Do you run a business? It's time you thought about offsetting your Carbon Footprint.

Climate change is emerging as a major challenge for modern society. Government, business, and wider society will all be affected.

All of us have a role to play in tackling it.

By using electricity to run your offices, gas to heat them, and from the fuel that you put in your company’s fleet, every business causes a direct impact on the environment. Being in business doesn’t mean you don’t care. Use our carbon calculators to find out what your business’s carbon footprint is. You can then offset it from a range of internationally verified carbon offset projects.

Carbon Advice Group can provide your company with the following key services:

Fully integrated online carbon offset calculation and purchase
Highest quality Carbon Offset projects that meet the strictest international verification standards
Personalised certificates to display on your premises and in your company vehicles to confirm your company’s environmental credentials

Business benefits

Benefits to your organisation:

By offsetting your business's carbon footprint you are making a positive, tangible statement to your employees, customers, suppliers and shareholders. Like you, they are all affected by climate change and will be more attracted, and loyal to, businesses which are committed to caring for the environment.

Green companies tend to be better managed, more efficient and more profitable than their rivals. Many of the most successful ones now recognise the clear business benefits of addressing environmental issues.

So what is Carbon Offsetting?

Everyday actions like driving a car, heating your home and office, transporting goods and even using your computer use energy and produce greenhouse gas emissions (such as carbon dioxide) which contribute to climate change.

You can compensate for your unavoidable emissions by buying carbon credits from an internationally verified project that makes an equivalent greenhouse gas saving. This is called ‘carbon offsetting’.

Is this a ‘cure’ for climate change?

Offsetting your carbon footprint will not reverse the effects already caused by your carbon dioxide emissions. The harm to the environment caused by these emissions cannot be undone. However, by saving an equivalent amount of carbon dioxide elsewhere, you can help to minimise the total global emissions.

How do offsetting schemes work?

First you need to calculate the emissions you have produced. Use our carbon calculators to do this. Even though it is a gas, we measure the carbon dioxide you produce in tons. Here’s a way of understanding what a tonne of C02 would look like:

1 gram of CO2 = 556 ml (a bit less than the volume of a bottle of water)
1 tonne CO2 = 556,000 litres or 556 m3 (about the volume of a 3 bedroom house)

Once you know what your carbon footprint is, you can buy the equivalent amount in ‘carbon credits’ from our internationally verified emission reduction projects that have made a greenhouse gas saving. These projects may be in another part of the world to where you created the emissions, however they will still have the same positive effect on the environment.

What do you get in return?

We will send you green certificates and window displays for your business, and green windscreen “permits” for your carbon offset cars. We will also provide you with our carbon neutral logo that you can use on your letterhead to demonstrate to your customers, suppliers and competitors that you have taken the initiative and are doing your bit for the environment.

Where does the money go?

We are committed to assisting you in every step of the way in achieving your low carbon goals. Your investment is used to purchase high quality carbon credits. We promise that we will deliver the carbon dioxide reductions that you have bought. These reductions will:

Be independently verified by a Designated Operational Entity
Meet internationally recognised Carbon Offset standards
Be registered, delivered and cancelled on your behalf with an Independent Carbon Credits Registry.

Smart businesses are responding positively to climate change by offsetting their carbon footprint. Enhance your company’s reputation by doing something today.

Where your carbon offset investment helps

All offsets are independently verified by third parties. You can specify the types of projects you would prefer your money to be invested in, for example Clean, Alternative and Energy Efficiency. We are highly selective of the projects we accept. We don't invest in projects where we think it is the responsibility of big business to address the green house gas emissions for example, the destruction of hydro fluorocarbons (HFCs) produced from chemical factories and we only invest in land use projects such as tree planting which meet the most demanding tests.

Clean and Alternative Energy Projects include wind farms, hydro, tidal, solar power and renewable sources such as biomass. Energy Efficiency is typically in technology or in people's homes and transport around the world which also improve people's lives. Land Use, Land Use Change and Forestry projects remove or avoid carbon in the atmosphere for example by tree planting through Afforestation and Reforestation. United Nations Certified Emission Reductions (CERs) encompasses a wide range of projects which meet the demanding standards of the United Nations Clean Development Mechanisms. CERs have been proposed by DEFRA as a preferred Offset option.

