In hot and dry countries such as Australia, there are strict rules for how much water you can use and when, making people aware of the need to save water. However, in the UK, with our wet weather and being surrounded by water bodies, we often take the water we have for granted. Most of us do not think twice about putting the dishwasher on every night, or having a longer shower when it is cold outside to warm up. But how much does our love of water add onto our energy bills? And what can we do to try and be more water smart?

Household usage

The average person in the UK uses 150 litres of water a day, a figure which is expected to rise steadily, resulting in an expected increase of 800 million litres of water a day by 2020 [1]. Not only is this high level of usage worrying, but it also contributes to greenhouse gas emissions. Water use has become a subconscious action, with many of us leaving the tap running while brushing our teeth, or using a running tap to wash the dishes instead of filling a basin.

Household bills

Only about 8% of people realise that their water use plays an important part in their energy costs – heating water accounts for a whopping 24% of the average household’s heating bills [2]. Boiling kettles for cups of tea, having a hot shower or running the washing machine all help make up this 24%. When boiling kettles, filling the kettle with more water than you need means that more energy is being spent heating unnecessary water. Half empty dishwashers and washing machines also add unnecessary costs to bills. Running an inefficient, faulty or old boiler means more energy is required to heat the same amount than an A rated or energy efficient boiler would use.

How much do you use?

Working out your water consumption by hand would be a nightmare, but luckily there are now numerous calculators online which can do it all for you in a flash!

The Energy Saving Trust provide a Water Energy Calculator, into which you enter details about your household usage of various appliances and habits, such as dishwasher and shower use, and energy ratings of boilers etc. The calculator then generates a report with your results – showing water usage, energy usage, carbon emissions and total costs [3]. You can compare your water usage with the national average, and also get suggestions of how to reduce your consumption.

What you can do

There are numerous ways to save both water and money. From small changes such as turning off taps when not in use to larger investments such as installing a solar hot water heating system, there are solutions to meet every budget and time frame.

 Energy Saving Warehouse has a range of Water saving Products.

Bathrooms

• Turn off the tap when brushing your teeth, washing your face or shaving.
• Invest in a water saving shower head. These work by making the water flow seem much higher than it really is, helping to reduce shower times. For a typical shower length of 8 minutes, up to 60 litres of water can be saved by a low flow shower head fitting [4].
• Dual flush toilets can help you to save – they typically use less than half the amount of water that an older flush system would use.
• If your household has a lot of baths per week, try getting everyone to replace one bath with a short shower instead.

Kitchen

• 8 – 14% of the total water used in a home goes towards the kitchen tap and dishwasher [5], so make sure that when using the dishwasher that it is as full as possible. When buying a machine try and match your household size to the capacity of the machine – if you live alone you do not need a machine with the capacity for a large family!
• Try to also fully load washing machines, and when purchasing a machine ask to see their efficiency and water ratings.
• If you like your drinking water cold, fill a jug or bottle and leave it in the fridge. Then when you feel like a glass of cold water, you only need to reach into the fridge, rather than having to run the tap till you get to your preferred temperature.

Outdoors

• Sprinkler systems are very water intensive – try and use them in the early morning or late evening rather than the middle of the day, to reduce evaporation.
• Apply mulch to your garden – by covering the surface of soil evaporation is further reduced.
• Collect rainwater – not only is it available many months of the year, it is also totally free!

There are numerous ways to try and save water, most of which just involve thinking for a moment about what you are about to do. By reducing the amount of water you heat and use, you could save money and time, and help the environment all in one.

References

[1] Environment Agency. Save Water. 2013. http://www.environment-agency.gov.uk/homeandleisure/beinggreen/117266.aspx

[2] Energy Saving Trust. Saving Water. 2013. http://www.energysavingtrust.org.uk/scotland/Heating-and-hot-water/Saving-money-on-hot-water/Saving-water

[3] Energy Saving Trust. Water Energy Calculator. 2013. http://www.energysavingtrust.org.uk/scotland/Heating-and-hot-water/Saving-money-on-hot-water/Water-Energy-Calculator

[4] Green Your Home. Low Flow Taps and Showers. 2013. http://greenyourhome.co.za/index.php/2012-03-06-13-43-16

[5] Waterwise. Water Saving Advice and Tips.2013. http://www.waterwise.org.uk/pages/water-saving-advice-and-tips.html

Food makes up a large part of our everyday lives, whether it’s dropping by the shops on the way home from work, searching for new recipes online or preparing a home cooked family meal. However, many of us are happy to sit down to a meal without thinking of the impact our food has on the environment, and whether our diet is sustainable. A recent report by WWF found that the growing, producing and importing of food in the UK is responsible for a staggering 30% of our CO₂ emissions [1]. The UK’s climate makes it necessary to import certain foods from around the world, which is causing one of the largest environmental impacts: the clearing of huge tracts of land and rainforest for cattle grazing, and for the production of commodities such as soy and palm oil. Not only does this clearing release greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, it also has devastating consequences for the animals whose habitats are destroyed.

