustainable ways of living into your leisure time! 

To be honest everything I do out here leisure wise is fells and dales orientated - wether that's the walks to the pubs or the fell runs in the mornings or the gym in my outbuilding. My footprint has arguably never been lower - I've got a 4x4 sat out the back and I reckon it's done 10 miles in the last month. Now where I fall short is when I have to travel to see family or for work. It's rare but when I do the cost of using the train and other public transport in combination is 3 times the cost of driving. And I can't afford to do it. So, bottom line is if train travel and other public transport was more financially accessible I'd be even better than I am but train travel is only for the business people not for the public at large in this country sadly.

[rachhere]

8 minutes ago, Nick said:

To be honest everything I do out here leisure wise is fells and dales orientated - wether that's the walks to the pubs or the fell runs in the mornings or the gym in my outbuilding. My footprint has arguably never been lower - I've got a 4x4 sat out the back and I reckon it's done 10 miles in the last month. Now where I fall short is when I have to travel to see family or for work. It's rare but when I do the cost of using the train and other public transport in combination is 3 times the cost of driving. And I can't afford to do it. So, bottom line is if train travel and other public transport was more financially accessible I'd be even better than I am but train travel is only for the business people not for the public at large in this country sadly.

Sounds lovely! I think we are fairly fortunate in Birmingham that train travel options are better than other parts of the country. When I commuted regularly to work, my monthly pass was about £65, which really isn't that terrible seeing I could also use it to go into town and to get out to the edge of Birmingham for countryside walks on top of my regular commute. Likewise we can get really good deals on train travel to London as all three operators offer decent advanced fares and things like super-off peak. Crosscountry trains remain the absolute worst though - so unaffordable, and I really resent paying to go down to visit the inlaws in Bristol via train, especially when the train will be absolutely heaving. I understand that many other operators around the country are the same. 

Edited 13 April 2022 by rachhere

[SpacedX]

13 minutes ago, Nick said:

To be honest everything I do out here leisure wise is fells and dales orientated - wether that's the walks to the pubs or the fell runs in the mornings or the gym in my outbuilding. My footprint has arguably never been lower - I've got a 4x4 sat out the back and I reckon it's done 10 miles in the last month. Now where I fall short is when I have to travel to see family or for work. It's rare but when I do the cost of using the train and other public transport in combination is 3 times the cost of driving. And I can't afford to do it. So, bottom line is if train travel and other public transport was more financially accessible I'd be even better than I am but train travel is only for the business people not for the public at large in this country sadly.

Time to dispense with that one litre hypersport bike for an electric bicycle Nick. You know it's the right thing to do. 

[Dahnsouff]

This is coming and it is long overdue - Right to Repair - the days of Apple etc basically forcing you upgrade despite not wanting you too

 

https://researchbriefings.files.parliament.uk/documents/CBP-9302/CBP-9302.pdf

 

2 year period of grace though, presumably to smack the prices up - grrr

 

"The UK Government has introduced new ecodesign and labelling requirements for specified electrical products sold in Great Britain"

What a load of rubbish, this has been thing on the continent for years I believe, so far behind, but better late than never I guess

[Nick]

13 minutes ago, Line-X said:

Time to dispense with that one litre hypersport bike for an electric bicycle Nick. You know it's the right thing to do. 

I've got a normal pedal bike. Wouldn't dream of having a bike that I had to charge - terrible for the environment.

 

Especially as there's No God Damn Way I'm selling my S1000rr  

 

It's doing less miles than the truck at the moment anyway! It was bloody snowing here last weekend, it's only been out once in 2022!

 

*Squirms during desperate attempts to justify himself...

[SpacedX]

5 minutes ago, Nick said:

Especially as there's No God Damn Way I'm selling my S1000rr  

Have you considered downgrading?

 

 

(I'm sure you can guess what suggestion's coming next). 

[foxes21]

Start by holding the powerful elite more accountable, not just the individual. They account for a big percentage of the worlds co2 emissions.

 

Whilst we're recycling and doing our bit, you will have CEOS and companies continuing to pollute the ocean and Prince Charles going to Cop26 telling you we need to save the planet, meanwhile jetting off to Transylvania whenever he feels like it. Soon you will have Boris and Rishi tucking into a nice steak during a dinner party and you'll be going vegan.

 

We need to do our part, but so do they. Unfortunately, there is no evidence in history to suggest the most powerful in society will ever stoop to the same level of the peasants . And that won't change with the climate crisis.

 

45 minutes ago, Dahnsouff said:

This is coming and it is long overdue - Right to Repair - the days of Apple etc basically forcing you upgrade despite not wanting you too

 

https://researchbriefings.files.parliament.uk/documents/CBP-9302/CBP-9302.pdf

 

2 year period of grace though, presumably to smack the prices up - grrr

 

"The UK Government has introduced new ecodesign and labelling requirements for specified electrical products sold in Great Britain"

What a load of rubbish, this has been thing on the continent for years I believe, so far behind, but better late than never I guess

 

On the topic of Apple, they could be moving to a subscription model (1) (2). So instead of buying the iphone, you pay a subscription fee similar to Netflix. Not sure how the right to repair will fit into this as you will need to return the device eventually. Perhaps it's a move to circumnavigate these new regulations (which are being introduced elsewhere, not just in the UK).

 

 

Edited 13 April 2022 by foxes21

[leicsmac]

Firstly, that this is even a thread on here shows how far public awareness of the importance of environmental issues has come along in the last few years. Which is a damn good thing. Even with all of this horrible Ukraine business going on, it still remains the biggest threat to the most people - by far - on this planet in the mid to long term.

 

There's a lot of little things already highlighted that are really good, but I would suggest another from a different angle to do alongside them...write to your MP.

 

Letting the representatives know that their constituents are ready for development of energy sources and transportation and are willing for public investment in them, even in a small way, will allow those developments to come to the fore all the faster, and time is a factor here. Doing a little bit at home and doing a little bit to see that the bigger stuff gets done too is the way we all come through this.

[MPH]

6 hours ago, goose2010 said:

certain supermarkets by the end of the year will be using the bottle return service, similar to what is used in America. Plastic and Glass returns will be accepted and a cashback scheme will be used. 

 

Will hopefully make a massive different with plastic waste. 

 

sounds like a massive  turn back to the 70s and 80s. Used to love returning my corona pop bottle for 5p!

 

recycling is a multi million dollar business here in the states so  a little incentive to  encourage people to recycle is never a Bad thing and very affordable- it will result in more things being recycled id imagine 

[goose2010]

7 minutes ago, MPH said:

 

sounds like a massive  turn back to the 70s and 80s. Used to love returning my corona pop bottle for 5p!

 

recycling is a multi million dollar business here in the states so  a little incentive to  encourage people to recycle is never a Bad thing and very affordable- it will result in more things being recycled id imagine 

Yeah I think it's going to be a cashback scheme so you'll get vouchers to use against your shopping.

 

Can't understand why it wasn't done here years ago / was ever scrapped. 

[WigstonWanderer]

Keep your old tech as long as possible. Most of the benefits of the latest gear are irrelevant for the majority of folk. Stick a solid state drive in your old PC or laptop and it will work just as well as any modern computer for the vast majority people.

 

Don’t upgrade your phone every 2 years just because Apple or Samsung think you should.

Edited 13 April 2022 by WigstonWanderer