Ilmington 20:20 Vision

Instead of supermarket shower spray try clear, distilled vinegar, diluted 50/50 with water, to spray the shower cubicle after every use. Then rinse it off. The vinegar keeps the mould at bay!

Rake up leaves but leave a few piles for insects etc. to overwinter

Use short cycles for washing clothes: Modern washing machines have an “Eco Wash” option you should take full advantage of.

Put an old carrier bag in your pocket when out walking and collect any rubbish along the verges and paths. (Maybe take some hand sanitizer for when you've finished collecting)

Save water; don’t wash the dishes! A dishwasher is more efficient if it’s full and loaded correctly!

Buy a reusable coffee cup; very few coffee cups are recycled because of a thin layer of plastic inside.

Producing a portion of beef emits 330 grams of carbon. Fish 40 grams. Vegetables only 14!

Reduce your floral air miles by finding your local supplier through flowersonthefarm.co.uk, a cooperative of local growers.

Mother-in-laws tongue produces a lot of oxygen at night. Good for the bedroom.

David Attenborough says: SAY NO TO PLASTIC - “Globally we currently produce 20,000 plastic bottles per second. There’s now a growing awareness of the kind of damage it can do.”

Recycling do’s - Leave the lid on a plastic bottle. Plastic caps can be too small to make it through alone.

David Attenborough says: STOP WASTE - “Stop waste of any kind,” pleads Attenborough. “Stop wasting power, stop wasting food, stop wasting plastic. Don’t waste, this is a precious world.”

Shoppers at Tesco’s Stratford upon Avon store will now be able to bring back any soft plastic packaging for recycling. Eg. Crisp packets, cling film, bread bags, fruit and veg bags, sweet wrappers.

In the Autumn collect leaves and make your own leaf mould, perfect to use as a mulch or soil improver. Collect up leaves, if possible mow them over (if you can’t do that, they will just take a little longer to decompose]. Either bring them together and leave in a pile, uncovered or place in black plastic bags(used ones would be fine), water the leaves, close bag and then puncture holes in the bag with a fork. Pile the bags up and leave for a year or 2, beautiful leaf mould will follow.

Remember be green and use brown wrapping paper.

As well as burning fossil fuels, car exhausts are highly toxic so switch of engines.

Use a watering can instead of a hose when watering the garden

Cover pans when cooking: this reduces the amount of energy that escapes from open pans.

Line-dry or use a drying rack to dry your laundry - Tumble driers use large amounts of electricity.

If you eat meat, reduce the number of meals containing meat you eat each week.

Try and defrost things in your fridge. Your fridge won’t need to work as hard.

Buy only what you will use

Buy products with less packaging

Up cycle items

When dry cleaning, seek out a non-toxic professional dry cleaner or green cleaner in your area

Don’t waste food

Try to cut out plastic – bring a canvas bag with you when you go shopping, buy your fruit and veg loose and stop buying bottled water.

Fix it, don’t throw it

If you can make the journey by foot, bike or public transport, then do it.

Donate used goods; so many charity shops locally, wanting your clothes

Drink Tap Water. Tap water is perfectly safe to drink in many parts of the world. Stop buying all those water bottles

Plan your errands. Work out what needs to be done and plan to do all your errands in one day using the most efficient route

Buy a plastic free toothbrush. Bamboo
toothbrushes are all the rage!

Use a quick wash cycle. As well as using cold water (30º or less) use one of the shorter cycles.

Take shorter showers.

Stop buying so much stuff that you really don’t need!

Skip the dryer whenever possible. That clean fresh air smell is unbeatable! (Or for those wet days, have an old fashioned Sheila Maid installed where the clothes are hung up out of the way.)

Cover pans when cooking: Whenever you cook on the hob, always try to cover the pans – this reduces the amount of energy that escapes from open pans, plus the amount of time it takes to heat up food and boil water.

Always look for sustainable, fair-trade, environmentally-friendly food, as this helps the economy.

Books, CDs, DVDs, and more can be borrowed from libraries and friends. You can cut down on packaging and shipping by simply renting or borrowing something, and you can return the favour to your friends to get some proper social interaction going.

