ENGLAND: Seven ways to start going green
by Claire Rees, Western MailWalesOnline
1. Freecycle (www.freecycle.org)
It’s not just for first-time buyers and hard-up renters furnishing their house for free – you can put on a request for the outfit or types of clothes you’re looking for, then sit back and wait for the offers to come in.
Also handy for getting rid of your own unwanted garb after a New Year clean-out.
2. Howies
The Cardigan-based ethical clothing brand have just launched their Hand Me Down range – a collection of women’s and men’s clothing made from durable materials like organic tweed, all guaranteed to last a minimum 10 years. We also love the cute print on their bio-degradable jute shopping bag, pictured right, £4.90, made from jute grown in farms in West Bengal. www.howies.co.uk
3. Do the sums
Experts say making your home more energy efficient can cut your bills by £340 a year and reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 1.5 tonnes.
One of the biggest wasters of household energy is the cursed standby button – if people in your house are still refusing to end their love affair with it they also have a gadget that can control and monitor all your appliances from any location online.
Work out how much you’re wasting with the online calculator at www.byebyestandby.co.uk
It’s also worth visiting www.energysavingtrust.org.uk for tips from the non-profit organisation.
4. Warehouse
One of our favourite classy high-street stores, Warehouse gained green ticks when they launched Warehouse Cares at the end of last year with a range or organic jersey pieces made from recycled fabrics which have their colour removed and are then re-spun into new silks – including the cute dress pictured left, £70. www.warehouse.co.uk
5. Envirophone
There are plenty of charities that can benefit from recycling your phone (like www.recycle4charity.co.uk) but you can also make some cash for yourself in the process.
Jamie-Lee uses www.envirophone.com and has already made £70 from her unwanted hand-sets. You can also trade them in for Argos vouchers.
6. Oxfam Unwrapped
Buying a goat’s nothing new, but prices are now more competitive and the choice on offer wider if you want to use a loved-one’s birthday as the chance to help someone in a third world country.
Oxfam Unwrapped lets you pay for clothes for people who have to leave their homes in a hurry in a disaster – for £20, the fashionistas in your life would appreciate the gesture.
Gifts start at £6 and there are also details online about letting the service take care of your wedding list. www.oxfam.org.uk
7. Cheaper chic
Look out for swishing parties where you swap your unwanted outfits for fab, and sometimes designer, stuff – credit crunch and enviro-friendly.
Or try www.seasonb4.com, where savvy customers can get up to 50% off.
And check new online jewellery rental www.blubangle.com to avoid spending your food budget on accessories you’ll never wear again.