Corporate Carbon Strategy

Your corporate carbon strategy will cover all areas of your carbon footprint's effect on the environment, on your brand and your company’s sales.

Why does a business need a carbon strategy?

By using electricity to run your offices, gas to heat them, and from the fuel that you put in your company’s fleet, every business causes a direct impact on the environment. Every company generates carbon emissions through almost every area of the company’s activities. Some company's emissions are high enough to be regulated by the government. We are now in a world of increased corporate social responsibility where consumers and employees are more concerned about the environment. This means your business's corporate carbon strategy makes both corporate and commercial sense. e.

How will this benefit sales?

According to The Carbon Trust, bnearly three quarters of employees would like to work with a company that has an active climate change policy. As all employers are aware, employee satisfaction ranks highly as a key driver of productivity and staff loyalty. Over the past few years consumers have demonstrated an increasing desire to purchase environmentally friendly products and services. The rise in sales of organic produce and Fairtrade products shows a demonstrable rise in ethically sound and environmentally aware product sales. Companies who have a successful carbon strategy will be able to underpin their brand with a sustainable message, as well as maintaining and attracting sales from the environmentally aware consumer.

Do I have to have a carbon strategy?

At the moment, no, unless you are in an industry where the emissions are regulated by government. However, increased emphasis on business's corporate social responsibility the introduction of carbon offset schemes, such as those provided by the Carbon Advice group, increases the likelihood of further intervention in this area

What can the Carbon Advice Group offer?

The Carbon Advice Group can provide your company with a complete carbon Audit, showing where the emissions are made and how to reduce them. We can also provide you with marketing support to ensure you make the most of your carbon strategy.

Offsetting your Boat or Yacht

The engines of your boat or yacht emits Carbon Dioxide (CO2) in the exhaust, which is a greenhouse gas that has a significant impact on climate change and global warming.

Carbon Dioxide is a direct product of the amount of fuel burned and the only way to reduce CO2 emissions is to reduce your consumption of hydrocarbon fuels.

Yacht/Boat Carbon Footprint

The engines from your boat create a carbon footprint. Additional CO2 emissions may be generated by a tow vehicle, the use of a generator on the boat, the consumption of food and beverages and other activities.

Calculating your Yacht/Boat Carbon Footprint

Click here for the additional usage calculator that will provide you with a carbon dioxide figure based on the amount of fuel your yacht/boat uses. This calculator operates according to DEFRA guidelines and has based its processes on actual fuel quantities used, returning precise emissions calculations for marine fuels, automotive fuels and aviation fuels.

Documentation

Carbon Advice Group will provide you with a certificate that states the amount of fuel offset, together with a self-adhesive permit that demonstrates your Green Credentials.

In addition, we provide a web-based audit trail with each certificate produced which enables you to keep track of the offsets you have purchased, to match them with the specific fuel usage of a particular trip, charter or season.

Tips on how to reduce your Yacht/Boat carbon footprint

Reduce overall throttle usage – avoid Wide Open Throttle usage
Reduce unnecessary/excess weight on your boat (including excess fuel and water)
When buying a new or used boat, note that fuel injected engines are more fuel efficient than carbureted engines
If your boat is a planning boat, get on plane as soon as is practicable to avoid unnecessary drag
Switch off engines whenever practicable
Ensure you have clean and efficient propeller systems and a clean hull to avoid drag
Minimize use of on-board air conditioners.

Documentation

Carbon Advice Group will provide you with a certificate that states the amount of fuel offset, together with a self-adhesive permit that you can place in your aircraft to demonstrate your Green Credentials.

In addition, we provide a web-based audit trail with each certificate produced which enables you to keep track of the offsets you have purchased, to match them with the specific fuel usage of a particular trip, charter or season.

Offsetting your Aeroplane or Helicopter

The engines of your airplane or helicopter emit Carbon Dioxide (CO2) in the exhaust, which is a greenhouse gas that has a significant impact on climate change and global warming.

Carbon Dioxide is a direct product of the amount of fuel burned and the only way to reduce CO2 emissions is to reduce your consumption of hydrocarbon fuels.

