How to be a 'greener' parent

Children are increasingly concerned about the state of their planet, so they are leading the way on green issues. Read girls’ Top Tips on how they intend to make their parents greener…

• ‘Car pooling’- by sharing lifts with neighbours you could save not only greenhouse gas emissions but also time and money!

• Make sure your car tyres are fully pumped up to the correct tyre pressure. This will ensure your car runs efficiently, uses less fuel and produces fewer greenhouse gases.

• Walk! (to school, to work, to the shops when possible). If you can’t walk – use public transport or park and ride schemes for getting around.

• Buy local produce – this means less fossil fuels are used in the transportation of our food, plus it supports local business and jobs. When buying from overseas always look for Fairtrade sources.

• Take reusable and non-plastic bags when shopping and make sure your children are equipped with them too.

• Buy goods with less packaging so that there is less waste to dispose of, and also less energy is used in their production. Try to provide litter-free or low litter picnics/lunchboxes too.

• Re-cycle -make use of council facilities for bottles, newspapers, cans etc and send back ink cartridges and old mobile phones. Always take usable household items and clothes that you no longer need to the charity shop, and remember to pass on out-grown school uniform…

• Save paper –use email: encourage your daughter’s school to use email for communication, and make sure you use email to contact others. If you must use paper – use the print preview to check carefully before printing so paper and ink are not wasted, and use both sides of the paper.

• Save electricity – switch off laptop/PC when not using it, and only boil the amount of water needed when making a ‘cuppa’! Only have lights on when they’re needed – switch them off when you leave a room

• Save water – don’t run the tap when cleaning your teeth, and use rain water for the garden by installing a water-butt.

• Do not leave phone or camera chargers plugged in. Charging a lap top or mobile telephone before it needs recharging requires more energy than if you wait until it needs it. Batteries have a large environmental cost, both in production and disposal, so it is best to recharge electrical items only when they need it.

• We know that patio heaters are hugely inefficient and add to household emissions, but did you know that so too does your barbeque? To reduce your carbon footprint this year, try burning charcoal from a sustainable source. Even better, don’t burn charcoal: use wood!

• A spot of gardening and tree planting is not only good exercise, it also allows more CO2 be absorbed and locked away.

• Support us with our eco-clubs and green initiatives both in and out of school!

With thanks to the Eco-warriors at Bruton School for Girls, Haberdasher’s Monmouth School for Girls, Peterborough High School, Stamford High School and Wykeham House School.