Wayne Hemingway

The bastion of British design, Wayne Hemingway, isn’t new to greener living. With projects like carbon-efficient housing under his belt he knows a thing or two about doing the eco thing.

How green do you think you are?

How green are you?

More than the average person. As a family, we’re green whenever we get the opportunity – we’ve got a green roof and I drive a Toyota Prius, which was one of the first zero-emission hybrid cars. But we’re not recent converts – it goes back to our Lancashire upbringings when we had no money and had to make do. As a kid I wore second-hand clothes and I still do today.

What's the greenest thing you've ever done?

Four years ago we installed a water treatment plant. It turns household sewage into peat, which can be used as fertiliser on your own land or by local farmers. It was a long-term money-saving idea, as well as a way of doing the right thing for the environment.

... and what's your guilty green secret?

International travel. As a designer you need to travel a lot, but you bring good ideas back with you that benefit this country, so it’s worth it.

What green thing do you always do?

If I go for runs along the beach or down country lanes, I take plastic bags with me to pick up litter and then put it in the nearest bin. I limit how much I flush the loo too – if it’s yellow let it mellow!

What’s on your green to-do list?

Our home has become more and more green over the years – next I want to install photovoltaic panels.

Proving it

Grow your own or ready meal?

Grow your own, which we do.

Leave on or switch off?

Switch off and that includes the kids – if they don’t I fine them 50p.

Drive, bus or walk?

Walking is my first choice, especially in London. Then I’d prefer to get the Tube or train rather than bus.

Recycle or bin?

Recycle. We reuse our water in the wildlife pool in the garden.

Wash or wear again?

Nobody likes to smell – but if it doesn’t smell, I’ll wear it again.

Just for you

What green habit saves you money?

I take the end of the soap and attach it to a new bar rather than chuck it away.

How long would a chicken last if you had to look after it?

My mum has always kept chickens, so I know how to take care of them.

What’s the greenest thing you’ve ever designed?

One of our big housing developments – The Bridge in Dartford. This project isn’t just about carbon efficiency, it’s socially and economically efficient too.