There are a number of ways that you can make your diet more sustainable, while also reducing your shopping bills, and getting to experience fresher, tastier produce, without having to make any major changes to your lifestyle:

Buy Food in Bulk

Food packaging contributes heavily to the life cycle emissions of food items, with individually packaged items also requiring more space for transportation. Buying food in bulk reduces the amount of packaging that is produced and that ends up in your shopping trolley, which in turn reduces the amount of direct packaging that ends up in landfill sites. Bulk food can also be packed more densely for transportation, reducing the amount of vehicles on our roads.

Check out some fair trade products on Energy Saving Warehouses’ shopping portal which you can buy in bulk.

Eat Seasonally

Growing fruit and vegetables out of season can require high levels of fertilisers, heating and other artificial inputs, which can be vastly reduced by eating food that is in season. As well as the environmental benefits, fresh seasonal produce tastes better and is often cheaper than buying the same produce out of season [2]. Try blackberries, courgettes and runner beans in September, or potatoes and red cabbage in November when they are at their freshest and tastiest. Buying produce in season reduces the need for importing and its accompanying environmental impacts. Websites such as Eat Seasonably provide in depth information about what to grow and buy when, in an easy to understand format, such as the Eat Seasonably Calendar [3].

Shop at Farmer’s Markets

Instead of buying all your produce at supermarkets, try visiting your local farmer’s market to see what is available there. Not only are you buying local, seasonal produce, you also cut down considerably, if not completely, on packaging. Produce will not have been transported far, and many sellers are now organic, so you don’t have to worry about the effects that pesticides and fertilisers are having on the quality of your food, and also on the ecosystem. You can often find added extras, such as cooking demonstrations and a wider variety of produce than many supermarkets have to offer.

Most farmer’s markets are held at weekends, and may be fortnightly rather than every week, so make sure to check when your local one will be there.

Pick Your Fish and Cuts of Meat Carefully

Meat is one of the most inefficiently produced food types – raising cattle and other animals requires large amount of land, water and grain. On average it takes 6kg of plant protein to produce only 1kg of meat protein [4]. Cutting down the amount of meat in your diet is a great way to reduce your carbon footprint, and can also help to improve your health. Try replacing fattier cuts of meat with leaner cuts or fish, or even with vegetarian alternatives, such as Quorn or vegetables themselves. Websites such as Part-Time Carnivore provide forums for those wishing to reduce their meat intake to find like-minded people who live in the same area, and gives you statistics of how much CO₂ and land you have saved, even by having just one meat free day a week [5].

When buying fish, try to make your choice a sustainable one, by looking for Marine Stewardship Council certified seafood. The council has conducted extensive research into the the impacts on fish stocks and the environment of fishing, and aims to promote sustainability through all stages of the process.

Plan Your Portions

Food waste is a major issue in the UK – over 7.2 million tonnes of food and drink are thrown away each year. Not only does food waste have an environmental impact, it also costs households on average £680 a year [6]. By reducing the amount of food you throw away, you reduce your carbon footprint and also your shopping bills.

One way to reduce your waste is by planning your portions. By knowing what and how much you will eat over a certain time period, you can make sure that you buy enough food to create your meals without having platefuls left over. Simple tricks like keeping a shopping list in the kitchen to plan for meals or freezing leftovers can help to make your food last longer. Try using an online portion calculator such as Love Food Hate Waste to help work out how much of each food type you need for a range of different meals [7].

References

[1] WWF. Food. 2013. http://www.wwf.org.uk/what_we_do/changing_the_way_we_live/food/

[2] Eat Seasonably. What is it about? 2013. http://eatseasonably.co.uk/what-to-eat-now/what-is-this-about/

[3] Eat Seasonably. Seasonal fruit and vegetable calendar. 2013. http://eatseasonably.co.uk/what-to-eat-now/calendar/

[4] WWF. Food. 2013. http://www.wwf.org.uk/what_we_do/changing_the_way_we_live/food/

[5] Part-Time Carnivore. Part-Time Carnivore. 2013. http://www.parttimecarnivore.org/

