2. FARNHAM SWIMMING CLUB Red and Black Turning Green 1. Drink tap water not bottled. Drink tap water, not bottled and save money as well as helping the planet. If you don't like the taste use a filter. UK tap water is more tested and regulated than most bottled waters. The industry uses around 2.7 million tonnes of plastic in packaging not to mention the transport cost in fossil fuel. Even the plastic that is recycled has a transport overhead. So next time you want water - turn on the tap. 2. Buy Fair Trade Products Buy Fair Trade where possible. It directly benefits producers and their families ensuring they can meet their needs for food, health, housing and education. Look out for coffee, tea, chocolate, bananas, rice, pasta, honey and many more delicious foods. 3. Unplug your telephone charger By unplugging your telephone charger once your battery is fully charged, you will save energy and money. 4. Decide what you want before you open the fridge. When you open the fridge door up to 30 per cent of the cooled air escapes. Have it open for the minimum time possible. Save energy and money. 5. Replace kitchen towels with a sponge or cloth. Reduce the volume of waste by using re-usable rather than disposable items. Buy cloths instead of paper towels that you can rinse or wash and re-use. Saves money too. 6. Refuse plastic bags - take your own cloth bags Plastic bags take years to break down in landfill. Re-use the ones you have or better still buy long lasting cloth bags and re-use them time and time again. 7. Wash your clothes at 40 degrees or less. A 40 degree wash cycle uses 3 times less electricity than a 90 degree wash. 8. Buy locally produced products. Buy products that are locally produced to save on transport, create local jobs and encourage local business. Think of the pollution and waste of resources that come from buying goods from far away. 9. Don't leave appliances on standby Before you go to bed, switch off appliances at the wall - remember the kitchen as well as the lounge. If everyone switched off we'd save up to £1 billion of electricity in Britain 10. When filling the kettle put in only what you need. Boil only the amount of water you need each time you use the kettle saving energy, time and money.

3. 11. Eat fruit and vegetables in season Fruit and vegetables that are in season are healthier, taste better and their cultivation has minimum impact on the environment - especially if you buy locally. Try ordering some organic vegetable boxes from a local farm and may be try something new! 12. Buy products with the least packaging When choosing between products, buy the one with the least packaging and with packaging that can be recycled. And then ensure you recycle it. 13. When your lightbulb needs changing, use energy saving bulbs Next time a light bulb needs changing, replace it with an energy saving light bulb. It will use 20% of the electricity of a normal one and last up to 12 times longer. Saves money and energy and the hassle of changing bulbs so often! 14. When cooking - think about how many pots and pans you use When you cook a big meal using lots of pans and dishes means more dishwasher runs and/or washing up water. Save time, energy and money using one pot recipes. 15. Don't run water when brushing teeth or washing hands Save water by turning the tap off whilst brushing your teeth and only using what is necessary. The same goes for washing hands or dishes. 16. Support a 'green' campaign Lend your support to a green campaign. Green England are currently asking for support in a petition to the Government to introduce a 10p tax on plastic bags and for the money to go to environmental projects. For more information see the petition 17. Always buy recycled toilet paper. Anything other than recycled paper is not necessary for toilet paper. It is often cheaper than the main brands. Plus if you buy recyled paper it increases the market and thus further encourages recycling. 18. Always carry a bag with you in case you buy something. Don't get caught short! Take a fold up shopping bag - even a plastic bag that you can re-use - out with you so you never have to accept a new plastic bag when you purchase an item. And sign our petition 19. Use your local library - its free Get books from your local library. Save paper and money. Order new books to borrow for a fraction of what they would cost to buy. And borrow DVDs and CDs too. 20. Use Bicarbonate of Soda to clean your sink, bath and oven. Sprinkle some bicarbonate of soda on and clean with a damp cloth then rinse away excess for sparkling sinks, baths and hobs. Much more environmentally friendly than most cleaning products and cheap to buy too. FARNHAM SWIMMING CLUB Red and Black Turning Green

