Green Daily

Some time ago I got all huffy and puffy with manufacturers for the amount of packaging they wrap their products in. If you think about it, it's ludicrous. I had fantasies of stripping my purchases of all the unnecessary packaging right at the till as I paid for them, and leaving the mounds of cardboard and plastic for the shop to clear away. Of course I've never actually done this - I doubt I'd get away with it. (Visions of uniformed security guards bearing down on me are just a tad off-putting). But the idea is very tempting and rears up whenever I've been out shopping.

The way we shop has a massive impact on the amount of waste we produce. However, instead of gearing up into activist mode and doing something that could land me in hot water, I had a rethink about the way I shop.

I now get the bulk of my fruit and vegetables from open markets and use a wicker basket (or mini-backpack if there's a lot of stuff) to cart it all around. I scour thrift shops and charity shops for small furniture items and clothing that I can jazz up, and stock up on used books to feed my relentless reading addiction.

Simply by buying recycled or used products we save a lot of energy and raw materials. One of the coolest and trendiest ways to go green is to reuse old items in new ways. Designer Liz Saintsing does exactly this with her fantastic retro and trendy Untamed range of vintage finds which she reworks into gorgeously functional items.

Wonderful junk shop works of art that are entirely practical too - which is the point of recycling, isn't it.