Quick ways to go green and save

MSE_Sarah

Hi,

We've written a new guide - 26 quick ways to go green and save - and would love your feedback.

Please let us know if it was helpful and if there are any other tips you'd add.

Thanks for your help!

MSE Sarah

daniellelou1se

Hi! 

A little tip I would like to add is boots’ recycling used toiletries for points scheme. If you scan and return 5 items you receive 500 advantage card points which I think is equivalent to £5. Its easy to use just not available in all stores. 

I can’t post the link but if you google recycle at boots it comes up  

kaibloom

I find keeping an old toothbrush helps to clean disposable razors, so they last for more shaves. Better to clean at end of shave, when blade is warm. Undue pressure on the blade is unnecessary, just a quick swish from side to side. It lasts a few times, so worth trying..

renewablejohn

I find it dishonest for you to suggest the United Nations promotes Vegam and Vegetarian methods as a means for saving the planet. If you actually follow the link it is only references an ancient book which has been discredited in more up to date research. Rather than farmer bashing may I suggest a visit to "the farming forum" where much of this Vegan and Vegitarian nonsense is dispeled and the real facts are explained highlighting that UK farming is actually a positve part of the climate solution.

Granada

Convert a car to LPG. In some areas there are plentiful pumps still selling Green LPG rather than the awful Diesel, or slightly better Petrol. The Gov used to support going Green, but doesn't bother any longer with grants towards the costs. At half the price of Petrol it is a worthy savings too. But not, if you are to be rid of the car in less than three years' time. Banning all new, Petrol / Diesel cars is one thing, but it'll take many years for all the cars to be scrapped and swapped over to Battery power. In Europe, LPG is still plentiful, as they are Greener than us.

Nsky24

Buy reusable kitchen towel, with snaps great for average jobs, not for the very gross stuff.
i have 10 just for me.
not cheap, tho will pat fir themselves in time

treadlightly

Can't believe you've missed the OLIO app off your guide - food waste being one of the biggest sources of emissions. This app started off as a way of people offering food for free (edible food, eg past best before but not use by), and now has agreements for its Food Waste Heroes to collect surplus food from Costa, Tesco and Pret a Manger amongst others. It also expanded so that you can now list non-food items too, which has been great since charity shops have been closed for getting rid of things that are too low value to sell on eBay or Facebook but still have some useful life in them. No one is allowed to sell on Olio so it is all free! www.olioex.com

xfred

Make your own oat milk at home. 1cup of pre-soaked oats (30min) + 3 cups of water + 1x teaspoon of rapeseed oil/any oil and blend for 1-2min. Then Use nut milk bag (eBay) and fill glass container. If you don’t want to shake the milk glass bottle before use (as it separates) use one teaspoon of lecithin before blender. 

AlPal

I’m not confident about the green, health, or economic benefits of entirely giving up or substantially reducing fresh meat intake, except as a temporary strategy.  But I can see that in our supermarkets, the plant-based trend is really taking off, with a growing range of products that appear as processed as their meat alternatives and just as costly to health (and broader economic outcome). No doubt fresh vegetables, fruits, beans, nuts and seeds, and grains, all contribute to a healthy human diet. But I feel that fresh animal produce is also of benefit.

A portion of nutritious liver in the human diet from well-raised animals might make the difference between being well-nourished, or being low in iron for example, and having to purchase iron supplements to correct a deficiency. Offal meats (liver, kidney, and heart) are relatively inexpensive. And a basic pack of minced meat can be healthy, and versatile as a food ingredient, as well as cheap. A little meat can go a long way, and complement the other ingredients.

Lifematters

Yet 8 out of the 10 leading causes of death (heart disease being number 1) are linked to animal protein consumption.  Cholesterol for instance is only found in animal products; meat, dairy and (especially) eggs.  It is not found in plant products. 

We are probably best to rely on the science rather than looking for excuses to continue our way of life just because it suits us. Meat and processed meat has already been labelled class 1 and class 2 carcinogen. That’s same as cigarettes and asbestos. If something is bad for you than surely a ‘little bit’ of of that something doesn’t make it good, just less bad than having more. 

https://www.ox.ac.uk/news/2019-10-29-plant-based-foods-are-good-both-health-and-environment

Totally agree that the guide should include the fantastic OLIO app, 

Mickey666

Have fewer children - it's the single largest thing we can do to reduce our carbon emissions.

For example - give up using your petrol/diesel car altogether will save around 3 tonnes per year of CO2 whereas having one less child will save around 120 tonnes of CO2 per years (average US citizen).

https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg24833080-800-the-population-debate-are-there-too-many-people-on-the-planet/ 

Nothing else we do comes close to the impact of each new child.