What can Youdoo
From money to travel to home, this is where the action is. We’ve put together some top tips and practical suggestions (with useful links) to help YOUDOO your sustainable bit for your part of Bristol.
Voice
Read more
Speak to your friends and family
We care what our loved ones have to say. Share the changes you’ve made and the benefits. You could even recommend YOUDOO!
We know it can be tricky talking about climate change so start by finding common ground – what do you both care about?
From cleaner air and cheaper-to-run homes to more connected communities, there are plenty of things we can all agree we’d like to see.
Most importantly, be respectful and listen to their concerns. Climate Outreach has more advice to help you get started.
Find out more
Chat to your colleagues
With 81% of people in Bristol concerned about climate change, it’s likely your colleagues are worried too.
Why not start a conversation about steps you can take together in the workplace, like opting for veggie lunches or switching to green energy? You could also encourage your company to take its own actions, like committing to net zero emisisons.
Find out more
Tell your MP
Our government has a huge role in creating a cleaner, greener UK.
But they need to know it’s important to the people who vote for them. Tell your MP this by organising a meeting with them, writing a letter or sending a tweet.
It’s most effective to have a specific ask, so think about what’s important to your local area. This could be air pollution, better public transport or investment in insulating homes.
Tell companies you want change
Have you spotted that your supermarket uses too much packaging? Would you like more veggie options in your local cafe? Tell them!
Most businesses are interested in knowing what their customers want. Keep it short and sweet, explain your concern and the change you’d like to see.
Get involved in your community
From protecting green spaces to tackling air pollution, people across the city are taking action themselves to make our neighbourhoods cleaner, healthier and happier places.
Can’t find what you’re looking for? Why not set up your own group to tackle a specific issue in your area!
Food
Read more
Say no to food waste
Food waste costs the average person in the UK £200 per year. Stop throwing money in the bin by:
- Planning your meals
- Only buying what you need
- Measuring out portions correctly
- Freezing leftovers or food that’s about to go out of date.
Food-sharing apps like Too Good to Go let businesses flag when they have food that’s about to go to waste – letting you go and pick it up for cheap!
Find out more
Sign up to Meat Free Monday
Diversify your diet by going meat free for one day a week (or more!) and relish the amazing British veg we have available.
The Meat Free Monday website has plenty of ideas for delicious recipes to get you started.
Find out more
Eat with the seasons
Seasonal food tastes better, reduces your impact on the planet and supports our local farmers. What’s not to like!
- Ask your greengrocer what’s in season
- Opt for one of Bristol’s many local veg boxes
- Visit a farmers’ market.
BBC Food also has a handy guide for seasonal recipes if you’re stuck for inspiration.
Buy local wherever possible
One study found that £1 spent with a local supplier is worth £1.76 to the local economy.
Supporting Bristol’s farmers and businesses is a great way to help our local economy thrive – as well as choose food that’s travelled fewer miles.
Find the options closest to you.
More plants, less meat
Removing meat and dairy from your diet can reduce your food footprint by 73%.
Go further than meat-free Monday and make meat a treat. You’ll be enjoying a healthier diet that uses less water, reduces deforestation and cuts carbon.
Find out more
Grow your own
It doesn’t get much more local than growing food in your garden.
From window boxes for herbs and salad leaves to veg planters filled carrots and onions, there are options for all garden sizes (even flats).
All you need is some seeds, time and a willingness to learn!
Find out more
Get involved with community growing
Join one of Bristol’s local growing groups, reaping the rewards of exercise, socialising and the harvest!
There’s a range of projects across the city to suit all tastes, whether you fancy harvesting apples at an orchard or rolling up your sleeves at a city farm.
Find out more
Apply for an allotment
Outgrown your garden? Join the waiting list for one of Bristol’s allotments.
It’s a commitment but you’ll have much more space for your growing endeavours – and the opportunity to make new friends too.
Find out more
Use Less
Read more
Buy secondhand
From baby clothes and books to coffee tables and couches, there are plenty of things that don’t need to be bought brand new.
