In this economical climate, budgets are tight and everyone is looking for a good bargain. This Christmas, we say out with the trash and in with the money saving regimes! The way we see it, if we generate less trash, the council can spend less money getting rid of trash, that’s less council tax we need to pay in the longer term.

To help you kick-start a money saving Christmas, here are 8 quick tips from our team.

1/ Wrap, wrap and away
Instead of using the traditional cliché glossy wrapping featuring anything from cartoon characters to Father Christmas, why not try wrapping with old fabric or glossy magazines instead? Giving a unique twist and you’re guaranteed different results every time.

2/ Handle with care
Shredded paper is an excellent replacement for bubble wraps, polystyrenes and foams. Tear, shred and scrunch your way to a greener present-wrapping experience.

3/ Avoid the ‘moment of convenience’ temptation
Opt for tea towels and dish cloths where possible to avoid using kitchen-rolls and hand paper-towels this Christmas - but if you do have to, tissues and kitchen rolls can add bulk to your compost.

4/ Leave the skin on
Roasting carrots, potatoes, and parsnips doesn’t have to equate to hours of peeling. Roasting vegetables with its skins on will help preserve all its nutritional values (such as fibre), adds texture to the roasts and offer a much more rustic feel. It also means the chef doesn’t have to spend hours hiding in the kitchen.

5/ Black Gold
If you prefer your veggies peeled, you can add all the peels to the compost heap. Reaping the rewards a few months later, you will also save yourself a trip to your local gardening centre.

6/ Seasonal Greetings
The Greeting Cards Association Market Report 2011estimated that here in the UK alone, we spend £171.6 million a year sending Christmas cards! Although it’s hard to beat the traditions, switching to e-cards will not only help you save money, it’ll also help reduce the amount of CO2 generating by vehicles delivering cards, not to mention the amount of paper waste generated.

7/ Send Gift Vouchers, or better yet, eVouchers
Sending gift vouchers allow the recipients to pick their own presents, helping minimise any waste derived from undesired Christmas presents. With our Eco Gift eVouchers redeemable against over 1000+ eco-friendly products featured in Our Green Shop and delivered via Email, the eVoucher is now even more environmentally friendly than ever as there is no paper or shipping involved!

A great last minute gift, we are able to deliver the Eco Gift eVouchers up to 5pm on 23 Dec 2011.

8/ Recycle
Don’t forget, most wrappers, tins, cans, glass and paper are nowadays widely recyclable. If in doubt, check with your local council to see what can be recycled where.

Our Christmas cracker features 12 special gifts suitable for everyone, ranging from solar powered fairy lights to grow me kits or a bamboo fibre puppy. You can even purchase a Green Rewards online voucher for a loved one, so they have the freedom to browse for something online! So have a look what’s inside...

1.       LED Christmas Lights of all shapes and colours. They use a fraction of the energy, increasing bulb life and even save you money. (From £29.99)

2.       Grow me kits, perfect stocking fillers, from coffee lovers  to beer drinkers, people who like their chilli or mothers that crave calming lavender, for chefs who know fresh herbs are necessary and for children who fancy growing their own sunflower or crazy cactus, There is a Grow me kit for everyone.  (£3.99)

3.       The Mini-Pro wind up torch is ideal as stocking filler. A full wind gives an incredible 5 hours of continuous light and you will never need to replace a bulb or battery. (£12)

4.       Gift Vouchers  available in £10, £25 and £50 denominations can be spent on any of our 1000+ eco-products (available as eVouchers or paper vouchers). (£10, £25, and £50)

5.       Bamboo fibre puppy (or bear), this extremely huggable sitting puppy is made from sustainable bamboo fibre, is soft and a perfect cuddle for a chilly winters night. (£6.50)

6.       Our hemp pashmina comes in a wonderful array of colours. Hemp is one of the untapped wonders of the world. It's also one of the most environmentally friendly fibres known to man! (£14.60)

7.       Organic European wine box. Not only is the wine organic but this wine is from the award winning merchant, Vintage Roots. (From £49.50)

8.       Solar monkey Charger, Give the technophile in your life a gift of this amazing green technology which uses the sun to re-charge portable devices like mobile or iPods. (£35.74)

9.       Wooden Eco Playhouse, The toy house has the following renewable energy features: A wind turbine, a solar panel in the roof, recycling bins, a bicycle, plants, a water butt to collect rain. (£92)

10.  ZZZ Cant’ Sleep Luxury Gift Box, stressed over the festive period? This will naturally wash your worries away. (£11.95)

11.   The Age of Stupid DVD. The ambitious movie stars Pete Postlethwaite as an archivist in the devastated world of the future, asking the question: "Why didn't we stop climate change when we still had the chance?" An intriguing and fascinating Christmas watch. (£10.99)

12.   Green and Blacks gift set, everyone eats chocolate at Christmas! Choose from an array of small medium or large gift boxes, for those who can’t get enough of chocolate and for those who don’t mind sharing. (From £21.00)

These 12 Christmas cracker gifts are just a taster but there are 1,000+ green, ethical and organic gifts that you can find on our website.