[6] Love Food Hate Waste Scotland. Shopping List Tips. 2013. http://scotland.lovefoodhatewaste.com/content/can-i-have-writing

[7] Love Food Hate Waste Scotland. Food Portion Size – Portion Calculator. 2013. http://scotland.lovefoodhatewaste.com/portions/everyday

Introduction

Over the past decade concern has grown over the environmental consequences of fossil fuels, this has influenced the recent interest in biofuels (Hill et al. 2006).  Ambitious  policies that promote biofuel use and production have not only been set by the EU, but by the USA and China as well (Soimakallio and Koponen, 2011). Biofuels are produced from processed food crops, other plants or animal products and agricultural or organic wastes. Crops grown specifically for energy uses rather than food or feedstock’s, are known as second generation biofuels, these are in development and not currently available for commercial use (Rowe et al. 2009). First generations biofuels are produced from processed food or feed crops, these are used today. Have brought conflict over growing crops for food, growing crops for fuel and protecting the environment.

What advantages are there to using biofuels?

Europe has few crude oil reserves and is highly reliant on imports to obtain fuel, 98% of transport in the EU is entirely dependent on fossil fuels (IPCC, 2011). Rising oil prices improve the cost competitiveness of biofuels helping them enter the market, providing a viable alternative for oil (Hill et al. 2006). European leaders see domestic biofuels as a more secure and sustainable option, providing incentives for more biofuel usage.

The aim of biofuel usage is to help combat climate change by reducing the greenhouse gas emissions that are currently released with the burning of fossil fuels by increasing its share of renewable energy (Banse et al. 2011). The majority of biofuels reduce greenhouse gas emissions by more than 30% when compared to fossil fuels combustion (Scharlemann and Laurence, 2008). When biofuels are blended with petroleum fuel or diesel they can improve air quality, especially in urban regions, as they generally bring a reduction in sulphur, particulates and carbon monoxide (Worldwatch Institute, 2006).

Liquid biofuels are important as they can be substituted immediately into the majority of transport vehicles. Meaning greenhouse gas savings can be achieved with little monetary investment or time developing new transportation infrastructure, making them a popular choice for governments.

Biofuels have the potential to provide environmental benefits, if they are planted on barren land where the soil has low carbon content, they can sequester carbon into the soil, effectively becoming a carbon sink. Moreover, if planted on this type of land they could increase biodiversity and protect watersheds, as they offer a more diverse and natural environment than other agricultural systems (Karta, 2006).

This is great: So what are the disadvantages?

The burning of biofuels can emit less CO₂ than combustion of fossil fuel, the growth and production stage of biofuels needs to be taken into account. Have you considered your personal carbon footprint? Low yielding energy crops, such as corn ethanol, can have heavy inputs of fossil fuel energy during intensive farming and manufacture and can in some cases increase the environmental impact. CO₂ is not the only greenhouse gas emitted during this process, N₂O is also released, affecting the net greenhouse gas balance (UNEP, 2009).

Increase biofuel usage will subsequently lead to the demand for land needed to cultivate biofuel crops (Harvey, 2011). Clearing native ecosystems is sometimes the most profitable method of obtaining land, causing detrimental effects to water, soils and the regional climate (Tilman et al. 2009).  An increase in ecosystem destruction rates will lead to a rise in biodiversity lost.

If biofuel production continues using the same intense methods of farming as have been used over the past century, it will increase the use of chemicals such as nitrogen, phosphorus and pesticides (Hill et al. 2006). These can enter habitats and aquifers, affecting the surrounding ecosystem, causing issues such as eutrophication. Current farming methods use a lot of water in the irrigation and processing of the crops. Biofuels compete with food crops for land space, this competition drives the prices of food up making it difficult to feed the world poor.

Conclusions

Global population has recently exceeded 7 billion (BBC, 2011), and is still increasing. Demand for energy is rising, and sources suggest that we are reaching our level of peak oil, implying that our reliance on fossil fuels cannot continue (IPCC, 2007). I believe biofuels can be used as a short term substitute. However they should not be considered as a long term alternative to fossil fuels, as it is not sustainable. The development of second generation biofuels, if produced sustainably could provide part of an alternative to fossil fuels, as they produce biofuels from waste products and energy grown crops. Yet they should not be completely relied on, as the impacts of growing the amount of biomass needed to replace fossil fuels would be too harmful to the environment.

If you are interested in finding out about the part other alternative energy sources, such as solar power, have to play in the future of energy supply have a look around the website.

References

Banse et al. (2011) Impact of  EU biofuel policies on world agricultural production and land use. Biomass and Bioenergy (35) 2385-2390.

