To link with this, we are planning a series of Re-cycling,
Eco Friendly and Organic Events during the coming
months.

Plastic bag factfile

On average, we use a plastic bag for 12 minutes before discarding it.

Up to 47 per cent of windborne litter escaping from landfills is plastic – much of it is plastic bags.

Plastic bags do not biodegrade, they photo degrade – break down into smaller and smaller bits, contaminating soil, waterways and oceans, and entering the food chain when ingested by animals.

Plastic bag litter is lethal in the marine environment, killing at least 100,000 birds, whales, seals and turtles every year.

Most of the carrier bags used in Britain are made in factories in China and travel halfway around the world to be dished out in our high streets; many are then shipped back to be recycled.

Monkton Elm’s top tips for gardeners wishing to go greener in 2008

HOME COMPOSTING
A third of the average household bin can be composted. This includes:

• Fruit and vegetable peelings
  
• Teabags
  
• Cardboard and newspaper
  
• Garden waste

It is easy to do yourself in a home composting bin. Within 6-9 months
you’ll have top quality compost to dig into your soil and give your borders a boost.

SAVE AND RE-USE WATER
We should all be doing our best to reduce the amount of water we use in our homes and gardens, while also helping maintain moisture levels in soils.

• Fit a nozzle on your hosepipe so you can control how much you use

• Grey water (such as dishwater or water from washing vegetables) can be used to water plants as long as it’s allowed to cool, contains no
  chemicals and isn’t used on plants you intend to eat

• Collect rain water in a water butt

• Using a soil conditioner or home made compost aids moisture retention

• Choose plants which like dry conditioners, such as grasses, herbs and succulents