Eco Friendly House And Garden

Is the old-fashioned paper magazine got to go if you are trying to create an eco friendly house?

Well, This is one that even I struggle with, as I love to hold things in my hand when I read them – especially if it about something that I am passionate about.

But should I feel guilty about all that paper, all that ink and all that postage?  Should I be scrolling down on my computer instead?

So, to help you decide, I am giving you the green versions of all the problems along the way - and why paper doesn’t have to be physically recycled to be eco friendly!

The Paper:
No longer does a magazine have to be made with illegally or unsustainably ‘farmed’ virgin pulp from the rainforests of the Amazon or Borneo.  It can be made from either recycled paper, or from FSC certified wood.

The first option means that you are actively making all your other recycling worth while as you are creating a market for used goods – and the more people that buy recycled goods, the more recycling we will see as a whole.

The FSC certified paper will mean that the paper you are reading has not been sourced from anywhere that is damaging the environment or the habitat that it came from.  And as new trees are planted all the time to keep the woodlands balanced, more carbon is absorbed from the atmosphere than if the existing ‘older’ forest remained intact.

The Ink:
There are many different inks available today that are less polluting than existing versions, and those that are made with vegetable oils are becoming much more common.  This trend means that the components of the ink are now naturally degradable rather than releasing man-made chemicals into the environment.

There are also techniques that mean that less ink is used per letter typed, therefore reducing the volume or ink used per magazine.

The Postage:
Many magazines are now packaged in biodegradable clear packaging – which will clearly state how to dispose of it – but there are many that are not – so you may need to write to them and ask why?

Also, many magazines (even those in biodegradable wrapping) and those who write about global issues, still fill their magazines with advertising material, which ultimately weighs down the overall package. 

Not only are these ‘leaflets’ making the postal service use more fuel to transport them (imagine 10,000 people all getting sent the same 3 leaflets extra – it soon adds up for more fuel), but they will no doubt get put straight into the recycling bin, as most people just want to read the magazine, not read about greener grass or an over 50′s health plan!

The Opposition:
So, should we all read our magazines online instead?  With no paper, ink, postage or deforestation to worry about it should be an easy decision, right?

One clear benefit will be financial – but not for you and your friends. If you can’t pass on your old magazines to your friends and family anymore, then they will all have to buy their own copy – which will mean that ‘real’ eco magazines will get 1000′s more £’s or $’s to put towards their green causes!

But on the not-so-positive side – well, lets just think about this first:  How green is the computer, laptop, e-reader or smart phone you are reading your online magazine on?

Now I know that there are many computers involved in the making of the paper magazine these days, but that’s where it stops.  So unless you have an eco friendly branded electronic device – how many rare minerals and toxic compounds have been used to create your ‘online magazine’?

And, are you charging your laptop or ‘phone with renewable green energy – or are you still using the uber polluting coal-fired electricity to keep your devices going?

And one final point is what will I read in my doctors waiting room if all magazines are online only?  Will the surgery need to provide e-readers for us all?  Or will we have to bring our own?

Low energy, CO2 reducing, HFC-free, natural materials, easy to maintain and fully compostable! 

Now that sounds a lot better than the high energy demanding, hydro-carbon filled, man-made material landfill site-filling drain on resources air conditioning units that we all know at the moment!

So if you are thinking of replacing or installing a new air conditioning system for your home or office, then maybe compare the benefits of this new system alongside the normal ones – and make you choice then.

The Financial Benefits Of The New System:
There are many many eco-friendly benefits of these new air conditioning units which I will list below, but there is also the financial costs too.  For example, the replacement filters can be fitted by you rather than having to call out an engineer, and the maintenance of the whole system is low from the start and it only costs about 10p per day to power.

You also need to input less energy into the units to keep them running as they transfer their energy very efficiently within themselves requiring less input from external energy sources.

And, they control the levels of carbon dioxide in your workspace.  Now we all know that a stuffy office is not conducive to work – and you normally fell like it’s time for a nap – but this is only due to the rise in the level of CO2 (the ppm count) with all those warm people breathing out!  So, if this level is maintained at a low level, everyone should be able to keep working and be more productive during the whole day.  And this mean better profits – essential for a small business!

The Green Credentials:
Here are some facts and figures from the Cool Phase website detailing the eco benefits of their great new invention!

