Easingwold Deanery Environment Group have come up with 8 Ideas for a Greener Lent.
From going plastic free to digital detoxing - you could try one or two or even all 8!
8 Ideas for a Greener Lent
Consider using Lent to make your lifestyle greener or to shrink your carbon footprint. You could choose just one or two or try them all if you are brave!
1. Go zero-waste or plastic-free. See how little rubbish (including recycling!) you can generate between now and Easter.
2. Reduce food waste. Strive to use all the food you buy before any goes bad. Try to cook through the contents of your pantry and freezer, places where food items often get forgotten.
3. Cook from scratch for all of Lent. See if you can make all your meals at home until Easter. Not only will you cut down on food waste, but you’ll probably save some money while you’re at it.
4. Try the 100-mile diet. For Lent, source only ingredients that come from within a 100-mile radius of your home.
5. "Fast" from excess water use. Pay close attention to your water footprint and try to eliminate it as much as possible through conservation. If you don’t have one already, install a water butt ready for the summer.
6. Try a buy-nothing challenge. Become a conscious consumer, asking yourself, “Do I really need this?”
7. Change your mode of transportation. Consider the car as the vehicle of last resort and for each journey you make explore the other options before jumping in the car automatically. (Reliance buses offer discounts on multi trip tickets.)
8. Do a digital detox. Set strict parameters for the use of personal devices, i.e. phone off during the workday or during evenings when you’re with family, no TV except on weekends, checking email and social media at designated times each day, etc.