- Buy fair
Fairtrade means more than just expensive coffee. Since its inception in 1994, Fairtrade popularity and availability has grown so much that UK consumers have access to more than 1,500 products from more than 50 countries. The Fairtrade agreement offers security to the men and women who are working the hard Earth every day; protects children from child labour; promotes environmental sustainability, and much more - well worth a few pennies. Look out for Fairtrade products in supermarkets and coffeeshops.
- Paint leftovers?
Spruce up that old table, or donate your paint to someone who is redecorating. When disposing of latex-based paint, mix cat litter, shredded paper or something else absorbant into your leftover paint, wait for it to dry and then scoop it all out of the can. This way you can throw the paint away and recycle the can.
- Cool watering
The Heroes of the UAE water sustainability project advises people to water their gardens either in the early mornings or in the cool evenings, as heat during the day will evaporate water meaning you will need to use more. Visit www.heroesoftheuae.ae for more water-saving tips.
- Fabric of the new age
Take your cue from Black Eyed Peas frontman Will.I.Am and support clever recycling projects. The musician is working with companies, such as Rethink Fabrics which makes clothing out of plastic drinks bottles, to encourage fans to recycle their bottles at the Black Eyed Peas concerts. He says, "See water bottles not as containers that house water, but eventually clothe your body."
Up-cycling projects you can do yourself at home include making clothes, bags or drinks coasters out of ironed plastic bags (check out the tutorial on www.etsy.com); or, creating pillows out of old clothes and linens.
- Buy for the long term
Value fashion options means we can update our wardrobe constantly, but what is the fallout from this? Sustainable and eco-friendly fashion expert, Kate Fletcher, says that not only does this mean harsher working conditions for garment manufacturing employees around the world, it also means large amounts of clothes heading to the landfills. She says, "‘Fast isn't free - someone somewhere is paying." Instead of bulking out on cheap, disposable, poor quality fashion treats, splash out on key ‘investment items'. For more information, visit www.ecotextile.com, www.ethicalfashionforum.com and www.fashion-conscience.com.
- Dishy talk
Using your dishwasher is more water-efficient than washing up under a running tap, and by making sure your dishwasher and washing machine are full when you use them you could save up to 1,000 gallons a month, according to www.wateruseitwisely.com. Turbo boost your green stakes by skipping the pre-wash rinse and the drying cycle on your dishwasher - letting your dishes air dry will reduce energy usage by 20 per cent.
- White is right
Back your curtains with white fabric to reflect sunlight away from your windows. Dark, light-attracting coloured curtains mean you will need to use your air con more to keep the house cool.
- Nappy evolution
Upset by the amount of nappies you are sending to the landfills, but can't be bothered with the terry nappy palaver? Check out Natura Eco Brand (Dh81.75 per pack) and Moltex (Dh99 per pack), both from The Organic Foods and Café (www.organicfoodsandcafe.com)
- Put a lid on it
Keeping a lid on your pot when cooking can save up to two thirds of the energy, according to the National Geographic's reference book for eco-conscious living, The Green Guide (Dh110, Borders).
- Snack wise
Avoid sandwich bags, clingfilm, tin foil and any other disposable methods of food packaging. Instead, opt for tupperware containers and reusable sandwich bags, such as the Snack Taxi range from www.thegreenecostore.com.
- Watch your distance
The term food miles means the number of miles your food has had travel. Environmentalists and third-world aid experts often clash heads over food miles and the issue of air freighting. Environmentalists call for an end to air freighting food, encouraging people to eat from local sources, within season, or to eat organic produce that has a low amount of food miles. Aid experts believe that cutting off air freighting possibilities to farmers in poorer parts of the world, will have huge repercussions for the farmers, impacting more than a million people. They say that the environmental impact of air freighting is minimal and is outweighed by the positive humane aspect.
When choosing fresh produce, weigh up the country of origin and it's food miles, how many chemicals have been used in its production and the situation of the farmers producing that item.
- Go native
Put your gardening skills to good use and swop your pretty floral displays for indigenous plants, which need a lot less water. Colleen D'Souza, associate horticulturalist at Cracknell, says, "Thirsty plants include lawn grass or turf, tropical trees and palms, such as Ficus. Water efficient plants include native plants, such as Leptadenia pyrotechnica and Aerva javanica, and adapted plants, such as Agave's, Adenium's (Desert Rose) Sesuvium, Pennisetum (Fountain grass) and Aloes. These not only have low water demand, but are low maintenance and will give your garden a regional feel."
- Sleeping rules
When buying a mattress, look out for items free from brominated fire retardant chemicals, which are not only bad for the environment, but can also be bad for your health. Also, keep your mattress free from dustmites by vacuuming it regularly.
- Christmas tree debate
According to Leo Hickman's book, A Good Life: The Guide to Ethical Living (Transworld Publishers, Dh127, Jashanmal), buying real Christmas trees year after year is still better for the environment than buying plastic trees to re-use for ten years. However, this may depend on where your real tree is being shipped from.
