Saving Water

Here's a simple tip to conserve that most precious of resources, water.

If your garden needs watering, do so early mornings or evenings to reduce evaporation.

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HINK: Reduce, reuse, recycle.

Swap Don't Shop

Tired of your clothes but have little money? Before you visit that cheap shop in the high street or log-in to buy online "bargains", consider holding a clothes swap party with friends and family.

For new clothes bought in the UK produce more carbon emissions per minute than driving a car around the world six times, according to research published by Oxfam. Every year across the world we produce 92 million tonnes of textile waste. Unless big changes happen and improve on how we make, use, and dispose of clothes, it's estimated that by 2030 we'll create 134 million tonnes of textile waste globally, much of which goes into landfill.

At swap parties everyone brings clothes they no longer wear (and possibly a plate of food too to give it a more party atmosphere!)  and swap them with each other. Not only look at the clothes you'd like to wear but also on whether they can be recycled into something else or upcycled. Any clothes left over can be taken to a charity shop.

Or join an online swap group like Swapz. 

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Remove Carpet Stains

To remove a carpet stain: Vacuum the carpet, mix a quarter a cup of salt with quarter a cup of bicarbonate of soda (baking soda) and quarter a cup of white vinegar. Mix thoroughly to make a paste. Rub the paste into the stain and leave until the paste is dry (usually a couple of hours). Vacuum again.

The eco-friendly life. You don’t have to be perfect but if everyone did what they could, what a different world it would be.

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Perennial Plants Versus Bedding Plants

Bedding plants are very pretty but usually last for just one season. Consider planting perennials instead. Perennial plants store carbon and require less maintenance than annuals. 

They are more robust and protect soil from erosion and improve soil structure. They increase ecosystem nutrient retention, carbon sequestration, and water infiltration, and can contribute to climate change adaptation and mitigation.

The eco-friendly life. You don’t have to be perfect but if everyone did what they could, what a different world it would be.

THINK: Reduce, reuse, recycle.

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Button Magic: Reduce Reuse Recycle

Don't throw away your old buttons. 

You can use them for many projects, including button art or making jewellery.

You can create festive decorations or make greetings cards decorated with buttons. Use buttons to add a special touch to wrapped gifts.

You can make fridge magnets, stick them on picture frames to create a decorative edge, stack them to create flower shapes and attach them to wire stems for a bouquet.

Creation by www.aubreeoriginals.com/button-bouquet-salt-shaker-diy/

Sew them onto fabric strips to make curtain tiebacks, use them to customise clothing, glue to hair clips, headbands, or hair ties for a quirky look

Use buttons for educational activities like colour sorting or counting games with children, 

The eco-friendly life. You don’t have to be perfect but if everyone did what they could, what a different world it would be.

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Recycle Old Bras

1.  Recycle your old bras. Bras are often made of synthetic materials that take a long time to decompose in landfills. Instead of tossing them, consider recycling. Organizations like The Bra Recyclers collect old bras and donate them to women in need or recycle the materials. https://thebrarecyclers.com

The eco-friendly life. You don’t have to be perfect but if everyone did what they could, what a different world it would be.

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Clothes Whiteners

Forget the proprietary clothes whiteners and brighteners, which are full of chemicals . Add a teaspoon of bicarbonate of soda to your washing powder. 

Incidentally, you can cut down on the recommended amount of soap powder - at least by half if your clothes are grubby rather than dirty. 

Wash clothes in cold water. Most of the energy used by washing machines goes to heating the water. Washing in cold water saves a significant amount of energy.

The eco-friendly life. You don’t have to be perfect but if everyone did what they could, what a different world it would be.

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