tips to reduce your carbon footprint
DESCRIPTION
This booklet gives you some simple tips about how you can reduce your carbon footprint.TRANSCRIPT
How you can help Our climate is changing with implications for our environment, economy and wellbeing here in Wales and across the globe. It is one of the biggest challenges facing the world but we each have the chance to make a difference.
The greenhouse gases we produce through everyday activities contribute to climate change. We can help to slow it down by making some simple changes to the way in which we live and this booklet tells you how.
There are steps you can take at home, work, when travelling or even shopping but you don’t have to do them all at once - start with the ones that work best for you. You’ll be surprised by how quickly the changes you make become habit and many of them will help your health and your wallet too.
Work out your carbon footprint We’ve all got a carbon footprint. Big or small, it’s our own personal measure of how much greenhouse gases we create – the smaller it is, the less impact our lifestyles are having on climate change.
Why not use a carbon calculator to find out your carbon footprint? Visit www.energysaving trust.org.uk to use the Energy Saving Trust’s carbon cutter - simply answer some straightforward questions and it will create a personal action plan for you with hints and tips.
You can also find lots of tips to help reduce your carbon footprint on our website www.walescarbonfootprint.gov.uk.
Once you’ve taken these first steps you may want to find out what else you can do. There are links to other organisations on our website which can give you more advice on how to reduce your footprint even further.
when you are at home…
Fact
:
turn off appliances at
the power
switch
instead of leaving
them on standby.
If everyone in Wales did this we would save enough electricity to power 73,000 homes for a year. That’s enough money saved to pay the TV licences of almost 365,000 homes.
install at least 3 energy saving lightbulbs. They cost a little more to buy but last up to ten times longer than a regular bulb and use a lot less electricity – so they will save you money over their lifetime.
If everyone in the UK had proper insulation, together we’d save enough energy to heat around 2.2 million homes for a year.
turn your thermostat down by 1ºC.
19
15
ºC
Fact
:
install loft
and wall insulation. Grants may be available to help with the cost of insulating your home.
If every home in Wales did this we would save over £65 million a year on our energy bills. Fa
ct:
in the kitchen…
Enough electricity to supply 15,000 homes all year would be saved if everyone did this.
when you make a cup of tea, only
boil as much water
as you need.
Fact
:
Around 22,000
tonnes of carbon
dioxide emissions
would be saved if
everyone did this
- that’s the same
amount of carbon
dioxide released
by driving round
the earth 2,650
times.
Fact
:
compost or
separate and
recycle
your waste
wherever
you can.
wash your laundry at 30ºC rather than at higher
temperatures.
• Fit a water saving device in your toilet.
• Fix leaking taps - it often only takes a new washer.
• If you have an immersion boiler make sure your hot water cylinder is well insulated.
in the bathroom…
take
a 4
min
ute
show
er
inst
ead
of
a ba
th.
A dripping tap could waste more than 15 litres of water a day.
A running tap can use 6 litres of water in one minute - just 10 minutes could be enough to fill a small bath.
Fact
:
try not
to run the tap the
whole time when you clean your teeth.
Fact
:
in the garden…
• Get a water butt to collect rainwater for your garden.
• Sweep paths, patios and driveways instead of hosing them down.
• Use a bucket and sponge to wash your car instead of a hose pipe.
water your garden in the early
morning or evening. This will reduce the amount of
water lost by the heat of the sun.
save water
- use a
watering can, not a hose
when watering your plants.
Composting your kitchen and garden waste at home creates less carbon dioxide than if it was sent to landfill and your plants and flowers will like it too.
If you have a water meter, reducing the amount of tap water you use will also save you money.Fa
ct:
Fact
: get a compost bin. If you don’t have a garden your council may provide a compost collection service.
Alo
ok o
ut fo
r the
labe
l
on fr
idge
s, fr
eeze
rs,
was
hing
mac
hine
s and
dish
was
hers
.
when you are shopping...
choose
energy ‘A’ rated
white goods.Many white goods have to carry an energy efficiency rating from A++ to G. An A+ rated fridge-freezer for instance can save you around £38 every year in running costs.
Fact
:
• Buy products with the least amount of packaging.
• Buy locally produced food - it has not travelled as far to get to the shop which means it will be fresher too.
• Walk to your local corner shop if you can.
In 2010 we took home an estimated 350 million carrier bags in Wales from the major supermarkets alone.
buy products made from recycled materials kitchen towels, toilet tissue and bin liners are just some of the recycled products available.
re-use carrier bags or buy fabric ones which will last.
take your own bags.
when you are travelling...
choose a
fuel efficient car -
you will save money on both
petrol and car tax.
Fact:share
lifts with
friends, neighbours
or colleagues.
Instead of flying abroad, look at local holiday
destinations or perhaps travel to Europe by train.
on average £80 a yearby sharing their commutes with two other drivers!
People who car share can save
Cycling is one of the few carbon-neutral means of transport which means that the amount of harmful gases it emits is negligible.
save petrol and emissions by turning off your car engine when waiting.
Even leaving the car at home just
once a week will make a
difference.
use public transportwhenever you can.
Fact
:
walk or cycleBoth are great exercise
and free!
when you are at work…
use a mug
instead of
disposable cups
for drinks.
turn your lights, computer and other electrical accessories off at the end of the day or when away for long periods.
• Collect office paper for recycling. Also tins, glass and plastic can be recycled in the kitchen.
• Become a Climate Change Champion at work and encourage colleagues to do their bit.
use recycled
printing
paper.
If possible share
essential documents
with colleagues
rather than printing
a copy each.
don’t print documents unless you really need to and print on both sides where you can.
take the stairs instead of the lift - it saves electricity and it’s healthier too!
www.walescarbonfootprint.gov.ukLots of information to help you reduce your carbon footprint.
www.energysavingtrust.org.uk or call free on 0800 512 012. Lots of useful tips, advice and possibly grants.
www.carbontrust.co.uk Advice for businesses.
www.traveline.info Your link to public transport information.
www.sustainwales.comProvides helpful information to help you live sustainably and how you can link up with others.
www.wasteawarenesswales.org.ukInformation about how to recycle and manage your waste.
find out more...