Forgood

Earth zone Go green with these tips

Put a bottle of water in your toilet cistern.

Try to buy organic products.

Hold an environmental fundraiser.

Read your local newspaper.

Change to energy-saving light bulbs.

Stop buying and using plastic bags.

Install a geyser blanket or switch to solar.

Plant indigenous plants or trees.

Use “captured” water.

Separate your rubbish and drop it off at a recycling centre.

Turn off lights when you don’t need them.

Wash laundry in cold water.

Join WESSA

Buy products with less packaging.

Get rid of alien plants.

Don’t buy bottled water.

Attend a ‘Green Drinks’ evening.

Make something beautiful from your waste.

Use natural cleaning products.

Join a greenie group on forgood.

Do a waste audit.

Grow your own vegetables.

Act against rhino poaching.

Adopt a community project.

Join a hiking club.

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Earth Zone

Put a bottle of water in your toilet cistern
You use about 11 litres of water each time you flush the toilet. Put a 2ℓ milk bottle filled with water and sand into your toilet cistern and you can reduce the amount of water used per flush. No fancy, expensive stuff necessary to be more green.

Try to buy organic products
Organic foods are grown and processed in ways that sustain healthy people and a healthy planet. Try to buy organic products wherever possible – or simply buy directly from farm stalls.

Hold environmental fundraisers
Host a fundraiser to collect money for a local environmental issue. A fundraiser is a good way for your community, faith-based organisation or school to work together to collect some of the money needed to go green. Check out these green fundraising tips to get you going.

Read your local newspaper
Find out more about local environmental issues in your community paper. Or report local environmental issues so that other people can know what is going on (polluted dams, blocked drains, unkempt parks, etc). Be the green journalist you always wanted to be. Share your story now on forgood.

Change to energy-saving light bulbs
Energy-saving light bulbs (CFL’s) use less than 20% of the energy of a conventional light bulb and can last up to 15 times longer. Save moola and the planet when you make the switch.

Stop buying and using plastic bags
Plastic bags don’t break down. They harm the planet and can hurt children and animals. Buy your re-usable shopping bags and keep them in your handbag or boot to use when you go shopping. Wear your new bag with style with Envirosax. Order yours now.

Install a geyser blanket or switch to solar
Insulate and cover the office geyser to reduce the escape of heat. This will save on power because the geyser will use less power to maintain its heat. Find a local supplier.

Plant indigenous plants or trees
Trees give us oxygen to breathe, shade and fruit. Plant them in your garden, school or place indigenous pot plants around your office. Arbour Week, in September every year, is a great way to celebrate trees. Find out more about indigenous plants.

Use “captured” water
Linking rainwater tanks to your gutter system will help get extra water for watering gardens and for other outdoor needs. Rain water can be used for almost anything you’d normally use tap water for. Rain water is also free and will you save some serious moola. Find a rainwater capturing solution.

Separate your rubbish and drop it off at a recycling centre
Put 3 boxes outside your back door, one for glass bottles, one for plastic and one for tins. Rinse and throw away at local recycling points.

Turn off lights when you don’t need them
Don’t waste electricity. Always remember to turn off your lights when you leave a room. It’s just a flick of a switch – simple. How fast can you turn off the lights? Test your skills with this game.

Wash laundry in cold water
Up to 90% of the electricity you use for an average load of laundry goes to heating the water. If you wash your clothes in hot water, you’re wasting electricity by heating water when it’s not necessary. Wash your clothes in cold water (go for 30°C or colder) and save electricity and bucks.

Join WESSA.
The mission of the Wildlife and Environment Society of South Africa (WESSA) is to promote public participation in caring for the earth. WESSA counts on its members to speak out, take action and make a difference every day for the environment. This is how it has achieved so much since it began in 1926. Join WESSA today.

Buy products with less packaging
Most packaging is made from petroleum-based plastics which are harmful to the environment. Look for products with less packaging or no packaging. At the very least, recycle the plastic you do buy. Remember, less is more.

Get rid of alien plants around your house
Invasive alien plants grow and spread faster than indigenous plants. This means that natural vegetation is eventually replaced by these alien plants. Invasive alien plants need a lot of water and so they are using up our precious water resources. There’s only one thing to do - get rid of the aliens. Here are the 10 worst aliens to be on the lookout for.

Don’t buy bottled water
Bottled water not only costs as much as petrol, but it also causes tonnes and tonnes of waste. South Africa has some of the best tap water in the world. Drink from the tap and save. Watch The Story of Bottled Water for more info into bottled water brainwashing.

Attend a ‘Green Drinks’ evening
Attend a ‘Green Drinks’ session monthly to network with experts in the field. Make friends, develop new green ideas and together build a greener society. Click here to find out if there is a Green Drinks event in your area. If not, start one of your own.

Make something beautiful from your waste
Why waste good waste when it can be used to make something beautiful such as mats out of plastic bags or toys out of plastic bottles? Sell it and you can make some money too. Get crafty and see what things you can make from your waste.

Use natural cleaning products
Be green while you clean. Many of the cleaning products we use in our homes have harmful ingredients that often end up polluting water resources. Use natural cleaners which are plant based and that break down or make your own cleaning products at home.

Join a greenie group on forgood
If your blood runs green, there are plenty of ways to get into the green action with forgood. Check out the forgood groups that are greener than a can of crème soda and find out what makes you fizz.

Do a ‘Waste watchers’ audit
How much waste do you make in a day? How much could be recycled? These are two very important questions in a world that is becoming more and more eco-friendly. How kind are you to the planet? Do the waste audit to find out.

Grow your own veggies
Home-grown vegetables are fresh and nutritious. You don’t need a lot of space to plant them either. Find out how to get your veggie patch off the ground.

Act against rhino poaching
Show your support for the prevention of rhino poaching by ordering a pair of rhino mirror socks for your car. Email rhinosocksorders@gmail.com to get yours now. All profits go to the Rhino Rescue Project.

Adopt a community project
Take action as a team to address a local environmental issue. Adopt a community project in your area where everyone in your office, faith-based community or school can get involved. Mail WESSA or contact your local WESSA Friends Group to join an existing project or to find out which environmental projects need assistance.

Join a hiking club
Get up off your couch and explore the beauty of nature. Start a hiking club or adventure group that explores the natural world. Search for your local hiking club and take a hike!