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SPRING cleaning is on the agenda for most of us at this time of the year, but it could also be the ideal season for getting our green credentials in order.

Doing more to help the planet can start with the smallest steps, according to The Green Guide, which offers the following tips for becoming greener in a fortnight.

1. Turn off the tap when you clean your teeth - you don't need to run the water while you are brushing.

2. Next time you go shopping, take your own carrier bag and refuse the ones offered at the checkout.

3. Turn your heating down by one degree - you won't notice the difference, but you will save energy and cut your bills.

4. When you make a hot drink, don't fill the kettle to the top, but just boil what you need. It's much quicker, too. Overfilling kettles wastes £1million of energy in the UK every week.

5. Turn off all electronic machines left on stand-by - like TVs, hi-fis, video recorders and DVD players and anything else with a standby function. It's estimated that if everyone in the UK did this we could shut down two power stations with the reduction in required energy.

6. Start to compost. All your organic waste can be composted - either in a heap in your garden or in a special container like a wormery. According to Recycle Now, the national recycling campaign implemented and managed by the Waste & Resources Action Programme on behalf of the Government, each year two wheelbarrow loads full of organic waste are produced for every man, woman and child in England. This waste can be recycled into nutrient-rich compost for use for all manner of plants in gardens. Home compost is a product that will help your garden and the environment as a whole - putting valuable nutrients back into the soil and helping gardens to look healthier.

7. Buy local, seasonal food - and purchase items with less packaging.

8. Recycle more - you may already be recycling your bottles and newspapers, but contact your local council to find out about all the other items it can recycle at its recycling depots. You can also take your unwanted clothes, books and toys to charity shops.

9. Walk rather than drive on short journeys. As well as helping to save the planet, it is healthier for you.

10. Flush less - fit a Hippo water saver in your cistern and save around 6,000 litres per year per person. Alternatively, you could put a brick in the cistern.

11. Buy planet-friendly, biodegradable detergent for all your household cleaning needs.

12. Hang your clothes out to dry and try to stop using the tumble dryer.

13. Buy energy-saving light bulbs and replace your most often used conventional ones. It costs a bit more upfront, but each light bulb can save you up to £7 per year and make 75% energy savings.

14. Switch to a green and renewable electricity supplier. If you do it online, it will take you no more than 10 minutes. Find out more at www.greenelectricity.org.

Encouragingly, a study has revealed that more than nine out of 10 of us are actively looking for environmentally-friendly products An ICM poll conducted on behalf of Cartridge World, the market leading retailer of refilled and remanufactured printer cartridges, revealed that in northern England 23 per cent of us will automatically choose the greenest' option. Only five per cent admit to deliberately avoiding the environmentally-friendly choice.

Brad McBride, of Cartridge World in Sale and Altrincham, said: "This survey shows there is a clear interest in environmentally-friendly products, but consumers rightly expect that they should not be paying extra to go green', nor should they make any compromise as far as quality is concerned."

6:40pm Saturday 3rd May 2008

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