- Not so fast
Jane Kennedy, senior environmental consultant at WSP Environment and Energy (www.wspgroup.com), says, "Drive no faster than 113kph (70mph) along Sheikh Zayed Road or any other highway. This will improve your car's fuel efficiency and reduce CO2." For more information on this, visit 70max.com.
- Get mulching
Invest in a composting bin and watch your landfill-bound rubbish dwindle. Try either the Bokashi's composting system (Dh360, www.bokashi.com), or go puritan with a basic composting bin from Organic Foods and Café (prices start at Dh688).
Did you know? Up to 40 per cent of household waste can be composted.
- Air movement
Invest in a few table fans for your home and leave your air con off for a few more weeks; and when you do eventually turn the air con on, the wind chill effect will mean you can keep it set a couple of degrees higher, creating even more energy savings.
Did you know? Just setting your air con one degree higher can save up to five per cent of your home's energy usage.
- Good ol' bucket
Tanzeed Alam, manager of climate change and sustainability at EWS-WWF (Emirates Wildlife Society - World Wildlife Fund), says, "Use a ten-litre bucket and sponge to wash your car rather than a garden hose and save approximately 180 litres of water in just one wash."
- Friendly paint
Next time you freshen up your home with a lick of paint, spare a moment's thought for air quality - inside your home and out. Traditionally, paints were made with petrochemical-based solvents, which give off toxic nasties known as Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs). These are not only unpleasant-smelling, but can be harmful to your health. Instead, opt for zero VOC paints, such as the Mythic non-toxic paint range from Ace stores (800-ASK-ACE), Dh179 per gallon.
- Online billing
Instead of having sheafs of paper sent to you every month with your itemised phone bills, opt to receive phone bills by email instead. Go to www.du.ae/selfcare or visit your closest Etisalat office.
- Pretty pressies
The UK alone uses 50,000 trees worth of wrapping paper every Christmas - and that's not counting gift wrapping for birthdays, weddings and other celebrations. Forego your funky-patterned gift accessory and get creative. Have a box specifically for stashing things which could be used for gift-giving, such as tissue paper from the inside of shoe boxes, pretty pages or pictures from a newspaper or magazine, your children's old artwork, comic strips, calendar pictures, pages from a diary (use the page of the person's birthday), scrap material, unusual bags from stores, envelopes, used (and washed) tin foil, and more. Also, stash way bits of ribbon, old beads and buttons and string for decorating your pressies, so you don't need to buy gift adornments either. Alternatively, designer wrapping store Wrapt (www.wrapt.ae) offers recycled wrapping paper as part of their wrapping repertoire.
- Label addict
When clothes shopping, check the care label and avoid buying clothes that need dry cleaning. The dry clean process uses a toxic chemical known as perc, which is so strong it can be smelt weeks later on the breath of someone who has inhaled it.
- Petrol wise
Slash your car's carbon emissions with these petrol-saving tips from Benjamin of Wheels magazine. "Keep your tires full with air - when your tires are low, your car will use more petrol. Also, when your windows are down, your car is less aero-dynamic so it will need more petrol to power it than if the windows were up. But the most important factor when it comes to petrol consumption is the way you drive. By easing off the accelerator and relying less on the brakes you will use a lot less petrol." A good tip is to drive as if your brakes are not working properly - you will instinctively drive in a more petrol-efficient manner.
- Chill support
Help your refrigerator run efficiently by vacuuming behind and underneath it, keeping the top clear, and making sure that the door is airtight. To check the door, close a Dh5 note in between the magnetised seals and try to pull it out. If it comes out easily, you need to replace your door seal.
- Water down
Alam from EWS-WWF, says, "It's easy to take water for granted, but in the UAE, our drinking water is all desalinated, which uses a lot of energy and adds massively to our carbon footprint. Something as simple as having a plastic bowl in the sink to rinse dishes rather than using a running tap, or turning off the shower while you shampoo your hair can make a big difference."
- Flight choices
The aviation industry is a massive contributor to green house gases, but it's unrealistic to expect people not to fly when they need to. Opt for an airline which offers carbon emission offset schemes, such as Virgin and British Airways, which allow you to counteract the carbon emissions of your journey. If your airline doesn't offer an off-setting scheme, visit Green Flight (www.mygreenflight.com), which lets you off-set any journey, and specifically tailors your off-set to the airline; whether you're flying economy, business or first class; or using multiple airlines in one journey. Off-setting a return journey to Bahrain on Bahrain Air with Green Flight costs less than Dh15.
- Spread the love
Remember that re-using an item is even better for the environment than recycling it. Even though you may have no more use for something, someone else might. Before you throw things out, or recycle them, take time to think about whether you can pass it on to someone else. Charities may be looking for specific items. For example, The Angel Appeal which supports sea-stranded sailors, is always looking for second-hand mobile phones, magazines, newspapers, books, DVDs and laptops, which all go straight out to the men on the boats. Visit www.angelappeal.com.
- No more nipping
In the UAE, it is hard to get by without using a car - whether it be yours or a taxi. However, each car journey we make is raising the bar on the big carbon monoxide thermostat in the sky. Next time you hear yourself say, "I am just going to nip out to the petrol station/post office/shop/friend's house to pick up/drop off/buy," think to yourself, "Do I really need to do this right now?" If not, wait until you have a few errands to run and then do them all in one journey.
