Eco Projects Go Green And Save Money

Date Published:

29/05/2008

As a general rule, 80 per cent of household waste can be reduced, reused or recycled.

Rubbish

Visit www.recyclenow.com to make sure you know what can be collected on the kerbside in your area and to find out where the nearest recycling banks are. The site's 'Can it be recycled?' section lets you search a long list of household waste to find out which national schemes and local facilities are available. So bookmark the website today!

Composting

The average dustbin contains 20 per cent of garden products and 17 per cent of kitchen remnants. If you have a garden, recycling this waste in a composter will save on landfill and look after your garden. Many local authorities are currently offering low-cost compost bins from as little as £6. If you need further encouragement, Penney Poyzer's No Waste Like Home (£12.99, Virgin Books) will give you more 'reduce, reuse and recycle' ideas.

Green Energy Suppliers

Changing your electricity supplier to one that gets its energy from renewable sources, such as wind farms and hydroelectric schemes, is quick, simple and anyone can do it. It won't save you money, but it does make a powerful statement to the energy companies that still rely on coal and gas, and it also reduces the amount of CO2 your home generates.

'If you can, it's better to buy green electricity from a company for whom it is 100 per cent of their business, rather than a big energy company for whom it's just a green tariff,' says Ruth Rosselson of Ethical Consumer magazine. She recommends trying Good Energy (0845 456 1640 or www.good-energy.co.uk). Check out more companies, and even switch online, by going to www.uswitch.com. You can find out how much fuel your current energy company gets from renewable sources at www.electricityinfo.org.

Get A Water Meter

It's free of charge to switch to one and could save you as much as £200 a year. The pay-as-you-go method tends to focus the mind, so you'll probably save about 15 per cent straight off. But a meter doesn't make financial sense for everyone – large families can end up paying more. If a meter isn't viable or practical, you can ask for an assessed charge, which is a fixed charge equal to average meter usage. Visit www.uswitch.com for a calculation based on your household's water usage and your water company's rates, or contact your water company directly.

Cost: Free
Return up to £200 a year

Water Butts

This is the easiest way to make use of rainwater. They're widely available from DIY stores and garden centres and are very reasonably priced. Simply connect one to a down pipe and use the collected rain to water the garden. You'll start to save money straight away.

Cost: About £30
Return: Immediate

Rain Water Harvesting

Using rainwater indoors is tricky, but rainwater-harvesting systems are becoming popular. They work by collecting the rain that falls on the roof and putting it to use inside the home. Harvested rainwater can be used for everything except drinking (you'd need extra filtration equipment for that) and can reduce your household's mains water consumption by a massive 50 per cent.

However, the systems on the market are expensive – it would take households on a meter around 10 to 15 years to recoup the cost, according to Friends of the Earth. The Rainwater Harvesting Association estimates that it would cost around £2,000 to £3,000 for a three- to four-bedroom house. For further information, you can call them on 01636 894900.

Cost: £2,000 to £3,000
Return: 10 to 15 years