Recycle plastic yogurt pots and fruit containers for growing on seedlings or make planting tubes out of newspaper.

How did we store our food in the past before clingfilm? Bee-waxed food-wraps are sold in our shop.

Degradable does not mean bio degradable, everything degrades eventually!

Honeybees only fly to one type of flower when foraging. Plant in large clumps.

David Attenborough says: TAKE A WALK IN THE WILD - “There is no wi-fi in the forest but I promise you will find a better connection. It is the greatest source of so much in life that makes life worth living.”

David Attenborough says: RECONSIDER TRAVEL - “Dealing with global warming means that we have to stop waste, and if you travel for no reason whatsoever, that is a waste.

David Attenborough says: ON YOUR BIKE - “If I can bicycle, I bicycle,” says Attenborough. He doesn’t own a car and has never passed his driving test.

Recycling dont’s - Don’t throw away pots and tubs with the film still on. It can’t be recycled.

Recycle your small bottle tops by bagging up and sending to LUSH the soap company. And its free! FREEPOST LUSH GREEN HUB

Most flying is for tourism. We can’t always avoid flying but we need to fly much less.

Buying fewer clothes is a good idea.

Forget the car; take the bus! We have a daily service to Stratford, Shipston and Moreton in Marsh.

Think, is your journey necessary? Can you combine it with another later?

Wash your clothes at low temperatures: Much of the energy used is on heating the water

Use short cycles for washing clothes: washing machines often have an “Eco Wash” option you should use.

If you eat fish, choose sustainably-sourced species and fishing methods.

Avoid bottled water. Use your own flask and tap water.

Buy secondhand where possible

Avoid disposable products

Invest in a clothes line

Use a microwave to save energy. They can use around 50% less energy than conventional ovens.

Waste not, want not. Did you know that 9.5 million tonnes of food is wasted in the UK every year?

Shop at our Eco Weigh, Pop up Stall where you can bring your own container for things like nuts, plus get refills for soap, shampoo, etc.

Repairing or fixing something is more environmentally friendly than throwing it away

Don’t fly; just flying from Bristol to Edinburgh produces 0.15 metric tons of carbon!

Use your microwave

Switch to reusable nappies. It’s important to be aware that reusable nappies are only more environmentally friendly if they are washed with a full load,

Always carry cloth shopping bags and refuse plastic bags at shops.

Stop unsolicited mail – stopping all those leaflets and menus coming through your door saves paper (and your sanity).

Collect rainwater to water your plants.

Use shampoo bars. Shampoo bars are a great way to reduce the amount of plastic packaging

Check that Christmas house plants are in peat free compost - peat bogs are great carbon sinks and need saving

Unplug your charger when your phone, laptop or tablet is fully charged: Similarly, when your phone is fully charged, unplug the charger to conserve power.

Charity shops provide a way to recycle any unwanted items, find second-hand stuff and, importantly, supports the charitable cause of your choice.

Keep feeding the birds particularly in cold weather. They will reward you with song in the Spring.

Choose veg without packaging: let’s show the supermarkets that there is no need for all the plastic wrapping.

Go paperless! You can receive all your bills and letters by email. And remember: don’t print off documents unless it’s absolutely vital. Help the process by recycling any paper and card you no longer need.

Use the village bus service when possible.

David Attenborough says: RELEASE THE SPIDER - “Thank you to all those who catch and release spiders found in your home”. Spiders help maintain balance in the environment. Killing a spider means interrupting the natural food chain.

David Attenborough says: WORK FROM HOME - Sir David hopes working from home becomes permanent after the coronavirus pandemic, which could mitigate climate change.

Use the cardboard roll from finished loo rolls to store those tangled cables. Simply fold a cable neatly and push through the roll. Bingo!

Recycling dont’s - Don’t recycle Pyrex dishes as they are heat treated and don’t melt at the same temperature as glass.

David Attenborough says: PLANT A TREE - “Trees provide a home, shelter and food for wildlife, they also benefit us all. Planting a tree is one of the most positive actions we can all do.”