BBC (2011) Population seven billion: UN sets out challeneges, (Online). Avaliable: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-15459643 . [Accessed: 24/11/2011]

Harvey, M. and Pilgrim, S. (2011) The new competition for land: Food, energy and climate change. Food Policy (32) S40-S51.

Hill, Jason, et al. (2006), ‘Environmental, economic and energetic costs and benefits of biodiesel and ethanol biofuels’, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 103 (30), 11206-10.

IPCC (2011) Special Report on Renewable Energy Soureces and Climaate Change Mitigation: Bioenergy. International Panel on Climate Change. Cambridge University Press: Cambridge, UK.

IPCC (2007) Mitigation of Climate Change. Chapter 4.3.1.3. Petroleum Fuels. IPCC Fourth Assessment Report: Climate Change.

Karta, S. (2006) Environmental effects of Bioenergy. Bioenergy and Agriculture: Promises and Challenages, brief 4 of 12.

Rowe, Rebecca, Street, Nathaniel, and Taylor, Gail (2009), ‘Identifing potential environmental impacts of large-scale deployment of dedicated bioenergy crops in the UK’, Renewable and sustainable Energy Reviews, 13, 271-90.

Scharlemann, J. and Laurence, W. (2008) How green are biofuels? Science, 319, 43-44.

Soimakallio, Sampo and Koponen, Kati (2011), ‘How to ensure greenhouse gas emission reductions by increasing the use of biofuels? – suitability of the European Union sustainability criteria’, Biomass and Bioenergy, 35, 3504-13.

Tilman, David, et al. (2009), ‘Benefical Biofuels – The Food, Energy and Environment Trilemma’, Science, 325, 270-71.

UNEP (2009) Assessing biofuels, United Nations Environmental Programme.

Worldwatch Institute (2006) Biofuels for transportation

The UK population consumes over 3.1 planets worth of resources each year[1]. This overconsumption creates an uncertainty for future resource usage, as well as affecting the rate and impact of climate change. Everyone consumes differently, choosing to spend our money on material goods or holidays, but there is one part of consumption we all share, the eating of food.

Enough food is produced each year to feed Ten Billion people. Recent reports published by the Institute of Mechanical Engineering in Jan 2013[2], suggest that 30- 50% of this food is wasted due to poor infrastructure and food education.

Food Waste Facts and Figures

Last year UK households threw away 7.2 million tonnes of food, 60% of this food which could have been eaten.[3] The majority of this waste (34%[4]) comes from households, with main reasons for wastage including:

• Cooking too much
• Last minute change of evening plans
• Forgetting what food is available at home
• Wasting good food once it is past its best before date, though most food is still edible for a good few days after this date.

This waste averages out at around £120 per person per year of food waste, or just under £500 for a family of 4.

Global Impacts of food waste

Our food wastage is having an impact on our planet. Agriculture is responsible for a fifth of all global emissions, as well as 70% of yearly global fresh water usage. By wasting food, we are using valuable resources which could have been used elsewhere.

 There is an ethical standpoint surrounding the wastage of food, one that may have been drilled into you as a child,  “That food could have fed the needy in Africa”. This statement is true, by reducing our demand for food, making more available on the global market, prices will fall making food cheaper in developing countries, aiding in reducing food wastage and intensive resource use.

 Overall minimising your food waste is more important than disposing of your waste correctly.

“The environmental impact of throwing away an apple is 6 times greater than the packet it comes in”[5] (Love Food Hate Waste 2013).

If you don’t eat all the apples in a pack, buy them individually and eat them all, they may be a little more expensive, but you are reducing your foodprint [6]and showing the supermarkets that you want control over your portion sizes.

What can you do?

By changing your lifestyle slightly, you can easily reduce your food waste, saving you money as well as reducing your individual carbon footprint.

1.       Shopping Lists

 By making a simple list of the items you need for your cupboards and fridge, or to full weekly meal planning, creating a shopping list, ensures you buy the products you need and not be distracted by offers, or those sweet treats. Further minimising your foodprint[7]

 A new app for smartphones has been released from Love Food Hate Waste, which incorporates a shopping list feature, allowing the creation of lists from recipies or manually on the go. Download it from: http://england.lovefoodhatewaste.com/content/download-new-love-food-hate-waste-free-app

2.       Freeze Food

 Freezing food allows you to extend foods freshness; you can freeze food up to its use by date. Freezing things in portions allow for quick meals after a busy day at work, allowing yesterdays large curry to be saved and eaten at the end of next week, when the budget is pushed or when you want a night off from cooking.

