Alternatives to Clingfilm

 We now rely on clingfilm in the kitchen but there is an environmental price. Plastic film accounts for more than a third of plastic packaging used in the UK, and much of it - including clingfilm - isn't currently recyclable. Here are some alternatives for food storage.

Bee's Wrap. Beeswax means it is easy to stick the edges of these sheets together. After use, wash with washing-up liquid in cool water. They will last for up to a year and are compostable, but are not suitable for raw meat. [£19.99 for a pack of 3, johnlewis.com]

Nature Fresh Clingfilm. Certified home-compostable; it should break down in your compost bin within 12 months. No compost bin? Don't add it to food or garden waste bins as it won't break down at the same rate as food peelings or grass cuttings at the processing facility. So if you can't compost it, use food storage boxes, waxed paper or beeswax wraps.

Stasher Reusable Storage Bags. Versatile silicone bags that can be used in the fridge, freezer, microwave and oven. Clean in dishwasher after use - place them open between the prongs on the top rack. [From £12.99, amazon.co.uk]

Joie Silicone Food Storage Lids. Silicone lids form an airtight seal when placed on bowls and other containers. Available in 3 sizes. Microwave, oven and freezer safe. [£11.99 for  3, lakeland.co.uk]

Source: Item in Good Housekeeping, June 2020.

Refillable Perfumes

The perfume industry is slowly moving to respond to concerns about waste - perfumes tend to be in specially made bottles which are in cardboard boxes, and you buy bottle and box every time. Ok, you can recycle the card, but maybe not the bottle as it may have special finishes. But things are changing.

2019: Lancome: Idole perfume now comes in a bottle that can be refilled at the counter.

2019: The Body Shop will take back empty containers for recycling and are working on their Plastics for Change project.


END

Eco Skin Care and Beauty Products

How to recycle beauty products responsibly

• Good Housekeeping online: How to recycle beauty products.

If you are trying to be responsible about your skin care and beauty products, they can be difficult to find and new ones are now coming on to the market. I'll add to this list as I come across new ones (I'll add the date I come across each item), but I'm not promoting any of them.

Soaps and Cleansers

• Lush: Minimal packaging (from paper, cardboard and potato starch). (2020)
• Faith in Nature: Plastic packaging is 100% recycled and recyclable. Refill stations in independent health food stores. The most popular products come in 5L containers. (2020)
• Soap Co.: Soaps, bath potions and body care made using renewable energy. Employs a largely blind, disabled or otherwise disadvantaged workforce (guide dogs welcomed). Uses bee-friendly botanicals. Packaging is wool, compostable biofilm and non-toxic glue. (2020)
• Soaper Duper: Washes, scrubs and moisturisers. All of the tubs, tubes or bottles can go into recycling bin (no metal spring in the pumps). Company donates to Water Aid. (2020)
• We Are Paradoxx: Favours aluminium packaging which is endlessly recyclable and doesn't release toxins when broken down. Ingredients often locally sourced; formulas multi-purpose and potent so you use less. Donates 1% of profits to For The Planet. (2020)
• Medik8: Skincare products. Glass bottles are 40% recycled (they aim to increase the %). Packaging inserts are recycled card. Buildings run on renewable energy. Medik8's own charity, the Zipper Foundation, donates a minimum of £15,000 to animal welfare each year. (2020)
• Neal's Yard Remedies: Body, face and bath products. Has lobbied against Bee-harming insecticides and microbeads. In 2020 launched Project Frankincense, a tree-planting campaign to protect the endangered Boswellia sacra tree. (2020)
• Byre: An estimated 87,000 tons of whey is wasted every year by the dairy industry. Byre combines powdered whey with other natural ingredients to produce its body washes. A donation from sales goes to the Royal Agricultural Benevolent Institution, which helps farm workers facing difficulties. (2020)
• Dr Craft: Their purple shampoo avoids the use of synthetics pigments by using anthocyanins from blackcurrants skins from food industry waste (e.g. Ribena manufacturing). (2020)
• Plastic Freedom: All beauty and household products are plastic-free. Packaging is cardboard and the company plants a tree for every order received by donating to One Tree Planted. (2020)
• Organic Apoteke: Skincare formulations that are free of emulsifiers. All the packaging is recyclable. (2020) 
• Haekels: Based in Margate, has zero waste aims. The handmade range uses locally harvested marine botanicals. Projects include a bartering day when customers exchanged their own items for products, and upcycling Christmas trees into scented candles. (2020)
• Biossance: Lightweight, hydrating and soothing skincare. All the packaging - except the pumps and bottle interiors - is fully recyclable. (2020)
• Bramley: Ingredients are natural, biodegradeable and grown in the UK. Plastic is made using sugarcane instead of fossil fuel. Glass bottles are available, and 5L bottles to refill from at home. (2020)
• Ren: Skin, body and bath products. Plans to be zero waste by 2021 by making every component of every tube, pot or bottle recyclable, compostable or reuseable. Is working with Terracycle's  new project Loop, which will collect specially made glass bottles from your door, for you to reuse, recycle or refill and return. (2020)
• The Body Shop: Recycling bins in stores are part of the aim to collect and recycle 25% more packaging than it sells. Bottles are 75% recycled plastic (a small quantity of virgin plastic (ideally not from fossil fuels) keeps the bottles going for longer. (2020)

