30 (RELATIVELY PAINLESS) Ways to GREEN UP YOUR HOME

If you feel like you should be doing more to save the planet, but you're not sure where to start, start here and start today. We've rounded up a few easy ways to make your home more eco-friendly

- Jane Binsley

How do you feel about the fact that every plastic body wash bottle you've ever emptied is still out there somewhere - and still will be when your great, great, great grandchildren inherit the Earth?

When the planet's a dumpster fire, it's hard to imagine that anything little you do is going to make an iota of difference. But it does - and minimising your footprint can have some surprisingly positive side effects, giving your place a more personal touch, and saving you money too.

Freedom Furniture managing director Zoe Hertelendi says decorating sustainably is about making choices that not only look good but do good too. "Interiors should reflect the values of the people living in them," she says, "and that includes caring for our environment. Reducing waste, choosing quality and rethinking how we buy can make a real difference."

Look at whether your shopping and decorating habits are aligned with your values. Do you really want a lookalike home stocked with a rotating roster of the newest fashion styles and colour, or would you rather create something unique and layered, made up of thoughtfully procured pieces that have personal meaning to you - and will do for years to come?

To live the change you want to see in the world, make "refuse, reduce, recycle" your daily mantra.

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