Great Big Green Week is 18th – 26th September and in the weeks running up to it we’re asking people to do 5 simple actions that are good for the environment.
Share your actions with us on Facebook or Twitter by tagging us and using #BFOEFiveActions
If you already do these things let us know on social media. There are other actions at the bottom of the page for those who want to try something different.
1.Local Litter Pick
Picking up litter shows care for your local area. It could be as simple as picking up litter you see as you walk home, or you could get family, neighbours or nearby friends to join in.
There are lots of groups across the city that do regular litter picks, Birmingham Litter Pickers could help you find one in your area.
Birmingham has wonderful green spaces, many cared for by volunteers. You could litter pick in your local park or see if you could join one organised by a Friends group. Birmingham Open Spaces Forum has info about local groups.
We recommend recycling litter where possible. Sadly, Birmingham has a very low recycling rate, something we highlight in our current Waste campaign.
2. Meat-Free Monday (or any day)
Reducing meat and dairy consumption is good for the environment and usually good for our health too. See if you can go vegetarian (or vegan) for a day or more.
In our home at the Warehouse there’s The Warehouse Cafe which serves a range of vegetarian and vegan food, plus Alleyways Confectionary a vegan sweet shop.
There are recipes and resources at:
Vegetarian Society
BBC Food
Hurry the Food Up
3.Recommend a Read/Watch/Listen
Learn more about climate change, the environment or sustainability. Read a book, watch a documentary/film, listen to a podcast, or find out news online, and then recommend it to someone you know.
We’ve compiled a list of resources, including some suitable for children. Many of the books can be borrowed from Birmingham Libraries.
4.Write to your Representative
Engaging with our local and national representatives is a way individuals can increase their impact by advocating for change on a local or national level.
As part of Waste Isn’t Rubbish campaign, we are asking members of the public to write to their councillor, asking for an end to ‘incinerator lock in’. You can find a letter template HERE.
You can find your Councillor’s details here
5.Befriend BFOE (or another local eco group) #BefriendBFOE
We’d love to welcome you and tell you more about what we do.
-Come to an event
We will have a stall at the Young Christian Climate Network’s Educational Market at [St Philip’s Cathedral] on 25th August and at the MAC EcoFest on 19th September. Both events will have other local eco organisations you can learn more about.
-Visit our base
We own The Warehouse, a little green community in the heart of the city centre. It’s home to wonderful ethical businesses, rooms for hire and Digbeth Community Garden.
-Volunteer with us
We are fuelled by volunteer power. We have various volunteer roles and our weekly meetups take place every Monday evening, 7:30 till 9.
-Support us
You can support us financially with one off or regular donations.
6.Other actions:
- Sign a petition – national Friends of the Earth and Greenpeace have various petitions
- Try a plastic free food shop – find supermarket products that don’t have plastic wrapping, or visit zero waste shops such as Clean Kilo or Weigh Forward
- Talk to someone about climate change
- See if you could benefit from greener energy
- Use peat-free compost in the garden
- See if you could switch to a more ethical bank account
- Reduce car usage for a week – walk, cycle or take public transport whenever possible, National Express West Midlands have reduced bus fares this summer, so it’s a great time to try
