Paul Hartshorn
REDUCE, RE-USE, RECYCLE
ONCE ONE STARTS TO REDUCE, RE-USE AND RECYCLE, THEN THAT BALANCES OUT ANY INCREASE IN SPENDING
T
o ‘go green’ we must take every aspect of our lives into consideration. From reducing our use of transport through to making the most out of everyday items and making sure our waste is recycled. In the past decade, the Leicester County recycling rate plummeted by 10% according to the county records. But it is more important than ever to get into the habit of recycling rubbish and become more environmentally friendly, so we can save our planet. It can be as easy as using eco-friendly cleaning products and walking to your local grocery store. Getting into the habit may seem to be more expensive in the beginning, but as councillor Paul Hartshorn says: “Once one starts to reduce, re-use and recycle, then that balances out any increase in spending.” Paul believes that meeting the balance of being environmentally friendly and being practical means investing in zero-carbon public transport that everyone will enjoy using, as well as well-maintained footpaths and protected bike lanes. “Electric public transport is a must that gives us realistic options to leave the car at home,” Paul commented. “The national and local government needs to put climate action at the heart of every decision. This means planning shopping centres with frequent shuttle services to minimise the carbon footprint, as it often pushes people away from their local streets and encourages citizens to use their cars. “Having a penalty and reward system may be a solution, because it’s only natural for human beings to take the cheaper option.” To maintain being environmentally friendly whilst being practical, conversations like ours and Paul’s need to begin. Governments need to make going green as easy as possible. Send us your eco-friendly business and lifestyle ideas to info@crossproductions.co.uk. NICHE | 97
