Havering Friends of the Earth

Getting Greener for Spring

by Marion Sanders; first published 4-Apr-2025

Apple blossom in spring - John Robinson

After the dark, gloomy winter, how can we welcome springtime in an environmentally-friendly and eco-conscious way? Spring provides a fresh start, and a chance to do something good for our local environment, and the planet!

Spring can be a great time to spring clean and have a good old clear-out at home, and rather than filling the bin (and landfill!) there are many other more environmentally-friendly options. Electrical appliances and old clothes, along with textiles such as padding from old chairs, cleaning cloths, old blankets etc can be recycled at locations such as Gerpins Lane Reuse and Recycling Centre and Frizlands Lane RRC. Unwanted furniture and household items can be collected for free by the British Heart Foundation or the Lighthouse Furniture Project, or advertised on websites such as Facebook Marketplace or Freecycle.

There are also plenty of ways to clean up your cleaning! Try swapping to an eco-friendly brand such as Ecover, OceanSaver or Smol, which use plant-based ingredients rather than harsh chemicals and minimise plastic. As a cheaper option, you could use simple household ingredients such as white vinegar, lemon juice, or even baking soda!

Springtime is a time of seasonal change, and with that comes a change in seasonal food produce. Help reduce air miles and unnecessary CO₂ emissions by focusing your meals on local, seasonal produce grown in the UK. April is the time for spring greens, radishes, rhubarb and purple sprouting broccoli, and is the start of English asparagus season. When buying in supermarkets, check the labels to make sure the country of origin is the UK, or try shopping at local markets or farm shops. You could even try planting your own veg in your garden or allotment, or in pots on a balcony or windowsill!

Another way of using your plate to help the environment is to try cutting down on meat, perhaps having a meat-free day or two each week. Research has shown that a big meat-eater's diet produces an average of 10.2kg of planet-warming gases every day, whereas a low meat-eater produces almost half that at 5.4kg per day, and for vegan diets it's down to only 2.5kg a day - a big difference! Replacing meat a few days a week with alternatives such as beans, legumes and lots of veg can be kinder to the environment, your wallet, and even your health. If cutting down on meat feels too hard, you could try switching to organic if your wallet allows it.