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Going green - our guide to adopting a more environmentally friendly lifestyle

For many, the term "going green" can evoke memories of the TV series The Good Life. But embracing an environmentally friendly lifestyle doesn’t necessarily mean big sacrifices or a lot of hard work.

In fact, doing your bit for the environment is so easy, you’ll probably find a 'green' lifestyle more manageable than your current one.

Here is our guide to living an environmentally-friendly (yet low maintenance) lifestyle.

“Waste not, want not”

It may be an old saying, but the meaning certainly still rings true in today’s environmentally-aware world.

By thinking carefully about what you buy, and consequently what you waste, you can make a significant contribution to the planet’s wellbeing. Buying items in bulk will instantly cut down on waste, as will a switch from disposable items to reusable ones – razors for example.

You could also choose to cancel your newspaper subscriptions and read online instead. As well as cutting paper waste, you’ll save yourself a few pounds in the process.

Cutting back needn’t mean going without, but try to buy only what you need. Remember, if you buy something on a whim that eventually has to be thrown out, you’re not only creating excess rubbish, you’re wasting your own money.

Reuse and Recycle

Many people tend to keep plastic bags rather than throwing them away, but the practice is worthless unless you actually reuse them. Take some along with you when you next go shopping.

Similarly, try to preserve cardboard boxes, sandwich bags, freezer bags, elastic bands – and a whole range of other goods that don’t need to be binned straight after their first use.

Eventually, of course, time takes its toll and such items will be ready for the bin. But rather than just flinging them out with the rubbish, find out what can be recycled. Paper, glass, card, plastics and many other materials can now be recycled, and it only takes a few minutes each week to sort out - most councils even provide kerbside collections.

Conserve energy

Becoming more energy efficient is perhaps the easiest way of doing your bit for the environment. Simply switching out the light when you leave a room, or taking the television off stand-by mode, makes a positive contribution to the state of our planet.

It all helps to reduce the amount of carbon dioxide we emit from our homes.

Other measures include fitting energy-saving light bulbs, keeping heat in by closing your curtains and only boiling as much water as you need when making your tea or coffee.

The beauty of energy efficiency is that not only are you helping to save the planet, you’re also saving money. Cutting down on your electrical use will result in lower fuel bills, and keeping your house better insulated will allow you to turn the heating down a notch or two – paving the way for further savings.