• Each system installed could save around 800kg of CO2 a year.
• Units do not contains any ozone damaging refrigerants or contribute to excessive global warming.
• Outer casing is made from FSC approved plywood materials.  
• All materials used are natural, and so can be mashed up and composted at the end of their life.
• Units recover heat from their surroundings late in the day and store them until the following morning with no need for extra energy.
• If you live in the UK – this is a locally built product!

So, we should stop thinking of air conditioning as being a constant flow of freezing cold air into the workplace – but more of an ambient controlled atmosphere that actually does condition the air of your office, school or home for the better.

Better for the environment, better for your health and better for your wallet!

Here we are again – with some quick easy steps to staying green…..

1) Buy Old Stuff:
Choose products that contain recycled materials otherwise why are we bothering to separate out our rubbish in the first place! 

There is no point expecting people to wash out and separate out all their plastics and glass if we aren’t prepared to buy the stuff we make out of it all!  Something is only worth making if people are going to buy it – I mean you don’t see trifle flavoured crisps or eyeball pies in your shops do you?

2) Buy New Stuff:
If you see a new product that supports Fair Trade, palm oil certification, MSC or anything else – make sure you are one of it’s new supporters!

If someone has bothered to make something that supports something you believe in, then the least you can do is buy it occasionally.  Sometimes these eco friendly versions are just as tasty as the normal things you buy, but that extra 50p you spend could make all the difference.

3) Bring Your Own Stuff:
We all remember to save our bags for shopping, and nearly all of us remember to take our bags to the stores – but then we go and leave them in the car! 

So, try to make a concerted effort to remember your bags when shopping, and to take more than you think you will need.  The number of times I only wanted ‘a few things’ and ended up remembering a whole load of other stuff – far out-weighing my original bag capacity! 

4) Leave Stuff Behind:
Make sure that you don’t buy fish that is not MSC certified – otherwise that might become a type of fish that you won’t be able to eat in the future – especially if it is being over-fished!

Isn’t it better to go without it this week rather than lose it forever!

The same goes for everything really.  My local store didn’t have my usual organic, free-range medium hens eggs.  So I didn’t buy any.  Firstly, I can go back to the shop tomorrow without having starved to death overnight: and secondly, buying the less chicken-friendly alternative in the shop lets the shop manager know that I’m not really that bothered about the type of eggs I buy!

I mean, if non-organic supermarket eggs sell just as well when the organic ones have sold out – and there is a better profit margin on the non-organic ones – then they might well let the organic ones ‘run out’ more regularly knowing that it’s more important that customers have eggs than the fact that they are organic!

Don’t let supermarkets decide what you can buy – make sure you tell them what you want to buy.

5) Make Your Own Stuff:
Rather than buy processed foods from Asia, and vegetables from Africa – why not try out some new recipes and using veg you can grow in your own back garden!

Try shopping in the fresh and home baking sections only for a week.  Don’t rely on someone you don’t know making a meal for you miles from your kitchen and then sticking it in a box for you and shipping it to your nearest store!

Give it a go!

There are many great eco friendly reasons to buy a stainless steel kitchen sink!

Especially if the new sink has a small drainer to the side or is a double sink – as this also makes the process of washing up even more eco friendly – twice the eco credentials!

So, what makes them so eco friendly – and why should you consider changing your current sink to a stainless steel kitchen sink?

Why Are They Eco Friendly?
Well, after writing my article on how you could design your new bathroom to be eco friendly with a bit of forward planning, I was starting to look into how to update your kitchen to do the same.

Needless to say, I spent some time investigating kitchen sinks, and found out that stainless steel was actually a very eco friendly material and had extra eco friendly benefits too!

1) Low Carbon:
The production of stainless steel creates very little carbon, and so therefore each product made impacts very minimally on your homes carbon footprint!

2) Very Recyclable:
Steel is very highly prized in the recycling market as it is so easy to melt down a reuse.  Therefore all the old stainless steel kitchen sinks – as well as cars and other electricals – can be melted down a reused, therefore limiting virgin materials being mined elsewhere.

3) Long Life:
As it is so difficult to damage stainless steel products, they have a very long shelf life so to speak – and therefore the initial purchase of your sink could be a long-term investment in terms of expended energy, fitting and money-saving!

4) Hygienic Materials:
As stainless steel is not damaged by kitchen knives and others scrapes and bangs, there is nowhere on it’s surface to harbour germs.  As a result, you see this material used throughout hospitals, large kitchens and fast-food joints – so you know it’s good stuff!

