Green tips

oops_a_daisy

Brilliant new forum. I thought I would start a thread where people can come to pass on their 'green tips' to others. I must admit there is probably more that I could do to help the environement but am not aware of it so please add to this thread all of your brilliant ideas and share your tips

Things that I have done, will be doing, or have picked up off OS are......

1. Paper, tins, bottles are recycled fortnightly via the council
2. Freecycle - looooooove freecycle
3. Compost bin just set up poor old rabbit might miss out a bit now
4. Energy saving electrical goods - when my white goods need replacing they will be replaced by more enviromentally friendly ones. Also I switch off at the socket all electrical appliances instead of leaving on stand by.
5. Loo roll inside tubes used as starter plant pots.
6. Growing own veggies - remains to be seen if I have green fingers or not though
7. Only take showers
8. Water butt is the next on my list
9. Set up a recycle area at the side of my house to organise all of my stuff.
10. I also give clothes to charity
11. have started using soapnuts for laundry
12. have also just got my kefir grains to start fermanting my own probiotic yogurt
13. space saver bags in cisterns - save a gallon every time you flush :cool:


Im sure I could go on but theres a dozen or so for starters


one question I would like to put out there is about my rabbit - can I use his droppings for my compost. I am not sure if it would contaminate it though because it is mixed with wood shavings and urine ( and rabbit urine is STRONG ). It has been suggested to me that it would be alright if I stopped using wood shavings and used shredded paper instead. It would be nice to find a way of recycling it though - any advice would be appreciated.

Queenie

I used to use the old straw from our rabbit hutches as a power boost to the soil when planting new plants. The plants thrived.

I have recently acquired a hen and her droppings will also go into the compost bin.

However, I cannot put my cats litter tray offerings in there.

Check out your local council and ask if they will be having water butts for sale - that is how I acquired my water butt and my composter. Certainly was cheaper than buying commercially.

Some of the things I do ...

~ energy saving lightbulbs/appliances when needing renewal
~ hankies instead of tissues
~ cloth napkins instead of paper
~ paper, metals, glass - put into recycle bags and taken to recycling centre
~ green/garden waste that I can't compost taken to council site (they make then sell compost from all green waste)
~ reuse unserviceable clothing/bedding for craft projects (ie: rag rug/quilting/made into other items and other fabric crafts for example, jumpers can be unpicked and re-knitted/crocheted or even made into cushion covers).
~ buttons/zips from above, are reused
~ serviceable clothings is either taken to charity shops or textile recycling bins
~ food is predominantly cooked at home thereby reducing unnecessary packaging/waste.
~ most importantly ... I educate my children in *why* we are doing this! It's really difficult when peer pressure can make or break - but I want them to understand their responsibilities to our environment; it's their inheritance

I know I do more, but my chook is calling, I also know I could be doing more, but then, that is what this new forum will hopefully achieve for myself and many many others.

patchwork_cat

I found this about rabbit droppings http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/gqt/fsheets/15_09_02/fsheetsq1.shtml
I also found a piece that said that rabbit droppings are the most nitrogen rich fertiliser. It didn't say whether I had to compost them first. I would suppose I would or they might burn plant roots - anyone any ideas?

SusanCarter

oops_a_daisy wrote:

11. have started using soapnuts for laundry

What exactly are they and do they work? DO you still use fabcon?

1sttimer_2

SusanCarter wrote:

What exactly are they and do they work? DO you still use fabcon?

Hope I've done this right - this is a thread on the OS forum and it give plenty of advice on what they are and how they work - they are excellent on coloureds but I don't find them brilliant with whites
http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=174684

lynzpower

Sprout your own beansprouts ( details on the OS forum) to save food miles.

Buy recycled papers, bin bags etc. Not many people know that pound shop binbags are often recycled, as is cheapie loo roll.

oops_a_daisy

ok just have to ask - what about doggy poop - can that be recycled in a composter

tiptoes

oops a daisy just posted on the composting thread it can be composted, got this info of ITV's this morning site but I've no idea why

oops_a_daisy

thanks Tiptoes - noticed that just after I posted luckily she is only a little dog
I have just worked out that if I give my veggie peelings etc to the rabbit as usual then compost his droppings then use it on my veggie patch I will have recycled my vegetable waste 3 times

phizzimum

oops_a_daisy wrote:

I have just worked out that if I give my veggie peelings etc to the rabbit as usual then compost his droppings then use it on my veggie patch I will have recycled my vegetable waste 3 times

then you'll peel the veg you've grown and give the peelings to the rabbit..!

I always give our rabbits the weeds I've dug up. I wouldn't want to put them straight on the compost heap but Megsy processes them nicely!

metherer

Hi

Just a bit of clarification.
Waste from vegetarian critters can be composted.
Waste from carnivorous critters cannot.

Hope that helps,

Metherer
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