Calculating your Aircraft Carbon Footprint

Click here for the additional usage calculator that will provide you with a carbon dioxide figure based on the amount of fuel your aircraft uses. This calculator operates according to DEFRA guidelines and has based its processes on actual fuel quantities used, returning precise emissions calculations for aviation fuels.

Projects

By offsetting your CO2 emissions with the Carbon Advice Group, you can be assured that your money is being invested to reduce the equivalent level of CO2 in a selected portfolio of projects around the world.

We only create or invest in offsets which are independently verified to meet the highest standards. In particular we focus on projects which can meet the demanding rigour of the United Nations Clean Development Mechanism (Certified Emissions Reductions) or an internationally recognised standard such as the Voluntary Carbon Standard (VCS) or the Gold Standard for UN and Verified projects.

We also offer Land Use and Forestry projects as a popular option which can be independently verified to meet our standards or one of the internationally recognised standards.

We are not tied to any particular Offset type or project initiator so we can create a diversified portfolio of offsets to meet our needs and we only work with the leading international financial institutions and accredited Carbon Offsetters including members of International Energy Trading Association (IETA).

This ensures that we can always spend the maximum amount of money on the most effective offsets available. We exclude any project where we feel there may be questions over the effectiveness of the chosen methodology or where we think it's the responsibility of individual businesses to address their operations. We keep you fully informed of our investments through email and on our website.

Our standards

Our selection criteria dictate that the projects we invest in demonstrate the following:

Sustainable Development – helping communities better themselves in a way that is socially, economically and environmentally sustainable.
Welfare – projects must result in improvements to human quality of life and lead to safer living conditions for all participants.
Environmental Security – projects must protect the local environment of the community in which they are undertaken and ensure that both short and long term improvements are achieved.
Accountability – Projects must be monitored by independent bodies to ensure criteria are met and that target calculations are accurately reported.
Transparency – All projects must be able to clearly demonstrate how and where all investment is utilized.
Additionality – All projects must produce carbon reductions or removals that could not have taken place without project implementation.

Tips

Check regularly on your consumption of electricity, gas and oil, and that your bills relate to what you actually use, rather than an estimate.
Switch off lights in empty rooms and corridors – especially at the end of the day. This can save up to 15% on your energy bill
Keep windows closed in cold weather. If staff are too warm, turn the heating down instead
Don’t use more light than you need. Remove or switch off unused light fittings
Clean light fittings yearly. Dirt reduces lighting efficiency, encouraging people to switch more lights on.
Set the thermostat at 19 degrees C – costs rise by 8% for every 1 degrees C increase
Don’t heat unused space. Storerooms, corridors and areas where there’s heavy physical work can be set to lower temperatures. Reduces heating during holidays and weekends
Check thermostats are sited out of draughts and away from either cold or hot spots
Keep radiators clear of furniture – it reduces their efficiency output

Lighting

Label light switches and encourage people to turn lights off after use to help with saving energy
Use time switches to control display lighting
Have lighting levels checked – are they inappropriately high for the task? Local task lighting may reduce glare and save energy
Replace older 38mm (T12) fluorescent tubes with 26mm T8 types that give a better colour light and use 8% less energy*
Fit daylight sensors to areas that receive natural light, to turn off lighting and maximise the use of daylight
Replace lighting with new high frequency triphosphor fluorescent lights. These can be dimmed and use around 20% less energy*
Review the use and control of exterior lighting. Sodium lights are most effective for night-time security. Consider fitting automatic photocell switching

* All figures and percentages (%) quoted have been taken from the set of figures provided by OFGEM in July 2006.

Office Equipment and Gas Appliances

Switch off office equipment when not in use or when leaving the office. Consider fitting time switches to turn off equipment at night
Configure the energy saving features of IT equipment
Select office equipment that is ‘A-Rated’ for energy saving. Ask suppliers about saving energy when buying new equipment
Avoid using supplementary electric heaters in the office
Switch kettles for well-insulated water boilers. Remove lamps from internal vending machines

