“We’re All Going On A Green Holiday…”

When it comes to going on holiday, no-one wants to compromise on comfort. Having worked for months to even afford to go away in the first place, many people will have only one consideration when it comes to setting off – “how quickly can I get there?”

Often this consideration results in getting on a plane and flying somewhere hot. Can you really be bothered with environmental matters when sometimes you’ll only get between ten days and a fortnight off all year? With so little time off, priorities may become skewed, or at least compromised in some way. Obviously sunning oneself by a pool can be a very attractive proposition when you’ve been hunched over a desk for the preceding eight months.  Getting there as quickly as possible is also to be desired.

As our world develops technologically, it is getting smaller by the day. Obviously flying is the quickest way to get to another place.  That it is not an ecologically desirable way is not in dispute, but some airlines are looking at ways to either decrease or offset the impact that the aviation industry is having on the planet. Some remain nakedly unconcerned about their own impact, but negative exposure is leading to these airlines suffering in terms of sales, and will hopefully, eventually lead to them mending their ways.  But the fact remains that flying anywhere, as well as not being cheap, will hurt the environment more than any other method of travel.

Does this mean that you must always holiday close to home if you want to save money and the planet?  Of course it doesn’t.  You can travel long distances at reasonable speeds and in genuine comfort, while saving a little bit of money into the bargain. Coach journeys, if you have a few days extra, are a great way to travel and you’ll see more of the world from ground level than from a plane.  As international rail links improve, the intrepid traveller can go by train from the North of Scotland to parts of Asia, although admittedly you will need to leave yourself a bit of time for that!

Household Clean with Green

The average person uses up to two thirds of their total energy consumption while at home, which is a huge chunk of your carbon footprint before you’ve even set foot near a car. A lot of this usage is due to electrical appliances – and the great news is it is possible to save on your energy consumption in this area without buying a new appliance.

For some time now small products, which go by a range of names including “Machine Balls”, have been available for use when doing laundry. The main washing product lets you wash clothes thoroughly but without using any washing powder. These products usually contain various minerals and salts and genuinely are as effective as standard powder but without the chemicals. There’s also a version available for tumble drying, a necessity in winter, which work by helping separate fabric and allowing clothes to dry quicker and therefore the machine is in use for less time. Brilliantly, these products are also infinitely cheaper than washing powder or running a tumble dryer for a long period of time and they work just as well.

There’s plenty of items available for general cleaning, too. There are substitutes for your usual, chemically harsh products that reduce the damage to the environment while still remaining effective. Look around the internet and you’ll find an eco-friendly version of every type of product you currently use, from washing up liquid to furniture polish, and there is little or no difference in price. As well as this, there has been recent innovations for products that require no water or cleaning product at all, as the fabric used is designed in such a way that it cleans even stubborn stains by itself.

The key to household cleaning and being eco-friendly at the same time is looking for products which use natural ingredients only. Some products may also biodegrade quickly, reducing disruption to aquatic life when you’ve washed them away. The growth in the popularity of eco-friendly and natural cleaning products has made all of the well-known manufacturer’s take notice and all are now bringing out their own ranges, meaning you can match the relibility of a well known brand with being kind to the environment. However you do it, using eco-friendly cleaning products will have a dramatic effect on your energy consumption and the overall effect you have on the planet.

I’m Dreaming of a Green Christmas

It is traditionally a time of excess and merry-making yet there is no reason to forget the plight of the environment at Christmastime. View it as a chance to spread a little Yuletide joy to the planet itself and make this Christmas not just a white one, but a green one too.

The most obvious way of doing your bit for the planet at Christmas is to buy a fake tree. Fake trees are no longer synonymous with tackiness; now they are viewed as practical and sensible by most and in most cases are just as attractive as a real tree. But if you can’t resist a real one, then at the end of the festivities plant it in your garden and use it year after year – then you’ll get the benefit of it’s beauty all year round.

What you put on your tree is important, too. If you can’t resist flashing fairy lights, then use a plug timer and just have them on when needed, and mainly at night. The best option, however, is to decorate using baubles, tinsel and all other associated paraphernalia that looks nice without using a huge amount of electricity. There’s also the benefit that these items look good during the day, whereas fairy lights only really look festive when it’s dark. Also, always turn the lights on when you’re not in the same room – this is a good tip for anything running off electricity.

One area to focus on when trying to make your Christmas more eco-friendly is Christmas cards. Try and reduce the number you send to lessen the impact on the environment, perhaps substituting them for e-cards for non-family members. If you send a lot of cards to colleagues, why not suggest everyone at the office puts the money they would usually spend on cards into a tin and donate it to a charity? That way a charity and the environment benefits. For those cards you do receive, ensure you recycle them correctly instead of just throwing them in the bin.

Essentially, Christmas is a time when you put into practice all those little lifestyle changes that help the environment. It’s easy to get distracted during the festive period and forget to recycle food and cards and to keep electricity usage to a minimum – but remember, waste and electricity usage is in abundance at Christmas, so it’s possibly the most important time of the year to remain vigilant.