Zoe our Eco Warrior, has been busy finding out some Christmassy eco tips:
12 days of Christmas
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12. It’s Christmas Eve
On the twelfth blog of Christmas my true [green] love sent to me:
Twelve drummers drumming and a drum roll for everyone you know and love. Stop and have that glass of wine, mince pie, or a cup of tea. Give your time this Christmas. These most valuable gifts become little ‘movie moments’. Memories are for life, not just for Christmas. (I think that’s the final cliché. Phew).
A Christmas Eve tip:
There is no eco in this tip but if you want to watch Santa’s magical journey tonight, you can:www.noradsanta.org.
And a partridge in a pear tree.
Merry Christmas everyone.
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11. Switch off
On the eleventh blog of Christmas my true [green] love sent to me: From the ghost of Christmas past to the ‘Phantom load’ of Christmas present. Phantom loads are when
your appliances are switched off (not at the mains) but still using power. Phantom loads can cost approximately 30% of your annual electricity bill. Ebenezer Scrooge would be proud. (Warning: some appliances do need to remain permanently connected to the electricity supply.)
A little eco tip:
The Ghost of Christmas yet to come…Christmas future, if you are up for it, go for it. Do the January sales for next year’s presents. Remember, make a list and stick to it.
And a partridge in a pear tree.
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10. Ten lords a-leaping
On the tenth blog of Christmas my true [green] love sent to me:
Just when you thought you were done with all that cooking malarkey, there it comes, the bubble and the squeak. That’s when you mash it up and pop it in the oven until crispy. Then a spoonful of Cranberry makes the crunchy bits go down, the crunchy bits go down in the most delightful way.
A little eco tip:
The ghost of Christmas past is that jumper. With that in mind, your New Year’s resolution can be: donate all those unwanted gifts to charity after Christmas, they will be loved and appreciated by others. Easy peasy, lemon squeezy.
And a partridge in a pear tree.
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9. OMG…
On the ninth blog of Christmas my true [green] love sent to me:
Do you dread the big Christmas food shop? If you don’t do this already, it’s probably a habit worth forming. Maybe almost too obvious… drum roll… MAKE A SHOPPING LIST and stick to it. And when you end up buying less, spending less and wasting less, you might want to give a little nod to all those generations of grandmothers who passed the idea on.
A little eco tip:
This is probably the best tip of all time. Buy your drinks in bigger (not smaller) bottles. What? We hear you cry. One large bottle generates less waste than several smaller ones. My, what a marvelous excuse, we mean tip!
And a partridge in a pear tree.
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8. USB it.
On the eighth blog of Christmas my true [green] love sent to me:
Two turtle doves or two rechargeable batteries? That is the question. Picking up those AA batteries at the till is almost a habit we need rehab for. Help is here in the glorious shape of USB Rechargeable Batteries. Tune out. Plug in. Recharge. A mini revolution is here.
A little eco tip:
Defrost your freezer before Christmas (like we all have that much time on our hands). But if you possibly can, it will stop you wasting food, create space for the scrummy leftovers, you’ll be stocked up for the rest of January, and your freezer will definitely work more efficiently.
And a partridge in a pear tree.
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7. Saucy and plastic-free.
On the seventh blog of Christmas my true [green] love sent to me:
Shop ‘til you drop. But don’t drop your shopping in those useless plastic carrier bags. It’s all about the bag for life. Plastic is so last millennium. Organic cotton or hemp bags are this year’s new black. The biggest challenge is not owning one of these beauties but to damn well remember it.
A little eco tip:
It’s the little things. Go British all the way if you can. Choose locally made British sauces to go with your Christmas dinner. Apparently over half of the C02 generated from a Christmas dinner for 8 comes from…wait for it… imported cranberry sauce! How very bizarre! But apparently true.
And a partridge in a pear tree.
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6. British bubbles.
On the sixth blog of Christmas my true [green] love sent to me:
Obviously our love for Generation Press’s new alcohol free B2 press won’t stop us sharing a drop of the hard stuff with friends. Champagne. What’s in a name? Hunt out your locally grown Sparkling Wine.
British Sparkling Wine may not come from that exclusive region in France, but it’s all fizz to us.
A little eco tip:
Cover those pans boys and girls. Cook your lovely spuds and sprouts with a lid. It can cut the carbon footprint by almost half because the water reaches boiling point faster, means cooking time is shorter and you get your Christmas dinner quicker. I know it’s not an exotic ‘Nigella’ type tip, but it’s a tip all the same. Mmmm.
And a partridge in a pear tree.
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5. Treeeee.
On the fifth blog of Christmas my true [green] love sent to me:
When the old lights have tripped the light fantastic and given up their glitter for good, go LED. If London’s Oxford and Regent Streets
and New York’s Rockafella Plaza can do it, then we can too. Lovely LED. They will save you money, energy and being cooler in temperature less of a fire hazard. (A timer would be worth having too.) Maybe even make your outdoor fairy lights solar powered. Being this good, Santa will definitely be coming to your house.
A little eco tip:
Buy a real Christmas tree, not a fake one. They smell gorgeous and when you take it down, chip it, compost or burn it next spring with your garden waste. Do not burn indoors on an open fire until it has completely dried out and gone brown (due to the oils in the needles).
The Carbon Trust say an average 6ft fake tree will produce 40kg of carbon during its cycle from production to landfill. Compared to a real tree that will produce 3.5kg of carbon as long as it is chipped and composted correctly. See if your Council will collect your tree and chip it. Ours does.
