Home ECO-nomics

With all the current political and health concerns, it is easy to forget that the Earth needs our help. Whilst we all know that we should be doing more to save the planet, it is often difficult to find the time and motivation to actually do so. And as with many worthy activities, it can seem rather boring.

But what if we change the narrative? What if, instead of thinking that it is something we ought to do that it is something that we can enjoy doing: something that brings us financial or creative benefits or both?

The topic is endless and complex, so I shall begin on the small scale and where we can see the results. I shall begin with the home.

The three Rs

Here’s a jolly little song to inspire you!

There is a very simple formula for living a more environmentally conscious life and that is to follow the three Rs: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle. Focus almost always tends to fall on the last, and although that is important, it is not as significant as the others. If we reduce the amount that we consume and reuse what we have, recycling becomes a small part in a virtuous cycle.

Twenty is plenty

With heating accounting for 50% of UK homes’ heating bills (Energy Saving Trust) it is worth thinking about how much we actually need. It turns out that like the ideal speed limit near schools, 20 is plenty. This equates to 68 degrees Fahrenheit. Of course, if you need it warmer to keep well, turn it up, but for most of us, a woolly jumper will do the trick.

Heat efficient cooking

Despite cooking food being a significant part of a household’s energy use, I seldom see guidelines on how to cook more efficiently. So here are a few I have picked up along the way.

• Put a lid on it! The simple act of putting a lid on a pot decreases the cooking time and reduces energy costs. Many foods, once brought to the boil, will cook very happily without any heat at all when sealed with a lid. I use this method to cook vegetables and rice and it works a treat. (You can always turn the heat back on if they need a little extra.)
• Match the pot with the hob. Placing a smaller pot on a larger hob could waste up to 40% energy according to the American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy. And this was with only a 2 inch differential.
• Oven on? Fill it up! If you have an oven on, try to fill all the shelves. It may take a little forward thinking (putting the butternut squash in to make soup the next day, for example) but it is well worth it. And cooling ovens can be used to dry fruit leathers, herbs and kale chips.

Food glorious food

Food waste in the UK is beyond startling, currently around 20 million tonnes. The true cost of this is huge: in the production, packaging and transport of wasted food; the financial cost to the consumer and its disposal in already overstretched land-fill sites. A few steps can go a long way towards reducing this waste: planning your grocery list; resisting multi-buy deals on fresh products unless you can realistically use them all and learning to use up everything in the fridge.

My cooking tends to be determined by what is getting closest to its sell-by. So I start by seeing what needs to be eaten and plan my meals around that. It takes some of the strain of what to make for dinner out of the equation. An all-time favourite is ‘bottom of the vegetable basket soup’. Soups are a brilliant way to use up tired vegetables. This one is easiest of all. Take your sad vegetables, clean and chop. Fry a chopped onion, add vegetables and stock plus any seasonings/ herbs your fancy. Bring to the boil. Turn off the heat and let vegetables cook until tender. Reheat before serving. Add rice or oats for a thicker, heartier meal.

If you wish to economise on food bills and have that virtuous warm glow of helping the planet too, here are a few ideas to enable you to do that. Buy wonky veg! Most supermarkets now sell ‘imperfect’ (in appearance only) vegetables at ridiculously low prices. These vegetables would probably have been thrown away – all the effort – and energy used to grow them wasted.

Whilst organic vegetables are ideal, they can be expensive. And if they are flown in from New Zealand, I’d question the benefit. Local is always better. If you can get both, that is perfect.

All of us have home freezers, and these work most efficiently when full. Ours contain bread and baked goods to keep them fresh; fruit and veg from the garden and commercial sources. We’ve just discovered frozen avocado chunks- perfect for guacamole and no more wasted avocados that go bad over night.

Smart containers

When it comes to reusing, containers are the key. Without going crazy, look at the product you are buying and think how you can give the packaging a second life. Ideally, go for something that you know you can easily reuse – like Nutella in a tumbler glass rather than an oddly shaped jar. Be imaginative. Even the protective sheath on a greetings card can be reused for small items. My favourites are glass jars, which have endless possibilities. Most of my storage containers are old pickle jars. I love the tiny jam jars for lip balms and even made my American husband a patriotic snow globe from an old olive jar.

Decorate with stickers or pretty labels to give them a personal touch. Another great resource is magazines. Read, enjoy then repurpose. And when you are done? Recycle!

Paper play

Pretty magazine papers are perfect for wrapping small gifts, making bespoke envelopes and practising origami.

Wrapping paper can almost always be reused if opened carefully and pretty gift bags will certainly serve many times. Old calendars, with their beautiful illustrations on quality paper, make wonderful backdrops for cards. And old greeting cards make super gift tags.

One of my favourite paper resources is books – the old ones whose covers are falling off. There are whole books on this form of upcycling and book art is a special love of mine. Printed pages (as with sheet music) can be used in endless ways from jewellery to hedgehogs.

And all those little paper scraps? They are perfect for collage.

The final step

Once you have enjoyed using everything, then it is time to recycle. Out of courtesy to those handling your waste, it is good to give containers a wash in soapy water before putting in the recycling bin.

The more you consider your use of the Earth’s vital resources, the more you are likely to look after them. In doing so, you will save money and the planet.

I have only touched on a few ideas here, but I would love to hear from you if you have any imaginative or practical ways to minimise domestic waste. Please pop your ideas in the comments section below, and if there are enough of them, I shall present them in a future post!