www.tewkesburymethodistchurch.org.uk https://www.tewkesburymethodistchurch.org.uk:443 News for www.tewkesburymethodistchurch.org.uk en-gb Wed, 15 Sep 2021 17:41:05 +0100 Copyright: (C) Andrew May 15 tewkesburymethodist_15126 Wed, 15 Sep 2021 17:41:05 +0100 General Tips
  1. In order to maintain oxygen levels keep some live indoor plants in your home. They brighten up the room too!
  2. A can of cola in the loo overnight helps remove limescale and discolouration.
  3. Help the Bees. Don’t mow the lawn, leaving even part of your garden to grow wild, can help pollinating insects, like bees, thrive.
  4. Plastic bags are appallingly wasteful to the environment. It is believed that 100 billion plastic shopping bags are used in America each year, and only 1-3% of worldwide plastic bags are recycled. This means a huge amount of waste, much of which ends up in landfill and wild areas.
  5. Use banana skins chopped up to put around your roses giving them a potassium rich tonic. The skins can be soaked in a jam jar with water for a few days then, drained and the water added to the plant water for a tonic for indoor plants too.
  6. The power of peel - l You will never throw away your orange peel again after discovering three great things you can do with it! By simply boiling orange peel in water for 15 minutes, leaving it to cool and pouring it into a spray bottle, you can create a clever mixture to use around your house. Spray liberally around your home to repel insects in summer, or use it as a natural insecticide by misting it over your plants. You can even use it to shine wooden surfaces by spraying it on and buffing with a cloth. Amazing!
  7. If you are planning on using frozen food, defrost it ahead of time in the fridge or on the worktop to both halve the cooking time and avoid using the energy of the microwave to defrost more quickly.
  8. When your paths are icy avoid using rock salt as its very corrosive and when melted it can kill plants and damaging to pets’ paws. Instead use non-clumping cat litter to give you a good grip.
  9. House plants – You can never have too many. Certain plants are best for certain rooms – Mother-in-law’s tongue gives off oxygen at night making it best suited to the bedroom. Peace Lilies thrive in rooms with high humidity which is ideal for bathrooms. Weeping figs are the best plants for removing formaldehyde from carpets and furniture, making them good for living areas.
  10. BIO DEGRADABLE HOUSEHOLD PRODUCTS: These products dissolve due to contact with bacteria and fungi i.e. they won’t cause environmental harm as they disappear through natural processes. They include recycled toilet paper, natural ingredients shampoos and soap, natural deodorant, bamboo toothbrushes and dishcloths made from hemp or agave fibres.
  11. Help Bees and other pollinating insects with hydration during the summer months by filling a shallow dish with water and adding pebbles to create different levels. Pop it into a shady area and keep it clean, refilling regularly.
  12. Draft proof doors and windows before the winter.
]]> https://www.tewkesburymethodistchurch.org.uk:443/288/General-Tips tewkesburymethodist_15123 Wed, 15 Sep 2021 15:40:58 +0100 Shopping
  1. Upgrade your computer or mobile phone rather than buying new ones. Buy refurbished equipment instead of new.
  2. Do not waste food. Buy only what your need. If there are special offers go for them but freeze the extra quantities to make a meal another day.
  3. When shopping at the supermarket for fruit and vegetables take a some brown paper bags with you to avoid using the supermarket plastic bags.
  4. Buy your staples locally and plastic free. At the E-shop in Barton street, Tewkesbury you can buy dried fruit, cereals, nuts, vinegars and oils etc. Take your own containers or brown bags and have the satisfaction of knowing your purchases are plastic free and you only buy the amount you need.
  5. You can save money by ensuring you use all the product in a plastic tube – such as toothpaste - before buying another. Cut them open up to a third of the way up to access all the unused product.
  6. Plan your meals to avoid waste. Did you know that in the UK 20 million whole slices of bread are thrown away every day?
  7. Use greaseproof paper instead of clingfilm to wrap food.
  8. Give loved ones experiences rather than things e.g. theatre trips, boat trip on the river or a meal out. If its got to be a thing house plants are always a good option.
  9. Before buying any more new clothes try to not buy for a year or if that’s too big a challenge try for a month or use the charity shops.
  10. Next time you have the impulse to buy a new book to read borrow it from the Library or a friend or try a second hand book shop instead of buying a new one.
  11. Stop drinking bottled water-use tap water or buy a water filter.
  12. Bathroom cleaners - It’s time to ditch the harsh chemical cleaners! Switch to plant powered cleaners ‘kissed’ with essential oils for the non-porous surfaces. Plus, it’s safer for you, your family and the planet.
  13. Ditch disposables for reusables to help reduce waste and save resources. Switch to reusable water bottles, coffee cups, and grocery bags. Just remember to wash them regularly – nobody wants a stinky container!
  14. Did you know that embracing a plant-based diet can help animals and the environment? By reducing your consumption of animal products, you can save resources, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and, of course, protect our animal friends. Plus, plants are delicious! (Shh, don't tell them we said that.)
