Smarter living tips

Travel

We all have a need to travel for work, pleasure and living. Our travel contributes to our greenhouse gas emissions, in many cases accounting for a quarter of them.

Try to reduce your car use, especially reducing the number of short trips. Walking, cycling or using public transport will help reduce air pollution, keep you healthy and reduce carbon emissions. Car sharing is a practical way of reducing car use.

Choose an efficient car if you are looking to replace your car. Look for the fuel efficiency label to cut your emissions and save fuel costs and vehicle tax.

Minimise flying by considering alternatives such as taking fewer, longer holidays or spending holidays in the UK. Many parts of Europe can be reached easily by rail or sea. View more information on reducing fuel consumption when driving at the energy saving trust website.

Green Purchasing 

There are lots of choices that you have when shopping to help the environment:

• Reuse a shopping bag - many supermarkets offer stronger reusable shopping bags. Use your old shopping bags.
• Look for the labels - choose products that have a lower environmental impact, e.g sustainable cleaning products, sustainable wood and peat-free compost, energy efficient appliances.
• Buy recycled - paper, kitchen rolls and toilet tissue are available as recycled products.
• Repair and reuse - think about repairing something other than buying new. Charity shops often have good quality items.
• Buy Fairtrade - these products are widely available and it guarantees that the producers of the products are getting a fair price with less environmental impact.

Food

Producing and transporting food is responsible for nearly a fifth of our CO₂ emissions. Production of meat and dairy products has a much bigger effect on climate change than most grains, pulses, fruit and vegetables.

Buying locally and in season will reduce the distance food is transported, saving energy and reducing air pollution. Make a positive choice to buy local,  in-season food rather than products from the other side of the world. The method of production and transport can affect CO₂ production. For example, transporting food by boat in season can be less environmentally damaging than more local crops produced inside using heat.

Grow your own food if possible - it tastes better, can be more nutritious and gardening can help your health and wellbeing.

Reduce your food waste - only buy and prepare what you need. It will save money and waste.

Waste

Reduce, reuse, recycle is the best approach to waste management. It is important that everyone plays their part in preventing unnecessary waste.

Reduce the waste you produce by buying and preparing only what you need and by considering packaging when buying food or products.

Reuse what you can or consider charities, neighbours or internet sale sites for unwanted stuff. One persons rubbish is another persons need.

If you do generate waste, then tins, cans, glass bottles and plastics can be recycled at our recycling points and increasingly through our Purple Bag Scheme which picks these items up in doorstep deliveries.

Waste vegetables and fruit, and garden wastes can be composted. Compost bins are available from Recycle for Cumbria

Further information on waste and recycling can be found on the Rubbish, waste and recycling page of this website.

Water Use

Providing clean water uses energy and resources and costs money. Sewage systems are also required to capture run off as well as sewage.  During dry periods the treated water resource can become depleted while heavy rainfall can test the sewarage system to its limit. With global warming these issues are forcast to become more accute.  There are many easy ways to reduce water consumption, such as:

In the home

1. Take a shower rather than a bath. 
2. Fix dripping taps and leaks promptly.
3. Turn off the tap when cleaning your teeth, washing your face or shaving. A running tap can use 9 litres per minute.
4. Fit a ‘hippo’ or water saving device in the toilet cistern to save 3 litres every flush.
5. When buying a new toilet consider a dual flush model.
6. Have a full load in the washing machine or dishwasher - it saves energy too.
7. Wash your car using a bucket and sponge rather than a hosepipe.

In the Garden

1. Use a watering can rather than a hose to water more accurately.
2. Install a water butt to gather rainwater. It is better for plants than treated water.
3. Let your lawn grow a little longer in summer to help it conserve its own moisture. This can reduce the need to water the lawn. If you must water the lawn, only do it once a week in the evening or morning when it is cool to reduce evaporation.
4. Make your own compost. It is more sustainable than buying fertiliser and can reduce refuse collection and landfill. 

Water butts can be obtained from  Recycle for Cumbria.

For more information on water supply and water saving equipment go to United Utilities.

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