5) Easy To Keep Clean:
Not only is it hygienic in the first place, it is very difficult to stain, burn or otherwise make stainless steel unclean.  All stains can be easily be removed with warm soapy water, club soda or olive oil, and white vinegar will give it a nice polish too.  As a result there is no need to use harsh chemical cleaners which flush straight into your local water works or burn your skin!

6) Can Save Water:
This one only counts if you buy a double sink or use a washing up bowl as it will make washing the dishes more eco friendly.  You can use the other sink to throw your dirty food and liquid into rather than letting all the dirty food waste into the water you are using for cleaning!  The clean water then lasts longer and can clean more for less!

How Do I Get Started?
Well, I’m not suggesting you get a new sink just for the fun of it, but it isn’t a bad idea to start looking for a new kitchen sink before you actually need one – otherwise you could end up buying the first sink you see in an ‘emergency’ rather than searching for the best one for your needs.

I’m sure that if your old sink suddenly broke or cracked, you wouldn’t take your time browsing for a suitable replacement – you’d want one right then and there.  So why not find a preferred dealer with same day delivery and keep them saved in your bookmarks for when you do need them!

The one I found that fits the bill on all counts is the rather simply named Mr Direct, who not only offers a huge range of suitable sinks, but was one of the only ones I found that offers that same day delivery promise that so many other suppliers avoid.

They also have great images on their website of their double and treble sinks – both left and right-sided options – that I think they have every kitchen covered! 

And with their collection of stainless steel faucets added on, your can even be more eco friendly with the delivery: all your products from the same supplier and on the same van!

I bet you never thought your choice of sink could have such an eco friendly impact!

Has your spring clean left you with quite a lot of things you don’t want?

Well, someone else might find a good use for them – so why not take yourself out to a car boot sale and see what you can make for things you don’t even want!

There are many car boots held every week across the UK although they may not be as widespread elsewhere, and they are great fun to do.

However, there are a few tricks of the trade that will make your car boot experience a lot better than just plunging feet first into it on that early Sunday morning!

1) Check Out Some Sites As A Buyer.
Make sure that you have visited a few local sites before you pitch your spot.  Some car boots aren’t as organised as others and can have stalls spread out over a large area of land but with stalls quite some distance apart – not good for sales!

Other sites can be a field of mud, others too small, and yet more with terrible access (or exit afterwards).  Some have a set start and finish time, but others just let people come and go throughout the day – which can leave you alone in the field if all your neighbours go home early!

And find out the price of a pitch – if the car boot costs more than £10 for your car – then make sure you have enough stuff to make the difference.  You will have to get up early, drive to the site, sit there all day hopefully selling at least that amount in goods and then probably queue up for ages to get out afterwards – so is it worth it?

2) Contact The Person In Charge First.
Make sure you have spoken to the person who is in charge before you get up early one day – as there are protocols to follow!

One car boot I went to where the entrance of which was on a main road had an unknown secret: you had to join a queue about 1/2 a mile away in a main back street half an hour before it opened to get a spot.  If you queued up outside the site when it was due to open – you were told to drive around the block and join the others – at the very back!

3) Find Out What You Can Sell.
This might sound strange, but some car boots will only allow old things to be sold – so if they see you there with plants, bulk goods and maybe even certain electrical items, you may get told off or outed!

Other places might be really strict on the amount of space you get, so having a clothes rail would be virtually impossible if you have a long table too!

Other sites have so much space that you can park your car sideways, therefore getting metres of space to display your things, and allowing you to have everything within touching distance of the customers, rahte than them having to rummage around in boxes under the table or having to ask you to pass stuff across to them!

4) Bring The Right Equipment.
Make sure that you can display most of your goods around hand-height so that everyone can see what you are selling and can have a good look – so this means a table of sorts like a decorating fold-up table (as you need to fit it in your car with all your stuff as well) and if you are selling clothes a rail would really make a huge difference.

Boxes on the floor for books is perfect – but preferably pack them together in prices if you have enough, so a box for 10p and box for 50p books etc. Same goes for tiny toys or other little things, so, ‘Anything in the Box = 50p’ type of thing.

You will need a fair amount of small change if you are going to be serious about this, so at least £10 worth of 50p’s and less and £10 of £1′s should be a minimum – depending on the price of your goods. There is nothing worse than giving a price for something and then have to refuse the sale as you have no change left! Most customers bring small change – but it’s best to be prepared!

