My top 10 green life hacks by Georgina Stevens

October 15th 2021

I have tried many things to help me live a greener life over the years, but not all have worked or stuck, but here are my top ten which have worked, made a big difference! Beware though, some are a bit random!

1. Bin swap

Most people have a large rubbish/landfill bin in their kitchen, and then a smaller recycling bin somewhere else.  I now put my rubbish to go to landfill in a very small bin in a drawer, so it’s more difficult for anyone to access! The big bin in the kitchen is the recycling bin with a big poster on it of what we can put in there.  And then I have a big compost bin under the sink where all the scraps go, after being offered to the dogs first! I also keep other recyclable plastics which the council do not pick up, in another bin (did you know you can recycle a lot of plastic film? See here). Our biggest plastic reduction came from a weekly veg box, but if you want to cut plastic to landfill further do this Everyday plastic survey to find out what your biggest sources of plastic are, and you’ll also get great recommendation on what changes to make to reduce them.  And if you’re  still keen, do the 31 day waste warrior course with ZeroWaste week team! No more arguments about who puts the bins out, because there won’t be much to put out! 

2. Get a dog

Dogs are amongst the most amazing creatures on this earth.  Not only do they make everyone smile and act as free personal trainers, but they also help cut food waste and your carbon footprint!  Our dogs eat all of the vegetable peelings and the leftovers. They also help us cut down on flying, as we always end up going on a local holiday so we can take them with us.  And as for their food there are lots of great vegan dog foods now especially this one made in the UK, and this highly sustainable insect based food.

3. Water the garden with your bath water

There is nothing I love more than a big bath to wallow in and so does my little boy!!  But this uses a lot of water.  So I got the outlet pipe from my bath linked up to a new pipe that waters my garden (and you can also do this with a hose).  It was really simple and really cheap to do, and the garden looks so lush from all of the water! You need to let the water cool down before you let it out, and also use earth friendly bath products.  If you are not a bath fanatic, and have a garden, then get a water butt to collect your rain water to water your grass and plants.  Tap water is really too precious now to use to water your garden.

4. Become fanatical about your fridge

I have found that the tidier our fridge is, the easier it is for everyone to see what food there is in it, the less we waste and the more gets used!  It’s that simple.  It’s also great to plan your meals before you go shopping, and once a week grab everything that is left in the fridge, put the list of ingredients into Ecosia, and see what recipes it suggests!  There is always a new recipe out there to try! And close the fridge door when you take something out; it saves so much energy.

5. Vegan burgers!!

I have been vegetarian and latterly vegan for a long time now, and never have I tasted more amazing vegan burgers than the ones that are available now!! My favourites are Moving Mountains Plant Based Burgers (and their plastic free packaging), M&S Plant Kitchen No Beef Burgers and Beyond Meat Plant based burgers! All delicious, even the committed carnivores in my life love these burgers, and they cut your foodprint down enormously!!

6. Fabulous flasks and lights

Apparently most people boil the kettle three times before they use the water! Kettles are one of the least efficient items in terms of their energy use, so boil your kettle just once and then put the hot water in a flask to use when you need it.  Or better still make up a flask of tea and take it to the woods, with some biscuits whilst watching nature at work. My other top energy cutting tip has been using an LED reading light pinned to my book in the evenings! You can then turn all the other lights off and sit in darkness with just your book lit up for some cosy reading!

7. Baking bonanza

Next time you stick the oven on to bake some cookies, or to cook a hot pot, bung in a few jacket potatoes or a tray of vegetables to roast.  Use up all of the room in your oven to cook anything you might be eating in the next few days and to leave a few ready cooked things in your fridge for those moments when someone is peckish!

8. Slow travel

I went volunteer farming across Europe with my son two years ago, and we got the train or the bus everywhere.  It was so much more fun than flying and we saw some of the most incredible scenery that we would otherwise have missed.  It is also so much easier now to find alternatives to flying with using this website and this one too.

9. Unique clothes

We all know the clothing industry has a huge impact on the environment in terms of water, chemicals and transport emissions, not to mention poor labour standards for many who work within it.  I have always been a big charity shop fan but in lock down I have found some amazing second-hand clothes from Circle of Style, Vinted & Preloved!  All of them unique and beautiful.  And when I think I want to buy a new piece of clothing from somewhere, I now search for a similar item in one of those places, and so far I have not been disappointed!

10. Talk

One of the most effective things we can all do to make the world a better place is to talk about climate change and environmental issues, and share the things that work for us, and ask others for their ideas too.  I have also learnt not to judge or lecture anyone and always to listen even if they might not share your views!! Most people are doing something to reduce their impacts, so why not ask them for their tips.  Plus everyone loves a joke, so why not tell them one.  My favourite joke about the environment is…….Climate change is such a joke...Even the Antarctic ice sheets are cracking up.

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