Tips for those living in rented accommodation

It can sometimes be hard to lead a more sustainable existence when renting a house, flat or apartment, especially if it's for a short amount of time. Here are a few tips for those renting and should be possible even on a short lease.

Grow Herbs, this can be done in a small window box try to place it in a south facing window to ensure the maximum exposure to the sun. Chilies, peppers and tomatoes can sometimes be grown in the same way, it you have enough room. Have look at our container growing article and our flat dweller article for a bit more infomation.

Grow fast growing crops. If you have a garden but are reluctant to plant anything out as you will be moving out soon lettuces, spinach, radishes are amongst the fasted growing vegetables you can grow. They can be ready to eat from seed in sometimes as little as 10 weeks if not sooner.

Grow in pots, many edible plants can be grown in pots, I have a small fig tree and apparently they're more likely to fruit when there growth is restricted in this way. Also lettuces can apparently be grown this way but I have never tried this.

Switch your phone company to the phone co-op, they can save up to 80% on your bills and all there profits go to either charitable organisations such as the soil association or back to you.

Switch to a renewable energy supplier: The company unit(e) www.unit-e.co.uk , offer electricity from a renewable source. Make sure you get the landlords permission for this.

Get energy saving bulbs, these are a little more expensive than normal bulbs but will eventually pay for themselves. They last a lot longer and use a lot less energy than a standard bulb. You can always take them with you when you move (I really annoyed my old housemates doing this).

Get a water butt: The water draining from your roof usually goes straight down the drain. Placing a container to collect it will save wastage of rainwater. However this can mean altering the pipe-work on some properties so is not always feasible.

Recycle, most towns and cities in the UK now have curb-side recycling so there's no excuse for throwing those used bottles, cans and newspapers in the bin. To check your councils web site please click here for AJ or KY

Compost: Many councils will provide a compost bin for your kitchen waste at a very reduced rate. If your garden is not big enough or non-existent then try and find somebody who may benefit from it, they may even pay you for it.

Bake your own bread, it is not difficult, it is a good stress relief, it can be cheaper than the shops and you will be sure that it is full of natural ingredients. Find some bread recipes on our front page.

If you can't grow fruit and Veg then buy fresh produce from your local green grocers or food co-op. Many will sell organic, they are often cheaper than supermarkets and you will be support your local community. My local green grocers has a range of locally grown produce, this means that my apples are not flown half way accross the world. It is better for the environment if we all bought produce from our own countries.