It's easy being green
Maxine Clayman talks to two eco-savvy women who prove it doesn't have to cost the earth to help save it
Brigit Strawbridge
Brigit Strawbridge, 49, of Malvern in Worcestershire, has set up the charity Big Green Idea to help people save money while getting the green message across to local communities.
People have this image that being green is the preserve of the middle-classes, that you have to be rich to make an impact on the environment. But it's not about money, it's about mindset and educating people so that they have a choice.
There's a wealth of information on how to be greener out there, but it can be confusing. I'm aiming to take the facts out to communities, helping people to find an angle that suits their lifestyle.
The charity has converted an old double-decker Routemaster bus to run on bio-diesel, and we’re going to take it around the country from September. It's an information shop, open to the public for free. Upstairs there's a solar-powered cinema, to show people films on how they can take steps for themselves, with demos, workshops and talks on basic skills like knitting, sewing and cooking. The downstairs consists of a library of alternative magazines, books and the internet, so we can point people in the right direction, showing them examples of how they can implement these changes for themselves at home.
The focus of the charity is on local issues, getting the green message out to communities, schools and businesses. And the charity has teamed up with organisations including the Energy Savings Trust, the RSPB and Waterwise to offer specialist advice.
The solutions don't have to be expensive. It's all about making the best use of the resources we have.
For more information visit www.thebiggreenidea.org.
Brigit's eco-savvy tips
- Invest in an energy monitor to keep track of how much electricity you use to help cut costs.
- Use a steamer when cooking vegetables instead of boiling as it uses less water.
- Buy thicker curtains to prevent heat loss indoors, saving you money on your heating bills.
Rosie Ames
Rosie Ames, 51, of North Devon, is a wedding planner and has set up the website Green Union to help people enjoy their special day in a greener way.
Emotions run high when it comes to weddings. After all, everyone wants their big day to be perfect. As a wedding planner it's my job to get an overview and bring together the right services to suit the needs of my clients. After 12 years in the industry, and seeing the incredible amount of waste generated for this one day, I felt there had to be a way for people to make their big day greener. So now I encourage people to plan responsibly.
Being green doesn't mean you have to compromise on the perfect wedding. It's a complete fallacy that it's more expensive to be green.
If anything, being green can help you save money. You might have to put in a little more effort as many green businesses are quite small so may be harder to find because they're not able to promote themselves. That's why I built up a directory on my website to help people find information about where to source greener products.
I believe it's important to support local skills and suppliers as it helps to foster a sense of community. For instance choose caterers that source seasonal food and flowers grown locally, so they won't have flown thousands of miles, to keep
down costs.
Quite often the greenest venues are cheaper. As they don't tend to mark up their prices for weddings, they keep their tariffs in line with seasonal costs. So whether you get married in a village hall or a hotel that’s eco-conscious, each has a different sense of style to fit the couple's needs, creating a unique day they'll never forget.
For more info on green weddings see www.greenunion.co.uk.
Rosie's eco-savvy tips
- Hire, rather than buy, crockery and cutlery. If you use paper plates, then recycle them.
- Host the ceremony and the reception in the same venue to keep mileage down.
- If you're getting married out of town ask your guests to take the train to reduce their carbon emissions or
hire a minibus. - Reuse your wedding clothes; dye them or alter them to make something new.