Category: Household
-
Biodiversity, the variety of plant and animal life in our environment, has declined in the UK by 19% since 1970 and one in six species in the UK face extinction. On top of this, there has been a 74% drop in populations worldwide in mammals, bird, fish, reptiles and amphibians since 1970. Every effort we…
-
Recycling properly is not easy if you don’t have some facts at hand. Here are a few easy rules to remember so you are recycling what you can. Do not scrunch up plastic bottles Do not flatten or scrunch up plastic bottles before you put them in the recycling bin. The reason why is because…
-
Surveys suggest most people are confused about how to recycle. Surveys of the British public show up to 80% of UK households do not recycle things that could be recycled and 55% are ‘very unclear’ about what can and can’t be recycled. Because of this, it is assumed that only 50% of items that could…
-
We often hear that it is necessary to get a heat pump in our homes to reach Net Zero by 2050. This is true according to the Climate Change Committee, as they hope at least 80% of homes have a heat pump by 2040. But public opinion is mixed on heat pumps, and only 10%…
-
We produce 50 tonnes of electronic waste globally each year. On top of this, over 80% of electronic goods are not recycled. What should you do with the electronics in your home? Smartphones Avoid getting upgrades on your smartphone and changing it regularly. If you do change your smart phone, choose one that is second…
-
How can we reduce our carbon footprint when using the bathroom? There are some products we can buy which will lower our water use and reduce the amount of waste we create. A water hippo in the cistern A water hippo is placed in the toilet cistern and save 3 litres of water every time…
-
In a Net Zero world, a ‘clean tech’ house is the type of property we will be living in. These houses are like the ones we live in today but will have solar panels, proper insulation and a heat pump. Our household bills will also be 40-50% cheaper than today because of these innovations. To…
-
Heat pumps are used for heating a house. They replace gas which is usually used for heating and electrifies it instead. It is considered a green option for home improvements because our national grid is partly powered by renewable energy. It is worth noting that heat pumps are not suitable for around half of the…
-
Solar panels are an essential part of a Net Zero lifestyle and about 1.5 million homes in Britain now have them. Solar panels convert sunlight into electricity and are a renewable source of energy. They have become more popular since they have come down in price and there are financial incentives to adopt them such…
-
What will our houses be like in a Net Zero world? The answer is that it will not look that different to how it looks today! The only differences will be down to using renewable energy for electricity, swapping a heat pump for natural gas and creating an efficient heating-cooling system. Putting these changes in…