Some suggestions are listed below along with useful web links for those wanting more information.
- Switch off lights when you leave a room and switch off electrical appliances when not in use rather than leaving them on standby.
- Change to low energy light bulbs.
- Fix any dripping taps.
- Collect rainwater for use watering the garden or washing the car.
- Recycle as much as possible and buy recycled products.
- Make a personal pledge to tackle climate change - register this with Manchester is my Planet (external link)
- Choose environmentally friendlier cleaning products.
- Get milk delivered by your local milkman.
- Put up nest or bat boxes or bird feeders or make a garden pond.
- Get that old bike out of the shed and use it for local trips – a much better way to meet your neighbours and reduce congestion as well as improving your health.
- Consider home insulation (for help and advice see contacts below).
- Re-use shopping bags and try to choose products with less packaging.
- Buy Fairtrade, ethically traded and/or local products where possible.
- Try growing some of your own food. Even if you don’t have a garden, a surprising range of salads and cooking herbs can be grown in pots in a yard or even indoors.
- Choose DIY products that are both more environmentally friendly and far better for health.
- Snack on fruit/veg rather than crisps or chocolate.
- Get to know your neighbour.
- Read a book to your children or get them to read to you.
- Consider learning a new skill via distance learning or adult education initiatives
- Make your own sandwiches rather than buying them – it’s much cheaper, saves on packaging and may well be better for you!
Useful links
The following links provide a good starting point for those who want more information about how to live more sustainably:
