GREEN TIPS

KSPC RESOLVED AT ITS COUNCIL MEETING ON 28TH MARCH 2007 THAT IT SHOULD TRY TO ENCOURAGE PARISHIONERS TO ACHIEVE A MORE SUSTAINABLE ENVIRONMENT FOR THE PARISH. THESE TIPS ARE OFFERED TO HELP YOU HELP YOU AND OTHERS ALONG THAT ROUTE:

KINGS STANLEY & LEONARD STANLEY RECYCLING TRIALLERS CERTAINLY DID HELP US GO FOR IT AND SHOW THE DISTRICT WHAT WE CAN & SHOULD ALL DO TO REDUCE RUBBISH GOING TO LANDFILL!
THERE'S A BIT OF A PROBLEM AT PRESENT WITH THE MARKETS FOR SOME OF THE RECYCLABLES DRYING UP, BUT THIS CAN ONLY BE A TEMPORARY SITUATION, SO PLEASE, PLEASE KEEP RECYCLING WHATEVER YOU CAN AND DON'T JUST LET IT GO TO LANDFILL, THAT'S A MISSED OPPORTUNITY! CARDBOARD CAN ALWAYS BE USED TO LINE GARDEN TRENCHES FOR GROWING RUNNER BEANS ETC.
DON'T stop composting if you still want to, but the new food waste collection system copes with all food waste, including meat & bones and a giant composter heat treats it to turn it into a safe useable compost! It is unlikely that SDC will be able to afford to continue with the full recycling service we have grown used to but they are actively working on how best to roll out a fair service to the whole of Stroud District.
DON'T "contaminate" food waste with plastic; it clogs up the system diverting it to landfill - which we DON'T WANT!
Landfill sites cannot compost as compaction stops the aerobic process and methane is produced instead.

Tip 1: Refill a large glass bottle with tap water and keep it in the fridge. That way you stay refreshed & not tempted to buy plastic bottles of mineral water (& will not need to recycle them). Keep one in the car to chill & refill. Selsley Spring Water is considered by many to be safe to drink. It is tested regularly by SDC & is regularly used by the public, being one of very few springs that are not contaminated by nitrates as the water percolates through from Selsley Common. However, SDCs most recent testing found 1 coli-form in the sample, so it would be wise not to consider it 100% safe.

Tip 2: Never waste treated tap water! Invest in water butts for sheds, greenhouses & connect to your house down pipes. If you telephone The Bottle Green Company in Woodchester they usually have used plastic 45gallon juice containers with lids that they offer FREE to collectors - limited to 3. OR you could follow this link to purchase one delivered from Smiths of The Forest of Dean who specialise in Rain Savers & other containers. http://www.smithsofthedean.co.uk/

Tip 3: Change to a water meter; not only does it concentrate your mind on minimising waste you will almost certainly save a great deal of money as your current bill is calculated on the rateable value of your home, not actual usage. You can estimate usage via Severn Trent information or its website.

Tip 4: Keep a washing up bowl in the sink (& if you have a utility one there too) & take whatever collects up outside the back door to a container (old household rubbish bin ?) as you can use it on container plants outside. You may be surprised at how much would otherwise be wasted! Use the plug in wash basins or clean your teeth without water then rinse!

Tip 5: Please read the literature that came to all households from Recycle for Gloucestershire – your guide to recycling locally. Recycling banks are all over the place now and visitors to Pyke Quarry (Horsley) can deposit a vast range of unwanted items there. Don’t forget that Charity shops want what you no longer need - not just clothes, but toys & many household items.

Tip 6: Take your own shopping bags to the shops & decline offers of plastic bags!

Tip 7: Complain to Consumer Direct about the amount of excessive packaging on many of our goods these days so they can lobby (with Trading Standards) direct to the producers. http://www.consumerdirect.gov.uk/ or return packaging to the supermarket or supplier so they deal with it!

Tip 8: Switch to Energy Saving Lightbulbs. They have been around for years but have improved greatly & come in all shapes & sizes to suit even the most difficult to please consumer.

Tip 9: You may wish to invest in a domestic version (or build your own?) of the JORA composter that KS Junior School is now using to compost ALL its putrescible waste! Information available from http://www.smartsoil.co.uk/

Tip 10: Compost more stuff, more often! WHY? It cannot break down in landfill because it is too compressed & instead produces methane ("greenhouse gas which contributes to global warming"). WHY NOT? Less goes to landfill & you get a great soil improver free! As the bins digest green stuff, it sinks down & you can put more in! You need a varied mix of materials so don't expect grass cuttings on their own to break down into soil - for more information on composting see Community Page where there are 2 references.

Tip 12: Give your old magazines (we know you get them!) to the doctor’s or dentist’s surgery for others to enjoy!

Tip 14: Buy recycled products such as loo rolls; they are usually cheaper & still do a good job!

Tip 16: To use less hot water, soap yourself first. Ditch the power shower for a more economical one!

Tip 17: Lower your room thermostat by an un-noticeable 1o C & you could save up to 10% heating. Lower your water heating thermostat too - you don't need scalding water. 60oC 140oF is sufficient.

Tip 18: Insulate your hot water tank very well - at least 3"/75cm thick and save money every year!

Tip 20: Switch off lights around the home that you do NOT need! Lights left on create CO2.

Tip 21: Close curtains at dusk to stop heat escaping through windows - are your curtains up to the job or just decorative?