In the digital age it’s never been easier to find good-quality secondhand goods – check out Facebook marketplace and groups, Gumtree and apps like Depop.
Swap ‘til you drop
You know the saying – one person’s trash is another person’s treasure.
Next time you’re decluttering, save things from landfill and save yourself some pounds by joining Bristol’s active swapping community.
You get points for your unwanted items, which you can then ‘spend’ on things you need.
Find out more
Use your smartphone for longer
Mobile phones are energy intensive to manufacture. Extending the use of your smartphone for just one more year can cut its carbon impact by a third.
And don’t leave your old ones forgotten in a drawer. The charity Hubbub refurbs unwanted smartphones for people who don’t have one.
Go zero waste
Frustrated by the sheer volume of packaging in supermarkets? Appalled by your bin bulging with plastic wrapping?
Visit your local zero waste shop with some reusable containers and you’re all set for no-fuss, plastic-free shopping.
Borrow, don’t buy
The average drill is used for just 13 mins in its lifetime. From lawnmowers to projector screens, why spend money when you could borrow what you need?
Drop a message on your street WhatsApp or Facebook group to see if someone has what you’re looking for.
Or check out Bristol’s dedicated ‘Library of things.’ Instead of books, you can find – among other things – tools, tents and tennis rackets!
Find out more
Phase out fast fashion
With the fashion industry responsible for approx. 5 – 8% of global carbon emissions, buying far fewer new clothes is a smart choice.
Opting for secondhand, sharing with friends or swapping are all great ways to get a new outfit – cheaper too!
When you are buying new, try adopting the ‘30 wears’ rule. Will you wear it 30 times? If the answer’s no, don’t buy it.
Don’t despair, repair
It’s easy to get rid of things that are broken. But often they can be fixed!
Bristol has several ‘repair cafes’ where you can learn how to mend that toaster or darn a jumper – as well as grab a cuppa and meet new people.
Or you can also find guides online to help you fix a whole range of things – from tablets to toys.
Find out more
Buy better
Buying fewer things overall often means you can afford to invest in good quality, sustainable items that will last longer – especially electrical goods.
Look out for fridges, washing machines and dishwashers with high energy efficiency ratings and long guarantees.
Find out more
Travel
Read more
Pedestrian power
With 60% of journeys of one to two miles made by car, one of the easiest actions you can take is to walk when you can.
Whether it’s for commuting or leisure, travelling around our beautiful city as a pedestrian is an enjoyable and healthy way to get from A to B.
Use public transport
Bristol has a range of different – and fun – ways to get about the city that don’t involve a car.
Why not replace a couple of car trips a week by hopping on a bus, renting an e-scooter or even taking to the water with Bristol’s ferry!
Find out more
Get on your bike
Enjoy some exercise, save money and beat the traffic by cycling.
You don’t need anything fancy – fix up your old bike or buy secondhand.
If your sights are set on a new bike, find out whether your company supports the Cycle to Work scheme. This helps you spread the cost and provides a discount – and applies to e-bikes too if you want that extra boost.
If you don’t feel confident, Bristol’s Better by Bike initiative provides cycling training and a ‘loan a bike’ scheme so you can try-before-you-buy.
Go car-free
Did you know the average car is parked 95% of the time?
More and more people are deciding owning a car isn’t for them and finding new ways to access a vehicle when they need one.
Bristol’s Co-Wheels car club offers a range of pay-as-you-go hybrid and electric options. Or you could explore peer-to-peer schemes – Hiya Car is like AirBnB for cars.
Take the train
We know not everyone flies. But if you’re in the habit of hopping on a plane for holidays, why not opt for the train next time?
It can be super simple to get to Europe by rail – free of stress and long queues, with the added bonus of beautiful scenery.
There are websites like Seat 61 that help you find the cheapest and easiest route.
Fancy something even more effortless? Support our tourism industry with a holiday in the UK!
Find out more
Invest in an electric car
If it’s an option for you, why not go electric? They’re cheaper to run and maintain, with fuel costs from just 2p a mile and no vehicle tax.
It’s also the sensible long-term decision, as more cities bring in clean air zones.
