Green essentials Green lifestyle tips

Green electricity comes from renewable sources such as wind farms

Global issues like climate change and pollution can seem overwhelming – but living a greener lifestyle can start with making small changes at home. Here’s how you can start being more environmentally friendly in your day-to-day life.

Energy and utilities

• Reduce your family’s water consumption to cut the amount of energy needed to treat waste water and provide water supplies. Find out more in the Which? guide to using less water.
• Cut electricity usage by turning off products left on standby, switching off lights and investing in energy-efficient appliances. For more energy-saving advice, read our guide to using less electricity.
• Cut your energy bill and reduce reliance on fossil fuels by installing a solar- or wind-powered energy system in your home. The Energy Saving Trust has a guide to generating your own energy guide to generating your own energy.
• Use less gas by turning down your heating. Turning down your thermostat by one degree could save you 10% off your annual heating bill. Fitting loft insulation will also help conserve heat in your home - see our guide to choosing insulation.

Local food travels shorter distances

Food and shopping

• Cut the amount of plastic bags you use when shopping by reusing bags or using a fabric shopper or ‘bag for life’. Using fewer bags preserves resources needed to manufacture plastic bags and prevents bags being sent to landfill where they take 500 years or more to degrade. The Which? guide to making 20 simple changes has more information.
• Reduce food waste. This saves resources needed to produce food, and means less food waste ends up in landfill sites where it produces harmful methane as it breaks down. Read our essential recycling guide for full details.
• Buy locally-produced organic food. Local food travels shorter distances, reducing carbon emissions during its production. Organic food production is free from polluting pesticides and fertilizers. Find out about the ‘100 mile diet’ in our guide to making 10 big changes.

Waste and recycling

• Use your kerbside recycling scheme to recycle domestic rubbish. This helps preserve resources and prevents waste being sent to environmentally-damaging landfill sites and incinerators. See our recycling guide for more recycling tips.
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  Recycling conserves resources and energy

  Compost food and organic waste to prevent harmful methane emissions caused by this waste breaking down in landfill sites. Read our guide to making compost for more information.
• Dispose of electrical goods in accordance with the Weee directive. These regulations help consumers dispose of electrical goods safely, so materials can be recovered for recycling and any dangerous substances removed.

Transport

• Measure your carbon footprint using DirectGov’s online carbon footprint calculator and act on the results.
• Reduce car use by car sharing, using public transport and walking or cycling short distances. This will help you reduce the carbon emissions created by cars each time they’re driven.
• The way you drive can have a big impact on the emissions your vehicle produces. Drive smoothly - check the road ahead, anticipate traffic and avoid harsh acceleration and breaking.