Following on from the talk last Sunday about Eco Church, and what we can be doing more of, here is a summary of some of those ideas:

Things to try at home

Since St Anne’s became an Eco Church we have been able to reduce our carbon footprint and really consider the environment and we have recognised that the buying choices we make can have a really positive impact.

Have you thought about how the buying choices we all face every day can have a positive impact on the environment too? Two examples are how just changing your washing powder/capsules and changing your brand of deodorant can make such a big difference.

There are many such products appearing on the market now. Among them is Simple Sheets, which is a better choice for laundry. It is eco-friendly. It does not come in a plastic bottle, does not contain water and comes in a biodegradable paper carton. It gives good results and costs around 10 per sheet – less if there’s a special offer on.

As regards deodorants, so many of them come in plastic containers which are just binned when the product is finished. There are several brands now which are natural deodorants and don’t contain harmful chemicals. One is made by The Natural Deodorant Company and comes in a glass jar, which means it can be recycled when empty. It is certified cruelty free, plastic free and is produced using natural ingredients. Choose from a selection of fragrances.

Another one is called Fussy. You buy the long-life re-cycled plastic outer case just the once. Then you select the desired fragrance which comes in a biodegradeable pack made from waste sugarcane. Once finished, you remove the refill from the case. The spent refill can be composted or just dug into the garden to decompose naturally. The product is carbon neutral, vegan and cruelty-free

Refills are available from Boots and Sainsburys and other stores or you can set up a subscription which the company which means you buy at a discounted price.