 Freezing items like bread in portions, allows for a quick breakfast, as the bread can come straight out the freezer and into the toaster. Below is a link listing all the food items you can freeze.

 http://frostbitefood.blogspot.co.uk/p/can-i-freeze-it-to-z-guide.html

3.       Leftovers

 Love your leftovers, meat from a roast can be made into 100s of different dishes. Supermarkets have recipe cards and tips on what to do with your leftover food, and there are many articles online, with inspiration on what to do with your leftovers. Ideally you should aim to get your portion sizes correct to ensure there are no unintentional leftovers, which will not get eaten.

 The above mentioned ‘Love Food Hate Waste’ app, incorporates a handy potion size calculator for all main types of food, from pasta, meat and veg, ensuring you cook the right recommended portion size.

 4.       Read and Spread the message

Understanding where food comes from and where it goes, is a great way of increasing your environmental awareness. Broadening your knowledge by reading the above and pass the message on to family and friends, in time our efforts all add up. There are several nationwide campaigns available giving the facts on food waste and reducing your wastage.

Love  Food Hate Waste – http://england.lovefoodhatewaste.com/

Think Eat Save – http://www.thinkeatsave.org/

So next time you do your food shop, think about what is in your trolley and where it has come from. Think about the people who have grown the food, don’t bring shame on their efforts or burn the money in your pocket by purchasing it and not eating it. Reducing waste can be simple with a little forward planning and dedication, it will save you money and reduce your carbon footprint.

A recent pilot project in the Netherlands for example is investigating the possibility to collect and store summer heat underground and release it in the winter months to keep the bicycle lanes ice-free. The benefits could mean less salt used and probably more cyclists on the roads. [1]

In Northern countries, like Norway or Iceland, heated pavements are already well-established – in the latter one mainly fuelled by geothermal energy.

The company ICAX [2] has developed its unique ‘Solar Road Systems’, which collect the heat in the summer for road heating and de-icing in the winter. Their technology utilises the fact that black tarmac used on the road surfaces can heat up significantly in the sunshine, and by storing this heat – it can be used in colder months – for free. Their first successful trial in the UK took place under an access road to the M1 motorway at Toddington, Bedfordshire. Furthermore, the firm also claims to provide a solution for de-icing runways and parking stands at airports, potentially lowering disruption at busy terminals in snowy conditions. [3]

Another company, Solar Roadways from Idaho, USA [4] has tested specially designed glass panels, with multiple features. These contain LED lights – which could display for instance road signs – , while the heating elements can help melt snow and ice, improving winter driving conditions.

This system is currently quite expensive due to the materials used, but there are also some cheaper alternative methods being investigated. One of these is using photovoltaic panels and cells on the roads, with embedded pipes for storing energy until colder times. [4]

For a small town in Michigan, USA, this idea is nothing new. Here, waste heat from the local power station has been used in the underground pipes to melt the ice on the pavements since the installation of this system in 1988. [5]

Also, there are already many commercially available personal under-driveway and under-pavement melting systems and mats, but these are costly and may not be very environmentally-friendly.

Hence, if cold winters continue to be harsh, heated pavements could be seriously considered as one of the long-term solutions for easing winter problems.

[1] http://www.treehugger.com/bikes/winter-cyclists-heated-bike-lanes-would-be-true-bliss.html

[2] http://www.icax.co.uk/Solar_Roads.html

[3] http://www.icax.co.uk/Solar_Runways.html

[4] http://reviews.cnet.com/8301-13746_7-20030231-48.html

[5] http://www.treehugger.com/sustainable-product-design/are-holland-michigans-heated-sidewalks-intelligent-infrastructure.html

Islands and coastlines are in a controversial position regarding climate change.

On one side, as we expect today ocean levels will rise significantly and coastal cities and regions, as well as islands, are threatened the most.

On the other hand, climate change also makes us more aware of the downsides of traditional fossil fuels and renewable energy are becoming more and more significant. Besides wind and solar, there is a further medium that can offer significant amount of energy: water. And islands and coastal areas are the best sites to take advantage of wave and tidal power, being surrounded by seas and oceans.

According to the World Energy Council the potential amount of energy that can be sourced from just waves is between 8-80,000 TWh globally, and up to 2000 TWh per year seems to be economically feasible today but technological innovations in the future could increase this figure. [1]

The waters around the UK have been identified as one of the best locations for both tidal and wave energy, with a potential of up to 60 GW of electricity – which is approximately 75 per cent of the total electricity needs in the UK currently. [2]

There are already a number of large-scale devices being tested and installed in the surrounding seas, with the two key areas being the Pentland Firth and Orkney Waters Marine Energy Park in Scotland and the South West Marine Energy Park between Bristol and Cornwall, which have recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding about future co-operation.