• Face Halo: the Modern Makeup Remover (wipes). Just add water and wipe - no cleanser required. Removes all make-up, including eye make-up. You can machine wash the wipe around 200 times. (2019)
• Simple Kind to Skin Biodegradable Cleansing Wipes. The first mass-market, biodegradable make-up wipes. Made from sustainable wood pulp so will home compost in 42 days, but are still powerful enough to take off waterproof mascara without alcohol or harsh cleansing agents. (2109)

Beauty

• Dr Lipp Tint. Hint-of-a-tint lip balms that are good for everyday moisture and shine. Each has only four ingredients, one of which is a vegetable pigment (e,g, elderberry, sweet potato, radish) to give a natural looking colour. (2019)
• Axiology: Lipsticks and crayons are made from plant-based butters, oils and pigments, in recyclable casings, and packaged in cardboard sleeves made from recycled paper waste in Bali. Other products in development.
• Tropic: Refillable make-up palettes. Double-offsetting carbon emissions helps conservation projects in the Amazon and it funds one day's worth of school education in Cambodia, Nepal and Myanmar for every £50 in sales. (Also has skincare, haircare, bath and bodycare products.) (2020)
• Kevin.Murphy: Haircare brand aims to remove plastic by switching all products to 100% ocean waste plastic. (2020)

Fragrance

• Clean Reserve: A vegan fragrance brand sources ingredients from companies that pay Fairtrade prices and support the environment and local communities. Packaging includes compostable cellophane, water-based inks and sustainably sourced wood. (2020)

Good Housekeeping online: How to recycle beauty products.

Source: Features in Good Housekeeping, February 2019 and April 2020

Eco-Businesses in UK

As big business struggles to adapt to customers wishes for more eco-friendly products, small businesses are starting up. Here's a list.

BuyMeOnce (uk.bymeonce.com)
Founded in January 2016, this is a website that research and sell the longest lasting products "to save time, save money and save the planet". Cover clothing, kitchenware, electricals, leisure, beauty and zero waste.

Urban Green Company (urbangreencompany.co.uk).
Eco-friendly beeswax wraps to replace clingfilm # eco-friendly kitchen sponges # re-usable bamboo fabric pads.

Huski Home (huskihome.co.uk)
Natural grass straws made from bulrush stems (normally a waste product), so they are renewable and compostable.

