These days, the plight of our environment is the hot potato on everyone’s lips – climate change and global warming are the biggest threat facing our planet that mankind has ever known. What can be done?

Knowing firstly what your own carbon footprint is and secondly how to reduce that carbon footprint are key battles in this war, but we’re all familiar with the same old tips of showering instead of taking a bath and turning off appliances when not in use. Of course, these are still valid pieces of advice, but what else can we as individuals do to curb our impact on the environment?

Here are a handful of practical ideas that, collectively, can have a huge effect on your carbon footprint:

  • Exclude that draught. It’s estimated that up to 35% of the heat in your home can escape through windows and doors and the areas around them. As well as upgrading to double (or even triple glazing), you can also minimise heat loss by using sealant on existing gaps and edges.
  • Light up using LEDs. Over recent years, LED technology has come on in leaps and bounds. Nowadays a standard LED energy-efficient bulb should last around a decade, saving you time and money in constantly replacing it – as well as the environment in energy consumption.
  • Quit the gym. Whoa there – don’t let yourself go completely! Just remember that Mother Nature can provide its own gym; consider walking, running or cycling to and from work or other engagements whenever possible. You’ll save money on fuel, fares and gym fees, as well as staying in shape.
  • Take a Green Tomato Car. If you really must commute by car and need to get from A to B at short notice, a zero emissions private hire vehicle is the best option. At Green Tomato Cars, we have the largest fleet of environmentally-friendly cars in London.
  • Cut down on meat. Don’t worry if you can’t remove meat from your diet altogether – every little helps. The methane produced by cattle is one of the chief offenders when it comes to global warming, so cut down on beef as much as you can.
  • Make your food last longer. For all the food in your fridge, maximise its lifespan using a few simple hacks. For example, tomatoes survive longer outside of their plastic packaging, bananas will ripen other fruit more quickly (so keep them apart) and eggs can survive for up to five weeks after their expiry date. To check, simply submerge them in water; if they sink, they’re good to go, if they float, they’re ready for the bin.
  • Defrost with frequency. Speaking of refrigeration, it’s important to defrost both fridge and freezer on a regular basis to minimise energy consumption. Also, help your fridge out by defrosting frozen items in it – this will bring its temperature down from the inside.
  • Go paperless. If you haven’t already signed up for online bank statements, do so right away. The same goes for your morning paper; don’t buy a throwaway copy, simply log in online.