Food

• Supermarket produce can travel thousands of miles to get to you, so shop local and seasonally. Barnsley Markets are a great place to start.
• Reduce the amount of food you throw away – only buying the food you need and store fruit in the fridge to make it last longer. Check Love Food Hate Waste for ideas on how to make the most of the food you buy.
• Reduce the amount of meat and dairy you eat. There are plenty of plant-based dishes to try at Market Kitchen.
• Grow your own veg. If you don’t have a garden, consider an allotment or search LiveWell Barnsley to see if there is a community garden in your area.

Gardening

There are lots of things you can do in your garden to look after the environment and wildlife.

• Choose wildlife friendly plants and plants suited to the climate. Make your garden more wildlife friendly.
• Make your own compost by composting your garden and food waste.
• Avoid paving or concrete – paving over gardens can create localised flooding.
• Plant a tree – trees help tackle climate change by absorbing CO_2. Find out more about planting trees.
• If you’re gardening on a budget, you could try sharing seeds, plants and cuttings with friends and neighbours.

In the community

• Get your friends and family involved with being more climate friendly.
• Set up a group to suggest ways to make your school, college or workplace more eco-friendly.
• Get involved in a litter pick or community clean-up day. Check your area council’s Facebook page to find out what’s going on in your area.
• Volunteer – check the opportunities available locally with Barnsley CVS.

If you’re involved in a community group and want to set up an environmental project, check South Yorkshire Funding Advice Bureau. They may be able to help with funding.

Reduce your energy use

14% of the UK’s carbon emissions come from heating, lighting and running appliances in our homes. Reducing the amount of energy you use should also save you money on your bills.

• Insulate your home and make sure your heating system is efficient. This will reduce the amount of energy you use; make your home warmer and save you money. Find out more about making your home warmer and cheaper to run.
• Use your heating controls – set your heating controls to heat your home around your schedule. Heat your home to 18-21 degrees and set the timer around your daily routines.
• Consider a smart thermostat – which lets you turn your heating on and off using your smart phone. Some of these devices do this automatically. They know when someone is at home based on the location of smartphones belonging to everyone in the house. So if you have to go out unexpectedly, you don’t have to heat an empty home.
• Make sure you switch off appliances when not in use, use energy-saving light bulbs and turn the lights off when you leave a room. Use a washing line to dry your clothes on sunny days, rather than using a tumble dryer.
• If possible, buy energy efficient appliances.
• Switch your energy supplier to a green energy supplier. Find out more about how to switch and get help to make your home warmer and cheaper to run. 

Reduce your waste

The average Barnsley household in the UK produces almost a tonne of rubbish per year.  There is a lot we can do to reduce the amount we throw away and reduce carbon emissions.

• Choose good quality products which will last a long time when you can. Clothing made from cotton tends to be better quality and is easier to recycle.
• If possible, repair old or broken items. Borrow items from friends and neighbours or consider buying second hand.
• Use your local library - you can borrow books, e-books and digital magazines for free from Barnsley’s libraries.
• Replace disposable, single-use items such as coffee cups, baby wipes, razors, cling film and nappies with reusable and waste-free alternatives.
• Take unwanted, good quality furniture, clothes and electrical items to charity shops.
• Check the recycling information printed on many products and recycle as much as you can.
• Check what you can recycle in your bins and make the most of recycling. You can also recycle a lot of items at your local household waste recycling centre. To see what else you can recycle and where, visit Recycle Now website.
• Reduce fly-tipping by using a licensed waste removal company.
• For more information on waste and recycling in Barnsley, visit the Barnsley, Doncaster and Rotherham Waste Partnership website.

Save water

A lot of energy is used to make water safe to drink; pipe it to our homes, heat it and dispose of it afterwards. Climate change may mean higher temperatures and more droughts. Maintaining our water supplies, using water wisely and protecting it from pollution is very important.

• Don’t leave taps running.
• Fix any leaks.
• Take a short shower instead of a bath.
• Only boil as much water as you need in the kettle.
• Use dishwashers and washing machines on full loads and use the eco setting.
• Avoid using hosepipes.
• Get a water butt to collect rainwater to water plants or wash your car.

Take a look at Yorkshire Water’s tips to reduce the amount of water you waste.

Travel

Transport in the Sheffield City Region makes up 37% of carbon emissions. The majority of trips in England are made by car, even for journeys of between one and two miles. So if you're able to walk or cycle, you can easily reduce your emissions and get healthy at the same time.

• Walk and cycle more often – Barnsley Bike Works can help get you started with cycling. You can also find out about where to hire a bike in Barnsley and walking in Barnsley.
• Check to see if your employer offers a cycle to work scheme which could help you pay for a new bike.
• Use public transport – you can easily plan your journey using the Travel South Yorkshire website.
• Consider car sharing.
• If you need to drive and need a new car - consider an electric car.
• Avoid flying – take a staycation instead and visit all the great things to do in Barnsley. If you must fly – think about carbon offsetting, which lets you invest in environmental projects to balance out carbon emissions.