Introduction

For most of us our home is an area where we have a lot of control over our lives and our routines. At home we can really make a difference to our impact on the environment, through our decisions on how we live our lives and what we buy. For those who own their own home it is generally their biggest investment. But many of the suggestions in the following sections are relevant even if you live at home or are a student or in rented accommodation. They contain lots of details that may be useful in informing those you live with about the issues.

Many of our activities at home use energy: heating, lighting, cooking, running computers, hi-fi systems, TVs and a whole range of other appliances. There is so much potential for saving energy when we heat our houses and hot water and in cooking that Green Choices has a section devoted to energy. But the home has other impacts on the environment and there is plenty to do as well as saving energy!

There are increasing numbers of ‘green shops’ supplying a wide range of environmentally-friendlier, or organic or fairly-trade products. Some with products relevant specifically to this section are mentioned below but see the Green Choices list of online shops for a more comprehensive list.