Some household tips for greener living 5Rs

If you go to Greener Church you will be able to read some rather philosophical issues I raised about our respect for the world we live in and our need to rethink at a quite fundamental level our response to the challenges that face us. While we are doing that it doesn’t stop us from getting on with the business of doing something about it on a day to day basis. So here’s some food for thought – some of it you may have heard before and some may be new to you.

Reduce

Each year more than 4 million tons (62 billion pieces) of junk mail is produced. To produce this mail, it takes 100 million trees and 28 billion gallons of water. Why not register with the Mailing Preference Service so that you can stop the flood of direct mailing that pours through your letter box and do a bit of good for the planet at the same time. It only takes about a minute to do at http://www.mpsonline.org.uk. If you don’t have access to the internet then get someone to do it for you.

Reuse

CDs are filling up landfills everyday. It is estimated that as many as 1 million CDs are tossed in the rubbish each month.

  • Turn your worthless CD into a sun catcher, a wind catcher, an ornament.
  • Hang them in your garden to scare away annoying birds.
  • Use them as candleholders to beautifully set your dinner table; they give off a nice reflection.
  • Back with felt or other fabric and use as a coaster for your coffee.

Recycle

Most of us are aware of the value of a compost heap – but how many of us know just what we can and can’t put on the heap? Well it may be more than you think.

 What to add to your compost pile:  What not to add to your compost pile:
   
 Grass and plant cuttings  Diseased plants
 Leaves  Persistent weeds
 Raw fruit and vegetable trimmings  Meat or fish
 Straw and hay  Cooked foods
 Shredded paper  Dairy products
 Hair and fur  Nappies and used tissues
 Animal bedding and sawdust  Coloured or treated paper
 Crushed eggshells  Chemically treated wood
 Tea bags and coffee granules  Coal ash
 Horse manure  

Sheila Hoile (first published November 2007)