• Start a compost heap
  
• Don't buy peat (or plants grown in peat), which is irreplaceable. Buy alternatives
  
• Choose independently certified organic fertilisers
  
• Avoid pesticides - try biological pest control
  
• Encourage wildlife in your garden - put up nest boxes for birds, build a pond, and plant a wide range of flowers
  
• Many bulbs are uprooted from the wild. Buy bulbs only from cultivated stock
  
• Install a water-butt to collect rainwater for your garden
  
  

in the home ...

Newspapers, bottles, and cans can all be recycled

• Re-use or mend things to cut down on the amount of waste you produce. Recycle bottles, tins, newspapers, and carrier bags. If you don’t want it, somebody else might, so have a clear-out and take your toys, books, and clothes to an Oxfam shop or a collection bank
  
• Switch off lights and other electrical items when they are not in use
  
• Use draught strips on doors and windows and make sure you have at least six inches (15cm) of loft insulation
  
• Lag your hot water tank and install cavity wall insulation
  
• Only buy electrical appliances that you really need. If you have to buy one, make sure it's the most energy-efficient one available
  
• Use low-energy light bulbs. If every household in Britain fitted just one, enough energy could be saved to close down a power station. They are more expensive to buy but they last eight times longer than traditional bulbs and cost less to run

More on recycling

Printable version of environment section