Everyday Eco Tips
At St. Michael’s we want to work together as a community to help our environment! Every month we will update you with a new Eco Tip of The Month for a fun and easy way to help support God’s world.
April 2024
April is here and that means World Earth Day is coming! On Wednesday 22nd April over 192 countries recognise World Earth Day as a way of bringing our attention to saving our planet.
The theme this year is ‘Planet vs Plastics‘ and as an introduction, here is a short inspirational video…
The World Earth Day aim is a 60% reduction in plastics by 2040. This may seem a big aim goal for one church in Blackheath to contribute, but we have 3 ways you can help this April!
Plastic pollution is a global problem demanding a global solution. Help bring plastic polluting to the UN and Government organisations by signing this online petition:
100 billion garments are made annually with 87% ending in landfills and incinerators.Only 1% of these get recycled. Find places to recycle textiles locally here >>
Join or organise a Clean Up team in Blackheath or Greenwich! Or are you stuck for time? Bring a rubbish bag on your walk to school or the office and collect litter you see.
March 2024
March has finally arrived and we’re sure many of you have started having a peek into your gardens and seeing what has survived the winter….
Before you start planning your gardens for 2024, please remember our favourite buzzing friend, the bee! According to the Bumblebee Conservation Trust it is especially important to plant bee friendly flowers from March to October.
Trees & Flowers
Lawns
Ponds
The National Garden Scheme say the best flowers for bees are English Lavender, Bluebeard, Bergamot, Single Dahlias, Rose Campion, Heleniums, Salvias and Echinaceas.
Don’t forget trees though! Trees and hedging plants in flower can provide a good food source for bees.
Ever looking for an excuse not to mow your lawn? Or find it tricky to schedule in between London’s constantly changing weather?
Well even your lawn can provide food for bees if you avoid mowing! ‘Weeds’ such as dandelions, clover and bird’s food trefoil are loved by bees
You might associate ponds with other insects rather than bees, but they can attract many of our lovely bumbles if you think about your planting.
Plan in some purple loosestrife, water mint, forget-me-nots, iris and meadowsweet to really make your pond (or bog garden!) a hive of activity.
February 2024
As we head into Spring it is always hard to predict how our British weather will take us… So some easy ways to focus on focussing on the environment at this time is by shopping! Don’t believe us? Here’s how…
Shop Local
Shop Smart
Funny Fruit
We are so fortunate to have so many great shops in Blackheath! Supporting neighbourhood businesses keeps people employed and helps prevent trucks from driving far distances
Get organised to help the environment! Meal planning and shopping lists help reduce impulse buys and makes sure you only buy the food you will eat, reducing wastage.
Utilise food that will otherwise go to waste! Who needs their carrots and peppers looking perfect? Buy wonky fruit and veg to stop it going into the bin!
January 2024
New Year New Start! Think that you would like to be more environmentally friendly this year, but not sure where to begin? We have two quick and easy tips for January to help!
1. Switch To Online Statements
2. Change From Paper Marketing
So much paper gets delivered through our doors, so a simple eco New Years resolution is to switch to online statements. This can be through online banking, energy bills, pet/car insurance and more! Have a separate folder in your emails to file away all your important statements for ease. A great way to reduce paper waste (and also reduce identity fraud!) Some companies also offer benefits for paperless statements.
Whilst we enjoy a personal letter being delivered, a lot of paper and catalogue marketing also gets delivered – sometimes unsolicited! Most retail companies offer the same promotions in their email marketing, so be eco friendly and switch to online marketing. Just write on any catalogues you receive “Return To Sender – Paper Marketing Not Wanted” and pop into your postbox for companies to take you off their paper marketing list.
December 2023
December is a month of joy and anticipation of Jesus’ coming. It is also a month of gift exchanging and increased entertaining, which is why we have made Recycling Soft Plastics our eco-focus of the month!
Soft plastics make up 15-25% off all packaging sold at supermarkets and can be recycled in specific places! We want to avoid plastics going to landfill, especially soft plastics as they often are so light they get blown off landfill sites and end up in our oceans.
November 2023
November is World Vegan Month, and a wonderful time of year to cosy down with some vegan delicious stews, curries and casseroles!
According to PETA animal agriculture causes 18% of greenhouse gases and the production of plant-based foods requires less land and fewer resources.
One way to help the planet this November is to embrace some plant based foods and recipes – here are some wonderful autumnal meals below to give a go…
October 2023
This month we are preparing for Autumn by helping some of the smallest of God’s creatures by making Bug Hotels!
Bug boxes or hotels provide snug, safe places for insects to hibernate. They are especially good for lacewings and ladybirds – wood lice and hibernating solitary bees and wasps may like them too!
Insect and pollinator habitats are dwindling due to large-scale commercial farming, hedgerow removal and human population growth. Giving a home to bugs that are losing their natural habitat helps to ensure that they can continue to survive and thrive.
So come and get involved and make your own Bug Hotel with the instructions below!
You Will Need:
- A waterproof container, such as a old plastic bottle or juice carton
- A variety of natural resources such as:
- Twine
- Toilet roll
- Scrap paper
- Shells
- Grass
- Twigs
- Small pieces of wood
- Wool
- Stones
- Leaves
- And an enthusiasm to stuff them all into the container in whatever way you like!