  15. Consider using plastic free paper and plastic free Sellotape to wrap you parcels and presents. Be kind to the environment.
  16. I am sure you know that BNatural in Barton Street is closing its doors, and I am very sad because I just can't see myself going back to buying stuff in plastic packages, or not reusing the plastic bottles for liquids. So I have started thinking and have come up with some ideas. If you are interested, or have any other ideas, please contact me Sophie Franklin.
  17. Swap your clingfilm for reusable beeswax wraps.
  18. Do trawl the charity shops regularly lots of nearly new “stuff” – and avoid always buying new.
  19. In an effort to reduce the amount of plastic waste try and buy sauces etc. in glass or metal containers.
  20. Reduce your cotton wool usage. 1 kg of cotton takes 20,000 litres of water to make. Try to use washable reusable make-up cloths and pads.
  21. When buying plants, is the container biodegradable? Is the plant good for insects, choose plants with simple flowers, they are more likely to attract bees and butterflies? Use peat free compost.
  22. Check your packaging on purchases as most supermarkets will accept the soft plastic packaging for recycling. Most products carry information regarding recycling.
  23. Farming animals for meat and dairy requires space and huge amounts of water and feed. The livestock industry alone generates nearly 15% of all manmade greenhouse gas emissions. With global meat consumption soaring 500% between 1992 and 2016, it is clear we need to rebalance our diets by prioritising plants and moderating our intake of animal products. Source. WWF 2024
  24. Give the gift of animal adoption or animal lovers everywhere, our WWF adoptions are much more than just cuddly toys, they’re helping protect and restore iconic wildlife around the world and their precious habitats.
    •  Adopt an animal as a unique gift for animal lovers in your life - there are options for both kids and adults.
    •  Choose your adoption animal from a wide range of species, from penguins to orangutans, to turtles and rhinos.
    •   Adoptions help protect the species you adopt and fund our wider work to help bring our world back to life. Source: WWF, World Wildlife Fund 2024
]]> https://www.tewkesburymethodistchurch.org.uk:443/285/Shopping tewkesburymethodist_15122 Wed, 15 Sep 2021 15:23:52 +0100 Minimising Power Consumption
  1. Only heat up the water you need in the kettle, you will save water, energy and money! And your water will taste better than if it has been boiled several times.
  2. When using the oven switch off 5 – 10 minutes before the completion time. It will save energy.
  3. An energy saving tip – when leaving home for short periods, i.e. shopping etc. remember to switch off the heating until your return – it will soon warm up again!
  4. Cover pans when cooking: Whenever you cook on the hob, always try to cover the pans – this reduces the amount of energy that escapes from open pans, plus the amount of time it takes to heat up food and boil water.Turn off the tap when cleaning your teeth!
  5. Lower your thermostat: Reducing the temperature on your heating system’s thermostat by a few degrees will, over the course of a year, decrease the amount of energy and money you spend on heating.
  6. One of the cheapest, most effective ways to save energy and money at home is to draught proof windows, doors, letterbox, fireplaces, and loft hatches . Dr Sarah Price, head of building physics at Enhabit.
  7. Don’t let your taps drip; don’t leave electrical equipment on when not in use, and don’t leave it on ‘standby’ either.
  8. When taking a shower set a timer for 4 minutes; this can be a big saving both in energy, water and finance.
  9. Unplug your charger when your phone, laptop or tablet is fully charged.
  10. The microwave is your friend! Microwave ovens use up to 80% less energy than a conventional oven does. It also cooks faster, leaving more time to commit to other environmentally-friendly activities.
  11. Use shorter cycles for washing your clothes and choose a lower temperature.
  12. Heat a single cup of water in your microwave, instead of using a kettle.
  13. Close all your curtains and blinds at night. By closing your curtains and blinds, you can help stop warm air escaping through windows and reduce heating costs, especially if you have radiators situated below your windows.
  14. Investing in an aerated shower head will make a significant difference to energy and water consumption. They inject air into the water stream, limiting water usage. A water-efficient shower head could save a four-person household £70 a year on gas for water heating, and a further £115 on water bills if they have a meter.
  15. If you use a dishwasher only start it when its full. A half load uses the same amount of electricity and hot water as a full load, so waiting till its full means you do fewer washes and save more energy.    NB Don’t overload it because the machine won’t wash properly.
  16. Batch cook and freeze in typical portion sizes as well as freezing leftovers to avoid waste. Use seasonal ingredients, save those air and road miles. Be kind to the environment!
  17. Unplug before going travelling – even if electronic devices are shut off or in sleep mode, they still use energy. Being away for too long wastes energy that could otherwise have been switched off so before going on holiday unplug your devices from the wall sockets. Each UK household spends around £50 - £86 a year to power appliances left in standby mode or unused.

