Pupils in prep school were sent home with a postcard to spark a discussion about the challenges our planet and its inhabitants face and what we do as households to preserve our planet.  Miss Hayward was inspired reading what the pupils already do and the learning about the challenges that their parents and themselves set to go one step further - from local litter picks to a commitment to necessity-only shopping.  

Below are some hints and tips relating to some of the other environmentally-friendly hacks families in our community have shared through the postcards:

Reduce cling film - 

Repurpose empty jars; beeswax wraps (if you fancy making your own, visit https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/home/craft-ideas/g25642328/diy-beeswax-reusuable-wraps/)  ; use crockery to cover food when heating in the microwave; use existing plastic wrap to cover foods; purchase silicone alternatives (IKEA sell some in their kitchen utensils range)

Conserve water -

Buy a water butt to collect rainwater for the garden; stick a digital kitchen timer in the bathroom to monitor shower times (shower-friendly ones available on Amazon UK from about £5); switch the tap off whilst washing up and cleaning teeth.  More ideas here - https://www.waterwise.org.uk/save-water/

Waste recipes - 

Miss Hayward recommends including leaves from cauliflowers and broccoli as they add flavour and are rather delicious! Other ideas  - https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/howto/guide/how-use-fruit-vegetable-scraps

Natural cleaning - 

Visit this link for some ‘recipes’ for home-made cleaning products - https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/home/cleaning/tips/a24885/make-at-home-cleaners/

Walking - 

Fancy walking to your destination? Slow Ways has just launched, with routes across the country for walking to all sorts of places! https://beta.slowways.org/