Just because your phone or mp3 player is not connected to the charger if it's plugged in it's using electricity and will feel warm. Leaving charges on all the time wastes a huge amount of electricity compared to what is actually needed and can damage the charger itself. You could also buy a wind up or solar charger. - Digby
Write a letter
If you are unhappy with the way a company does things or with what a supermarket stocks, tell them. A letter (using recycled paper of course) is still the best way of getting your concerns across, whether it's not stocking enough local or organic produce down to how they dispose of waste and what form of electricity they use. - Anon
Turn off the tap
Don't leave the tap running needlessly. Turning the tap off while cleaning your teeth saves litres of water which has to be treated and purified before it gets to you. The less you use the less chemicals and energy is used and if you are on a meter the less you spend! E.G. if turing the tap off saves 5 to 10 litres of water when you clean your teeth and you clean your teath twice a day, in one year you would save 3650 to 7300 litres. - Digby
Use your cooking water.
Water that has been used to boil or steam vegetables and eggs contains nutrients and minerals that have been leached out of the food being cooked. Instead of pouring it down the sink water your garden with it (after it has cooled). - Digby
Crush Waste
By crushing or squashing your rubbish before going to recycling or landfill you will enable more to be collected and stored in less trips by the collection wagons. Taking up less landfill space and using less fuel for transportation. - Digby
Check the Label!
When shopping in supermarkets or anywhere else check the labels on the items you are buying for country of origin. Just by doing this you can save thousands of food miles in one shopping basket. For example buy Welsh lamb instead of New Zealand lamb, English stawberries rather than Spanish, French wine rather than South African. The more produce you buy that's from closer to home the more the supermarkest will stock! - Digby
Bottle in Cistern
A family of four can save 12,000 litres a year if you put a brick or a water
filled plastic bottle in your cistern. Try different sizes until you are happy with the flush. Add stones to the bottle to weigh it down if necessary.
Coffee is a perfect compost
Tip your used ground coffee on your flower beds or compost heap.
Organic Drop Box
Local farmers/distributors will sell you a pot-luck collection of in-season fruit and vegetables thereby reducing the carbon emissions from long distance transportation.
Paper Mail Preference List
Simply ring up 0845 703 4599 to stop junk mail being sent to your home.
Shopping Bags - Buy Some Reusable Ones
UK supermarkets give out around 17.5 Billion plastic bags a year.
Most supermarkets will sell you a "bag for life" for small change which they will replace when it is no longer reusable. To minimise your eco-footprint further, buy locally made organic hemp bags.
Timer switch on telly
If you can't remember to turn off your television etc. at night. Put a timer switch on to do it for you.