And along those lines – bring plenty of carrier bags from your re-using stash to give to customers – they are more likely to buy more stuff if you offer them a decent bag!

And a plastic sheet to cover everything if it rains wouldn’t be a bad idea!

5) Set Your Prices For The Good Stuff.
If you are selling some large or really nice items, then make sure you set a minimum price before you set out as otherwise you could come away with less than you deserve.

There are also the ‘early scavengers’ as I like to call them, who go to car boots for a living. They know what stuff is worth money and what things they can sell on their own stall round the back of yours for twice what you were charging!

How they do this is to start rumaging through your things while you are still getting them out of your car. They pester you with seemingly reasonable prices, or offer for bulk goods – which you think is great!

You are making money before you are even finished unloading – but remember, they are only buying it from you as you are a ‘newbie’ and they want to buy yours cheap and sell it on for more! So it’s something to think about – make less money straight away, or hold on to your higher prices and sell them for yourself through the day.

In fact, why don’t you do a spring clean with the car boot in mind – as it could help you be a bit more ruthless – especially if you are not sure if you want to sell a certain item. By setting a high price you definately won’t go below you can come away with a result either way – making a decent amount for it – or keeping it yourself anyway!

6) Enjoy Yourself!
Make sure you plan to make a day of it. Take decent clothes incase it is cold, and convince someone to come with you if you can (or at least pop in to see you half way through) otherwise you won’t be able to go to the loo or to buy yourself a hot drink if it’s cold!

Take a packed lunch if you can as some can start as early as 6am in the summer and finish after 3pm. Do you want to have to go hungry – or end up spending your takings on a car boot burger?

I’ve done them before and I would do them again – but I have made all my mistakes, so hopefully your won’t have to…..

Posting something isn’t just about getting it totally wrapped up in paper – it’s about sending with love!

What I mean is, that the actual packaging and size of the packaging you use can have a huge environmental impact when sent through the post – and also the item you are posting could be better selected if you really want to save resources!

The Packaging:
Starting with the materials you choose for wrapping, it would make sense to avoid non-recyclable materials in the first place as they can only be thrown in the trash upon receipt.  And wrapping something up and then putting it inside an envelope or another layer or wrapping for posting seems to be just a waste of resources.

Bubble-wrap should be used inside the packaging rather than as part of the wrapping so that it can be re-used at the other end in both parts.  I mean, if you send a gift wrapped in a sheet of bubble wrap and then put inside a normal envelope or sheet or parcel wrap – then both parts can be put to use again by the recipient or the envelope recycled!  However, using an envelope with it’s own bubble-wrap concealed within cannot be recycled - only reused as a whole.

And, you don’t really want to use heavy packaging – like loads of sticky tape – as this will make your entire package heavier to post and therefore it will use more fuel and energy to move from your post box to the recipients!

The Size Of It:
Many, many, many people use the wrong sized packaging when posting an item.  It makes sense to find out the categories for your countries postal charges so that you can find out which is the most cost effective way to post it – and – the most energy-efficient way to post it.

Buying or using a larger-than-necessary envelope will take up more room in the postal system than a smaller one – creating more journeys for the postman and their fleet of trains and vans when added to all the other post going the same way. 

And in the UK, the rates charged for packages depends purely on the dimensions – so folding a pliable gift a certain way could save you a lot of money!

Anyone who sells things over the internet will know all about the best way to package something!  For example sending a ‘packet’ weighing up to 750g (1st class) is £2.65 – but sending a ‘large letter’ weighing the same (1st class) is only £1.77 – with just a few millimetres between them!

It’s worth knowing the small print if you have a lot of gifts to send! 

And why post items that the recipient can get for themselves – for example; toiletries and cosmetics.  Why send weighty bathroom goods through the post when they can buy them in their own stores?  Just use a paper voucher for that store – or make a personalized voucher telling them what you want them to buy with your money.

It’s still going to be the same gift – just from the store 10 minutes from their home rather than your store 500 kilometers away!  The items have already been driven across the country from the factory to the warehouse and then to your store – why get the postman to drive it somewhere else as well!!!!

The Gift Itself:
If you know you are posting something – then make sure you choose wisely.  Why send an item that is going to be costly to post in the first place?  And – are you going to pay the postal service to guarantee it arrives in one piece or more importantly credit you if the item is lost or damaged before it even arrives!

