Author: ecoadmin

The fourth Green Tips Advent Calendar window opens to use less water, which can be an easy process. The smallest changes can make a huge difference overtime.

Today’s Green Tip comes via Freddie Harris from Wellie Wombles:

‘When washing the dishes and running the hot tap into water.
Fill a jug first until runs hot. Use the water for your next brew’

Now there’s an idea and simple to do! Here are some other useful tips for saving water from Water UK:

• Using a lid on a saucepan cuts down the amount of water lost in steam, so you needn’t use as much. Plus, your food will cook quicker!
• Try washing dark clothes in a colder wash. This saves both water and energy – and it will help keep your clothes their colour.
• Don’t over-do it! Only boiling the water needed in kettles could save the UK more than £1 million a week.
• Fill it up! If you have a dishwasher, try to fill it up before putting it on – wasted space is wasted water. Most dishwashers have efficiency modes, use yours if you can!
• Use a bucket of water, or a trigger-release hose to improve water efficiency when you’re washing your car.
• Watering your garden in the morning or evening, when temperatures are low, can reduce evaporation levels considerably.
• Can’t be convinced by a shower? By running your bath just one inch shallower, you can save around 5 litres of water.
• Put a large bottle or jug into the fridge to ensure cold water is available instantly. Waiting for taps to run cold can waste more than 10 litres every day.
• Reuse is a great way to save both water and money. If you wash up in a bowl, you can use the water for houseplants.

Did you know that around 25% of your energy bill comes from heating water? So using less water can help cut down on fuel bills too! Here are some more Green Tips for using less water, this time from Friends of the Earth:

• Save 6 litres of water a minute by turning off your tap while you brush your teeth.
• Every minute you spend in a power shower uses up to 17 litres of water . Set a timer to keep your showers short, sweet and water-saving.
• Washing a full machine load of clothes uses less water and energy than 2 half-loads . This means lower bills as well as saving water.
• Installing water butts saves up to 5,000 litres of water a year . And your plants will thank you for rainwater rather than treated tap water.
• The average UK household uses about 30% of all water used to flush the toilet . Modern dual-flush systems save huge amounts of water. They use just 6 litres – or 4 with a reduced flush – much less than the 13 litres for each old-style single flush.
• Got a dishwasher? Fill it up completely each time you run it and you’ll use less water than you would doing the dishes by hand. Yes, even if you’re using a washing-up bowl.
• Steam your food to cut water usage and retain more of the natural nutrients.
• If you do boil, try using the leftover water as a tasty stock for soups. Or let it cool and use it to water plants.

Thank you Freddie for your Green Tip! Please send us your green tips and we will add your tip to our Advent Calendar. Email info@wellingboroughecogroup.org.uk, message us via messenger, or call/text/WhatsApp 07311 705705.

There are many reasons to buy second-hand items, including:

– Cost savings: Second-hand items can be just as good as new but at a fraction of the price.
– Unique items: Second-hand stores offer a wide selection of items, including one-of-a-kind vintage pieces or little-known brands.
– Support local communities: Many second-hand stores are small, locally-owned businesses that contribute to the local economy.
– Sustainability: Buying second-hand helps keep clothes out of landfills and reduces harmful emissions.
– Express individuality: Second-hand clothing can be mixed and matched to create a unique style.
– Rediscover trends: Second-hand shopping can help you explore fashion trends from different eras.
– Support a good cause: Buying second-hand can help raise money for worthwhile causes.

In Wellingborough we have lots of great places to buy anything from pre-loved toys and entertainment, to antique furniture and vintage clothes, here are some of them:

Ace Reuse, Recycling Centre, 63 Park Rd

YMCA Shop, 260 Northampton Rd

RSPCA Retro Rooms & Boutique, 1 Silver St

British Heart Foundation, 9 Market St

The Salvation Army, 28A Market St

CeX, Unit 9, Swansgate Shopping Centre

Old & Quirky Antique Shop, 22 Silver St

Mercy in Action, 5 Grafton Cl

The Air Ambulance Charity Discount Store, 15 Market St

YMCA Wellingborough Charity Shop 54-55 Cheese Lane

Barnardo’s, 106 Gold St

Daylight Shop, 2 Cambridge St

British Red Cross shop, 25 Silver St

Wilfords Auctioneers, 74-76 Midland Rd

Wellingborough Eco Group also has Wellingborough Swap Shop at ECO HUB, Glamis Hall, where you can bring in your items you no longer need to swap them for items you want. Everything is also available for a small donation to the group and it now includes a school uniform bank and a new toy section for the children too.

Start saving money and reducing your impact on the environment, there are so many benefits to shopping second hand. You’ll be taking a stand against the damaging impact of fast fashion, while hunting down unique treasures that show off your distinctive personal style. Do visit your local vintage, antique, recycling, swap and charity shops or auctioneers, and choose a fairer way to shop.

Today’s Green Tips Advent Calendar Window opens to Grow Your Own. Growing your own vegetables isn’t just a good way to save money, it’s also a great way to cut down your carbon footprint and be environmentally friendly. Plus you will know where your food has come from and it tastes better!

Don’t have any outside space?

Windowsill boxes are a great way to brighten up your view, filter the air coming into your home and offer plenty of space for herbs and small vegetable patches.

Grow together:

Allotments are a great place to grow vegetables, plus there’s the benefit of having people around that might be able to give you some tips. We do this together at our Community Allotment, where you can join in for free on most Mondays 10-2. Join our Facebook Group to find out more ( https://www.facebook.com/groups/communityallotment ) or have a look at our website https://wellingboroughecogroup.org.uk/eco/community-allotment/

For beginners:

In partnership with Wellingborough Community Action Partnership and Glamis Hall, we have two free courses for you in the New Year. How to Grow Fruit and Vegetables, and How to Set Up An Allotment. The latter will be on Saturday 1st February and Saturday 1st March at Ladywell Allotments and we will transform an empty plot into a usable growing space. Tickets available soon at ticketsource.co.uk/glamishall

Need seeds:

There are lots of places to get seeds, but at Northampton Seedy Saturday and at Wellingborough Swap Shop you can swap seeds or get them for pennies. Sharing seeds not only saves you money but also saves on packaging and transportation.

More Green Tips on tomorrow’s Advent Calendar, please do send us yours too!