Charlbury Area Waste Action Group

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CO2 What Can I Do?

Updated 14 June 2009

Q. I know climate change is happening – but what can I do about it and still enjoy life?
A. Lots and lots, just read on . . . (and lots of the ideas will save you money!)
"Nobody made a greater mistake than he who did nothing because he could only do a little"
Edmund Burke 1783

Consumption
Food & Drink
Transport
Home
Christmas

Consumption

• Reduce your consumption.
• Reuse as much as possible.
• Recyle everything you can.
• Buy products made from recycled materials.
• Buy recycled paper products or paper that has FSC certification.
• Avoid buying things that are overpackaged.
• Buy a travel mug for buying coffee on your way to work.
• Print from preview to avoid wasting that last almost blank piece of paper.
• Go to Bring & Takes, use Freecycle.

Food & Drink

• Only fill the kettle with the amount of water you need.
• Store excess hot water in a thermos flask for use later on.
• If you need a full kettle in the morning, fill it the night before so it doesn't start off so cold.
• Don't buy bottled water - use a water filter instead.
• Don't buy more food than you need.
• Check your fridge and cupboards to see what you need before going shopping.
• Plan your meals.
• Make a shopping list.
• Take reusable shopping bags with you.
• Don't make impulse buys of "Buy one get one free" unless you know you can use them both.
• Don't throw food away.
• Check out your fridge for 'use by' dates and plan your meals around what you already have.
• Don't cook more food than you need.
• Use a mug to measure rice or pasta before cooking it.
• If you have cooked more than you can eat then freeze it for another day.
• Compost your kitchen waste.
• Grow your own food.
• Buy locally grown food.
• Buy seasonal food.
• Buy from Farmers' Markets.
• Buy UK food rather than imported food.
• Buy food transported by ship rather than by plane.
• Become vegetarian.
• Eat fewer meals containing meat.
• Eat venison.
• Have milk delivered to your door in glass bottles.
• Shop at local shops.
• Reduce shopping trips by car to the minimum.
• Offer to take a friend or neighbour shopping at the same time.

Transport

• Walk or cycle short journeys rather than use the car.
• If you have something to carry locally then use a rucksack.
• Only use the car if you really have to.
• Share your journeys with others.
• Accelerate smoothly and don't brake hard.
• Don't drive in a lower gear than you need – keep the engine revs down.
• Reduce your speed – keep the engine revs down.
• Keep your tyres fully inflated.
• Minimise using the car's air conditioner.
• Get your car regularly serviced - engine tuned, oil and air filter changed.
• Don't carry around unnecessary weight in the car.
• Buy a smaller car.
• Check out fuel consumption when choosing a car.
• Choose diesel or LPG fuelled cars.
• Get trained for the Advanced Driving Test.
• Travel by train or coach in the UK rather than flying.
• Take the train to Europe rather than flying.
• Holiday in the UK.

Home

• Open doors to the outside for as short a time as possible in winter.
• Wear warm clothes in winter.
• Invest in thermal underwear.
• Fit low-energy light bulbs throughout your house.
• Turn off lights when you aren't using them.
• Don't leave TVs and DVD players on standby.
• Turn your PC monitor off when not using it.
• Turn off transformers when not using them.
• Turn off your mobile phone charger when not using it.
• Choose the best energy rated appliances.
• Look for the Energy Saving Recommended logo when buying new appliances.
• Open the fridge door as little as possible.
• Open the fridge door for as short a time as possible.
• Don't have a bigger fridge than you need.
• Check the energy consumption of old freezers.
• Keep fridges and freezers full.
• Close curtains when it gets dark.
• Have thick curtains.
• Turn down your house thermostat by just one degree.
• Set a lower temperature when you are active in the house rather than relaxing.
• Use a shawl or rug when sitting down reading or watching TV.
• Set the central heating timer to switch off 30 minutes before you leave the house.
• You might not need to have the hot water on the whole time the central heating is on.
• Turn radiators off in rooms you aren't using and close the doors.
• Wash clothes at 30°C.
• Only wash clothes if they are dirty rather than just because they've been worn once.
• Turn down the thermostat on your hot water tank to 45°C.
• In the summer, use external blinds to keep the sun out rather than air conditioners.
• Don't waste water.
• If you don't drink all your night-time glass of water then use it to water the house plants.
• Turn the tap off while you clean your teeth.
• Use an ordinary shower rather than a power shower or a bath.
• Reduce the length of your shower by 1 minute.
• Share your bath water.
• You don't always have to flush the loo.
• Don't wash things up or clean vegetables under running water - use a bowl.
• If you use a dish washer, make sure it has a full load.
• Buy an aerated or optimised-flow shower head.
• Fill your hot water bottle from the hot tap.
• Use a draught excluder by the front and back doors.
• Fit reflective material on walls behind radiators.
• Block the chimney opening in unused fireplaces, use newspaper or a bin bag of loft insulation.
• Fit draught excluders around doors, windows, letter box, keyholes.
• Fit more loft installation.
• Fit cavity wall insulation.
• Change your gas central heating boiler if it is not already a modern condensing boiler. 

Christmas

• Buy charity gifts for people who already have everything.
• Buy thoughtful presents that people will actually need.
• Buy energy-saving gifts.
• Buy products made from recycled materials.
• Don't buy things that are excessively overpackaged.
• Make edible presents.
• Send eCards.
• Buy wrapping paper and cards made from recycled paper.
• Make your own Christmas decorations.
• Use gift bags and boxes that can be reused.
• Make paper gift bags and boxes from colourful magazines or from newspapers.
• Make a new tradition of beautiful material bags to wrap presents in each year.
• Stick to the old tradition of using a Christmas stocking.
• Cut up old cards for gift tags.
• Use low-energy lights on your Christmas tree.
• Fit rechargable batteries in your Christmas gifts.
• Take reusable shopping bags with you when you go shopping.
• Buy drinks in bigger bottles rather than lots of small ones.
• Shop at local shops and Farmers' Markets.
• Buy food with low food miles behind it.
• Buy fresh fruit and veg loose without packaging.
• Only buy food that you will definitely use.
• Don't throw food away.
• Make leftovers into something interesting for now or freeze for later.
• Compost all your vegetable peelings.
• Don't overheat the house.
• If your Christmas Tree has roots, keep it in a large pot in the garden until next year.
• Recycle all the extra jars and bottles you've used.
• Take your Christmas tree to be shredded.
• Take your Christmas cards to Woodland Trust collection points at WH Smith, M&S, & Tescos. 

You might have more useful tips to share with others, if so, then please email info@cwag.org.uk

The Kettle