Heating and Hot Water

Avoid overheating space or water – check thermostats and controls regularly
Check time switches so heating times match building occupancy
Check radiators and heat emitters are free from obstructions
Check insulation on pipes, and lagging on hot water storage tanks
Large buildings should use an electric immersion heater or a small boiler rather than the mains to heat water in the summer
Avoid using large boilers for small amounts. Save energy by installing smaller hot water storage systems, valve off multiple units or fit spray taps
Hot water for catering and washing should be heated to 60-65 C to avoid legionella but no higher to reduce excessive heat loss*
Fit thermostatic radiator valves to control local temperature, or a mixing valve based on the outside temperature (effective for a mild spring or autumn)
Install ceiling fans to help de-stratify the air, reduce heat loss through the roof and improve comfort whilst saving energy
Tall, poorly insulated buildings, like factories and warehouses, are often best heated with direct-fired radiant tube heaters

Boiler Plant

If your boiler is approaching 20 years old, you should consider a replacement. Replace with an A-rated boiler
Check boilers are well insulated. If fitting additional insulation, you should ensure this does not interfere with the burner or air supply
Record flue gas temperature over a few months. A rising temperature indicates boiler fouling
Fit sequencing controls in multi-boiler installations to prevent boilers running at a part load
Check regularly for water leaks (from pipework, valves, flanges and the boiler itself). If feed and expansion tanks are often filling, a significant leak is likely
Ensure all boiler air vents are kept clear. Optimum combustion of the boiler fuel is important for both efficiency and safety reasons
Insulate relevant piping, valves, flanges and other fittings on steam and hot water distribution systems, to prevent 10% heat loss*
Maximise the return of condensate to the boiler to save energy and water treatment costs. Seek help if condensate is unnecessarily going to drain

Insulation

Reduce draughts on windows and doors. Seal with inexpensive self-adhesive draught excluder to reduce air infiltration and heat loss by up to 10%*
Ensure external doors have automatic closures. Consider fitting a draught lobby or porch on busy doorways
Use plastic strip curtains to reduce heat loss and create visual security at loading bays and service doors, while still allowing easy access
Insulate cavity walls and roof voids, without disturbing commercial activities, and help reduce heat loss by up to 35%*
Fit docking seals to temperature controlled warehouses to reduce heat loss, combat dust and maintain product quality
Ensure pipes and valves are effectively insulated
Loading bays will benefit from airlocks or rapid roller shutters automatically opening and shutting using presence detectors
Upgrade insulation levels on factory roofs and metal clad buildings to drastically reduce heat loss in winter and keep cool in summer, saving energy all year round

Air Conditioning

Minimise heat gain – reduce tungsten lighting use and employ energy saving features of office equipment
Improve air movement and ventilation to lower temperatures. Consider switching off air conditioning, opening windows and using ceiling fans to circulate air
Control solar gains using blinds in sunny weather, and consider shading or upgraded insulation to walls subject to solar gain
Save energy by avoiding excess cooling – air conditioning is rarely needed below 24-26 C
Check the air conditioning control system so that operational hours match building occupancy
Ensure chilled pipes and ducts are well insulated and undamaged, filters are cleaned and air conditioning equipment is serviced regularly
Use free cooling from night ventilation, exposing building fabric etc. to minimise air conditioning usage
Check control strategies to ensure cooling and heating does not occur simultaneously

Motors

Consider if the motor drive system is doing a useful job; eliminate any unnecessary equipment left running. Reduce load on motor where possible
Switch the motor off when not needed. Possible techniques include manual switching off, interlocking, time switches and load sensing
Maximise energy saving and minimise motor losses by always specifying higher efficiency motors (HEMs) where feasible
Purchase a higher efficiency motor for little or no extra cost than standard. This could save you energy for less than the cost of a month’s electricity
Ensure proper care and attention is given during motor repair. Ensure all equipment is maintained properly
Change pulley sizes on belt-driven motor systems to reduce speed and save energy
In pump and fan applications, use motor speed control such as a variable speed drive (VSD) for regulating flow rather than throttles, dampers or re-circulation systems

