Top ten strange ways to go green

• Sep. 15 by Natalie Adcock (1)

You can’t say that we don’t think of inventive ways to help the planet.

I’ve been coming across more and more unusual techniques, so here are my top ten strange ways to go green.

Decide for yourself whether they’re easy or unthinkable for you!

1. Use Condoms. The top of the list appeared in The Sun this week – use condoms to stop climate change. The theory behind it is actually simple (and less crude than the title suggests), that putting the halt to global population growth is the most effective way to lower carbon emissions. The United Nations estimates that forty per cent of all pregnancies are unintended, and that measures such as free condoms to women who wish for them will reduce this. Less people, less emissions!
2. Avoid the loo. Why don’t we aim for every household flushing the toilet just one fewer time a day? Think of the water we’d save! To do this though, we’d need to get in touch with our au natural side and either use the great outdoors as our toilet or, as the Brazilians do it, pee in the shower. Don’t worry, urine is sterile!
3. Green funerals. What on earth is a green burial, you ask? Well with 56 million people dying each year, our modern funeral practices can have a significant negative environmental impact. When I first stumbled across green funerals, I was shocked by the amount of detail that went into thinking about how you can have a green send off, down to carpooling to the church and using recycled paper for the programme. The best thing to do is add a clause to your will to make your wishes clear.
4. Green pets. Why breed pets when you can adopt one from a shelter? Fewer pets mean fewer mouths to feed! On the same note, be sure to have your pet neutered to help control the animal population. When scooping up your pet’s business, make sure you use a biodegradable bag or you can compost the poop and pets also make great Hoovers, so give them the leftover food that they are allowed instead of throwing it away.
5. Green dating. Let your concern for the environment shine through when you are on a date as that way you are more likely to connect with like-minded people. Buy green wine, wear green clothes or even try green dating sites like Green Singles, Green Passions, and Planet Earth Singles. Another suggestion is attempt to avoid long distance relationships by dating locally.
6. Solar powered bikini. Save on electric and make sure that your iPod doesn’t run out of battery at the beach with this solar powered bikini.
7. Eco friendly pet names. Complete credit to Planet Green for this inventive idea – what better way to express your values and tells that someone special how you feel than with a name like Bicycle Babe, Hybrid Hunk or Leafy Love? Green Goddess, Greenie Beanie or Hybrid Hug Bug? Share your own ideas with Birmingham Recycled below!
8. Ditch the beauty products. By that I mean the luxuries that aren’t really necessary – perfumes and make up (are any ladies out there gasping in horror?)! Okay, it’s probably unrealistic to ask us to cut them out altogether, but have a think about all the preventable packaging and chemicals that go into these goods.
9. Bath less. Another suggestion that might have you mortified, but as relaxing, lovely and romantic that baths might be, they definitely aren’t friends with our planet. Showers use less water, and you still don’t need to shower every day as a couple of times a week is enough to keep you hygienic.
10. No more cutlery. Stop resisting the temptation to drink juice out of the packet, sparing the use of glasses, and do a Monica from Friends and eat those cookies over the sink to save on plates. These techniques will mean less water is used for washing up.

Can you think of any other unusual green methods?