What is Eco

The word eco comes from the ancient Greek word 'oikos' meaning house, or the Latin 'oeco' meaning household.

Eco is short for ecology, the the relationship between humans (us) and our activities, and how they affect our environment (our planet).

When we describe something as being eco friendly, we mean something that we can use or do, that won't damage our environment, or that will help us live in a more sustainable way.

What makes us eco friendly?

Being eco friendly is about what you do, and what you don't do, and the choices you make as a consumer.

There's a misconception that leading an eco friendly lifestyle is hard work, but often it's actually easier. For instance, avoiding overly packaged goods means you create less rubbish, and your bin bag is lighter on collection day. Taking a home-made sandwich into work in a reusable wrapper is a healthy, money saving alternative, and will always be tastier than something you buy in the supermarket. Your morning cup of coffee stays hotter for longer in a reusable eco cup, and tastes better than when drunk from a plastic coated disposable paper one.

It's easy to make small changes to reduce your impact on the environment, and make your life easier. Here are some ideas on how to lead a more eco friendly life that staff and customers of Nigel's Eco Store have suggested:

don't waste money and energy drying our cloths in a tumble dryer, instead hang laundry outside on a washing line or on a clothes airer

always carry a a reusable water bottle and choose tap water over mineral - it's just as good and 1000% cheaper!

walk or cycle if our journey is under 5 miles, it gets you fitter, happier, and saves money

keep track of what energy you use at home, save money on your bills and reduce your carbon footprint

look for reusable alternatives to plastic packaging

get rid of draughts at home, and make sure your central heating is working at maximum efficiency

choose fair trade products supporting organisations that pay farmers and manufacturers around the world receive a fair price for their work

grow your own fruit, veg and herbs - in window boxes and pots if space is scarce

take it easy!

keep it simple, enjoy the world we live in and seek to make it better, rather than cluttering up your lives with disposable possessions

look after your stuff and fix it if it breaks, instead of just throwing it away

What do you do to lead an eco friendly life? - we'd love to hear about it! !!<Talking the talk, walking the walk

Here at the Nigel's Eco Store office we try to be eco friendly. We use an energy saving kettle, drink fair trade tea and coffee, use draught proofing seal around the doors and insulation film on the windows to block draughts, radiator boosters to get more out the heating, recycled office stationery and green cleaning products to keep our office fresh. We have a green electricity supplier, use energy saving light bulbs, make sure we don't leave our computers on standby, have sustainable cardboard office furniture and our walls are painted with natural paint. We also all walk or cycle to work, and are members of a local car club.

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