Lush (uk.lush.com)
Started small with one shop in Poole, now have nearly 1,000 stores in several countries. A range of bath and shampoo products that don't need packaging. They neither test products on animals nor buy ingredients that have been tested on animals. 2020: they are trialing Fresh beauty products (fresh for only a couple of days) in their Paris store.

Sources: in Good Housekeeping, Nov. 2019 and March 2020.

Fabric Types

There are now a multitude of fabrics used for clothing, soft furnishings and upholstery.

Natural Fibres
Made from naturally occurring plant and animal fibres. Environmental consequences are monoculture, crops displacing food crops, over-use of pesticides, and effluents from chemicals used in the manufacturing process.
Cotton  ~~ Wool  ~~  Silk  ~~  Bamboo

Derivatives of Natural Materials
Made from cellulose (which occurs naturally in plants) which undergo a number of chemical processes.
Rayon (including viscose, modal and tencel)

Plastics

Fibres which are made from chemicals, including petrochemicals. It is now known that microscopic threads from these materials are increasingly found in the oceans, where they are ingested by fish and other sea creatures.

Acrylic  ~~  Acetate  ~~  Lycra/Spandex  ~~  Nylon  ~~  Olefin  ~~  Polyester  ~~  Vinyl 

Other fabrics

• Smartweave: a 2 layer fabric that wicks moisture from the skin and enhances evaporation, preventing sweat marks. www.smartweavestore.com
• Peshtemal towels: a thin fabric (originally from Turkey) that dries you well.

Sources: Various internet sites.

Sustainable Fabrics

Brands are now looking at fabrics, packaging, factories and reducing waste going to landfill. While more needs to be done, here are some notes on what is currently happening.

H&M Conscious Exclusive is a premium range that focuses on increasing the options for sustainable clothing. Fabrics include organic silk and cotton, recycled polyester and Pinatex (a natural leather alternative made from cellulose fibres from pineapple leaves).

People Tree is an affordable range of Fairtrade clothing, that feature artisan skills.

Matt&Nat are a vegan accessories brand. Handbag linings are made from 100% recycled bottles and materials such as recycled rubber, cork and cardboard are used in their designs.

Levi's has focused on the large amount of water used in denim manufacturing. Their Water
Lindex make more than half of their garments from sustainable materials, and aim to reach 80% by 2020. The company also supports many charities and WE Women, an initiative that takes action for gender equality inits global supply chain.

Ninety Percent gives 90% of distributed profits to charitable causes. The customer can choose the charity after buying something. The remaining 10% is split between those who make the clothes and shareholders.

Allbirds has developed a wool fabric for footwear. The process uses 60% less energy than  footwear synthetics.

Lark & Berry are a sustainable jewellery company. All its diamonds are made using cultured stones, grown in a lab.

Veja footwear brand, works with small producers in Brazil, with a focus on respecting the environment and human rights, as well as producing trainers in the most ethical way possible. Veja also has a vegan range.

Fabric recycling

Econyl: regenerated nylon composed of used carpets, old fishing nets and fabric scraps.

Evernu: takes old cotton t-shirts and jeans and recycles them into pristine new fibre for cloth. Can also use pre-consumer waste (the scraps on the factory floor) and deadstock (leftovers that brands typically burn or shred).

Frumat: uses apple-waste to make pleather.

SeaCell: produces a seaweed cellulose blended fibre.

Worn Again Technologies developed a patented process that separates, decontaminates and extracts polyester and cellulose (from cotton) from pure and blended fabrics and converts the cellulose into virgin-quality polyester.

What else you can do

• H&M. Drop off unwanted clothing, materials and shoes in store and get a £5 discount off a £25 spend.
• M&S. Put unwanted clothes into one of its Shwop Drops in exchange for store points. Scheme run with Oxfam.
• Other Stories. Collects unwanted clothing and empty containers from its own-brand beauty range to be recycled. You get a 10% off recycling treat voucher valid for three months.
• Zara. Take unwanted clothes to certain stores, which are donated and delivered to British Red Cross.