Green Rewards quick Christmas tip: When wrapping your presents get your hands on some spare fabric, not only will it inspire creativity but it will also add an extra eco-friendly touch to your Green Rewards gift.

As a consultant with the Robertsbridge Group and previously founding director of CarbonLimited at the RSA, environmental scientist Matt Prescott is equally at home in the boardroom as out in the field, helping major companies get to grips with significant sustainability challenges. But beneath this business friendly exterior there beats a deep green heart. We ran the Green Gauge over Matt to find out more about this eco-chameleon.

What has had the biggest impact on your eco-awareness?

It was something as simple as a leaflet through the letterbox when I was 12. It was from WWF and talked about the Amazon, deforestation and habitat loss. I had an outdoors upbringing and it started me thinking about UK habitats too. It was hugely impactful and it’s not an overstatement to say that it guided my whole education process from then onwards.

What difference has that made to your life?

It changed everything of course. Gradually I came to the view that the most effective way to catalyse change is to work with people in urban communities.  I’m always asking myself a strategic question: where can I intervene to make the biggest difference? My conclusion is that it’s not chaining myself to trees, but getting in to the corridors of Westminster and Britain’s boardrooms.

What is your biggest fear for the future?

Young people are ever more detached from the natural environment. If you take the example of food, there’s little understanding of the enormous human and environmental threats lurking behind the prawns in our curry for example. Our supply chains are actually surprisingly fragile and the lack of awareness around that is worrying. There are some bright spots but we really need to see a greater valuing of natural resources among young people in particular.

And your hope for humankind?

Communities and their ability to change in response to threat. We are resilient and adaptive as human beings and I’m confident that the tide of opinion will change towards slower lifestyles which take account of the more basic things in life. There is a minority beginning to find a better balance who are becoming trendsetters in their own ways. To achieve change, I don’t think you can rely on politicians to make the right decisions. The electorate really needs to demonstrate that it’s starting to think differently without waiting for political leadership.

Who is your green hero?

I used to follow George Monbiot quite closely, but as I got older and more attracted to evidence and process (though he’s still a great agitator) I look more to Charles Secrett as a thoughtful and fine man and a really creative thinker who understands the mechanisms needed to engage corporates and government.

Do you have an eco-villain?

Bjorn Lomborg has done my head in for years. I think his approach is at best unhelpful, and at worst causes real damage because he spent too much time pedalling a false dichotomy between prioritising current and future threats.

And where do you sit on our Green Gauge (where 10 is deep green and 1 is a hint of apple)?

I’m dark green at the core, but perhaps a little paler on the outside in order to more effectively engage with people as part of my work.

Our team has handpicked 3 important eco-events happening in the weeks ahead. From Kitchen Garden Day to World Car Free Day, see how you can help Planet Earth in the big fight against climate change, and how we have made it easier for you to participate!

World Kitchen Garden Day | 28^th Aug 2011

If the International Snack Food Association gets to celebrate fluorescent cheese puffs and chocolate biscuits with caramel for a month, then it’s only right that kitchen gardening gets to celebrate for one day at least.

World Kitchen Garden Day raises awareness and promotes the benefits of local eating, encouraging people to explore local food options in their area and build community spirit around the universal experiences of gardening, cooking and eating.

 Organic September | September 2011

Organic September is the month long celebration and promotion of all things organic. There are many reasons to love organic and this year, the Soil Association are calling on the public to discover theirs. Find out what you can do this September from visiting a farm, attending the Organic Food Festival or taking advantage of the many deals and promotions taking place during the month.

 World Car-Free Day | 22^nd Sept 2011

In the modern age, it is hard to imagine what life would be like without the motor car. What we do know, however, is that cars are a major source of global warming by emitting harmful carbon emissions.  This World Car Free Day, let’s try and take the heat off the planet by walking, cycling or travelling by public transports instead!