Collaboration however can also extend across borders. The Marine Energy in Far Peripheral and Island Communities (MERiFIC) is a great example of international co-operation between the British and the French, involving members from Cornwall, Finistere, le Parc Naturel Marin d’Iroise and the Isles of Scilly. [3]

The MERiFIC initiative aims to investigate opportunities and threats, the economical and technical feasibility of marine energy utilisation in the area, besides a number of joint tests and research projects. Members, including the University of Exeter and University of Plymouth, have been working on developing a framework for other international partnerships that can be used by similar communities on other parts of the world.

International alliances like MERiFIC hence may mean a successful way of looking into the future in the renewable energy sector.

[1] http://www.worldenergy.org/documents/ser_2010_report_1.pdf

[2] http://www.renewableuk.com/en/renewable-energy/wave-and-tidal/index.cfm

[3] http://www.merific.eu/

3D printing  is essentially layers of specific materials – mainly plastic -, printed on top of each other with a special device, enabling the creation of virtually any kind of object. [1] For years it has been used for developing prototypes, for example by architects, but now it’s becoming more mainstream. One of the world’s largest consumer printer manufacturers, HP has already launched 3D printers [2], and MIT’s researchers have been conducting trials by printing food and working clocks with every little detail included. [4]

A key market player today is MakerBot Industries, offering 3D printers for personal use, including the latest Replicator, and the Thing-O-Magic models. These can print shoes, jewellery, toys, everyday items for the kitchen or the bathroom or anything you can think of. [3] It’s also very handy if small parts or components break or go missing, which would be very expensive or even impossible to replace.

Schematics and blueprints are already freely available for everyone to download, thanks to a whole community that has been developed around MakerBot, sharing the designs of toys or art pieces. [6]

3D printing also offers several environmental benefits. It could reduce or virtually eliminate local and inter-continental shipping and packaging costs. Also, MakerBot’s community is already working on further developments, for instance how to re-cycle or use leftover plastic in order to reduce waste. It has even been claimed that 3D printing can stop over-production as only items that are actually needed are ‘manufactured’ [5] avoiding stock remaining in warehouses. In the meantime, you can reduce the environmental impact of your conventional printing by using recycled paper and greener ink cartridges.

3D printing thus could really change our shopping habits and our life in the very near future.

[1] http://www.forumforthefuture.org/greenfutures/articles/will-3d-printers-see-end-consumerism

[2] http://www.3dprinting.co.uk/

[3] http://store.makerbot.com/

[4] http://web.mit.edu/newsoffice/2011/3d-printing-0914.html

[5] http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2011/nov/17/3d-printing-throwaway-culture

[6] http://www.thingiverse.com/

In the last few years UK research has found that with increased availability of cheaper and more disposable clothing, combined with a lack of awareness of its environmental impact, the skills needed for repairing garments are diminishing [1]. However, in current economic conditions and with improved knowledge of sustainable clothing practices it is thought that clothing repair, along with other activities such as clothes swapping, will become more common [1]. Although findings suggest that skills are being lost over time, those needed to do basic repairs are minimal [2] and there is plenty of advice online for those who are unsure about where to start with mending and repairing clothing.

The University of Kentucky [3] has provided a 10 page document that begins with a guide to deciding whether a garment should be mended or not:

·How extensive is the repair or damage?

·Do I have the knowledge and skill to repair it myself, or do I need to pay to have it done externally?

·Is it worth repairing? (Consider garment age, current fashion, fit, and its use. Will it soon be outgrown or can it be handed down?)

·How long will the repair take? (Do I have the time to do it or look for someone else to repair it?)

·Can I afford to replace the garment at this time?

·Will the garment be worn after it is mended?

The document then goes on to list instructions for various basic repairs such as attaching buttons, repairing seams and hems, darning and patching, and ends with a guide to choosing clothing that is likely to last longer:

·Pick clothing best suited to the needs of the wearer and the type of care the clothes will get

·Check sizes and fit, as clothes that fit well are less likely to suffer strain which causes rips and tears

·Check the sturdiness of features and trimmings, based on the intended use of the clothes

·Look for flaws in the garment

·Once an item is chosen, check through the individual garments on sale to find the one of the best quality

Instructions for repair techniques and advice on different types of stitches can often be found online (e.g. [2, 4]). Instructions for repairing and replacing zips can also be found (e.g. [5, 6]), but bear in mind that buying new zips can be expensive and they may be difficult to insert. Patching and adding pockets are recommended as a way to cover larger rips or holes that could not be sewn up without leaving an obvious repair, while simple embroidery can be used to cover smaller rips and tears [7, 8]. Make it and mend it [9] is a website dedicated to creative sustainability and has lots of articles on repairing, refashioning and making many items, including clothing.