Source: Feature in Good Housekeeping, April 2019. Fashionopolis: the price of fast fashion and the future of clothes by Dana Thomas, Apollo 2019.

Its Up to Us to Save the Planet

Experts say we all have to act now to push back climate change. Sarah Rodrigues has put together a list of how we can help in a typical day.

Note: I've added in some of my comments as well. And I'm lucky as my town of Bradford-on-Avon (which is now focusing on being plastic free) has Christine's Sustainable Supermarket where I can take along my own containers to get dry goods (muesli, oats, rice, red lentils, seeds, nuts and dried fruits) and liquids (washing up detergent, hand wash, shampoo and conditioner, laundry detergent, toilet cleaner). Buy eggs and they'll be in a re-used egg box, bread goes into a paper bag (one elderly male customer uses the same bag for a month). How is your town doing?

6.30am: Wake up with a wind-up alarm clock.

7.00am: Use packaging-free bars and soap (e.g. Lush) or get refills (e.g. Faith in Nature) or choose products in glass bottles (e.g. Neal's Yard Remedies and Tata Harper). Take a short shower with a low-flow head. Don't run the tap while cleaning teeth. Use recycled toilet paper.

7.30am. Coffee time? Nespresso has a recycling scheme for its pods, while better still others offer compostable pods (Eden Project and Dualit).

8.00am: Avoid fast fashion - shop your wardrobe, swap items with friends, use charity shops and shop local. Some stores have recycling schemes (M&S and H&M).

8.30am: Public transport, car-pooling, running, walking and cycling are the way to get to work. For short distances electric cars are good and there are more charging points around.

11.00am: Keep your mobile phone for longer before upgrading, and when you do recycle the old one (council run sites often now have special containers for electrical items), as they contribute to landfill from incorrect disposal.

1.00pm: Take your own lunch using leftovers, putting items into reusable containers and using washable wax-impregnated cotton squares (e.g. BeeBee Wraps).

4.00pm: Peak time for internet searching, so use search engine Ecosia, which donates at least 80% of its profits to tree-planting projects.

6.00pm: Run, walk and swim instead of using gym machines that use electricity. Wear eco-friendly kit made from bamboo (e.g. BAM Active and Asquith).

7.00pm: Home-cooked is best - cuts out delivery and packaging. Cut back on meat - we don't need large amounts and eggs, beans, lentils, soya are all useful sources of protein. Check your fridge before shopping; use up what's left in soups, casseroles, etc.); don't over-buy; don' throw away items  just because they are out of date - use your eyes and nose to check as they'll often be still good to eat.

9.00pm: Consider the options: staycation in UK rather than going abroad; train travel for some overseas trips. One long-haul trip is better than several short-haul ones (most emissions are at take-off and landing) and the carbon footprint of a business class seat can be three times that of an economy one.

10.00pm: Reading in bed? Use your local library and second-hand shop.

From October, Good Housekeeping subscribers will get their copy in a paper envelope; issues with supplements at news-stands will have a paper 'belly-band'; issues with heavy supplements will move to a recyclable plastic wrapper.

Source: Your daily guide to saving the planet by Sarah Rodrigues in Good Housekeeping, September 2019

Good Buys to Avoid Waste

In 2018, two sisters challenged each other to see which of them could reduce their waste the most. Here are the ways they found useful.