World Environment Day | 5^th Jun 2011 | 1^st Week of June

WED, part of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) is supporting the UN’s International Year of Forests this year. Hosted in India, the theme is ‘Forest: Nature at Your Service’, exploring the intrinsic link between quality of life and the healthiness of our forests and their eco-systems.

With over 40 years of history and with people from more than 112 countries registering activities last year, our team members have all made pledges – have you?

World Ocean Day| 8^th Jun 2011 | 2^nd Week of June

The ocean covers 72% (and rising) of this small planet and is home to most of the globe's living matter and biodiversity. We know that life in the ocean greatly affects life on land, yet most of us know very little about the ocean.

With the event focusing on youth this year, why not take some time off to help youngsters learn, appreciate and celebrate the ocean by building your own boat? Well, you know where to get an electric motor (link to torqeedo motor) now!

 Zero Carbon Britain Day | 16^th Jul 2011 | 3^rd Week of July

On a daily basis, we do any number of things without being aware of the greenhouse gases that are given off as a result of them. From the morning cuppa with toasts, to that imported steak bought on the drive home from work, almost everything we buy has its carbon host. Here at Green Rewards we know you’re only human, but for this Zero Carbon Britain Day, perhaps you could consider buying more locally or organically for the day or offset any carbon emissions? To find out more about what you can do to help our planet, check out the Campaign against Climate Change page.

Leona Mani is a fair trade visionary. Realising that makers of ethical and fairly traded luxury products had little exposure to consumer markets (in contrast to, say, fair trade foods, which are widely promoted) she set up a website, bestfairtrade.com, to showcase the fantastic range of stylish fair trade fashion and accessories available today. Her latest venture Ethical Just Got Fabulous has been wowing the fashion media by bringing the website to life, staging glamorous events featuring a pop-up ethical department store.

We ran Our Green Gauge over Leona to see what inspired this fair trade fashionista.

What has had the biggest impact on your eco-awareness? It was seeing how people are treated in sweatshops in India. After working in Hong Kong I spent three years in India working in the garment industry and you really need to see the way that people are treated and the conditions they are working in to understand the need for change.

But I found a company which took a fair trade approach to garment manufacture – quite unusual for that time in the 1980s when The Body Shop was really the only overtly ethical brand – and working for them opened my eyes to the possibilities of trading and manufacturing ethically in the fashion business.

What difference has that made to your life? It set me on a path that has led to where I am today. I realised that in fact there are a lot of small companies which trade fairly but struggle to find markets. There’s a big difference between agricultural fair trade (tea, coffee, cocoa, cotton), which is well organised with schemes and endorsements, and manufacturing which doesn’t have anything similar. And so I set up bestfairtrade.com where you can search the directory for anything from jeans to a piece of furniture, knowing that they have been produced ethically. I also quickly came to realise that a lot of people think fair trade means basic or unfashionable. That’s a perception that needs slaying. It is possible to find luxury products without compromising on either ethics or quality.  And it doesn’t always mean more expensive.

What is your biggest fear for the future? It’s that nothing changes. We could eradicate poverty in the next generation. It’s achievable and could be done by changing consumer behaviour and increasing awareness. 

And you hope for humankind? Educating kids. The sooner you can get the message to people the better. Ethical business models could easily become the norm if children were given the tools to understand good business practice. The organisation Think Global has started to work with schools to introduce these issues into the curriculum.  It’s great to see change happening at this level.

Who is your green hero? William Wilberforce. I was lucky enough to be involved in the event management of the 2007 Bicentenary of the Abolition of the Slave Trade Act and it is inspirational to see how Wilberforce changed a nation’s attitudes. For that generation it was slavery; for our generation it is the 1.4 billion people still living in poverty.

Do you have an eco-villain? Apathy

And where do you sit on our Green Gauge (where 10 is deep green and 1 is a hint of apple)? I’d place myself somewhere between six and seven.

Royal Wedding

With the Royal Wedding between HRH Prince William and fiancée Kate Middleton fast approaching, many of you might be sat at the office wondering how to spend yet another long weekend to celebrate. If you are like the rest of England, you are probably already daydreaming about gorging on more food and having a few more drinks away from work!

With over 5,000 formal road closures already arranged during this royal wedding, it has been estimated that 1 million of us will be enjoying a street party over the weekend! Here at Green Rewards, our team is always looking for ways to celebrate without placing more avoidable strain on our environment. With a little bit of thought and consideration, you can also enjoy an eco-friendly royal wedding celebration. ‘How?’, I hear you ask. Well - here are 3 simple tips to get you started!