Instructions for repairing using a sewing machine, if one is accessible, are also available (e.g [10]). Some basic items listed as essential kit for making hand repairs (e.g [3, 7]) include:

·Needles of assorted size

·Thread of various colours

·Scissors

·A seam unpicker

·Pins

·Safety pins

·Other items, such as iron-on hem repairer, a tape measure and spare buttons and scraps of material could also be useful

Even if a garment cannot be repaired or is not worth repairing, it could be recycled around the house, for example as a cleaning cloth, before being disposed of [1]. With many clothes being thrown away because they are not thought in good enough repair to donate to charity shops or not profitable enough to sell, and because their owners are not aware of how to recycle them, researchers have found that a return to clothes mending habits is needed to reduce the environmental impact of clothing and improve its sustainability [1, 11].

[1] http://www.thisisnottingham.co.uk/Time-make-mend-says-University/story-12238703-detail/story.html

[2] http://www.csmid.com/sewing.html

[3] http://www.ca.uky.edu/hes/fcs/factshts/CT-MMB-147.PDF

[4] http://www.care2.com/greenliving/5-tips-to-mend-damaged-clothing.html

[5] http://tlc.howstuffworks.com/home/how-to-mend-clothes5.htm

[6] http://www.allaboutyou.com/craft/pattern-finder/sewing-projects/sewing-techniques/make-do-mend-43894?page=2

[7] http://tlc.howstuffworks.com/home/how-to-mend-clothes4.htm

[8] http://www.designmom.com/2012/09/living-well-4-secrets-to-patching-clothes/

[9] http://www.makeitandmendit.com/

[10] www.dummies.com/how-to/content/mending-holes-and-rips-in-your-clothes.html

[11] http://www.ntu.ac.uk/apps/news/83060-5/Get_sewing_for_sustainability_study_says.aspx

Books can’t usually be recycled in normal household collections because of the glue that’s used to bind them [1]. Books can be sold, but if this is not a preferable or viable option, there are several other alternatives to throwing them away. Some examples are given below:

·Many charity shops will accept books, if they are in reasonable condition

·The local recycling bank may also have a bin for books, for charity donation [2]

·Schools, doctors’ and dentists’ surgeries, hospitals and some libraries may take old books [1]

·Children’s centres might also appreciate donations of children’s books [3]

·ReadItSwapIt is a free service that allows users to exchange books, only paying for postage [4]. Various other similar sites can also be found online, such as Bookmooch which is international and free to join [5]

·Better World Books UK launched in 2008, following establishment in the USA, and is now the world’s biggest socially responsible used bookseller. They provide a free service to dispose of books for reusing and recycling. For every book that is bought from them, they donate a book to somewhere or someone in need. Additionally, they have followed advice to make their business environmentally sustainable and offset their carbon emissions by planting trees in Scotland [6]

·Charity Books provides a revenue generating service for UK charities by selling donated books [7]

·Braille books can also be donated to a charity such as Disabled Equipment Sent Overseas [8] that collects equipment to be sent to countries where it is not readily available. The RNIB National Library Service [9] may also be able to advise on whether they or other organisations are currently accepting donations of braille books

·Book Crossing is a project that allows people to pass their books on to other readers, and track them as they move between people by attaching a label with a unique ID code. Books can be given to someone directly, left somewhere to be found by someone else, or swapped in an official Book Crossing zone which may have been set up locally [10]

There are also various local book recycling schemes and projects, many of which offer a free collection service. They are too numerous to list, but can be found by searching online. Selling books is of course a useful way of ensuring that they are reused, and options for doing so include sites such as Amazon, or specific book selling and recycling sites. An example is Green Metropolis which buys books for £3 and sells them for £3.75 with free postage and no minimum order, donating money to charity and helping the Woodland Trust to plant trees in the process [11]. It’s also worth bearing in mind that purchasing books second hand, or borrowing them from a library rather than buying them, are further ways of increasing the use of an individual book. Having the correct equipment around the home and office to help you recycle other items will also help reduce your environmental impact.