• Mesh grocery bags for fruit and veg (but berries are usually in plastic containers).
• Swap hand wash and shower gel in bottles for soap bars.
• Stainless steel straws.
• Ditch clingfilm and use re-usable beeswax wrap (made from cotton coated in beeswax and oil) to cover leftovers.
• Switch to loose leaf tea (most tea bags contain a plastic called polypropylene). 
• Instead of using detergent, buy an Ecoegg, a hollow 'egg' filled with natural cleaning pellets, that you put in the drum with your clothes.
• Or try Splosh powder sachets that dissolve in water to make detergent.
• For toilet paper, Who Gives a C***, delivers recycled, paper-wrapped rolls to the door.
• Morrisons online supermarket recycles bags (the driver takes them back) and offer a 'wonky veg box' containing seasonal produce.
• Aldi's own brand dishwasher tablets are plastic free.
• It's worth taking a Tupperware container to the butcher's counter in supermarkets - ask nicely and they will put your purchases in the container.
• Try bubble bath lolly sticks from Lush, which are packaged in water-soluble starch chips.
• A British company Wyatt and Jack recycles broken paddling pools and beach inflatables into beautiful bags.
• Conkers can be turned into washing detergent by chopping and soaking them in water. It works.
• New baby? Try washable cloth nappies or Naty nappies made of soft, plant-based material. And use re-usable baby wipes (one brand is Cheeky Wipes).
• Tesco, M&S and Oxfam sell Christmas cards in boxes instead of plastic wraps.
• Crisps - British brand Two Farmers uses compostable packaging.
• Bamboo coffee cups.
• It is possible to make bin liners from old newspapers - look for online videos.

Source: Sisters who went to war on plastic, Daily Mail, 4 Feb. 2019

Do Good Lives Have to Cost the Earth?

Do good lives have to cost the earth?
Edited by Andrew Simms and Joe Smith. Constable. (ISBN: 978-1-84529-643-8)

Removal of ritual and regular partying from Western culture in the last 200 years may be a reason for our cultural boredom, anxiety and melancholy. Pleasure and fun may be basic needs, but don't have to cost a lot.

Sport is a form of organised, complex play. Early learning is done through play. But play totally oriented to outcomes (winning, losing) is no longer a game. The influence of money and power on sport is bad. Some sports will go - motorsport, alpine sports. [My note: Becomes ritualized tribal warfare?]

Currently we place too high a value on money, possessions, appearances (physical and social) and fame.

The present social security system is self-defeating and guarantees dependence for longer than people need. Choice is a great decider. Cut out choice and you cut out democracy. Monopolies limit choice by reducing or limiting competition.

Industrialization and urbanization initially bring pollution but rising prosperity demands that this is addressed. Rising prosperity has also resulted in the population explosion. 1800 population 1 billion. 2008 population 6.5 billion. 2050 expected population 9+ billion. Biodiversity is being eroded at an alarming rate.

Initially rising GDP makes people happier, but over certain level this relationship breaks down, so GDP is a poor measure of happiness. Population stabilization is crucial to long-term success in dealing with climate change and other global environmental impacts. Lower infant and child mortality, and longer life expectancy is good but needs to be balanced by lower conception rates. Close to a global rule that with high female literacy, modicum of economic growth and legal supply of contraceptives, fertility rates fall to (and usually below) replacement level.

Extremely low birth rates, sustained over the long term, would create problems. But rich, developed countries are quite capable of living with fertility rates slightly below 2 and a gently declining population. A rising proportion of older people in a population is manageable with sensible reforms of pensions systems and retirement ages in line with life expectancy.

The Hindu mystic Ramakrishna set out three fundamental attitudes: personal humility, respect for other sentient creatures, and a sense of reverence (for God).

We need to be self-reliant on food at a national level, then trade for items that can't be grown locally. This requires a significant labour force - ideally between 50% and 20%.

The Toyota Prius hybrid (petrol/electric) car uses ingenious technology but consumes more resources in manufacturing than conventional cars, and the batteries present significant disposal problems.

END

Eco-tips in the Living Room

In the living room

• Turn television off rather than leave on standby. Ditto for VCR, digiboxes, DVD, stereo, etc.
• Recycle newspapers and other papers.
• Finished with a magazine - pass it on to family or friends, donate to GP surgeries and dental practice waiting rooms (check first that this is ok), offer to local hairdressers - and if no-one wants it, then recyle.

Various sources.

Eco Tips in Garage, Workshop, Shed and Garden

Garages, workshops, sheds and gardens are areas we may not usually think about when trying to go eco - but there are still things we can do.