And a partridge in a pear tree.
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4. Yum yum.
On the fourth blog of Christmas my true [green] love sent to me:
Being the fourth generation of printers, situated on a farm in a barn in the middle of a field surrounded by sheep, we get a local delivery of organic fruit and milk. We reckon it’s well worth buying and eating local. This Christmas, try supporting your local producers and even look at free range organic stuff too.
A little eco tip:
This tends to scare mothers and grandmothers. Dare to mention the idea of ‘Secret Santa’. Rather than buy a present for every member of the family, (1) Pull a name out of the hat, (2) Only buy a gift for that one person. (3) Done. It’s great if you manage to get everyone to agree. Good luck with that one.
And a partridge in a pear tree.
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3. Bah humbug.
On the third blog of Christmas my true [green] love sent to me:
Buying less is definitely more. One thoughtful Christmas present far out weighs lots of random presents. It’s good for your soul, good for your pocket, and good for those kiddies who get way too many toys that take over your home when you’re not looking.
A little eco tip:
Clear out your old stuff. And get the kids to choose some of their old stuff to give away to your local charity shop, nursery or hospital. Make some room for all the new Christmas stuff. ‘Space’ is the word, is the word, is the word.
And a partridge in a pear tree.
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2. Read all about it.
On the second blog of Christmas my true [green] love sent to me:
Christmas Cards! Buy recycled Christmas cards. Or charity recycled Christmas cards. Better still DIY cards. Get your own cards printed or print your own using 100% Recycled FSC Post Consumer Waste (PCW) paper for your cards and envelopes.
A little eco tip:
Wrap your presents with old newspapers, magazines or posters. Then add a little ribbon, string or draw a bow with a big fat marker pen. Everyone has one lying around somewhere, don’t they?
And a partridge in a pear tree.
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1: Ho ho ho.
On the first blog of Christmas my true [green] love sent to me:
Confession: A season to be jolly and an ideal opportunity for the odd cliché here and there. But hey, who doesn’t love a cliché at Christmas?
This year make it all about spending quality time with everyone you love. ‘Tis the season to MYOP. Make Your Own Presents. Any talent you have, use it, make it, bake it, knit it, draw it or paint it. It will be loved if made with love.
A little eco tip:
There are brilliant eco-friendly gift alternatives online - no longer the guilt purchases of the hippy past. At last, beautiful things beautifully designed.
And a partridge in a pear tree.
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Posted by: Eco Warrior , November 23rd 2011 —
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Good Green Energy
We thought it was about time we shared this...
We have spent a lot of time researching the most environmentally sound energy supplier. GP are pleased to say it is still our suppliers - Ecotricity. They are authentic and what’s so amazing is they are changing the way electricity is made. They put more money into creating new green energy than all the other electricity companies in the UK put together.
We chose the 100% Green Energy tariff, yes we know very righteous.
Here at GP, we have been offered the opportunity to switch our energy at home to Ecotricity. It will not cost any more than you pay already. Plus you get an energy monitor thingy, it helps save energy and money. So we asked if Generation Press could offer the same deal to our clients and friends.
Just so you know, we do not get anything out of this, we just wanted to share this deal with you and show a little of what we’ve learnt. Follow these links to switch or find out more.
Ecotricity Offer
Check their prices - Enter your postcode for the home/ fair price promise
Posted by: Eco Warrior , January 11th 2011 —
Category: Eco Warrior , Things we like — Share: delicious , Digg , Email
One big step, EU finally to
ban illegal timber.
The Eu parliament approves new legislation banning illegal timber.
What’s missing are regulations for printed materials.
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After Ten years of campaigning.
Greenpeace have been campaigning since 2000 when they first
uncovered illegal logging in Russia's far east. Their challenge for the next ten years is to end deforestation all together, illegal or otherwise, so that by 2020 the net number of trees lost is zero.
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Forty million hectares of forest lost.
Unfortunately whilst they’ve been deliberating over ten years, we have lost quite a
Chunk of forest.
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Finally saving the forests.
The long over due New legislation comes into force from 2012.
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The one giant leap will be to enforce the legislation .
And to include the rules for printed materials.
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WWF
Greenpeace
Posted by: Eco Warrior , September 10th 2010 —
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We are really chuffed with these icons.
Our icons were designed by
Build .
If you use us to print your work
and you choose the responsible options for print, these
eco icons are available for you to use and place on your print.
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A sneek preview one by one. We use vegetable based inks for all print jobs, so this little icon will always feature.
- This icon can be added if you have chosen 100% recycled paper.
- This one is available if you chose FSC paper (along with the normal FSC logo).
The choices are endless eh?
- Recycled and compostable is for most print. It only includes environmentally friendly matt laminate, not the normal matt or gloss laminate, or coloured through card. Sorry that's what the rule book says.
- Ecotricity is our energy provider and our chosen energy tariff is generated from 100% renewable resources for all our jobs, so this lucky icon will be for every print.
-This icon is a permanent fixture too because we are also certified carbon neutral .
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So now you have met almost all of the icons.
All you have to do is ask, if you don't ask you don't get and then your missing out.
So please ask for your very own strip of icons that match your job and the choices you
have made with some little extra options if you want them.... ooooh.
Posted by: Eco Warrior , July 1st 2009 —
Category: Eco Warrior , GP Brand , GP X Build — Share: delicious , Digg , Email
Comments: 1 Comment
Posted by: Eco Warrior , June 9th 2009 —
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Posted by: Eco Warrior , June 2nd 2009 —
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