Visit the Loop Reuse Station at Stratford’s Tesco store to buy products from leading brands in zero waste refillable packaging.

Don’t buy bottled water; use refill stations.

Severn Trent offer some water saving devices like low flow shower heads and will also subsidise water butts.

Coat oven surfaces in a paste of water and baking soda and let it stand overnight, then scrub off.

Have you got a bus timetable?

Lower your thermostat: Reducing the temperature by even just one degree will reduce the amount of energy and money.

Take short showers: don’t waste hot water by spending too long in the shower.

Try and avoid fish contaminated with mercury - See Natural Resource Defence Council’s (NRDC) guide

Buy cleaning products, shipped in minimal packaging, to refill their own reusable bottles from www.splosh.com

Don’t invest in idle equipment

Use and reuse any bags. Think before you shop.

Use cold water when washing. It can save up to 80% of the energy required

Give waste free gifts - e.g. tickets to an event, gift certificates, donations to charity.

Recycle everything

Insulate your home

Use eco-friendly cleaning products

Switch to green cleaning routines. Everyday items such as baking soda, lemon juice, olive oil and white vinegar can be used as all-purpose cleaners

Energy efficient microwaves, quick and clean to use, not just for micro ready meals!

Drive at the speed limit. Boring? Yes. But it’s also safer, cheaper and better for the environment.

Buy a reusable water bottle.

Go paperless. Pay your bills online.

Reuse scrap paper.

Cook in bulk. Cooking in bulk then freezing the excess can reduce your food waste.

Window cleaning. Don't buy expensive glass cleaner simply fill a bowl with warm water, squirt in washing up liquid. Apply to window. Scrunch up newspaper into a ball and rub over the glass. Smear free cleaning!

Boil only as much water as you require: Tea and coffee drinkers can help here! Be careful with those kettles.

Keep the heat inside - In the winter, don't drain your sink / cook pots of hot water until they've gone cold

If you haven’t got time to make cleaning products, you can make the switch to environmentally-friendly options instead such as Ecover that are biodegradable. Our local shop sells Ecover products.

Replace teabags with loose tea; most teabags contain a film of plastic that will not degrade in our compost. Loose tea tastes better as well!

Planning your meals ahead can make a big difference to not wasting food

Put solar panels on your roof.

David Attenborough says: REDUCE MEAT CONSUMPTION - He limits his consumption of red meat and seafood for the health of the planet.

Peace lilies and ferns love high humidity so are especially good in bathrooms.

Recycling do’s - Always check your council's recycling policy. Even if something looks recyclable, it may not be in your area.

Recycling do’s - Try to remove sticky tape from cardboard boxes. It can’t be recycled.

Recycling dont’s - Don’t put corks in your recycling although they can be used sometimes for compost.

Talk about our climate problems to friends. See if you can contribute something together.

Eat mainly seasonal fruit and vegetables.

Only use peat free compost.

Dont pollute the air needlessly. Share car journeys.

Sharing is caring. Ask if anyone wants a lift with you.

Unplug your charger and phone when they are fully charged:

Boil only as much water as you require: Tea and coffee drinkers can help here!

Avoid food with unnecessary packaging, as this leads to unnecessary rubbish for your bin.

Always look for sustainable, fair-trade, environmentally-friendly food, as this helps the economy.

Donate used goods

Kick the bottled water habit

Switch to e - billing. Save paper by signing up for e -billing.

Invest in eco-friendly appliances

Before you throw it away, take a minute to find out if you could recycle it instead

Insulating your home is one of the best eco-friendly tips for your home

Consider your transport

Get a smart meter ; helps to save you money by only paying for what you use

Hang your washing out to dry. Using a clothes line or hanging your clothes indoors on an airer is much better for the environment, and your wallet, than using a tumble dryer.

Buy a car that’s only as big as you need. Why buy an SUV if you live alone and only drive around town?

Get yourself a reusable coffee cup.

Do a cold wash instead of a hot one. It still washes your clothes and can use up to 57% less electricity

Keep your car tyres properly inflated.

Stop using bleach to clean your loo. Baking soda and vinegar are a great alternative.