4. 21. Always cover your pans with lids when cooking. Keeping the lid on you pans whilst cooking saves energy allowing you to turn the plate or gas ring right down. Keeps your bills down too. 22. Don't use the car to go a short distance. If you are just going out to the local shop or nearby friend, walk the distance. If cold or wet dress accordingly. Enjoy the walk and the weather - get exercise and save money and fuel. 23. Steam your vegetables over boiling vegetables. Get a steamer with 2 tiers. Boil your organic potatoes in the bottom one and steam your organic veg at the same time. Save energy and have nutritious vegetables. 24. Turn off the oven 10 minutes before the food is cooked. Turning off the oven 10 minutes before the end of the required cooking time and the oven will retain enough heat to finish the cooking. Ovens are so well insulated that they retain the heat often beyond this 10 minutes. Save energy and money. 25. Try your local charity shop. Next time you need some new clothes - try the charity shops. You may be surprised at what you find there. Clothes that may have been thrown away available for re-use at a fraction of their original cost and you are contributing to a good cause at the same time. Reduce, re-use, recycle. 26. Buy one eco-friendly cleaning product in your next shop. Next time you go shopping buy an eco-friendly cleaning product instead of your normal purchase. See blog and website for ideas. 27. Avoid the use of disposable razors. Buy a traditional razor where you only have to replace the blade so you are not wasting all that plastic each time you need a new blade. 28. Use Freecycle for unwanted household items Don't go to the dump! Advertise for free any unwanted items that you are not going to sell on Freecycle. Someone may want your furniture, computer equipment, phone etc. And you never know what you might find in return... 29. Defrost food before cooking. Cooking food from frozen can use twice the electricity than cooking defrosted food. If you do this regularly you can significantly reduce both the the energy used and the cost of running your oven. 30. Think about car-sharing every time you travel. If you are going to an event, meeting or social gathering and you know others who are going too, offer to give a lift, or ask for a lift and share fuel costs. Every time you travel, consider if you could car share. FARNHAM SWIMMING CLUB Red and Black Turning Green

5. 31. Buy some organic vegetables. Its the Soil Association's Organic fortnight(1-16 September). Organic vegetables are usually higher in vitamins and minerals, grown without the use of pesticides and if you buy locally much lower in transport costs. And they taste great! 32. Avoid cafes and fast food outlets using disposable cutlery and plates. When eating out, try not to use outlets that supply the food with throw away plates, cartons and cutlery, being wasteful of energy and resources. 33. Don't buy products packaged in individual portions. Many products now come in individual portions increasing packaging. Wherever possible, buy in bulk and split up at home in containers you use over and over again. 34. Try out Soapnuts for your laundry. Soapnuts grow on trees, contain a natural detergent and cuts your laundry costs by at least a third. Environmentally friendly, sustainably produced, bio-degradable and compostable. Search our website for suppliers. 35. Buy recycled paper at all times. It takes far less energy to produce recycled paper than from virgin pulp and reduces paper ending up in landfill. Always buy recycled - ideally unbleached. If your local supplier doesn't stock it ask why. Find suppliers on the Green England website. 36. Choose organic cotton when buying new. When buying cotton, choose organic. The cotton industry uses around 25% of the world's pesticides and insecticides. 37. Buy organic and local fruit and vegetables. Harvest time and with much UK fruit and vegetables in season, this is a great time of year to buy organic and local. Choose from plums, tomatoes, apples, pears, sweetcorn, damsons, blackberries, beetroot, courgettes to name a few. 38. On buying takeaway food. Ask at your local takeaway if you can supply your own containers to take the food home in. 39. Consider buying a wormery or a compost bin. Dispose of your vegetable and biodegradeable waste by investing in a wormery or compost bin. If you recycle all your paper, glass, cardboard, plastic and tins and compost your biodegradeable waste there will be little left to go landfill. 40. Put foil pasted onto board behind your radiators. Putting foil behind the radiators will help to reflect the heat back into the room allowing you to turn the dial down a little. FARNHAM SWIMMING CLUB Red and Black Turning Green

