3. Intermediate Climate Change Action Plan
How can I improve my environmental commitments?
Costs rather more, but it pays off quickly
We are working together to tackle climate change and reduce our carbon emissions. However, to really make a difference, we all need to
think about our personal environmental impact and take some further steps to reduce our carbon footprint. Most changes suggested here
have financial costs that pay off quickly, but if we adopt just a few of them, the cumulative impact would be enormous. The following are
some ideas for reducing your carbon footprint through simple, everyday changes:
Note: Where advice sites are known to be commercial, a choice of three potential sites is given where available. The Leicestershire
Together Board and ENABLE is not trying to promote any particular organisation or their services.
Good practice table
Topic area
Action
Benefits
Co2/cost saving etc
Saving energy
Replace five ordinary light bulbs that
are used around 5 hours a day
with low-energy light bulbs and save
about 250 kg CO2
Energy saving light bulbs last around 10
times longer than ordinary light bulbs and
can save you £7 per year in electricity
and 38 kilograms of CO2 or £60 over the
bulbs lifetime.
can reduce heat loss by up to 75%
Installing British Standard Hot Water
Cylinder Jacket can save around 160 Kg
CO2 and insulating pipes can save around
60 Kg of CO2 pa
If you currently have no loft insulation and
you install the recommended 270mm
depth you could save between £180 £220 a year on your heating bills and
nearly 1.5 tonnes of CO2 per year.
Costs £45-60 and can save around £1020 a year. It can also save 440 kg CO2
Fit a jacket on your hot water tank
Insulate your loft
Fit thermostatic radiator valves (TRVs)
to control room temperature
Where advice can be gained
(See Climate Change
Directory)
EST
EST
EST
Install cavity wall insulation
Upgrade to an energy efficient boiler
when required
When buying new appliances select
energy efficient A rated products
When replacing your old television
Replace single-glazed windows with
double-glazed
Saving water
Install micro renewable energy source
Install a low-flow showerhead
When buying bottled water or soda
Shopping and
transport
per annum.
can save up to £ 120 per year on heating
bill and 750 Kg CO2 pa
saves around 30% of the energy
replacing old fridge freezer with new
automatic defrosting A++ can save 210
Kg CO2
buy eco-labelled television and save
about 30 Kg CO2 per year
Double glazing can save £80 - £100 a
year on your heating bills and save 680
kg CO2 pa
save about 66% of the energy and 230 kg
CO2 per person every year
Use water butt for rain water harvesting
buy 1.5l bottle instead of the equivalent
amount in 0.5 l bottle and save about 9 kg
CO2 per year
and use saved water for gardening
Look for Green Labels
Leads to environment friendly shopping
Use eco friendly laundry aids
Eco balls / T-Wave Laundry Discs / Dryer
Balls / Wash Balls which can be used up
to 400-1000 times that reduces cost per
wash.
choose an energy efficient model or eco-
When buying a new car
EST
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B&Q
Green Building Store
Green & Easy
Severn Trent
Free Rain
Rain Harvesting Systems
Free Water UK
Defra
Ethical Super Store
Natural Collection
Spirit of Nature
EST, DfT
While buying computers, gadgates, and
mobile phones look for Energy Star logo
While buying appliances, look for EU
energy label
Look for goods carrying the flower logo
of the European eco-label
friendly car such as electric-powered or
hybrid fuel cars. They are cheap to run,
exempt from road tax, congestion
charges and one pays reduced parking
charges.
Lead to energy efficiency
EU-Energy Star
Improve energy efficiency
EST
signifies superior environmental
performance. Eco label has been
awarded to 280 products and services
from 25 product groups such as light
bulbs, detergents, computers and a range
of household appliances.
Consume locally produced seasonal Transporting goods by plane generates
food to save on air miles.
about 1700 times more CO2 emission
than transporting them by lorry over 31
miles.
Eat responsibly
Waste
Management
Recycled Products Guide
Use A to Z Reuse & Recycling Guide
and follow waste minimisation hierarchy
(Reduce, Reuse, Recycle)
EU Eco-label
Farmers Market
Leicestershire Food Links
Go Leicestershire
Leicestershire Food and Drink
Responsible sourcing of food should
consider food miles, the production
methods and environmental impact of the
food you eat.
Vegetarian Society
Compassion in World Farming
Trust
Conscious Choice
Fish Online
Use recycled consumer, trade and local WRAP
authority procurement products
LCC
Recyclenow
Recycle 1 kg of aluminium
Recycle glass to save energy
Recycle Plastic Bottles
Compost your Kitchen waste
Recycle printer cartridge, toner, laptops
and mobile phones
Use real nappies
save about 9 kg CO2.
Alupro
Recyclenow
Every tonne of recycled glass can save Recyclenow
315 kg of CO2 to make new container
Recycling just one plastic bottle saves
Recyclenow
enough energy to power a 60W light bulb
for six hours
Every tonne of biodegradable waste
LCC
produces 300-500 cubic metres of landfill Recyclenow
gas
A free drop-off point, freepost bags and ActionAid Recycling
collection service raise money for charity
and stop things going to the landfill sites
Nearly 3 billion nappies are thrown away LCC
in the UK every year. 90% of these end Recyclenow
up in landfill, where they could take WEN
hundreds of years to decompose adding
to CO2 emissions