What can you do to help tackle this problem?

Have you ever tried Pre-cycling? Have you ever heard of Pre-cycling?

A majority of people haven’t heard the term, but could easily lower the amount of waste thrown away at home, and ultimately lower the amount of recycled waste ending up in landfill sites around the country.

So what is “Pre-cycling?”

Pre-cycling is the term used when making rational decisions when purchasing products. For example, you can save waste when at the supermarket by purchasing loose fruit and vegetables, instead of buying them packaged in unnecessary plastic containers or bags.

This will give you the chance to pick the best quality, and most ripe fruit, instead of the pre-packaged and probably unripe fruit. An even better way to help your local community would be to go down to the local “Pick Your Own” farm, and cut out all unnecessary packaging altogether, and you’ll be doing your bit by supporting local producers.

Sometimes packaging for products is essential, so try to choose the product that has been packaged in the most sustainable and recyclable packaging. Cardboard boxes and paper bags for example are a lot easier to decompose than plastic, so keep this in mind when buying packaged products. So next time you’re out doing your shopping, give Pre-cycling a try by choosing products with the least amount of packaging.

Do make sure that pesky animals do not decide to share the wonders you have placed in the garden. Use containers, bowls, and cake covers as effective defences from garden animals.

These factors are not considered by a majority of people, and is one of the main reasons why we take water for granted. Supplying water has a great impact on natural water bodies, such as rivers, lakes, and fresh water sources, which most people do not realise when involved in everyday tasks.

The energy used to filter, purify and pump water to the public is ever increasing, and in some cases, unnecessary. For example, the total rainfall in the U.K. in 2008 was 1299.3mm, but it is surprising that only a handful of Britons collect this rainfall to use in their garden or the home. The amount of water saved from partaking in such a small task would benefit the environment greatly.

Benefits

The main benefit of saving water is to preserve these natural water bodies for wildlife and for future generations. With the increasing population in towns and cities, these natural water bodies are taking the strain for our ever-increasing demand for fresh water in our homes. If we all did our bit to preserve our water supply, we could lower the demand for this water, which would improve wildlife in natural water bodies, and lower demand on water pipes throughout the towns and cities.

As the population increases, the demand on water mains and sewerage pipes is also increased. With this growing demand comes burst water and sewerage pipes leading the wasted water, contaminated water which is of no use to the population, and increasing costs to fix these problems.

By implementing the following steps into your daily routine, we can benefit the environment, lower water meter bills and lower the amount of wasted water through burst water mains.

How can I save water?

There are many simple ways to save water throughout the home including the following:

By turning your taps off whilst brushing your teeth or shaving can cave up to 1 litre of water every 10 seconds.

Storing water in the fridge saves you from running the tap for prolonged periods just to get cold water.

By using products such as a “Hippo water saver”, you can save up to 3 litres of water every time you flush the toilet. Alternatively, place a brick or a bottle of water in your cistern to lower the amount of water needed to flush the toilet.

Use a watering can in the garden to water your plants. By directly watering your plants at their base, the amount of wasted water that usually ends up on the plants’ leaves is lowered.

In addition to using a watering can, collect rainwater in anything that holds water. Buckets or empty dustbins are a good way of collecting rainwater, and your plants will benefit from the lower amount of chemicals in the water.

Take 5-minute showers instead of baths. Baths use around 230 litres of water, whereas a standard shower uses around 9 litres per minute. By taking quick showers instead of baths, you could make 1000 cups of tea with the saved water each week.

Finally, always use your dishwater or washing machine when it is fully loaded, and use the “Economy” setting if you have one.

If everybody was to apply these techniques into their everyday lives, just think how much water could be saved, and how many burst water mains would be prevented.

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