Spring cleaning and DIY projects
- Use detergents sparingly or try using natural alternatives, like lemon juice and vinegar. See our Household hints section for ideas.
- Opt for environmentally friendly paints as they give off less harmful fumes.
- When buying new furniture, choose sustainable wood or even better recycled wood.
Give old furniture a new life
- If a piece of furniture isn’t suitable to you anymore, don’t just chuck it in the tip, it could be ideal for someone else. Check out www.ilovefreegle.org and www.freecycle.org for a free local exchange service, you may even find a replacement at the same time.
- Try updating old furniture by re-covering, re-painting or re-using it in another room.
A wardrobe overhaul
- Take unwanted clothes to the charity shop or textile recycling centre.
- Have a clothes swap with friends, family or colleagues.
- Get yourself a hobby and learn to sew and update old clothes.
- Give shopping at the charity shop a go instead.
- Start drying your clothes outside for the freshness of spring in your laundry.
- Don’t like the colour of something, it’s amazing how easy it is to die clothes and freshen them up in the washing machine.
- Check out our article on Time to de-clutter for some extra tips.
Don’t waste good food
Each month the average family household throws away up to £50 of good food, here’s some tips to avoid waste.
- Plan out your food menu for the week ahead.
- Be accurate with portion sizes and try to only cook as much as you need.
- If you do end up cooking too much, experiment with new ways to cook and store your food so that it can be re-used.
- If you do have waste, be sure to compost it.
- Make the most of seasonal fruits and vegetables as they use less energy and resources to produce.
- www.lovefoodhatewaste.com is great for ideas for leftovers, recommended portion sizes, cooking and storage tips and even more ideas to prevent wastage.
Always recycle
- Most of us put the recycling out for the local council collections but there’s even more we could be doing. Visit www.recyclenow.com to see what else you can add to your collection or take to your local centre.
- You can also check with your local council to see what other recycling options you have in your area.
|
|