1/ Cook up a party, go organic:
Invited all your friends and families around for a big celebration? Why not go organic and cook up some treats, and top off the meal with some fair-trade wine? While you’re at it, you can also compost all the odd bits of peels, tea bags and egg boxes to feed your garden as well as your friends and families.

2/ Don’t let it all go to waste:
So you cooked a nice meal, but if you are a lovely chef who cooks like a generous mother, you’ll be faced with an extreme amount of leftovers! Here at Green Rewards, we don’t like unnecessary waste – try and cook moderately and use leftovers for some quick and easy stir-fries the next day. A useful website, LoveFoodHateWaste.com can help you plan your cooking, meals and left over; you’ll save money and help eases pressure on the environment.

3/ Watch DVDs:
Yes, really! Inevitably, there comes a time after dinner when everybody is well watered and fed – now what? Everybody is lounging around, feeling lazy...falling asleep.... Having already watched the whole royal wedding, the last thing you want is to watch yet more news on everything you have already seen in the afternoon. You have shown the children what it means to be patriotic, how about teaching them the importance of looking after our planet? From Planet Earth to An Inconvenient Truth, these educational DVDs can help you make the most of your time with children.

 Bike to School Week – 26^th – 30^th Apr 2011 | 1^st week of Summer Term

-          Cars cause 21 per cent of the UK’s carbon dioxide emissions – the main cause of global warming

-          90 per cent of children have got a bike but 30 per cent would like to cycle to school...

-          but only 1 per cent do

Children cycling to school not only gives them the chance for physical exercises, it also helps develop their social skills and become more independent – moreover, it saves you petrol and helps reduce your stress level because you won’t spend as much time being stuck in traffic! So why not get involved with your kids, work out a route, practice it with them and then send them on their greener ways.

Looking to encourage someone to cycle more? As the leading eco gift voucher on the market Green Rewards’  eco-gift vouchers are an ideal way to engage and motivate your staff, clients, customers and even family – to find out more simply visit our eco-gift voucher page or speak to Dominic Davies to find out the best way they can work for you.

National Compost Awareness Week | 1^st May – 7^th May 2011 | 1^st week of May

 ‘Why compost when it’ll break down in landfill sites anyway?’

As is the case of landfill sites, air is unable to reach the organic waste - so as it breaks down, methane is produced; a harmful greenhouse gas, it contributes greatly towards global warming. But if the same wastes were allowed plenty of air to decompose properly (i.e. in your garden, above ground), hardly any methane will be produced – and you’ll have some lovely fertiliser in about 9-12 months too.

Help the environment, reduce half the food waste in your domestic wastes and start composting – it’s inexpensive, easy to make and free to use!

Walk to Work Week  | 9-13^th may 2011 | 2^nd Week of May

Desk-bound at the office? No time or energy left to hit the gym after a long day? Why not try walking to work instead!

An easy form of exercise that doesn’t require training, it will help reduce your carbon footprint and squeeze some daily exercises into your busy work schedule. And for your information, walking makes you look younger! Wishful thinking? Well, maybe. But studies show regular exercise can have anti-aging effects. And there's no doubt that keeping active has a vast range of benefits – from helping you deal with anxiety and stress to making you fitter. So what do you say? If you must catch a bus, get off a stop early and get walking.

UK Green Film Festival

20 – 22 May 2011 | Cardiff, Glasgow, Leeds, Leicester, London

First national Green Film Festival Premieres across the UK

Here at Green Rewards we have just heard that Igloo Regeneration, a specialist development and regeneration manager, is premiering its first national UK Green Film Festival in five cities across Britain!

With formative links to the San Francisco and Washington DC environmental film festivals, this pioneering new film fiesta will feature world and UK film premieres along with some new takes on environmental classics.  It will be held at independent cinemas in Cardiff, Glasgow, Leeds, Leicester and London, spreading wider in 2012.

Alongside feature length films being shown at the festival, short film makers are being invited to submit their work to be shown as part of the festival.  Igloo’s John Long, one of the festival founders, said: “Igloo is working closely with creative industries in each of this year’s launch locations so we are conscious there is local filmmaking talent out there that may find this festival an ideal platform to promote their material to a wider audience and also bring important local issues to light.  At this stage, we’re keen to hear from anyone who thinks they might have something of relevance.” 

Supported by sponsors and partners such as Friends of the Earth, these people are contributing their time voluntarily and working hard to ensure that the festival is a success in its debut year with a view to becoming a highly anticipated annual event.