• Turn off any power tools on charge.
• Recycle left over paint.
• Keep plant pots from garden centre purchases to re-use when growing your own plants.
• Cardboard middles from toilet rolls are useful mini-plant pots for seedlings.

Various sources.

Eco Tips for the Whole House

Here are some general tips.

• Turn heating thermostat down by one degree.
• Fit thermostatic valves on radiators.
• Don't heat rooms you are not using.
• Fit electricity saving light bulbs.
• Turn lights off when you leave a room unless other people are still there.
• Organise plugs so it is easier to switch things off at the wall socket.
• Use strip plugs and multiway adaptors with individual switches.
• Switch to a green energy supplier.
• Recycle anything you can.
• Re-use anything you can.
• Donate or sell unwanted items rather than put in refuse collection for landfill. 
• Fix any leaking taps.
• Buy recycled products when you can.

Various sources

Eco Tips in the Utility Room

Utility rooms or areas are increasingly common as areas for domestic appliances.

• Only run dishwasher on full load.
• Only run washing machine on full load.
• Don't wash clean clothes - many items can be worn a few times before needing washing.
• Use environmentally friendly washing powders and dishwasher tablets.
• Dry clothes outside or on an inside line rather than using a tumble dryer.

Various sources.

Eco Tips when Shopping

It is important to be responsible in our shopping habits too.

• Look at the country of origin labels - try not to buy food that has travelled thousands of miles.
• Try not to buy food that is heavily packaged; any packaging should be as recyclable as possible.
• Buy fruit and veg loose rather than pre-packaged.
• Buy products in packaging that can be recycled - check in store before you buy.
• Use re-usable bags instead of plastic carrier bags. Reuse any plastic bags as often as you can.
• Re-use plastic wrappers from newspaper, magazine, catalogue and other mailings (e.g. as wrappers for food waste or even sandwich bags).
• Only buy the amount of food you are going to eat.
• Use local shops when you can.
• Avoid two for one food offers on fresh foods, unless you know it will be eaten before going off.
• Avoid two for one clothing purchases; you will usually wear one colourway only or mostly. 

Various sources.

Eco Tips for the Home Office

With more of us working from home, either for an employer, freelancing or self-employed, here are some tips to reduce waste and electricity usage.

• Think before printing - don't print everything.
• Re-use paper for printing if possible or cut into smaller pieces to make notepads.
• Recycle print cartridges from the printer or get them refilled.
• Don't power up the printer unless you are going to use it.
• Don't put your mobile phone on permanent recharge.
• Turn lights off when you leave the room. 
• Sign up to the Mailing Preference Service and reduce your junk mail.
• Get bills online to reduce mail even further.
• Organise plugs so it is easier to switch things off at the wall socket.
• Use strip plugs and multiway adaptors with individual switches.

Various sources.

END

Rechargeable Batteries

Want to use rechargeable batteries to be more environmentally friendly and save money? Here are the 'do's' and 'don'ts'.

You can use rechargeable batteries instead of cylindrical alkaline batteries (such as AA or C) in most gadgets.

If in doubt, check the instruction manual or contact the manufacturer.

Never use them in smoke alarms or detectors, as when rechargeables are not in use (or just a small amount of power is being used) they discharge stored power.

For the same reason, it is better to use alkaline batteries in devices that are not very power-hungry, such as remote controls.

Alternatively you can buy low-discharge rechargeable batteries which hold their charge for longer.

Unknown source

Be Green in the Bathroom

Here are some tips about being 'green' in the bathroom.

• Have a shower rather than a bath.
• Don't install a power shower.
• Turn off the tap when cleaning your teeth.
• Fill a mug with water for rinsing your teeth.
• Get a free water-displacement device from your water company and put in your toilet cistern or buy a toilet with two flush settings. 
• Don't be wasteful with shampoo and conditioner - use the right amount.