Compressed Air

Listen for air leaks in quiet periods. Repair leaks, most commonly on connectors, flanges and flexible hoses
Ensure air inlets to compressors are ducted from the coldest source (usually outside). Reducing air inlet take by 6 C increases output by 2%*
Use low pressure blowers for applications such as air knives, lances, agitation, blow-guns etc
Don’t misuse compressed air, for example cleaning workbenches and floors, or cooling
Don’t leave air compressors running when not required – when idling some draw up to 60% of their full load power*
Read meters at regular intervals to see whether you have more units running than necessary for your compressed air. Install controls to optimise usage
Fit zone-isolation valves, under time control or interlocked to the area served, so parts of the site can operate without air going through the whole works
Ensure compressed air systems are maintained regularly and properly to help your energy saving efforts
Don’t produce compressed air at a pressure greater than required, or filter and dry it to unnecessarily high levels

Refrigeration Plant

Avoid setting refrigeration controls for a lower temperature than necessary – just 5 C too low will add up to 10-20% to electricity consumption*
Clean refrigeration condensers regularly. Blocked condensers increase condensing temperature, and cooling capacity drops
Ensure your plant is regularly checked for refrigerant leaks – ideally every six months*
Insulate cold refrigerant pipes between the evaporator and compressor. Do not run them through hot areas
Keep refrigerator door seals in good condition. To save energy, keep doors closed as much as possible for cooled rooms and appliances
Refrigeration appliances storing non-perishable goods (i.e. soft drinks) should be turned off when not needed
Ensure air or water surrounding refrigeration condensers is as cool as possible. Shade condensers from sunlight and ensure warm air / water is not re-circulated
Remove obstructions to refrigeration airflows. Ensure defrosting is working properly so that evaporators do not become iced up

Process Plant

Try to run your process plant at full output as an under-utilised plant can be less efficient
Measure the energy performance of significant processes separately. Deterioration can be detected early and the impact of savings measures quantified
Question whether processing regimes are optimised between quality and cost. Process times may be long as ‘that’s the way it’s always been done’
Consider and build in energy efficiency opportunities when procuring and installing a new process plant
Consider switching off the process plant when idle, or alter production schedules to better utilise plant when operating
Ensure process plant equipment is properly maintained and any energy saving features are utilised properly
Where heat is rejected from processes, consider opportunities for heat recovery and its use elsewhere, such as for space heating

Combined Heat and Power (CHP) Plant

A CHP system can be more efficient and offer substantial savings as waste heat is not discarded and carbon dioxide emissions are reduced
Fuel inputs to, and electricity outputs from ,a good quality CHP are exempt from the Climate Change Levy
A CHP plant is available in a wide range of sizes, and so can be tailored to many applications
Consider the cost of maintenance, additional gas supply and connection to the electricity network when deciding on the economics of a CHP system
If your site has demands for heat and electricity for more than 4,500 hours per year, it is worth considering a CHP
A CHP plant is capital intensive, but it is possible to attain third party finance

Individual Solutions

Reduce your footprint

Greener travel – quick guide

Personal travel accounts for up to a quarter of all the damage individuals do to the environment across Europe, including climate change effects. You can reduce the climate change impact of your travel in a number of ways.

1. Consider travelling less

Can you get what you want nearer to home, or without travelling at all? For example, holidaying in the UK, using local leisure facilities and shops, or sometimes working from home. Reducing your travel will reduce climate change effects and local air pollution.

2. Try different ways to get around

Leaving your car at home and walking, cycling, or taking the bus or train will help reduce the negative impacts of driving. It is also possible to travel longer distances by other modes of transport, not just air.

3. Drive to reduce your fuel consumption

Making some simple changes to the way you drive can reduce fuel consumption and reduce climate change effects. For example, driving smoothly, sticking to the speed limits, and keeping tyres properly inflated.

4. Buy a more efficient car

You don't have to compromise to buy a greener car - just choose a more fuel efficient one. New cars carry a fuel economy label telling you how efficient they are. Choosing a more efficient car can help reduce carbon emissions and local air pollution, and will often save you money on vehicle tax and other charges, as well as on fuel.

5. Maintain your vehicle responsibly

Well maintained vehicles tend to run more efficiently. Waste from car maintenance is often hazardous, like engine oil, other fluids, batteries and tyres. Careless discarding of these items can cause pollution but council waste facilities will be able to accept them for safe disposal.

Greener living – Calculate, Avoid, Reduce, Offset.

Tackling climate change will be one of the most important things this generation does, and everyone needs to get involved. Every day, more and more people are taking actions to help reduce carbon emissions and tackle other environmental problems. Here are some ideas about how you can help.

