You don’t have to be mean to be green. As well as listening to the plethora of ‘save the planet’ messages that flood your way, here are ten that are guaranteed to make you think:

1.      Travel less – We all spend time and money on travel. Try looking closer to home for customers, friends and things to do with your leisure time. You’ll be surprised when you discover what you’ve been missing.

2.      Grow more – My grandparents and probably yours grew their own fruit and veg. Windowsills, pots and patios can all provide ample opportunity to grow your own. Food from your garden covers no food miles and is fun to grow.

3.      Buy less – Everything you buy has an environmental, as well as a monetary cost. Only buy what you really need and leave the rest in the shop.

4.      Recycle more – One man’s waste is another man’s gold-mine. If you decide to upgrade the things you have and use, remember that someone else might really appreciate what you’d otherwise throw away. Discover your local ‘freecycle’ project. (LINK)

5.      Replace less – I was amazed on a recent trip to Morocco to see the way everything that breaks gets mended. Labour costs in Western Europe are now so high, and things like washing machines so (relatively) cheap, that we’re encouraged to replace things that with some time, ingenuity and cannibalisation could be repaired. Some social enterprises do this really well; we need more of them!

6.      Make more – Did you used to watch Blue Peter? If you did, you’ll be familiar with the notion of making, rather than buying things. In my day, Valerie Singleton could make the most amazing things with a plastic bottle, some card and sticky tape. Making things can be fun and is in many ways more rewarding than buying new.

7.      Demand less – In today’s competitive world, those seeking our custom offer more and more as they strive to differentiate themselves from their rivals. But do you really need all of the extras? Opt out of what you don’t need and demand less!

8.      Share more – I’ve long been a fan of collective ownership. At one time, I co-owned a petrol strimmer with three neighbours. It saved us all buying something inferior at greater cost. At work, at home and everywhere, try to share; it’s not mean, it’s green!

9.      Print less – Lots of people talk about the paperless office, but have you ever tried to create it? I’ve found that creating task lists means I don’t feel the urge to print out tonnes of paper and put it in files. I use the list to remember what I’ve promised to do rather than rummage through a pile of stuff on my desk.

10. Talk more – Yes, I think conversation is green. Why? Well by talking to people you understand them better, argue less and agree more. Disagreement and misunderstanding generates much more than hot air!

© Robert Ashton 2008