6. 41. Stuck for how to cook your veg from your veg box? If you are not sure how to cook the veg in your box or not even sure what it and item is then have a look at the recipes on this site www.vegbox-recipes.co.ukwww.vegbox-recipes.co.uk 42. Use the Washing Machine or Dishwasher only when full..Switch the on button only when the Dishwasher or Washing machine is full. Save energy, water and money. 43. Before deciding on a new electrical item - check its energy consumption. When choosing which make and model to buy of an electrical item whether washing machine or computer, fridge or photocopier, check out its electricity consumption at http://directgov.org. 44. Do your dusting with a damp duster For all your dusting needs take an ordinary duster, soak in approx 2 tablespoons of warm water and use for all your dusting needs. Collects the dust up rather than spreading into the air. For glass and tiles add 2 tablespoons of white vinegar in addition. You can also add your favourite essential oil or lemon juice for fragrance. Tip contributed by Chris Hayward of Stop for Breath - seller of soapnuts. 45. To clean blocked drains - don't use toxic chemicals. Pour about 10 tablespoons of bicarbonate of soda down the sink, followed by 100ml white vinegar. The reaction between these two substances will get rid of the blockage. Rinse with boiling water. 46. Eat a British Apple. Its been a great year for British apples and they are in season during the Autumn. So buy British apples, as local to you as possible, rather than the familiar varieties from far flung lands. Support local growers and reduce food miles. 47. Do not throw away your old spectacles. When you get a new pair of glasses, don't ditch your old ones. Ask your opticians if they take part in collection schemes or give them to a charity such as Vision Aid Overseas. 48. When buying new clothes, give the same consideration as you would food. When buying new clothes, look at where they have been made, how far they have travelled and what they are made from. 49. Don't use a hairdryer - let your hair dry naturally. Hairdryers use a lot of electricity. Give yourself time to let your hair dry naturally. Save energy, money, the environment and so much better for your hair. 50. Reduce food waste - plan your shopping. To reduce food wastage plan your menus and write a list in advance of shopping. WRAP has reported that we waste as much as one third of the food we buy. FARNHAM SWIMMING CLUB Red and Black Turning Green

7. 51. Use Green Oil next time you need to oil your bicycle. Use Green Oil.Green oil for your bicycle. Good for your bike and the environment. Green Oil is created from naturally occurring oils and plant extracts produce the same qualities you would expect from a quality chain lubricant. 52. Decorate your house with eco-friendly paints. Next time you want to redecorate, look at eco-friendly paints - an alternative to solvent based paints. These paints are also great for those who suffer from allergies, young children and people who dislike the smell of traditional paints. See Eco-Decorator for more information. 53. Go Large! When buying consumable items, consider buying the largest size possible to get the best ratio of product to packaging. It usually works out more economical too. 54. Use a slow cooker. Use a slow cooker for your meals - energy efficient and you can cook a whole meal in one pot. 55. As Christmas approaches. Prepare not to send Christmas cards. Use email, telephone, meet people and greet them. Plant a tree, give to charity instead. But if you need to send a few cards, buy recycled cards and/or charity cards. 56. Save energy when you have a party! When you have a houseful of guests, you can probably turn the heating down or off, and anyway, all that partying and food will keep you warm! For more energy saving tips UK Energy Saving UK_Energy_Saving 57. As Christmas approaches......get creative! At Christmas we use enough wrapping paper to more than cover Guernsey. As Christmas approaches save wrapping from parcels, newspapers, magazines and other materials that could be used for wrapping presents. Be creative in your present wrapping! 58. Stuck for Christmas Present ideas? Giving tickets to events, shows or the cinema ensures no packaging or wasted resources - maybe throw in a train ticket as well! 59. Fairy Lights and candles. Pretty as they are when you are there, remember to turn the fairy lights off when you leave and at night. And try fairy lights and candles without the main light for romantic cosy nights in! 60. Recycle your Christmas Cards Recycle your Christmas cards by keeping them to make tags or cards for next year or to use as decorations on presents wrapped in newspaper. Or take them to Tesco, WHSmith, TKmaxx or M&S to be recycled for the Woodland Trust Scheme FARNHAM SWIMMING CLUB Red and Black Turning Green