And, would it not be more eco friendly to have the item delivered directly to the person in the first place.  I find it quite funny that the wrapping of a gift is so important.  Some people have a gift delivered all the way to their home (at a cost) then wrap it themselves (at a further cost) then post it back out to the recipient (at even more cost!).

Why not just get it sent directly to the recipient in the first place – and have already told them to expect it and not to open it until you desire.

It’s still ‘wrapped up’ by the company - and it is still a gift from you?  This is even worth doing for overseas deliveries in some instances as the company your order from may well have overseas distribution sites that make posting items direct more cost and energy efficient!

Or better still – buy them an item that is virtual, so you don’t have to post anything!  Why not buy a ‘gift’ that helps others rather than clutters up our homes further, like charity gifts, memberships, or other good causes!

Make a difference with your money rather than making more things for landfill!

The RGS are hosting a fantastic EcoFair on the 5th and 6th of December in London.

They are bringing together some fantastic international eco friendly companies and charities to fill your day with excitement and fill your bags with great goodies!

Stalls include some of the old favourites like the RSPB selling wildlife gifts, memberships and information for your gardens and great days out and the CO-OP will be promoting their eco friendly and fair trade clothing ranges.

There are also products available from around the world, with alpaca clothing from Peru, ethical accessories from Nepal, hand-made silks from Cambodia and Luxury fabrics from India.

There are also creations from the UK, including recycled household goods, hand-made bespoke jewelry, fair trade organic babywear and luxurious oils and soaps.

There is also a free puppet show being performed at the show just after lunch time – called the Forest of Fables, and is performed using Japanese style puppets (made from recycled materials) to African music depicting well known Greek fables!

In addition, there is even a puppet making session beforehand – so your children can make their own recycled puppet like those from the show and learn how the show is put together – including a sneak preview at some of the songs – and they get to keep their puppet!

The whole show is free entry to all – with free fairtrade wine for all RGS members and guests – see the RGS website for more details……..

I know it’s not Spring – but have a good clean out to get your home eco friendly!

We all hoard things.  Whether it is in the cupboard under the stairs, the garage or in the spare room!  So why not release your unwanted items into the world where other people need them!

What use is that tub of old paint, or that bag of clothes you don’t wear?  They aren’t doing anything hidden away in boxes and bags – so get them out into the world where other people can use them rather than buying things new!

How Do I Get Rid Of The Old Items?
Well, it depends on whether you want to give them away for free, or whether you want some money for them.

If it’s free you are after then there are plenty of options starting with your own local amenity site.  They are usually affiliated with a local recycling firm that takes away your furniture and electrical goods and them sells them at a reduced price to local people or people who are on a tight budget!

There are also many websites like FreeCycle that allow you to list anything you no longer want so that other people can come around to your house and collect them.  So it saves you a drive to the tip!

Most charity stores will take clothes and shoes as will the ‘Charity Bins’ at Superstores and some Retail Parks.  They can be quite fussy about electrical goods and damaged goods though.

If you want some cash for your goods then there are jumble sales, carboot or garage sales – or you can list the better items on sites like e-bay, from old toys to RV’s!  Virtually everything sells these days – and the buyers pays the postage too!

What Next?
Well, there will be things that can’t be used by others – like old paperwork and broken pots, torn books and tatty magazines.  So you need to thin them out into 4 groups:

1) Important documents and personal paperwork that you need to shred
2) Things that you think will be useful in the next few months or pictures for scrap-booking
3) Things that you can recycle
4) Things that you can only throw away

Not only will sorting things out give you more space at home and probably a few extra pennies in your pocket – but it will allow you to make room for the things that matter.

Like those recycling bins in the kitchen, the do-it-yourself corner where you can make and mend things, the kids can cut out magazines and paint pictures and you can feel good about having passed a few things on in the world – keeping the goods moving rather than creating demand for new ones!

Happy sorting!

Watch this short video – and it will jolt you into reality!

Where do you think all your stuff comes from?  What happens when you get that new phone?  How can we get our stuff so cheap?  What is the real cost of our spending?

All these are answered in this lively, well animated and well written short video by a well traveled, very experienced environmental investigator specialising in health and justice issues across the globe.

It is filled with some scary facts about what we are doing to our planet – or in reality what we are not doing to help our planet.

It highlights – with a fact-packed dialogue – what we are allowing to happen or are being coerced into thinking is ‘OK’.

Annie quotes that the US represents just “5% of the world’s population but uses 30% of the resources and makes 30% of the waste”  Is that right?  Or is that just how it ended up because no-one has really ever thought it was wrong?

