What you can do

The John Lewis Partnership believes that everyone has a role to play in helping to reduce their personal impact on the natural environment by adopting good environmental practices both at work and at home.

Follow our tips below for ways to reduce waste and recycle

It is clear that we need to act now to limit the impacts of climate change - the greatest environmental challenge we face today. The Government is committed to reducing the UK's CO2 emissions by 80 per cent by 2050. We all have an important role to play in helping to meet this target by reducing our contribution to the causes of climate change.

The Partnership has set out its own targets and programmes to reduce our environmental impacts and promote good environmental practice. But, as a responsible retailer, we believe we can also play a positive and important role in helping you to reduce your own environmental impacts, with the added benefit of helping you to save money too.

Act on CO 2

To help you take action, the Partnership is supporting the Government's campaign on climate change - ACT ON CO2 - which sets out ways that you can save money, save energy and reduce your CO2 emissions. The campaign highlights how every individual can act to make a difference.

As a starter, we have outlined some great tips  on how to save energy below which will help you to save money too. There are also tips on how you can be more environmentally responsible in the home and garden, at the shops and while travelling.

If you don't know what your current impact is on the environment is, then the Government has produced an easy to use CO 2 calculator (actonco2.direct.gov.uk) to help you work out your carbon footprint. It also provides you with a simple personalised action plan on how you can reduce it and other advice on how you can do your bit to tackle climate change.

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Is it time you changed your routine?

With the climate changing, it's time for a new routine. The choices we all make impact the environment. By making the right choices now we can slow climate change down and - just as importantly - we can get ready for it. The 5 June is United Nations World Environment Day, and to mark the occasion the John Lewis Partnership annually reminds and encourages Partners that they can make a difference by making small changes to their routines. Here are some tips to help you do the same.

Save energy and water

  • Switch off all lights and electrical appliances when you're not using them.
  • Choose energy-efficient appliances (those with 'A' Energy ratings) and turn down the thermostat on your central heating - just 1°C difference can save up to 10 per cent on heating bills.
  • Draw your curtains at dusk and maintain the heat in your rooms.
  • Wash clothes at lower temperatures, and in full loads.
  • Fix dripping taps - one drip a second can waste up to 13 litres of water a day.
  • Install a Hippo Water Saver in your lavatory cistern. This can save up to 3.5 litres of water each time you flush.
  • Consider loft and/or cavity wall insulation and installing double or triple glazing.
  • Get a free home energy check from the Energy Savings Trust  (www.energysavingtrust.org.uk). 
  • Hire or borrow items such as power tools and DIY equipment if they’re only going to be used from time to time.

Reduce waste and recycle

  • Recycle as much waste as you possibly can, including batteries, mobile phones and other electrical items. Find your nearest recycling points at www.recyclenow.com and www.recycle-more.co.uk .
  • Use a mug instead of disposable paper or polystyrene cups, and buy products with reusable containers.
  • Send your children to school with flasks instead of throw-away drink cartons.
  • Cut down on junk mail. To get your address deleted from around 90 per cent of junk mailing lists, register with the Mailing Preference Service, www.mpsonline.org.uk .
  • Take waste cooking or fuel oil to your local Household Waste Recycling Centre. It is illegal to put waste oil down sinks or drains.
  • Donate items you no longer need to charity shops or community projects such as Freecycle  (www.freecycle.org). Unneeded paint can go to www.communityrepaint.org.uk

In the garden

  • Let your grass grow a little longer it will need less water.
  • Start a compost heap or wormery. These recycle organic waste, including food, and produce excellent compost for your garden. See www.recyclenow.com/home_composting/index.html
  • Plant a tree. Trees provide shade, filter carbon dioxide and attract local wildlife
  • Avoid using household pesticides.
  • Install a water butt to catch rainwater for watering your garden.
  • Use non-toxic organic fuels for your barbecue.
  • Grow fruit, vegetables and more in your garden or rent an allotment from your council.

Travelling

  • If you drive to work, try to share your journey with colleagues who live near to you. See www.liftshare.com
  • Walk or cycle for short trips and get fit in the process.
  • Take the bus or train if you can. For more information on overseas train networks see www.seat61.com  
  • Turn off your engine if you are going to be stationary for more than two minutes.
  • Save fuel by driving smoothly and regularly checking tyre pressures.
  • Drive a fuel-efficient car, which is cheaper to run and has lower emissions and lower vehicle tax. See the DirectGov website (www.direct.gov.uk) for more details.
  • Consider taking your holiday in the UK to reduce carbon emissions from flying - air travel is currently the fastest growing source of CO 2 emissions.

Shopping

  • Be an ethical shopper. Consider Fairtrade, organic, products made from recycled materials and cruelty-free produce and try to avoid battery eggs and GM foods.
  • Buy fruit and vegetables that are in season. Waitrose always tries to source from Britain when products are in season and at the peak of freshness and flavour (see http://www.waitrose.com/food/foodseasonality/britishseasons.aspx). Also look out for Waitrose 'Local and Regional' produce in your local store.
  • Buy recycled paper products such as lavatory paper or stationery, and recycle paper instead of throwing it away.
  • There are endless possibilities to use environmentally-responsible products throughout the home - cleaning products, toiletries, pet products, clothes, nappies etc. Both Waitrose and John Lewis sell a range of such products, for example, see John Lewis' Make a Difference promotion  (www.johnlewis.com).
  • Take your own carrier bag shopping or consider buying a Waitrose or John Lewis Bag for Life or reusable bag.

Get Involved

  • Find out how you can get involved in national and international activities and programmes with our calendar of events.
  • Consider supporting the Prince's Rainforest Project.

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Prince's Rainforest Project

Tropical forests absorb nearly a fifth of all man-made CO2 emissions around the world. This greatly helps to minimise the effects of climate change. These same rainforests are currently being destroyed at the rate of an area the size of a football pitch every four seconds.  The Prince's Rainforest Project (PRP) was set up by HRH The Prince of Wales and seeks to 'make rainforests worth more alive than dead'. The PRP team works with Governments, businesses and non-profit organisations to find solutions to deforestation.

As part of our wider commitments on tackling climate change the John Lewis Partnership supports the PRP call for emergency action to help combat climate change by addressing rainforest destruction. We share the aims of the PRP and encourage others to join us in the call for urgent action to tackle climate change by addressing rainforest destruction.

The PRP has launched a global awareness campaign to improve understanding of the link between rainforests and climate change and the need for urgent action to stop deforestation. The PRP used World Environment Day to highlight the role businesses are playing in helping to spread the message. The PRP website (www.rainforestsos.org) has a variety of film clips of corporate leaders and famous faces talking about climate change and deforestation. Follow this link to watch our Chairman, Charlie Mayfield, pledging his support for the campaign. One of the ways you can help is by signing up at the PRP website (www.rainforestsos.org).

The PRP has produced a free booklet which describes how rainforests are on the front line in the fight against climate change and explains how a new form of international collaboration could help to reduce tropical deforestation, with many benefits for developed and developing countries. The booklet, which features beautiful photographs by Daniel Beltra and a foreword by HRH The Prince of Wales, also contains eyewitness stories from internationally-recognised figures who have already endorsed the PRP proposals, including Sir David Attenborough, Chief Almir of the Surui tribe and Jared Diamond. You can view an interactive online version by visiting the PRP website (www.rainforestsos.org).

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