8. Getting Swimmers into Work Case Study 61. Dry cleaning Dry cleaning solvents are potentially poisonous. Do not buy dry clean only clothes. If you have to dry clean try a more eco friendly method - see Green Earth and find your nearest branch. 62. As Fairtrade Fortnight begins. Look out for Fairtrade cotton when buying your summer T-Shirts. Some high street stores now stock them or look online at Green England. 63. Cook in bulk - avoid packaged Ready Meals. When you are cooking meals with fresh ingredients, cook twice the quantity and freeze the extra. You will have home cooked meals to heat up for busy days with no time to cook. Avoids over packaged, over processed and over transported supermarket ready meals. 64. Stop wasting water waiting for your shower to heat up. If you run water whilst waiting for your shower to heat up, collect the water in a bucket and use it to flush the toilet or water plants. You will surprised at how much you will save from going down the drain. This tip was submitted by - UK Energy Saving - advice and tips on UK Energy Saving in your home and business. 65. Remember your bags every time you go shopping. To prevent leaving your bags behind when you go shopping; get into the habit of leaving them next to your car keys. Tip suggested by Lets Be Greener 66. Charge your mobile phone during the day, not overnight. Most mobile phones only take a couple of hours to charge. A plugged in charger continues to use energy even when the phone is charged so should not be plugged in longer than necessary. 67. Get some help to start your Organic Gardening. If you are unsure of how to start your own organic garden or allotment, why not find somebody who would also be interested? You will make the most of your organic gardening adventure when you find someone to share work and the rewards – plus, helping each other out means you can go on holiday without worrying about your seeds and you can share tips and tricks to make a success of it! Tip submitted by Baby's Best 68. Boil an Egg the low energy way. Next time you boil an egg, turn the heat off just after the water is boiling and give it just a few seconds longer than you normally would. A perfectly boiled egg using 3-4 minutes less energy! 69. When considering buying a new piece of furniture. Don't buy new furniture until you have checked out antique stores (not always expensive), second-hand stores or companies making furniture from reclaimed wood. 70. When choosing which fish to eat. If you want to check that the fish you eat comes from well managed sources and caught with minimum danger to wildlife. 71. Recycle your CDs and DVDs. If you have unwanted CDs and DVDs that are no good for the charity shop, send them to Polymer Recycling for them to be recycled. 72. Don't get Lost! Plan your journey carefully before you go somewhere new in the car, checking the shortest routes and taking directions. Ensures minimum petrol use - saving CO2 emmissions, time, money..... and arguments!

9. 73. Stop junk mail coming through your letterbox. Around half a million tonnes of junk mail is generated annually in the UK. To reduce the junk mail you receive join the Mailing Preference Service 74. Use Solar power for those summer evenings. There is a fabulous range of solar powered lanterns and water features available for you to enjoy in your garden in the summer months. See Green England Garden Section for products and suppliers. 75. Where possible use non electrical products For example use an old fashioned wind-up alarm clock. No problem if there is a power cut. Or try a water powered clock. 76. Support British Cherry Day 95% of cherries we buy are imported. Support CherryAid as they campaign for an increase in British Cherries. Plant a tree, visit an orchard, learn about cherries and help to save the British cherry. See the CherryAid website 77. Make the most of battery power. It is possible to prolong the life of batteries by using them in less demanding appliances than the one they are no longer useful for. For example, a battery which can no longer supply enough current to power a mechanical toy or other device, could be put to use in an electric clock. Most electric clocks will keep accurate time with such 'second-hand' batteries. This tip sent in by a Green England reader. 78. When shopping in the supermarket buy loose fruit and veg. Avoid packaged fruit and veg and don't put it in the shop's individual plastic bags. Bring your own small re-useable bags or just carry them loose in a box or basket. If they need pre-weighing to take to the till stick the sticker on the side of the box. 79. Don't throw away your old toothbrush. Old tooth-brushes are excellent for cleaning bicycles (getting between the spokes and gears). They are also very good at removing mud (or more unsavoury substances) from the sole of ones shoes. Tip submitted by eco warrior Paul W - Thank you 80. As the cold weather approaches. Take advantage of the wonderful autumn veg and make homemade soup from locally grown produce. So much tastier than tinned and far reduced carbon footprint. Make in bulk to freeze or share. Potato and leek, carrot and onion, spicy parsnip. FARNHAM SWIMMING CLUB Red and Black Turning Green