On average each person in the UK uses 135 litres of tap water each day. A lot of that is wasted – going straight down the sink without being usefully used. How much do we really need? Well the average person in the developing world uses only 10 litres so there is definitely room for most of us to cut down.

What has money got to do with being green? Well, its more to do with being ethical - choosing companies and investments that have strong green credentials, and avoiding those that don't.

Start off with our guide to what is ethical, and the range of ethical investments that you might want to consider.

Most of us have a vast range of cleaning products in our home, each supposedly formulated to clean one specific item: windows, carpets, cooker tops, sinks, suede, paving – you name it, there are a bunch of products available to clean it.

Around 7% of UK energy consumption, and 9% of CO2 production, is produced by the building and construction industry. However the energy required to build an average house is only 5% of that required to sustain the house through its lifetime, so it is worth spending extra time, and extra money, in choosing the right materials for the house that will limit its environmental impact through its life.

When embarking on housebuilding or DIY the three priorities from an environmental perspective are:

• energy efficiency


• Sustainable building


• Water conservation

The key principles of sustainable building are:

• Avoid environmental damage – including to people and wildlife


• Use local materials and resources


• Minimise energy use in material production and the building process


• Choose materials that are right for the location


• Choose materials for cost and recyclability

BRE (the Building Research Establishment) has an online bookshop, described as “one of the world’s biggest online construction bookstores”. Titles are on the expensive side, but compared to the total cost of a large project, and the potential savings that can be made, the cost of a book or two is insignificant. A few potentially useful titles are:

‘The Green Guide to Housing Specification’ (£49.35, downloadable)

‘Sustainability and Green Issues Pack’ (£40)

‘Energy Use and Efficiency Pack (£37.50)

Gardening isn’t just about being kinder to the environment, there are lots of other benefits:

You can make a big difference to the environment in your garden through a few simple changes:

Never use patio heaters – they just send inefficiently produced energy straight up into the air, as well as pumping out CO₂ and carbon monoxide.

There are many calculators on the web to allow you to calculate your water usage:

BBC water calculator

You can use any number of delicious organic essential oil to fragrance your bath. To help them disperse in the water, mix four to ten drops of your chosen oil with one tablespoon of milk first; the fat in two percent or whole milk acts as a carrier to help distribute the oils evenly around the bath. For the greatest benefit, choose essential oils that match your skin type

There are chemicals around us which can do us, and the planet, harm in many different ways. We have categorised them by the means by which you are most likely to get them into your body.