Calculate Use our CO2 footprint calculators to find out how much CO2 your home is responsible for

Avoid as many emissions as you can, and reduce those that you cannot avoid. Use our guide below to help you with this.

Offset those emissions that you cannot avoid or reduce any further. Click here to understand more about offsetting.

Save energy and water at home

Burning fossil fuels to heat our homes or produce electricity releases carbon emissions, which cause climate change. The energy you use at home is likely to be your biggest contribution to climate change. 80 per cent of it goes on heating and hot water, so this is a good place to look for savings. You may be entitled to a grant to help improve the energy efficiency of your home.

Turn off your appliances – don’t leave them on standby

The average household wastes £37 a year simply by leaving appliances on standby. Remember:

that you can't switch most electronic goods off just with the remote control to turn off an appliance completely, use the power switch on the appliance itself or turn it off at the plug - any appliance with a charger or an external power pack will still use power unless turned off at the plug (you can tell because the charger or power pack stays warm or may have a light on.

Try these other energy-saving tips:

washing clothes at 30 degrees can be just as effective for a normally soiled load

run your washing machine or dishwasher with full loads

avoid tumble drying – dry clothes outdoors when possible

defrost your freezer regularly and avoid putting hot food in the freezer

turn down your thermostat and immersion heater temperature by one degree – the savings will be significant and you are unlikely to notice the difference

boil a kettle with only as much water as you need

cover pots and pans when cooking – they will boil a lot quicker

rechargeable batteries cost about twice as much as conventional ones but can be used hundreds of times

use energy efficient light bulbs

Buy energy-efficient appliances

Energy-efficient appliances are easy to find and aren’t necessarily more expensive:

look for appliances showing the Energy Saving Recommended label, as these are among the top 20 per cent most efficient available

look for European Union (EU) energy labels on fridges, freezers and washing machines, which make it easy to see how energy-efficient an appliance is on a scale of A to G (where A is most efficient and G is least efficient)

if every home in the UK installed just three energy-efficient light bulbs, we would save enough energy to power all our street lights

Improve your insulation
More than half the heat lost in your home escapes through the walls and roof. Cavity wall insulation costs about £450, can take a couple of hours to install, and could save you £92 a year on fuel bills, as well as reducing your carbon footprint.

Install water efficient products
Low flush volume toilets, water efficient showerheads and aerating heads on washbasin taps help to reduce your water use significantly. Also, fixing dripping taps and fitting a ‘hippo’ in toilet cisterns are cheap ways of saving water. You can also collect rainwater in water butts and use it for watering your garden instead of a hose.

Personal Travel

Personal travel accounts for around a quarter of all the damage individuals do to the environment, including climate change effects.

Choose an efficient car

Individual car travel is responsible for the majority of climate change impacts from travel. If you’re buying a new car, look for the fuel efficiency label to choose a more efficient model. This will cut your carbon emissions and save you money on fuel and Vehicle Tax.

Try to reduce your car use

Reduce the number of short trips you make in the car. Walking, cycling, or taking the bus or train will help reduce local air pollution and the climate change effects of getting around.

Tackling the environmental impact of flying

Consider the need for a flight and the alternatives to taking a plane. If you do fly, you can offset your CO2. You could consider options for reducing your travel, for example taking fewer, longer breaks if possible instead of several short ones. Maybe you can find what you want closer to home, by taking a holiday in the UK or travelling to nearby countries by rail or sea.

3. Eating and Drinking

Producing, transporting and consuming food is responsible for nearly a fifth of our climate change effects. Some foods have a much bigger impact on the environment than others.

Look for the labels
Look for the labels to help you choose food that has been produced with the aim of reducing the negative impact on wildlife and the environment. The Government has produced a Green Claims Code to help you.

Buy fresh and in season
Buying food and drink when locally in season, and unprocessed or lightly processed food, is likely to mean that less energy has been used in its production. Providing it has been produced and stored under similar conditions, choosing food that has travelled a shorter distance will help to reduce congestion and transport emissions that contribute to climate change.

Reduce your food waste
The average UK household spends £424 a year on food that goes in the bin - if this ends up in landfill it produces methane, a greenhouse gas judged to be more than 20 times as powerful as carbon dioxide in causing climate change. Throwing less food away produces less methane and reduces other harmful environmental impacts from producing, packaging and transporting food.

