Yesterday I filled the tank of my car up for the first time in weeks. A small success when it comes to my carbon footprint. Ideally, I wouldn’t need to drive at all but my current lifestyle and workstyle means that a car is necessary. True, a diesel engine probably isn’t necessary but a change of car is currently not on the cards in the near future. Nonetheless, I will attempt to use the train more and my car less. This got me thinking, I should probably take a good look at the rest of my life and cut back. This resulted in ‘the eco list’.
- Only drive if absolutely necessary. If there is an alternative means of transport then use it.
- Don’t buy plastic bottles (especially bottled water).
- If preventable, avoid products that use a lot of unnecssary packaging.
- Only fill the kettle with as much water as you need (a gentle reminder here).
- Turn all plugs off when not in use.
- Don’t buy ‘snack sized’ products.
- Buy food from local shops.
- Buy recycled loo roll etc
- Use a reusable coffee/tea cup/mug in cafes.
- Use reusable tubs rather than sandwich bags.
I encourage you to make your own list. There are many other things that could go on it, from recycling to composting and making your house more energy efficient. However, I wanted to limit it to ten so that it is manageable. The aim is to build good habits that will hopefully become ‘normal’.
thinkingcountry.com 