If you’re a customer of The Consortium, All you need to do is request a FREE recycling box from us – on our website, enter the following code:  500677 – CARTRIDGE RECYCLING KIT, and once it’s full, call the number on the side of the box (one of our many trusted partners!), and they’ll collect it from you and recycle your old cartridges.

As The Consortium is always looking at ways to decrease its impact on the environment, they’re always looking at new ways to be more eco-friendly. We already have, for example, a range of office plants inside the building as well as solar panels on the roof. The company ships hundreds of items each day and each order must be securely packed in boxes. Items must be securely packed using “Void filler”, which fills the remaining space inside boxes with padding such as bubble wrap to prevent damage in transit, like most boxed, online orders. However, The Consortium has decided to be much more environmentally friendly and use 100% recycled cardboard padding as void filler for all orders.

As you may know, polystyrene is widely used as packing material. Bubble wrap and air cushion packing is typically made of polythene (PE) and is now popular. All three of those materials are generally considered too costly to recycle and are almost always disposed of in landfill, taking several hundred years to decompose. Recycled cardboard however is much easier to recycle again, and even if it is thrown away it can take less than 1 year to fully decompose into organic material, making it a clear eco-friendly choice.

The Consortium has recognised this now all packing void filler materials will be made of completely recycled card. If you have any more eco tips that large companies such as The Consortium can do to help reduce their environmental impact, we would love to hear them.

At Pea Green Things there are plenty of  eco-friendly Christmas gift ideas to choose that would make a perfect present for anyone you know.  We have chosen some of our favourites below!

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  The BruBox, £23.49 for a starter brew kit and from £10.90 for a refill
  

  Do you know any friends or family who enjoy drinking beers from different countries around Europe and the world? The BruBox would make the perfect gift for them as they can brew their own- at home! Using the starter kit, they firstly have the choice of making Bavarian Pilsner from Germany or London Bitter from England.  Afterwards, the kit can be used again with one of many other refills including Belgian Trappist Ale,  German Altbier, Czech Pilsner, American San Fransisco Steam beer and so much more.  Each kit makes a whopping 18 pints- that should be enough to last through Christmas!

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  Wired Chicken Egg Holder, £9.99
  

  Our ever popular chicken is back! This egg holder will become the perfect talking point in any kitchen. It can hold up to 15 free range eggs and is hand crafted by a fair trade organisation in India.  If you know someone who owns their own hens or just enjoys an egg in the morning, this would really make the perfect gift!

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  Junior Carpenter Set £18.99

  Perfect for any young budding carpenter in the family, this carpentry set contains 18 fully authentic and working tools inside a strong wooden cabinet.   Adult supervision is recommended as these tools are real!

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  Kitchen Composter, £26.95

  Perfect for anyone who owns a large garden, this composter can be used at home and will turn your kitchen food waste into garden compost and nutrient rich liquid plant feed.  Not only will you have less rubbish to throw away but also a healthier garden!

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  ecoboo toys, from £7.99
  

  Ecoboo toys are all made from sustainable bamboo which is one of the fastest growing plants on Earth.  Bamboo is actually a type of grass- even though is just like wood when dry! These toys are imaginative and environmentally friendly.

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Firstly, wrap up! If you’re cold inside, simply putting on more layers will keep you warmer. Don’t turn up the thermostat as it will make the house warmer than it should be, and put on the heating only if you really have to. A hot drink such as tea will also help warm you up.  It should  go without saying that you should never open the windows while having the heating on.

Buy a draught excluder. They may be old-fashioned but they are low cost and really can prevent the heat escaping through the gaps underneath doors. They can either be plain and fit to the bottom of the door, or can be a fun design like a long snake, cat or dog made with patterned material. You can also look into window seals to stop draught coming in on the edges of windows, although new windows will already be sealed.

Get exercise! If you go outside on a cold day for a walk, jog or cycle, the circulation in your body will increase and you will feel warmer when you return. By doing this regularly you will be healthier and you will feel much warmer throughout the day.

Make your radiators more efficient If you have radiators under windows,  much of the heat will pass up and through the window. You can tuck your curtains behind the radiators to make them much more efficient as the heat won’t go behind the curtains, or you could also add foil behind the radiators to reflect the heat back into the room and stop it from passing out through the wall. It’s also important to see if your radiators are bled to release excess air which can make them cool.

Eat hot meals and drinks Eating regular hot meals and hot drinks will help you feel warmer, without affecting the environment. Remember when filling the kettle not to overfill so to save energy, and try to use a microwave more than an oven as much more heat will be saved.

In the long term:

Insulate your home Cavity wall or loft insulation grants are  available for many people from the government, and having insulation inside your walls can have a real difference with keeping the heat in. For more information on the Government’s “Warm front” grants, please visit this website.

Replace your old boiler Many people are still using old, inefficient boilers that are up to 95% less efficient than new boilers.  If your boiler is more than 10 years old,  look to get it replaced by a qualified technician.

So, we want to encourage you to recycle and reuse as much as you can. At school, buy recycled or sustainable products such as BE books. Use scrap paper to sketch on. And of course make sure cans, bottles and paper are sorted and recycled after use to stop them all being thrown away.

Wildlife Watch is a great website for kids and grown ups to learn about being more eco-friendly- of course, recycling and reusing, by playing games and checking out some great facts. Have a look!