8 out of 10 consumers unaware that low-energy light bulbs MUST be recycled

Has anyone else noticed that low-energy light bulbs don't seem to be as long-life as they say they are? And few of us are aware that they must be recycled to prevent the mercury that they contain from ending up in landfill sites. But recycling facilities are woefully lacking as they have to be recycled through specialised recycling facilities.

So to help promote the need to recycle, a colourful animation created by Sam Duggan, has been released, illustrating how people can help increase recycling rates of low-energy light bulbs in their community by becoming a CoBRA volunteer.

Is it worth getting a Home Energy Monitor?

Knowing how much energy your home appliances are using, with a home energy monitor, is great if it helps you save cash and reduce your carbon footprint. But not if it's just another gadget, redundant when the novelty wears off. moneysavingexpert claims you can save up to 15% or £135, off the average annual bill by using a monitor. Some energy suppliers are offering deals with a free energy monitor with certain tariffs, but beware you could be paying over the odds for the tariff. Check the rate out first and buy a monitor separately. Or save the cash and look at the dial on your meter spinning around in the cupboard!

Concerned about your water usage? The recent lack of rainfall might mean we all should be.

Well, it's now possible to rank dishwashers, washer dryers and washing machines by water usage as well as energy usage thanks to Sust-it.

We've taken OFWAT's average price for a cubic metre of water, and fed this into our calculations to give an overall running cost. With nearly 40 per cent of homes now having a water meter, saving money by saving water is an important issue. For dishwashers there is very little difference in water consumption between models, they use on average 10 litres per wash, or cost about £3 per year. The real baddies are the washer dryers, some can use over 130 litres per wash - double the water consumption of a washing machine and can cost as much as £45 per year.

Panasonic pips Bosch to top the Sust-it Washing machines rankings

First Bosch shot to the top of sust-its washing machines list with its 7.0kg capacity Exxcel WAQ28460GB model rated at A+++, costing on average £37.16 to run per year. Then along comes Panasonic and bumps them into 5th place with its new NA-148VG3WGB model taking the coveted number 1 spot averaging at £31.01 per year to run. Or if you are looking for a larger capacity machine, Panasonic via John Lewis are currently offering a free 5 year guarantee on their NA-140VG3W 10 kg model, which can't be bad.

gets a new look

Our other website, GreenChoices, has recently undergone a make-over, making it even simpler to find out information on sustainable life choices. From cosmetics to building, it's a great resource for anyone with an interest in Green Living and how our purchasing decisions effect the environment. GreenChoices website is dedicated to providing simple, direct information on green alternatives which make a real, lasting difference. We are always on the look out for new ideas and green living tips so please e-mail info@greenchoices.org.

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