[1] http://www.recyclenow.com/what_can_i_do_today/can_it_be_recycled/paper_products/books.html

[2] http://www.reuze.co.uk/books.shtml

[3] http://www.uk-energy-saving.com/book-recycling.html

[4] http://www.readitswapit.co.uk/TheLibrary.aspx

[5] www.bookmooch.com

[6] http://www.betterworldbooks.co.uk/info.aspx?f=facts

[7] http://www.charitybooks.co.uk/

[8] http://desouk.org/help-donate/

[9] http://www.rnib.org.uk/livingwithsightloss/reading/services/rnibnationallibrary/Pages/national_library_service.aspx

[10] http://www.bookcrossing.com/

[11] http://www.greenmetropolis.com/nonmember.aspx

With 7.2 million tonnes of food and drink, almost half the total food waste in the UK, thrown away from homes each year [1], there is a need to reduce household food waste. About 60% of the food thrown away from households is avoidable, and one of the main reasons that so much food is thrown away is that it isn’t used in time; many people are confused by the different date labels on food packaging [1, 2]. Having the right equipment to help you compost your food waste will help reduce your environmental impact.

Packaging can have three different labels – a “display until” or “sell by” date, a “best before” date and a “use by” date. The display until or sell by date is an instruction to the store selling the product, not the customer [3], so should not be used to determine whether or not food is safe to eat. Some manufacturers are now removing these dates from their packaging to help avoid confusion. For example Warburton’s stopped using these labels in 2010, in line with the rest of the bakery sector [2].

Best before and use by dates are the ones that are important for food consumers. The main difference is that a best before date indicates when food is expected, by the manufacturer, to be at its best quality [4]. The date does not indicate when food becomes unsafe to eat. A use by date, on the other hand, means that food shouldn’t be consumed after this date [4].

Therefore, food eaten past its best before date is not unsafe, but the texture and flavour might have deteriorated [3]. The best before date will only be a useful guide if the food has been stored according to the instructions given. These might include keeping the food in the fridge, or storing it in a cool, dry place [3]. According to the NHS, eggs can safely be eaten a few days past the best before date, as long as they are fully cooked to kill bacteria such as salmonella [3]. As eggs lose freshness, the amount of air inside them increases and therefore they are less likely to sink in water – an easy way to check if an egg is off before cracking the shell open is to put it in a bowl of water. If it sinks with at least part of the egg touching the base of the bowl, it’s fresh enough to use, and if it floats it should not be eaten [5]. To check the level of freshness of an egg, the yolk and white can be inspected. The egg should be broken onto a flat plate (not a bowl). A very fresh egg, which is good for frying and poaching, will have a round, compact yolk that sits high in the middle of the white. A slightly cloudy white is also a sign of freshness, as it is caused by the carbon dioxide that is present when the egg is laid. Less fresh eggs, which can be used in recipes where the texture of the egg is not so important (such as sauces, cakes and omelettes), have flatter yolks which might be easily broken, and thinner whites that spread further over the plate [5].

Use by dates are given on food that goes off quickly, such as meat, soft cheese, freshly prepared salads, milk and yoghurts [3, 6]. The use by date officially means that food should not be used after midnight of that day [7], as using the food after this date may be harmful to health [8]. Foods must be removed from sale once the use by date has passed [4]. The date given will only be valid if storage instructions are followed, including those for after the packaging has been opened [3]. Failure to follow these instructions could cause food to go off more quickly, presenting a risk of food poisoning [8]. The usable life of food with use by dates can be extended by freezing it before the use by date . This can be done on any day up to the use by date, not just on the day of purchase, as long as the food has been stored correctly [2, 8]. It is important to note that while instructions might say that food has to be eaten within a week of opening, if the use by date is less than a week away, the food should still not be used after that date [3, 8].

In summary, best before dates apply to food quality and food can still be used once they have passed, whereas use by dates refer to food safety and food should not be used after these dates [7].

[1] http://england.lovefoodhatewaste.com/content/facts-about-food-waste-0

[2] http://england.lovefoodhatewaste.com/content/how-much-food-wasted-total-across-uk

[3] http://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/Goodfood/Pages/food-labelling-terms.aspx

[4] http://www.elmbridge.gov.uk/envhealth/food/useby.htm

[5] http://www.helpwithcooking.com/egg-guide/fresh-egg-test.html

[6] http://www.eaststaffsbc.gov.uk/Services/FoodTeam/Pages/UseByandBestBeforeDates.aspx

[7] http://www.defra.gov.uk/publications/files/pb132629-food-date-labelling-110915.pdf

[8] http://www.food.gov.uk/about-us/about-the-fsa/faqsconsumer/#.UIP-MPWQPSg