Greener DIY :Cross Stitch – Environment and greener living

Every year in the UK, more than £14 billion is spent on timber, paints, varnishes and other materials for home DIY projects. By reusing materials, buying sustainable wood and greener paints, and selecting your projects carefully, you can reduce your impact on the environment.

Some DIY projects will increase your energy usage significantly, increasing fuel bills and your contribution to climate change. If possible:

  • try to avoid putting heating in your conservatory, as few conservatories are well insulated and much of the heat is likely to be lost
  • think about using solar power for water features and lighting in your garden

Manufacturing tools uses energy and resources, but many are hardly used: the average drill is used for less than 15 minutes in its entire lifetime. Instead of buying, consider borrowing tools from friends and neighbours or hiring them.

When you’ve finished with tools, there are alternatives to throwing them away. You could pass them on to friends or donate them to charities that send them to developing countries. Two examples of these are ‘Tools with a mission’ or ‘Tools for self reliance’.

When choosing a paint, finish or preservative, try to find the one with the lowest environmental impact possible for the job:

  • if you have the choice, choose a product without a hazard warning on the label (a black symbol on an orange or yellow square, with a description of the hazard)
  • ‘natural’ or ‘all natural’ paints, milk paints and white washes can contain less harmful substances than ordinary paint
  • calculate how much paint you need and try not to buy too much – a lot of paint that people buy is never used
  • look for the European Ecolabel for indoor paints (this means that they have a lower impact on the environment)

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs)
Most paints contain VOCs, which can be harmful to humans, wildlife, plants and even building materials. New legal limits have been introduced for VOC content in paints and varnishes used around the home. VOC content must now be displayed on all such products.

Choosing the appropriate product with the lowest VOC content you can will help reduce harmful effects.

Paints, finishes and preservatives need to be disposed of properly, as they can be toxic. This is particularly important if they display an orange hazard label:

  • always read the label
  • old products may have out-of-date information – if in doubt, handle and dispose of products as though they are hazardous
  • do not pour paint or other chemicals down the drain
  • if paints are poured into drains or disposed of in normal household waste, then hazardous chemicals can get into the environment
  • contact your local authority for guidance on disposal
  • you can usually take paint to your local civic amenity site, but some councils will collect it
  • you may be able to donate unwanted paint to Community RePaint – this is a network of projects around the UK that distributes unwanted paint to charities, community projects and people living on low incomes

The link below, ‘Request collection of hazardous waste’, will let you enter details of where you live. It will then take you to your local authority website, where you can find out more.

Over a quarter of timber available in the UK has been produced illegally. Illegal logging and unsustainable forestry practices destroy natural habitats and contribute to climate change. Trees absorb carbon dioxide – so, if they are cut down and not replaced there will be more carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, which contributes to climate change.

Other DIY products contain toxic chemicals that can be dangerous and highly polluting if not used and disposed of properly.