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.
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
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
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
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
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.
More useful links
Bins and waste collection (home and community section)
Q. Is it true that you use more energy to turn lights on and off than to leave them running?
A. There is a widely held belief that it is better to leave fluorescent lights (like energy saving light bulbs) on rather than switching them off. It is true that they draw more power when they are warming up however this only takes a few seconds at most so is equivalent to a couple of minutes electricity use when they are on.
Although CFLs do not use much electricity it is still best to keep them switched off when they are not needed as otherwise you are wasting money and energy. If you are going to leave the room for more than a few minutes, turn off the lights.
Q. What are 10 things I can do to save energy in my home?
A. The average home can save £300 a year by being energy efficient so cut your bills and make your home cosier in the winter and cooler in the summer with these simple steps. Click here (link to Home Advisory Service section) if you want to find out how to cut the cost of your home energy bills.
1. Look for cavities...
Around 33% of the heat lost in your home is through the walls, so insulating them can be the most cost-effective way to save energy in the home. Not all buildings are suitable, but if your home was built between the 1920s and 1980s then it could be a candidate for cavity wall insulation and you could save £130 to £160 on your annual heating bills! Like double-glazing, cavity wall insulation will keep you cool in the summer and warm in winter. It's a straightforward, inexpensive and hassle-free job. If we all had our cavity walls filled tomorrow, together we'd save over £962 million of energy every year!
2. Boilers...if it isn't broken, it still might need fixing...
We rarely think of our boilers - until they go 'bang'! Boilers usually break down in winter so it's essential you check yours in the summer. If your boiler is over 15 years old, it's probably time you replaced it with a new energy efficient one. High efficiency condensing boilers are the most energy efficient and can help save you around a third on your heating bills straight away, and even more if you upgrade to modern controls. If we all switched to a condensing boiler, we'd save around £1.8 billion a year! To compare old and new boilers visit www.boilers.org.uk.
3. Be nice to your freezer...
Fridge freezers are the most hardworking appliances in our kitchens - in fact, UK households use £1.5 billion worth of electricity on refrigeration and freezing alone every year. To help cut costs, don't leave the door open longer than necessary, as cold air will escape. Avoid putting hot food into the fridge, defrost the freezer regularly and check the door seals are working properly.
4. Look for the logo...
Look out for the Energy Saving Recommended logo when you're buying new electrical appliances. The logo appears on a growing range of products - from light bulbs to laundry appliances, indicating the most energy efficient appliances which are also cheaper to run. Replacing an old, energy inefficient fridge-freezer with a new Energy Saving Recommended one could save you up to £45 every year. If we all made the change this week, together we'd save over £589 million every year!
5. Treat your hot water tank...give it a jacket
An insulating jacket for hot water tanks only costs a few pounds and pays for itself within months. Fit one that's at least 75mm (3") thick and you could save around £20 a year. If every UK household fitted a jacket on their tank tomorrow, we'd save over £95 million of energy every year!
6. Draw at dusk...close your curtains
As the days get chillier, closing your curtains at dusk will stop heat escaping through windows.
7. A bright idea...buy an energy efficient light bulb
When the days are shorter you'll be relying on your lights more. Trade up your ordinary light bulbs for energy saving ones. Priced from just £3.50, energy efficient light bulbs last up to 12 times longer and for each bulb you fit, you can save up to £9 on your annual electricity bill. If every UK household installed just one bulb we'd save over £66 million per year!
8. Take to the floor...defeating draughts
Stop draughts and heat escaping by filling gaps under skirting boards with beading or mastic sealant. That's £10 - £20 off your bills every year!
9. See double...and cut heat loss by 50%
Double-glazing cuts heat loss through windows by 50% and could cut your heating bill by up to £100 a year.
10. Be switched on - take a Home Energy Check...
For a report on how much money you could be saving on your home energy costs, click here here (link to Home Advisory Service section)
1. Check your revs - change up before 2,500rpm (petrol) and 2,000rpm (diesel)
2. Anticipate road conditions and drive smoothly, avoiding sharp acceleration and heavy braking. This saves fuel and reduces accident rates.
3. Use air conditioning sparingly as it significantly increases fuel consumption.
4. Drive away immediately when starting from cold - idling to heat the engine wastes fuel and causes rapid engine wear.
5. Remove roof rack when not in use – they increase drag significantly.
6. Avoid short journeys - a cold engine uses almost twice as much fuel and catalytic converters can take five miles to become effective.
7. Stick to speed limits and make your fuel go further – driving at 85mph rather than 70mph uses 25% more fuel.
8. Plan your journeys - to avoid congestion, roadworks and getting lost.
9. Check your tyre pressure regularly – underinflated tyres are dangerous and can increase fuel consumption by up to 3%.
10. If you’re stuck in a jam, switch off – cutting the engine will save fuel and stop emissions.