And the government plug-in car grant even offers a discount of up to £2,500 for eligible cars.
Go flight free
Enjoyed travelling by train? Make it official and pledge to be flight free for a year (or more!)
Avoiding one transatlantic flight a year is among the highest impact environmental actions you can take.
If you fly for work a lot, ask yourself if it’s really needed – recent events have shown us the power of video conferencing!
Find out more
Home
Read more
Turn your thermostat down by one degree
This is a quick way to save yourself some money and it’s likely you won’t even notice!
However, if there are elderly people or people with health issues living in your house, this might not be suitable so do what’s right for you.
Wash your clothes at 30
Wash your clothes at a cool and efficient 30 degrees and all that will shrink is your carbon footprint. If we all did this, it would be the equivalent of taking almost 400,000 cars off the road.
Most modern detergents are designed to work perfectly at these temperatures so you’ll still get your whites sparkling.
Choose LED lights
Bristol Energy Network found that if the whole city switched to LEDs, it would represent a saving of almost 5% of the whole city’s annual carbon emissions!
There are different options so you’ll need to do a bit of research to make the right choice for the different rooms in your house. Energy Saving Trust has some handy tips.
Also, there’s a bit more of an upfront cost but you’ll easily make the money back with cheaper bills.
Find out more
Understand your heating controls
With heating and hot water making up over half of our yearly bills, make sure you’re not wasting money needlessly.
If you’re not quite sure what all the controls do, you’re not alone! But by doing a quick Google or digging out the manual, you can make your thermostats and timers work most efficiently for you and your family.
Find out more
Switch to green energy
Change tariffs and support the UK’s growing renewables industry.
Not only will this reduce your carbon emissions, it will also show the industry that there’s demand for zero carbon energy.
There are lots of options out there – use a comparison website to find the best one for you.
Find out more
Draught proof your house
Draught proofing is one of the cheapest ways to keep your home cosier.
If you’re partial to a bit of DIY, you can block up common gaps like open chimneys and spaces under doors and around windows. Or get a professional in – we won’t tell anyone!
Find out more
Insulate your home
The most sustainable energy is the energy you don’t use! Better insulation means you’ll be putting the heating on less.
There’s a whole range of options, including loft insulation, cavity wall and underfloor. Bristol’s Energy Service outlines the options and also might be able to provide financial support.
Find out more
Install renewable energy
Boiler need replacing? From solar panels to air source heat pumps, there are lots of ways to power your home in a more sustainable way.
Get the lowdown on all the technologies from Bristol’s Centre for Sustainable Energy – including what incentives are available.
Find out more
Invest in community-owned renewable energy
Did you know you can help grow Bristol’s local green energy supply?
Bristol Energy Co-op is a community-owned energy cooperative, with members receiving interest on the money they invest.
It’s raised over £14m in the last decade!
Find out more
Money
Read more
Bank better
Choose a current account that’s designed to create positive impact.
Bristol-based Triodos Bank lists all the organisations it finances on its website, so you know exactly where your money is going. And you can apply online!
Or why not look at the many other ethical bank options out there.
Find out more
Say yes to a green pension
Make sure your money is being invested in a brighter future by:
- Calling on your pension provider to divest from fossil fuels
- Asking your work to switch to a green pension
- Signing Make my Money Matter’s petition.
Find out more
Choose ethical insurance
You don’t have to decide between protecting yourself and protecting the planet.
Naturesave Insurance only works with businesses that have committed to winding down fossil fuel investments.
It offers both home insurance and business insurance – and plants a tree for every policy it issues.
Find out more
Use your spending power
Buy from companies that are making the world a better place:
- Check out Ethical Consumer’s ratings tables so you know you’re choosing the best brands
- Support the local and independent businesses near you
- Look out for companies with sustainable business models, like co-operatives, social enterprises and registered B-Corps.
Find out more
Change up your investments
This won’t apply to everyone but you might have other investments. And these can be sustainable too.
It’s possible to choose funds that align with your values with a bit of research and advice – ask your investment manager for more insight.