Think about it!
She certainly makes you think about everything you are going to buy – or anything you have recently brought.  And it should certainly make you think about anything you are planning to throw away!

The cost of something shouldn’t be the value that the store attributes to it.  For example the $4.99 radio she talks about in her video could not possibly have only cost $4.99 to make. 

Firstly, the store has to make a profit and it needs to be packaged up and shipped across the world from where ever it was made.  So none of that is what it actually cost to make either – so we are down to about maybe $3.00 or less to make?

And how long would you think 1 single radio takes to make from it’s basic parts? About 30 minutes?  No, that would be stupid, right?  But would you work for less than $6.00 an hour? I don’t think so.

So, how much money do the people that build these get paid?  And we haven’t even started on the people it took to mine the raw materials and the time it took to shape them into the component parts.  And what about driving and shipping costs?

And we haven’t even started on the cost to the environment…… 

Yet to some people, throwing out an un-needed $5 radio is not a worry to them – it’s only $5. They don’t even think about what was destroyed or who was exploited to make it in the first place.

And you can be sure that many people do not think about what happens to it after they throw it out!

Well, Annie explains all in her hard-hitting fact-filled docu-video - but keeps it fun and a bit funny even.

And you can help out by showing people, schools, social clubs or anyone else this video to help change that!  Check out the resources on the site for more information.

A Life Stripped Bare: tiptoeing through the ethical minefield – Leo Hickman

I read a lot of books and magazines about the environment and ways to become more eco friendly, but I have at last found one that is really down to earth about the whole thing.  It is full of interesting facts and figures – but entertaining at the same time.

The reasons he gives for his actions and the changes he does and doesn’t make are so ‘real’ that it offers us all a chance to see where we too are choosing how ‘green’ we think we can be – or how ‘green’ we actually want to be!

He shows that you don’t have to go without things or scrimp and save all the time, but that it can be a viable option depending on your life style.  For example, working in a formal environment and having a baby can mean a different set of criteria to those working on a small holding without a family.

Could you really go to work in central London if you hadn’t shaved your chin for a week or were trying to wash your suits less and your whites weren’t that white?

What’s It About?
Well, the author Leo Hickman, has decided to find out how he could become ‘green’ and make his house more eco friendly.  He has recently moved to a new property and has a small baby, but generally he is just like any other average person in terms of ethical living.

He invites 3 specialists in to his home and life to find out what he has achieved so far, where he has gone wrong and what he can do in the future.

The result is a totally truthful account of his life and thoughts – as well as those of his not-so-convinced wife!

He covers everything from holidays to worms, nappies to the NHS, kitchen cleaners to lemon juice – and will have you in stitches along the way.

Why Is It Good?
Well, it allows you to see for yourself how eco friendly your own home is and more importantly – how you judge the actions of others.

There are many things he isn’t doing (or won’t do) that I find quite acceptable – and some things he decided were ‘ok’ that I found myself shocked at.  But basically it’s all about levels of green – as I must shock people who are ‘more green’ than I am with some of the things I think are quite acceptable.

He also gets letters from random people (he writes for The Guardian newspaper) who are what I would call extreme!  There is 1 lady who ‘washes only her stinky bits’ to save water and brushes her teeth with what she herself describes as a foul tasting concoction of salt and bicarbonate of soda to avoid chemicals!

Where do you sit on the green-scale?

How It Made Me Feel:
In general, his words certainly made me feel that I was lacking in certain areas and could really try a bit harder – but I also tended to agree with his comments regarding how ‘little’ it all feels in the whole global picture.

When you hear of all the disasters on the planet and how governments of the world seem to be trying their best to cut down forests, kill off species and pollute the atmosphere – you wonder if washing out your milk carton for recycling or watering your garden with bath-water is really going to stop the planet from falling to pieces?

Leo’s story just makes me feel like the little things do help and that my efforts are not being wasted.  It also tells me that there are many, many, many other people out there doing the same – or better – to help us curb our wasteful habits and make a difference for the future.

More Eco Friendly?
If you do fancy reading this book – make sure that you get this book from your local library to save a whole new one being made – and while you are there check out their noticeboard for some local events you can attend to support your local community!

If you do want your own copy for reference, then check online (there are usually free Internet computers at libraries) for a second-hand one on many of the book trading sites like Amazon, eBay, or Freecycle or search for another site. 

Let me know what you think!