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Make little green steps
If ever there was a time to turn your family into a clan of eco warriors, then this is it. Not only will the planet benefit, but you could also reduce your own workload
An environmentally friendly New Year's resolution for the family may take a lot of resolve but there are enjoyable ways of making it a part of your daily life.
The green star of the week
If you've already been through the 'terrible twos' with your kids, you'll probably be familiar with some sort of star system to help them curb their tantrums in return for rewards. Why not employ the same technique for keeping energy levels to a minimum in your home?Green stars can be awarded for switching off unnecessary lights, turning the television and other electrical items off at the wall and for recycling. This could save as much as £37 a year off your electricity bill.
Each week, allocate members of the family with a recycling responsibility, such as cans, glass or paper. Whoever has the biggest pile at the end of the week, wins a star.
Rewards must be worthwhile, so whoever has the most stars by Friday chooses one family activity for the weekend.
Council concerns
When recycling, one of the first calls you make should be to your local authority. They'll give you a comprehensive list of roadside recycling pick-ups and projects, which you can arrange your family recycling week around.It may mean you all load up the car and take everything for recycling to the local dump or you could get the kids to find innovative ways to get their pile of unwanted plastics and papers there. Wheelbarrow versus skateboard, versus dog-cart, and so on...
Nuts about soap
When you need to use the washing machine, put the powder back in its packet and opt for some soap nuts. They're allergy-free and are as natural is it gets. They're grown in Nepal and India from sustainable sources and you can just chuck them on your compost when they're exhausted.They're a bit of a secret so get your kids to spread the word. Not only do 1kg of soap nuts clean 100 loads of washing, but you can also get the kids to clean every inch of the house, car and even the dog with them! iVillage member cl-woodmaiden recommends www.inasoapnutshell.com
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