Top 10 bizarre habits of eco-conscious Brits
It's all about the personal methane emissions, apparently... - Credit: Getty Images/iStockphoto
In these times of eco-enlightenment, Britons are going to great lengths to be as environmentally friendly as possible.
While we all know that recycling, flying less and going vegetarian can reduce our environmental impact, a new survey has revealed a few more interesting tricks.
From eating less baked beans to ditching toilet roll, the habits range from the bizarre to the downright ridiculous.
According to a poll carried out by renewable energy company Good Energy, these are the top 10 eccentric habits being practised by Brits keen to save the planet:
• Making wildflower seed bombs
• Using a scythe instead of a lawnmower
• Eating less baked beans to reduce personal methane emissions
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• Not using toilet paper
• Stopping showering at all
• Improving swimming skills to spend more time in the water instead of consuming
• Booking a plot at a natural burial site
• Telling teenage children that too long in the shower is bad for their skin
• Not having kids to stop consuming more of the world’s resources
• Having an eco-friendly wedding
The most popular answers were less zany, however – of the 2,000 UK adults asked ‘What green change are you making for the planet in 2016?’ the most popular answers were saving energy at home (15 per cent), cycling/walking more (13 per cent), reducing/reusing/recycling (9 per cent) and driving less (8 per cent).
David Brooks, Managing Director of Good Energy, said: “It’s fascinating to uncover the lesser-known ways that the British public are doing their bit for the environment.
“Driving less or switching to renewable electricity are now common knowledge, but this survey shows that there are plenty of other, and sometimes unusual ways, of being greener.”
Mike Childs, from Friends of the Earth, said: “As experienced environmental campaigners we have seen plenty of fantastic ideas from people eager to make small but meaningful changes, and the British public continue to be full of surprises.
“It would certainly make for an interesting summer to see Aidan Turner lookalikes practising their scything skills in gardens from Cornwall to Carlisle.”
“A lot of the suggestions have multiple benefits: cycling and walking make you feel good, and by saving a short car trip it’s a meaningful way of reducing air pollution.”