Recycling and cutting waste
Reducing, reusing and recycling waste saves on the raw materials and energy which are needed to make new paper, metal, glass and other items. Saving energy helps tackle climate change.

Re-use and repair
Avoiding waste in the first place, by re-using and repairing items, is the most efficient way to reduce waste. For example, buy items that can be re-used rather than disposables, and pass things on when you’ve finished with them.

Reducing waste, re-using and repairing

Nearly two thirds of all household rubbish can be recycled. Most councils run doorstep recycling collections for paper, glass and plastics, often more. But local civic amenity sites often accept many other things – from wood and shoes, to textiles and TVs.

Recycling

Composting food waste reduces climate change effects. Many local councils offer subsidised compost bins or home collection for kitchen and garden waste.

Greener shopping

There are now lots of choices you can make when shopping that help take care of the environment.

Take a bag
Hang on to your shopping bags and take some with you when you next go to the supermarket.

Look for the labels
Use labels to choose products that have a lower impact on the environment. For example, energy efficient appliances and cars, and sustainable fish. Using labels to buy sustainable wood and peat free compost will protect important natural habitats that help balance climate change effects.

Buy recycled
Look out for recycled products. Recycled paper, kitchen rolls and toilet tissue are among the products now widely available.

Government Grants

The UK Government funds schemes providing up to £2,700 to households on certain benefits (see below for examples of eligibility criteria) to improve their heating and energy efficiency. In England the scheme is known as Warm Front, in Northern Ireland it is Warm Homes, in Scotland it is Warm Deal and the Central Heating Programme and in Wales it is the Home Energy Efficiency Scheme. The eligibility criteria for the schemes differ between countries - with some schemes you need to be in receipt of certain benefits, whilst others are available to anyone over a certain age. Full details can be found on the websites listed below.

Examples of Warmfront eligibility criteria - If you own your own home or rent it from a private landlord and if:

You are 60 years or older and are in receipt of one or more benefits. Benefits include: income support, council tax benefit, housing benefit, job seekers allowance and pension credit.

or

You have a child under 16 or you are pregnant and have been given maternity MAT B1 and are also in receipt of benefits such as income support, council tax benefit etc.

or

You are in receipt of one or more benefits such as disability living allowance, child tax credit with an income of less than £15,460, housing benefit and disability premium etc.

Then you could be entitled to a warm front grant.

Visit the following websites for more information on the eligibility criteria for a:

Warmfront grant (England)

Warm Homes grant (Northern Ireland)

Warm Deal and the Central heating programme (Scotland)

Home Energy Efficiency Scheme (Wales)

Download a copy of the Energy Saving Trust’s Guide to Grants: www.energysavingtrust.org.uk/content/download/29327/95732/file/guide_to_grants.pdf

Guide to Reducing Waste, Re-using and Repair

If everyone in the world lived like people in the UK, it’s estimated that three planets’ worth of resources would be needed to support us. The energy and materials wasted in the UK put pressure on the environment here and around the world.

Recycling can help save materials and energy, but cutting down on waste in the first place is even better. Even when you have finished with something, someone else will often be able to use it.

Reducing waste

18 per cent of household waste is packaging from retail purchases. Shopping carefully, avoiding disposable bags, and choosing re-usable products are some of the ways in which you can avoid waste in the first place. Some tips include:

taking your own bag when you go shopping can help reduce the 10bn plastic bags that are handed out by supermarkets each year

registering with the Mailing Preference Service allows you to avoid unwanted junk mail being sent to your home

try not to waste food - the average UK household spends £424 a year on food which is thrown away uneaten (for example buying things and not using them, or cooking too much for a meal and then throwing it away)

buying re-usable nappies can help cut waste; washing these in bulk, for example through a nappy laundry service helps to reduce the energy used - many councils offer schemes providing subsidised nappies or laundry services, which could save you money

avoiding products with unnecessary packaging

Repair

Household items including computers, electrical equipment and furniture can be repaired or re-used by others. Search online or in your local phone book for repair services in your area.

