More than HALF of Sun readers are helping save the planet – here’s how you’re doing it
MORE than HALF of Sun readers are significantly changing their habits to help save the planet.
Our exclusive survey revealed three quarters — 74 per cent — of you buy fewer new clothes and 51 per cent wash them at lower temperatures and are more conscious of turning off electricals.
Food waste has been cut by 63 per cent of people while 52 per cent eat less red meat — up from 34 per cent in 2019.
Almost two thirds — 64 per cent — walk more, 51 per cent cycle more and 49 per cent have cut car use.
Before COP26, the UN climate change conference, starts in Glasgow on Sunday, we surveyed 2,000 readers to find out what green efforts you are making. It comes a year after we launched The Sun’s Green Team, urging you to make small changes to cut CO2.
IMPACTING THE WORLD
Our poll revealed that nearly every Sun reader — 91 per cent — accepts climate change is impacting the world.
More than half — 52 per cent — would consider taking a train or ferry instead of a plane to their next holiday destination. That is up dramatically from 20 per cent in our 2019 Green survey.
Almost half those quizzed are more conscious of wasting water. Plastic pollution is your biggest environmental worry, and Sir David Attenborough is most influencial at persuading you to be greener. And 82 per cent believe if we all make small changes, it will add up to a positive impact.
Yet there is still work to be done.
You say cost puts you off having an electric car and electric heating, and you want cheaper eco-friendly products.
Here, we look at how you are doing your bit, and four readers tell us of the changes they have made.
- OnePoll surveyed Sun readers between October 14 and 18, 2021.
Join The Sun's Green Team
THE Sun today encourages its army of readers to make at least one lifestyle change to slow the advance of climate change.
Everyone can get involved.
We’ve teamed up with the global campaign Count Us In to calculate how much carbon you will be saving by ditching old habits.
Remember even small changes help.
Find a step that’s right for you and your family. Keep it up for at least two months and see how you do. It might become a habit.
When you’re ready, try another step. All these will add to change. We’ll get there together.
Visit and pledge to one or more lifestyle changes.
It could save you money and all of your actions will go toward a global goal of getting a billion people to make changes.
1. - Going meat-free for a day brings the same carbon saving as not driving for a month.
2. - The average UK family throws away £700 of food a year.
3. - With energy prices rocketing this will save you money.
4. - Stop heating the sky with heat escaping through your roof.
5. - We ditch the equivalent of 250 t-shirts a year.
6. one extra journey a day - petrol cars emit twice as much pollution in their first five minutes of use, so even short journeys add to climate change.
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'I'm using less diesel and have lost weight'
MUM of two Natalie Ward, 35, from Chobham, Surrey, founder of Latched maternity and postnatal activewear, has swapped her car for a bike.
She said: “I was spending two hours a day driving my children, Harper, three, and Ethan, two, to and from nursery. We’re trying to teach them about saving water and recycling, but we felt like hypocrites using my gas-guzzling 4x4.
“As I now work from home, it made sense to move them to a closer nursery.
“My husband, David, and I spent £1,200 on a double trailer. As I was spending £40 a week on diesel, it was less than the cost of fuel for a year.
“Cycling the mile journey to their new nursery has improved my mental health and I’ve lost a stone and a half.
“We’re now thinking about replacing my car with an electric one and getting solar panels to power it.”
'I can drive up to 160 miles for just £1.50'
GRANDAD Anthony Hibbs, 59, a retired technical operator from Newcastle-under-Lyme, Staffs, has switched to an electric car – and it saves him thousands of pounds every year.
Anthony said: “I decided to go fully electric two years ago to help the environment.
“With advice from New Automotive, a transport research organisation, I opted for an electric VW Golf, which cost £23,000. I also switched to Octopus Energy, which has a low overnight tariff of 5p a unit.
“It was a big initial cost but now I can drive up to 160 miles for £1.50, so I’m saving in the long run and it’s good for the environ- ment. It’s win, win.
“I wash my clothes, charge my car and switch on the dishwasher overnight to save money.
“I was spending £100 on fuel each month plus £38 on a vehicle service plan, which is now £16, and no road tax.”
'We all need to help drive down green costs'
MUM of three Katy Holman, 43, from Winchester, Hants, who runs food business Nutritional Nosh, was inspired by her daughter Talia to make eco-friendly changes at home.
She said: “When Talia was eight she watched Sir David Attenborough’s Blue Planet and was so moved by the section on plastic in the ocean she gave a presentation to her school about looking after our planet.
“When I saw how much the issue affected Talia, I decided we needed to do more at home.
“We now have thermo solar panels on our roof. We’ve swapped clingfilm for reusable sandwich wraps and plastic straws for metal.
“I make sure all the packaging for my business is biodegradable, recycled or recyclable.
“But I have realised how much more it costs to be eco-friendly. We all need to demand change to help drive down costs.”
'I'm eating less meat and love the meals'
DANIEL HUMPHEY, 37, from St Albans, Herts, founder of Summerton Whisky Club (), has gone from eating meat at nearly every meal to four days a week.
He said: “Cost was part of the reason, as was the health benefit of eating more vegetables, plus the environmental factor.
“If we all ate one fewer meat meal a week it would make a big difference. Reducing the number of animals we eat by five per cent would reduce our carbon emissions by five per cent, too.
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“I’ve discovered some really tasty and easy meatless meals, like halloumi wraps, falafel and chickpea curry.
“And I now choose to buy quality meat from a local butcher, which has been farmed locally so has a far smaller carbon footprint than meat that is imported.”
A switch will make tea green
By Emma James
THE UK could cut 225,570 tons of carbon emission a year — if everyone boiled only the water they needed when they made a cuppa.
Measuring out water for the kettle would save the equivalent of 547.5million miles of car journeys. It would have the same impact as planting 7.4million trees and save £166,353,960 on energy bills.
The figures, calculated by sustainability experts Carbon Intelligence, are behind a new “Smart Boilers” campaign by the UK Tea and Infusions Trade Association.
Members include PG Tips, Tetley, Twinings, Pukka and Yorkshire Tea.
Chief executive Dr Sharon Hall said: “Small changes can add up to a significant impact.”