Five ways to go 'eco' this month

To mark ‘Green Month’ this June, ask yourself can you make small changes that can make a big difference to help tackle climate change? 

Not only can these changes be good for the environment, but they can help reduce your household bills too!

Here are five ways you can make a difference:

1. BE A TREE GUARDIAN

Between January 2021 and March 2022, 500 volunteers and 15 schools planted an incredible 21,527 trees around the borough, as part of the council’s ambitious aim to plant 21,000 trees every year until 2030. If you’d like to play a role in making sure the trees are looked after, why not join one of the maintenance events on June 9, 10, 16 and 24, which will include weeding, applying mulch and straightening trees. Visit the council's website and sign up through Eventbrite if you’d like to take part.

2. GO ENERGY-EFFICIENT

Energy-efficient measures such as new insulation or solar panels aren’t just a great way of saving energy in your household, it helps you save money on your fuel bills too. The good news is that funding is available for Wirral residents to upgrade their home, often at no cost to them, using funding from the government’s Sustainable Warmth Fund. Visit the council's website for more information on eligibility criteria and how to apply.

3. USE YOUR CAR LESS

A new campaign is asking people in Wirral to ‘Think Outside The Box’ and see if there is a different way that they could make some of their short journeys. The aim is to show that by making even small changes, for example by walking or cycling to work even just once a week, or when they are popping to the shops, people will be able to see the difference it can make to their health, their wallet and where they live. For more information about cycling, walking and using public transport visit the council’s website.

OTHER WAYS YOU CAN GET INVOLVED:

• New dog-walking routes are coming to Birkenhead Park. The scheme, running between 6-26 June, will have clearly marked routes and bins to encourage owners to reduce instances of dog fouling.
• Birkenhead Priory is taking part in Liverpool Architecture Festival, which this year has the themes climate, community and inclusivity. Take a guided tour on Wednesday 8 June. 
• Residents are being asked to count the number of flowers in a one meter square of their lawn, in order to provide a health-check of Wirral’s gardens. Take the Every Flower Counts Survey here.

4. EMBRACE SINGLE-USE PLASTIC

Would you like to help make single-use plastic a thing of the past? Thursday 16 June is World Refill Day, a global campaign encouraging people to live their lives with less waste and you can do your bit by looking at your shopping habits.

One way you can make a difference is to use local retailers like The Hoylake Pantry: Zero Waste Shopping and Waste Not Want Not in Birkenhead. Both sell package-free food staples like rice, pasta and sugar, as well as household products and cleaning products. 

You can also download the Refill app, which tells you local places where you can refill your reusable water bottle.

5. REDUCE YOUR FOOD WASTE... AND SAVE MONEY TOO!

Did you know that an estimated 20 million slices of bread are thrown away in UK homes every day, enough to provide breakfast for 10 million people? There is a simple solution - bread can be toasted directly from the freezer, so you don’t have to throw so much away!

Visit the Love Food Hate Waste website for many more useful tips like this which won’t just help you reduce your food waste, but will help you save money on your shopping bills too.