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Did you know— every single piece of plastic ever created still exists. We all know that we need to do our bit to protect the environment we live in, but the cost of solar panels and eco-friendly products are unaffordable for most. Fortunately, there are some very simple ways to have a less harmful impact on the environment whilst also saving yourself money!
Clothes do not need to be washed using hot water every time. Even if you’re trying to eradicate some germy items, it doesn’t matter how hot you heat the machine. You’ll still end up with clean clothes, but without spending loads on energy to heat up the water!
The average UK household only pays £33.75 a month on water bills – for every litre of tap water, you’ll pay less than a penny. The average cost of a litre of bottled water, on the other hand, is £0.65. And yet 7.7 billion plastic water bottles are used every year in the UK, despite the fact that each one takes 400 years to decompose! Water from your kitchen tap is just as good as the bottled stuff, just cheaper.
Make sure you’re not caught out with the 5p charge for a plastic bag! Keep a few scrunched up plastic bags in your car or at the bottom of your daily bag just in case you do go for a shop.
2.5 billion takeaway cups are used in the UK every year, but shockingly, only 1% of them are recycled! Make sure you’re not contributing to this by getting yourself a reusable coffee cup — these travel mugs are made using sustainable bamboo instead of plastic, and can be recycled too. Take this into many coffee shops like a Pret A Manger to get a 50p discount for using your own mug!
If you’re a keen reader then joining your local library will be a really cost-effective way to read all the books you want! Plus, you won’t be cluttering up your house with lots of books and cutting down trees to produce the paper for your individual copy.
Even if you start off with a small selection of herbs, growing your own fruit and veg is a cost saver and is environmentally friendly. Having your own produce means you won’t be buying food that’s been flown in from the other side of the world. Try this guide to growing vegetables in limited space!
Spend a bit more money initially and buy a few packets of rechargeable batteries. This will reduce the number of finished ones going into landfill and saves you money in the long run. Buy them on sale and stock up over time.
The Energy Saving Trust estimates that an average household will spend about £80 per year powering appliances left on standby. The worst culprits were Wireless routers, printers, iPad chargers, Xbox’s, and set-top boxes. Save yourself money by simply switching things off at the wall when you’re not using them!
One of the simplest ways to reduce your carbon footprint and save yourself a fair few pounds is ride or walk to work. For one, it’s a great way to get fitter, and you won’t have to get stuck in pesky congestion! Failing that, getting a bus may even be cheaper than driving and also means that the emissions are still lower.
Route through those drawers and dig your old smartphones and cameras and get money for recycling them. You’d be surprised how much you could get for a phone that’s a few years old! Try this recycling comparison site to get the most cash when recycling.