 

]]> https://www.tewkesburymethodistchurch.org.uk:443/284/Minimising-Power-Consumption tewkesburymethodist_15121 Wed, 15 Sep 2021 15:23:44 +0100 Recycling
  1. Recycling – Please note the Vale Wildlife Hospital at Beckford would welcome your old newspapers and stamps. These can either be taken to the hospital (open all the time) or dropped at their shop in the High Street.
  2. To reduce the amount of plastic going to landfill save your clean paper bags to go shopping with you and say no to plastic bags. Some shops do provide brown bags but not all.
  3. To avoid plastic why not purchase milk etc, from your local milkman who reuses glass bottles.
  4. Please pass medication blister packs to Jean Davies – she has a contact in her village.
  5. Empty toothpaste packaging and tubes, and old toothbrushes along with corks can be left in containers located at the Town Hall or placed in a paper envelope and posted through the letterbox if closed.
  6. Used Postage Stamps We still continue to collect ‘used’ postage stamps which are recycled for charity. You can put them into the box in the foyer and I will collect them. Please leave at least inch, 25mm, or more, of paper around the stamp, any old unused stamps are welcomed as well. Thank you Patricia.
  7. Use Eco Friendly Toilet Paper A lot of trees are cut down in order to make toilet paper rolls. It requires at least 17 trees and 90 to 92 litres of water for a tonne of paper rolls. As the average person uses 100 rolls in a year, using regular toilet paper is not a sustainable habit. Consumers could use eco friendly toilet paper made out of bamboo. As bamboo grows 39 inches within a 24 hour period, toilet paper made out of bamboo is a much more sustainable option compared to regular toilet paper.
  8. Keep your plastic bags, bread bags etc and recycle at the supermarket bins.
  9. Avoid sending any plastic packaging to the tip via your bin by returning it to local supermarkets where they have receptacles for it.
  10. Flatten your cardboard boxes and squash your plastic bottles before putting in the recycling bin.
  11. Recycle any brand of razor or razor blades for free via the Gillette website. Each household can request 4 envelopes per year, and you can send a maximum of 16 razors and/or razor blades in each envelope. Order your recycling envelope though the GILLETTE® WEBSITE.
  12. Just a reminder we are asked to observe the function of the various wheelie bins:
    * Green- Anything that cannot be recylced and will be sent to landfill.
    * Brown- Strictly garden waste.

    * Blue- Recyclable materials. It is important to adhere to this format. If any wrong items are put into a bin it will not be emptied.

  13. Consider using reusable containers for water and hot drinks rather than one use plastic. Be kind to the environment.
  14. Make use of a Repair Café for any broken items rather than buying new – free repairs for a donation. (One at the Baptist Church in Tewkesbury).
  15. Recycling food waste is one of the many benefits of having a compost heap. It’s great for insects and wildlife, encouraging heap dwellers like rove beetles or nesting bumblebees as well as hedgehogs. Source ALDI eco tips.
  16. Recycling 1 ton of paper saves 7,000 gallons of water, three cubic yards of landfill space and 4,100 kilowatt-hours of electricity.
  17. Wash as necessary and save silver foil: Save plastic bags, biscuit, cake and bread wrappers, flower wrappers. Put food waste and tea bags in the green bag bins. Please leave the silver foil and food wrappers in the kitchen for me to collect or just give them to me. Thank you Patricia.
  18. Boots in Tewkesbury now have a box for depositing used medication blister packs. Please make sure there are no tablets left in the packs before putting them in the box.
]]> https://www.tewkesburymethodistchurch.org.uk:443/283/Recycling tewkesburymethodist_15120 Wed, 15 Sep 2021 15:23:32 +0100 Water Use
  1. Letting your taps run for five minutes uses about as much energy as a 60-watt lightbulb consumes in 14 hours.
  2. Are you wasting water? If you have a meter fitted, you can see how much you are using and be able to monitor your consumption.
  3. You can save a lot of water & energy by reducing the number of times you wash up in a day. Only wash-up when you have a bowl full. Odd bits and pieces can wait.
  4. A leaking tap that fills a coffee cup in 10 minutes will waste an estimated 3,000 gallons of water per year.
  5. Wash your vegetables into a bowl so you can water the plants with that water, instead of pouring it down the drain.
  6. Collect rainwater and use on the garden as well any used washing up water.
  7. Save energy – wash the dark coloured clothes on 30 degrees.
  8. If you use a dishwasher only start it when its full, A half load uses the same amount of electricity and water as a full load so waiting until its full means you will do fewer washes and save more energy. The same applies to washing machines.
  9. Hang laundry to dry and skip the dryer. Switch your washer to cold and cut the time down in your settings. Clear out the chemicals from your home and use eco-friendly cleaners. Reduce paper towel usage and use reusable cloths instead. Reduce water usage. Do not waste water Source: https://naturecanada.ca
]]> https://www.tewkesburymethodistchurch.org.uk:443/282/Water-Use