tips to reduce your carbon footprint
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How you can help Our climate is changing with implications for our environment, economy and wellbeing here in Wales and across the globe. It is one of the biggest challenges facing the world but we each have the chance to make a difference. The greenhouse gases we produce through everyday activities contribute to climate change. We can help to slow it down by making some simple changes to the way in which we live and this booklet tells you how. There are steps you can take at home, work, when travelling or even shopping but you don’t have to do them all at once - start with the ones that work best for you. You’ll be surprised by how quickly the changes you make become habit and many of them will help your health and your wallet too.
Work out your carbon footprint We’ve all got a carbon footprint. Big or small, it’s our own personal measure of how much greenhouse gases we create – the smaller it is, the less impact our lifestyles are having on climate change. Why not use a carbon calculator to find out your carbon footprint? Visit www.energysaving trust.org.uk to use the Energy Saving Trust’s carbon cutter - simply answer some straightforward questions and it will create a personal action plan for you with hints and tips. You can also find lots of tips to help reduce your carbon footprint on our website www.walescarbonfootprint.gov.uk. Once you’ve taken these first steps you may want to find out what else you can do. There are links to other organisations on our website which can give you more advice on how to reduce your footprint even further.
install at least 3 energy saving lightbulbs.
when you are at home…
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If everyone in Wales did this we would save enough electricity to power 73,000 homes for a year. That’s enough money saved to pay the TV licences of almost 365,000 homes.
Fact:
They cost a little more to buy but last up to ten times longer than a regular bulb and use a lot less electricity – so they will save you money over their lifetime.
Fact:
If every home in Wales did this we would save over £65 million a year on our energy bills.
turn your thermostat down by 1ºC.
15
ºC
Fact:
install loft and wall insulation.
Grants may be available to help with the cost of insulating your home.
19
If everyone in the UK had proper insulation, together we’d save enough energy to heat around 2.2 million homes for a year.
in the kitchen‌
when you make a cup of tea,
need.
Fact:
only boil as much water as you Enough electricity to supply 15,000 homes all year would be saved if everyone did this.
your la u
Fact:
wash ndry
at 30ÂşC
rather than at high er tempe ratures .
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Fix leaking taps - it often only takes a new washer.
•
If you have an immersion boiler make sure your hot water cylinder is well insulated.
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Fit a water saving device in your toilet.
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ute s ins howe r tea do ab f ath .
in the bathroom…
Fact:
A running tap can use 6 litres of water in one minute - just 10 minutes could be enough to fill a small bath.
Fact:
A dripping tap could waste more than 15 litres of water a day.
try not to run the tap the
whole time when you clean your teeth.
in the garden…
•
Get a water butt to collect rainwater for your garden.
•
Sweep paths, patios and driveways instead of hosing them down.
•
Use a bucket and sponge to wash your car instead of a hose pipe.
water your garden in the early morning or evening. This will
reduce the amount of water lost by the heat of the sun.
save water
- use a
watering can, not a hose
when watering your plants.
Fact: Fact:
Composting your kitchen and garden waste at home creates less carbon dioxide than if it was sent to landfill and your plants and flowers will like it too.
If you have a water meter, reducing the amount of tap water you use will also save you money.
get a comp o bin. If y st ou
don’t have a garde n your c ounci l may p rovide a com post collec tion servic e.
Many white goods have to carry an energy efficiency rating from A++ to G. An A+ rated fridge-freezer for instance can save you around £38 every year in running costs.
choose energy ‘A’ rated
white goods.
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Fact:
when you are shopping...
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•
Buy products with the least amount of packaging.
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Buy locally produced food - it has not travelled as far to get to the shop which means it will be fresher too.
•
Walk to your local corner shop if you can.
In 2010 we took home an estimated 350 million carrier bags in Wales from the major supermarkets alone.
produbcutsy made fro recyclem material d s kitchen t owels
, toilet tissue an d bin lin e rs are just som e of the recycled products available .
re-use take your own bags.
carrier bags or buy fabric ones which will last.
when you are travelling...
Instead of flying abroad, look at local holiday destinations or perhaps travel to Europe by train.
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sayve share mone lifts
o
ÂŁ80 a year
on average by sharing their commutes with two other drivers!
Fact:
People who car share can save
Fact:
walk or cycle
Both are great exercise and free!
save petrol and
emissions by turning off your car engine when waiting.
use p trans ublic port when ever you c an.
Cycling is one of the few carbonneutral means of transport which means that the amount of harmful gases it emits is negligible.
Even leavi ng the c ar at ho once a we me just e diffe renc k will ma e. ke a
when you are at work‌
turn your lights, compute r and othe r electric al accessor ies off at the end of th e
away for
a use mtueagd of
ps ins le cu b a s dispo ks. rin for d
day or w hen long per iods.
•
•
Collect office paper for recycling. Also tins, glass and plastic can be recycled in the kitchen. Become a Climate Change Champion at work and encourage colleagues to do their bit.
take the stairs
instead of the lift - it saves electricity and it’s healthier too!
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find out more... www.walescarbonfootprint.gov.uk Lots of information to help you reduce your carbon footprint. www.energysavingtrust.org.uk or call free on 0800 512 012. Lots of useful tips, advice and possibly grants. www.carbontrust.co.uk Advice for businesses. www.traveline.info Your link to public transport information. www.sustainwales.com Provides helpful information to help you live sustainably and how you can link up with others. www.wasteawarenesswales.org.uk Information about how to recycle and manage your waste.