- Green and clean
Nils Al Accad, founder and manager or the Organic Foods and Café (www.organicfoodsandcafe.com) says, "To make the largest impact, make changes to the actions you do every day. For example, washing clothes and cleaning the house." Look out for cleaning detergents, which are made from non-petrochemical substances such as organic vegetable and plant sources.
- Light up the dark
When camping, instead of messing around with torches and endless batteries, invest in a few Arushi lanterns, which are easy to transport and carry around the camp site, can be hung up, are made of durable plastic and are entirely powered by the sun. Leave it charging for six hours and you can enjoy six hours of bright light once the sun hits the dunes. Dh350 from PTL Solar (www.ptlsolar.com). For more lighting needs, check out the Arushi's big sister, which has a larger solar panel, offers more lighting and can also be used to charge your mobile battery.
- Eco power
Conventional batteries contain nasty metals, such as mercury and nickel, which leak into the atmosphere and the ground when they are not disposed of properly. Rechargable batteries are better, but still contain heavy metals and are often a pain to recharge many times anyway. Cut down on your battery disposal by investing in USB Cells - batteries which can be charged easily by being plugged into any USB port. Dh106 for a pack of two from www.thegreeneco store.com.
- Not just tin cans
Recycling is still one of the best ways to reduce the effect your life is having on landfill sites. Get organised with your recycling and make sure you are delivering your items to a well-established recycling centre, such as the Emirates Environmental Group (www.eeg-uae.org).
- Light switch
Eco friendly light bulbs are old news, but many people still aren't using them. This is a really simple, effective way of turbo-boosting your green-ness. Kennedy from WSP Group, says, "Lighting generally accounts for 15 to 20 per cent of domestic energy usage. Switching from incandescent to compact fluorescent bulbs can reduce energy usage for lighting by 75 per cent". For a selection of CFL lightbulbs, visit IKEA (www.ikea.com).
- Cool breeze
With the temperatures rising, the UAE is abuzz with the sound of air con units. Set your air con to 22 degrees or above - 25, 26 or even up to 28, if you can manage it. If you do this now, you should become acclimatised to the new warmer temperature in your home very quickly and easily. Not only will this save massively on your energy use over the summer, but you will also be less susceptible to summer illnesses, many of which are caused by the extreme difference of temperatures inside and outside the home.
- Tree wisdom
In one year, an average tree inhales 12 kilograms (26 pounds) of CO2, according to Emirates Environmental Group. So, get planting. Landscape architect D'Souza says, "For low watering requirements, we recommend the native Ghaff and Sidr tree." A
- Laundry works
Slash the energy used in laundry washing by more than 85 per cent in two easy steps. First: choose a cool wash. Second: hang clothes up outside to dry in the sun. According to the Emirates Environmental Group (EEG), an average washing machine produces about 90kg of greenhouse gases per year. Using warm water adds 475kg and using a dryer adds another 150kg. EEG also advises consumers to opt for washing machines and appliances which have been recognised by Energy Star as being energy efficient.
- Shower time
We are told that having a shower uses less water than a bath, but this could depend on your showerhead. If you have a power shower, you could be using more than two baths' worth of water in a ten-minute shower. Reduce your water use by installing a water-saving showerhead and an ECO Showerdrop Shower Metre (Dh69.50 from Organic Foods and Café), which tells you when you have used the recommended 35 litres of water.
- Wise up
To celebrate World Earth Day, Raffles School is hosting an Eco-Awareness Morning on April 22 from 9am till noon, for members of the public, where green companies will be exhibiting and answering questions. Whether you want to ask about organic items, where your recycling is going, what sustainability actually means, or how to reduce your home's energy usage, there will be experts on hand to provide you with know-how. Register your attendance at www.ecouae.org.
- Busy greenery
Some houseplants will purify your air of toxins - Devil's Ivy absorbs formaldehyde, carbon monoxide and benzene; English ivy is good for absorbing faecal particles from housepets; and a cactus next to your computer could absorb some of the radiation.
- Fish of the sea
Farmed fish are often kept in an area with an unnaturally high density of fish. This causes an excessive amount of waste in the water, which not only attracts bugs like sea lice in droves (fish farms contain approximately 30,000 times the amount of sea lice the water would normally hold), and makes the fishes eyes bleed, but also makes the fish sick. As such, farmed fish are often pumped full of antibiotics to ward of diseases, and the water they live in is flushed with insecticides to keep away bug infestations. Next time you are at the fish counter, ask whether the fish is farmed or wild, and make a smart choice too when you're out for dinner.
- Ditch the drive-thru
Parking your car and walking in to get your burger will save at least five minutes of unnecessary petrol usage. According to the Daily Green (www.thedailygreen.com), an idle engine uses more fuel in ten seconds than it uses starting up.
- Hippy campers
Invest in some reusable, sustainable bamboo camping and picnic cutlery and save on trashy, plastic disposables. Check out the Totally Bamboo and RePEat ranges from www.thegreenecostore.com.