Tip 22: Fit double glazing if possible; it cuts heat loss drastically - when windows are closed you don't hear noise from outside.!

Tip 21: Don't leave the fridge/freezer door open for ages (& let food cool down before putting it in there) to save wasting energy. Buy energy efficient models when replacing old ones - and take your old ones to the Horsley tip for safe disposal.

Tip 24: Use economy programmes on washing machines and dishwashers - they DO THE JOB! - full loads only! - Replace old machines with energy efficient ones.

Tip 25: Don't let any of your radiators leech heat outside! Put foil behind radiators & close curtains in winter.

Tip 27: EXCLUDE DRAUGHTS AROUND WINDOWS, DOORS & GAPS UNDER SKIRTING BOARDS BUT REMEMBER YOU DO NEED VENTILATION!

Tip 29 Car drivers should turn off the engine if stationary & remove unnecessary items which add to the weight & drag of the vehicle - this saves fuel, money and CO2 emissions.

Tip 31: Fit a water saving device in your toilet cisterns if you have a wasteful flow of water to stop wasting drinkable water! Water companies give them away free. You don't actually need to flush it every time anyway!

Tip 32: Fix dripping taps & make sure they are fully turned off - one dripping tap wastes a bathful of water a week.

Tip 33: No need for garden sprinklers anyway, but especially as I add this tip! Grass always revives!!

Tip 34: Forget the hosepipe for washing the car, that's drinking water you are wasting - use a bucket, then rinse off with another.

Tip 36: Sell unwanted items or donate them to the numerous charity shops around today. Some collect. Don't throw anything away to landfill. Take stuff to Horsley Recycling Centre which now recycles a host of things! - 01453 860 744 Open every day (not Christmas Day!) 8am-4.45pm (GMT) 8AM-7.45PM (BST). More information on Gloucestershire County Council website. Driving directions

Tip 37: Donate unwanted items to the Furniture Recycling Project 01452 331 333 Warehouse 5, West Quay, Gloucester, Gloucestershire GL1 2EH Driving directions

Tip 38: Garden waste - get rid of it this way!

Tip 39: www.recycleforgloucestershire.com/where_you_live/gloucester/index.html

RECYCLE FOR GLOUCESTERSHIRE

Tip 40: Cut down on the shopping trips - make each one count!

Tip 41: Grow your own veg! Sprout your own seeds on a window sill even! (a jar will do!) http://www.bioforceshop.co.uk/products/biosnacky_germinator_large Delicious when stir-fried or raw in salads!

Tip 42: Think carefully before buying any products - do your really need it/them? Are they value for money? Do they need all that wrapping?

Tip 43: Buy locally produced food if possible - look out for the Leonard Stanley Community Enterprise Group as it develops. Its aim is to to do just that and you could be a part of it.

Tip 44: Drive more economically, ease off the accelerator & save fuel, money & tempers - discourage young drivers in your family from speeding/regarding their cars as grown up toys - they are for getting from A-B!

Tip 45: Correctly inflated tyres can save you 5% on the cost of your fuel!

Tip 46: Leave excess packaging at the supermarket for them to deal with!

Tip 47: Use terry cotton nappies, not disposables - they are much more sophisticated now & you can always use a nappy cleaning service if you can't face buckets.

Tip 48: RECYCLE YOUR OLD MOBILE! - The Woodland Trust receives £2.50 every time a mobile is returned via their freepost envelope scheme: For an envelope call 020 8274 4040 quoting ref "Woodland Trust" or email wt@greenersolutions.com Find out LOTS more about the Trust, a very "green" organisation which is all about trees on www.woodland-trust.org.uk

Tip 49: Renovating the house? Insulate everything possible & invest in the most efficient, least wasteful products of everything from the bathroom sink, the loo, flooring, lighting, cooking, heating, washing, drying. Do you really need a patio heater to heat the great outdoors? Could you use a dehumidifier in the utility to dry hanging washing instead of using the tumbler dryer all the time? Dehumidifiers also keep your house (and you) healthier by removing steam from cooking food, washing drying on radiators which would otherwise be trapped in your house which could lead to unwanted damp patches & bug-happy atomospheres.

Tip 50: Don't waste food - don't buy more perishable food than you need , then throw it away un-used - keep track of what you do use and eat & stick to that.

Tip 51: Don't eat junk food - no-one is too busy to make soup - soup is cheap, quick, very nutritious and satisfying to make. An onion, a carrot, bits of celery, parsnip, apple, potato and whatever else you fancy is a good start. Fry the onion in butter/oil, add chopped veg & fry a bit more until soft. If it catches, add a small amount of water. Add more water later & cook for a short while, then liquidize to obtain the consistency of soup YOU like. For creamy soup use some milk, cheese or cream after liquidizing. Do not sneer at left-overs as they too make excellent soups - or bubble and squeak!

The point about this tip is that you do not need to waste anything - even outer cabbage leaves can be chopped up & stir-fried into a soup - and broccoli stalks are the tastiest part, so cut them up and use them too!

Tip 52: Furniture Recycling: www.frpglos.fsnet.co.uk 01452 318 978

www.climatecrisis.net The official website of the Al Gore film documentary AN INCONVENIENT TRUTH

If you're thinking of going carbon neutral or heading that way why not visit Ashton Hayes near Chester (population 1000) on www.goingcarbonneutral.co.uk and look for the 15 minute video they produced on their efforts.