Various sources

Be Green in the Garden

We are bombarded with new tools and products to use in the garden, but it is important to 'think green' before we buy. So here is some guidance.

• Don't use a sprinkler. Most plants will extend their roots in search of water. If you grow vegetables, unless it is a prolonged dry period it is not necessary to water until they are forming fruit (e.g. beans and tomatoes). See post on Watering Vegetables.
• Get a water butt and collect rainwater for the garden.
• Have a veg patch. If you only have a small outside area, many vegetables and fruits can be grown in pots. 
• Don't use peat-based composts. Find alternatives like coir.
• If you buy plants in pots, keep them to re-use when growing from seed. If you cannot re-use them, see if your council recycling centre will take them. 
• Buy (or make) and use a compost bin. Preferably go for wooden bins, or ones made from recycled plastic. If you have a tiny garden, use your local council 'green waste' recycling services.
• Buy recycled garden furniture.
• Use non-toxic forms of pest control. Used coffee grounds will deter slugs and snails; some coffee shops are now willing to give away or sell used coffee grounds.

Various sources

Waste Disposal Facts

Some items should never be thrown out with normal rubbish because they contain toxic substances and can be a health hazard.

Take to the local council waste/recycling centre to be disposed of safely:

• Solvent-based paint (any that need to be cleaned with white spirit).
• White spirit.
• Car batteries.
• Engine oil and petrol.
• De-icing fluid.
• Large quantities of cooking oil.
• Gas cylinders. 
• Energy saving light bulbs (when it eventually fails, most of it can be recycled).
• Electrical and electronic equipment.

Hand in to any pharmacy:

• Medicines and tablets.

Pass on to charities who can make money from them:

• Old mobile phones, batteries and chargers.
• Spent printer ink cartridges.
• Unwanted CDs.

Send to reprocessing companies:

• Unwanted CDs. [They can be recycled into injection-moulding products for industry (Polymer Reprocessors) or ground into granules for the plastics moulding industry (Keymood UK)]
• CD cases can be recycled into polystyrene to make insulating foam.

Various sources.

Renewable Energy Technology

Renewable technologies remain (2011) expensive to install but can be cheaper over the long term.

• Solar thermal technology: Harnesses the sun's power to create heating and hot water. In the UK, where the sun is not so strong, it is less effective in terms of heating space but can provide up to 60% of a household's hot water needs.
• Solar energy: Photovoltaic panels generate electricity. They harness light but don't need direct sunlight, though this is more efficient. (They can actually lose efficiency if they get too hot - e.g. in the south of Spain). Excess energy can be fed into the National Grid. Energy companies are offering to rent your roof area to install these panels.
• Air source heat pumps: Take heat from the air (even when it is minus 3 degrees outside) to boil refrigerant and then compress the gas that is formed, creating heat. To cool the house down, the process can be reversed, so the refrigerant absorbs heat inside the house and the pump pushes it outside. Heat pumps use electricity to run their gas compressors but as their efficiency has increased, now a heat pump might give out 4kW of heat for every 1kW of electricity used, making it 400% efficient. But if you already have a condensing boiler, you should not rip this out and install a heat pump instead as you would not see any savings. Air source heat pumps are easy to fit onto existing systems. (2011: Start at around £700.)
• Ground source heat pumps: Take heat from the ground. They need either ground collectors or bore holes, which is likely to make installation cost prohibitive for homeowners and small businesses. Cost is less of a factor for new builds where drainage work is also required.

Other ways of cutting energy

• Insulation: Around half the heat loss in a typical house is through the walls and the loft. Recommended depth of loft insulation is 270mm (2011). For houses with solid walls, there is now a special 10mm thick wallpaper that reduces heat loss by around 30%.
• Boilers: Band G (lowest efficiency) are typically over 15 years old and 60% to 70% efficient. Band A condensing boilers are at least 90% efficient.

2011: Eco supplement, Daily Telegraph