Chris Brown commented: “Concerns around the environment and sustainability are increasingly moving from being a minority issue to much more of a mainstream interest.  We want to do whatever we can to raise awareness of these issues and are conscious that people want to know what they can do in their own lives to make a difference – the UK Green Film Festival will do both and we are looking forward to what we think will be a fun, informative festival experience.”

The participating cinemas in 2011 are; Chapter in Cardiff; Glasgow Film Theatre; Hyde Park Picture House in Leeds; Phoenix Square in Leicester and Shortwave in Bermondsey, London.  Each will be programming screenings with a supporting line-up of events being planned including talks and Q&A’s by filmmakers and guest speakers, outdoor bicycle powered screenings, live music and more.

Support the environment, take part in this eco friendly festival – put this into your diary now!

UKAWARE 2011 | Friday 25th and Saturday 26th March 2011 10am - 6pm

One of the key highlight events of Climate Week, UKAWARE is a national initiative to ‘galvanise individuals, businesses and organisations to showcase the practical solutions to climate change in a concentrated week of positive action and awareness.  UK AWARE and Climate Week share the same vision of providing a platform for ideas, demonstrating and inspiring the small steps which we can take towards a low carbon, low impact lifestyle.’

>The ultimate one stop shop for contemporary sustainable living; 2011 will be their fourth year of sending out positive messages to the general public about how small changes can make a big difference, and how sustainable living doesn’t mean compromising a modern lifestyle.  Featuring thousands of innovative products and services ranging from cars to computers, from fashion to food and from eco-tourism to energy saving advice, it is a fun and educational day out for all!

With only a few more days to go, here at Green Rewards we have sieved through all their attractive activities and found 3 that you really shouldn’t miss:

1/Swaparama for the eco-conscious fashion lovers

Fed up with having unworn clothing clogging up your wardrobe? Feel bad throwing them out because you spent money buying them? Look no further! UK AWARE 2011 is offering you a chance to swap up to 5 unworn garments for 5 new pieces of garments somebody else had brought in. Of course you can bring just that one frock or those 3 tops you’ve been regretting since the day you bought them. It’s a great way to refresh your wardrobe and helps the environment – so get digging! They did also mention not being shy about those pink acrylic bell bottoms because someone might want them for their fancy dress box!

2/ ‘Ask the questions. Find the Answers’ – inspirational seminars from top-notch speakers

With a wide range of speakers from Google, BT, IKEA, DEFRA, LSE, WWF, even from The Mayor of London's office and The Green Party – their individual seminars looks to tackle some of the thorny topics that the sustainability world can raise - from feed in tariffs to the future of eco transport, ethical finance to sustainable tourism. An opportunity not to be missed if you’d like to find out how government cuts may affect the public sector’s sustainability initiatives, or how organisations cut costs whilst reducing carbon and still engage their customers.

3/ Purchase, test drive, question, learn – Green Machines Expo

One of the best loved sections of the UK AWARE show, the Green Machines Expo is a must-see. Whether you are an enthusiast or just curious, their amazing indoor test drive area on the first floor can offer you first-hand experiences with some of the latest low-carbon, electric two-wheelers and cars on the market

We’re offering FREE tickets to the UK AWARE show 2011, simply enter the code GREENREWARDS - www.ukaware.com

Fairtrade Fortnight – Show off your label!

‘Fairtrade is about better prices, decent working conditions, local sustainability, and fair terms of trade for farmers and workers in the developing world. By requiring companies to pay sustainable prices (which must never fall lower than the market price), Fairtrade addresses the injustices of conventional trade, which traditionally discriminates against the poorest, weakest producers. It enables them to improve their position and have more control over their lives.’ – Fairtrade Foundation

Show Off Your Label!

Building on the success they saw in last years’ Big Swap, the Fairtrade Foundation wants to go further and highlight why Fairtrade matters with their shiny new campaign for 2011, Show Off Your Label.

‘By showing off the importance of Fairtrade to producers, the benefits of the Fairtrade premium for local communities and the change Fairtrade brings, we're giving more people in the UK more reasons to choose Fairtrade.’

To encouraging participation, they have taken the idea of play this year – simply log onto their Facebook campaign page, pick a challenge, and take a picture showing off with your Fairtrade label and upload it onto Facebook. You can also vote for other uploads – and uploads with the most votes win!

‘So what do I win?’ you ask. With prizes ranging from fair-trade goodies, truffle-making classes to holidays abroad, it is definitely an opportunity not to be missed – and you’ll be glad to know whilst everybody had fun, you have also helped make the world a better place!