2. Join the rental revolution

Imagine being able to try your hand at a new sport without having to buy all the gear? Or doing those jobs around the house you’ve been putting off because you just can’t face forking out for a power tool you’ll only need once.

The answer to your dreams is RentMy. Billed as the “Airbnb of everything”, this platform will allow individuals across the country to advertise anything – from sports equipment to DIY tools, cookery equipment to clothing and furniture to wedding paraphernalia – to people in their area in exchange for a rental fee.

RentMy allows people to make money from the things they own, making old items profitable while others benefit from them – as well as helping the environment by reducing consumption.

Sign up here and check out RentMy on Facebook and Instagram.

3. Get involved in rewilding 

Simply put, rewilding is about letting spaces return to their natural state without overly managing their restoration. Rewilding Rewilding Britain aims to ‘tackle the climate emergency and extinction crisis, reconnect people with the natural world and to help communities thrive’.

Find out how to support a project near you, here.

4. Use refilling stations

Chances are, you don’t live far from a refilling station – where you can ditch all that packaging and bring your own containers and stock up on everything from pasta and rice, to cereal, tea bags, coffee, detergents, and shampoo.

Most of the major UK supermarkets are trialling refill stations – but there are some fantastic independent stores around the country who are leading the way.

The Wholefood Store near RentMy HQ in Manningtree, Essex, has a great refill station which the team love to visit. Another favourite is The Bottle Sanctuary, based in and around Colchester and Tendring – where you buy glass bottles then just pay for refills as/when you need them. And what a bonus, they come to you!

If you buy Ecover, you can find out where to fill up by typing in your postcode, and lots of the locations do other refills too.

5. Train your brain

Habits run deep, but why not make 2022 the year that you change your mindset and take on some greener, healthier behaviours. Ailuna is a sustainability training app which makes it fun to develop habits that are good for you and the planet. You can even challenge your family and friends to work on their everyday choices too. Find out more here.

 

6. Look after your clothes

We’ve all heard about avoiding fast fashion and investing in fewer, but better, pieces which will last years. But you can extend the life of those beautiful clothes even further by looking after them properly. That means only washing them when they need it – as overwashing can damage the delicate fibres as well as wasting water and energy. Have you heard about putting your jeans in the freezer? It’s supposed to be gentler on denim and avoid fading!

 

7. Plant a tree a month

For the price of a take-out lunch or a couple of coffees, you can help to create beautiful green spaces in the UK and abroad.

By setting aside a few pounds a month, you can pay for a tree to be planted via various charities.

The National Trust runs a scheme where you can donate £5 to pay for one new sapling. Or check out the non-profit tree planting charity One Tree Planted, which plant trees in countries around the world.