Fish around for cheaper, more sustainable alternatives

Ever wondered how to save the planet and your precious pennies at the same time?

Whether your idea of going green is remembering to recycle your old wine bottles or growing your own veggies, there are loads of practical solutions to inspire women everywhere to perk up their green credentials – even during the credit crunch.

‘Women have a lot on their plates as it is, what with juggling work and personal lives, but going green can actually simplify your life rather than complicate it,’ says Kate Aydin, sustainable development officer at the University of Oxford and author of How to Save the Planet on a Student Budget (Oneworld Publications, priced £6.99).

‘Going green is essentially all about protecting your kids and your kid’s kids, and women do have that innate ability to think in terms of the next generation.’

In fact, in a recent YouGov survey, commissioned by Christian Aid, a staggering 92% of women in the UK have taken steps to reduce their own carbon emissions.

Handbags and glad rags
‘During the credit crunch and beyond, try to reduce your consumption levels by slimming down your wardrobe and cosmetics bag because, lets face it, most women have far more than they’ll ever need when it comes to make-up and clothes,’ says Aydin.

‘One of my friends, for example, discovered that she had seven skirts that she couldn’t even remember buying because she’d layered all her clothes up on single hangers, and most of us periodically buy sparkly new make-up even though we have three or four identical eyeliners or mascaras that will go off before we can use anyway

‘Once you’ve worked out how much you actually own you’ll be far less likely to impulse buy and, if you replace what you do need with good quality, classic investment pieces, you’ll save money in the long-run by reducing your consumption of cheap ‘disposable’ clothes that are often made in developing countries under very poor working conditions.

‘Finally, as you throw away old make-up and the stuff you never use, you can gradually replace it with eco-friendly, less harmful chemical-based versions instead such as Aveda or Dr Hauschka which last for ages.’

Food, drink and eating out
‘For those of you who want to look after your health as well as the environment, there are lots of different types of delicious fresh fish which are great value for money,’ says Aydin.

Whether you love salmon or tuna, lemon sole or prawns, just make sure that the fish you buy at home or in a restaurant carries the sustainable fish label, MSC, an acronym for the Marine Stewardship Council.

When it comes to quenching your thirst, particularly during the hotter summer months, Aydin advises against buying lots of individual plastic bottles of mineral water, and instead investing in a ‘bottle for life’ from an outdoor or camping shop.

‘They’re very lightweight aluminim, come in all shapes, sizes and colours, and cost about £18 each, so you’ll more than make your money back in about a month if you regualrly drink bottled water.

‘Just making a plastic bottle actually uses between seven and 11 times more water than the actual water contained in it, so using a bottle for life helps you to maintain your green credentials as well as saving cash in the long run.’

Finally, whether you’re planning a big party or just a relaxing evening at home, Aydin says that the best environmental option when buying wine is to buy an organic version produced as near as possible to the point of purchase.

‘Increasing numbers of English and Welsh farmers are growing wines – have a look at www.englishwineproducers.com, and visit www.ethicalwine.com to check the wine’s carbon footprint.

‘Organic vineyards use natural methods of disease control and maximise crop yields without damaging the environment, and you can usually pick up a decent bottle of French organic wine for about £5 at your local supermarket these days,’ she smiles.

Be a green domestic goddess
‘It’s really easy to make your home a lot greener with very little effort,’ says Aydin.

‘Even if you just change two or three ingrained habits it could make a huge impact – imagine the difference in the UK’s water quality for example, if everybody changed to an environmentally friendly version of washing powder and washing up liquid such as Ecover

‘As well as recycling, another good idea is to start home composting if you have a garden no matter how small. You can get some great value 330 litre bins from www.blackwall.co.uk.

‘This will reduce your household waste, help your garden to bloom with organic fertiliser, and also cut the time you spend cleaning out your bins in the house so they don’t smell.

‘Another way to boost your green credentials is to stop leaving your household appliances on stand-by, but I appreciate that it can be a pain as it often involves crawling around under tables and behind appliances looking for plug sockets!

‘To make things easy and to save on your electricity bills, just buy an extension lead so that you can turn everything off with one flick when you’re off out, going on holiday or just going to bed.

Kate Aydin, author and eco expert

‘Finally, if you are buying anything made with or from wood for the garden or your home, check that it carries the FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) mark on it to ensure that you are not contributing to global forest destruction.’

Daisy Green Magazine readers can get 20% off Kate Aydin’s book How to Save the Planet on a Student Budget at www.oneworld-publications.com with code OWCA09.

This article was supplied by international development agency Christian Aid which continues to take action to tackle climate change in the lead up to the UN summit in Copenhagen this December. For more information go to www.christianaid.org.uk/copenhagen