Re-use

Many items can be re-used, including mobile phones, computers, printer cartridges, left-over paint and clothes. Even if you have finished with something, someone else will often be able to use it. National charity organisations, local charity shops, internet auction sites and free exchange schemes, may be able to re-use your unwanted items.

Recycling

Nearly two thirds of all household rubbish can be recycled. Find out how to recycle a wide range of goods, including wood, engine oil, fluorescent light tubes, textiles, batteries and TVs. Recycling saves a lot of energy and raw materials, and avoids waste going to landfill

Computers

There are a large number of organisations throughout the UK that will accept unwanted computer equipment and repair or recycle it. Many of them are charities that provide benefits to the local community.

Electrical goods and gadgets: greener choices

Furniture

Unwanted or broken furniture can be re-used, mended or recycled. The Furniture Recycling Network can put you in touch with local schemes that pass on furniture and appliances to low income families. Vintage and second-hand furniture is often a popular choice if you are looking for new furniture or want to get rid of old furniture in good condition.

Paint

Try not to buy more paint than you need - more than 300m litres of paint are bought each year and a significant amount never gets used. Left-over paint can be donated to a national network of paint re-use organisations, or disposed of safely through your local council

Books, DVDs, CDs

Second hand books, CDs and DVDs can be bought and sold on-line, or taken to your local charity shop.

The wider issue

Making new products uses energy and raw materials. As a general rule, re-using or repairing things rather than buying new ones:

helps to keep valuable materials out of landfill sites

uses less energy than making new products, helping to tackle climate change

Quick Guide to Recycling

Nearly two thirds of all household rubbish can be recycled. Find out how to recycle a wide range of goods, including wood, engine oil, fluorescent light tubes, textiles, batteries and TVs. Recycling saves a lot of energy and raw materials, and avoids waste going to landfill.

Doorstep recycling and community recycling banks

Many councils now collect paper, glass and plastics and some also collect metal and organic waste. Your local council will often be able to say what it can recycle and what it can’t. Many recycling bins and facilities show pictures of what can be dropped in them (and what shouldn't be).

Paper and card are easy to recycle. Some plastics can be recycled too, like plastic milk bottles, water bottles, and bottles of household cleaning products (but not usually things like plastic food trays and wrappings). Bottle banks are not just for bottles – they’re for all glass packaging, including jars.

The Government’s links below will let you enter details of where you live and then take you to your local council website where you can find out about collection points - and how you can recycle more.

Your local council's recycling services - find out more

Recycling collections - find out more

Apply for a recycling bin

Textiles

More than half of the clothing thrown away could be recycled.

Most charity shops deal with clothing for re-sale, or you could take your unwanted clothing to clothing banks. Some councils also take textiles in doorstep recycling collections.

Find out how to recycle textiles

Batteries

Using re-chargeable batteries is the best way to reduce waste. Car batteries can be recycled and should be taken to your local council household waste site. Although facilities for recycling other types of battery are not widespread, some councils now have collection schemes and some manufacturers and retailers will take old batteries back. If you cannot find somewhere to recycle your old batteries it is important to dispose of them correctly as they can contain hazardous substances that can damage the environment.

Find out how to recycle batteries

Disposal of hazardous waste

Mobile phones

Handsets are designed to last many years - try to keep yours longer by avoiding unnecessary upgrades. When you do need to get rid of your mobile phone, there are an increasing number of options for recycling and re-using them. Many phone shops will now take back old handsets for recycling, and there are organisations and charities that accept mobiles for refurbishment and recycling.

Find out how to recycle or reuse mobile phones

Printer cartridges

Many charities and workplaces collect print cartridges for refilling and more than a third of the 40m used in the UK each year are already re-manufactured.

Find out more about refilling printer cartridges

Other items

A wide range of other things can be recycled – you can find out more from the RecycleNow campaign.

A to Z index of what can be recycled and how

The wider issue

Kerbside recycling collections are now available to nine out of ten households
People in the UK are recycling three times more rubbish than they were 10 years ago, but an average family can still double or even treble the amount they recycle. Recycling reduces the need for landfill and saves new materials and energy, helping to tackle climate change.
Recycling aluminium requires only five per cent of the energy it takes to make new aluminium – and produces only five per cent of the carbon emissions. Recycling just one aluminium can saves enough energy to run a television set for three hours.