How much plastic do you use in one day? It is a tricky question and the harder you think about it, the harder it is to answer. The fact is that plastic permeates our physical lives on every level. It's in your toothbrush, television, trash bag, tupperware, and maybe even the t-shirt on your back. At first, going a day without using plastic sounds challenging, but not too difficult. And then you think again.

But, after all, we are only talking about ONE day without plastic. Can it be done? Sure. You can go a day without brushing your teeth or combing your hair, flipping on the TV, or even listening to CDs. It's not so hard to store leftovers in a ceramic dish. But that's not really a fair analysis, is it? Being able to ignore all the ways we use plastic for one day only exemplifies how difficult it would be to do it for even a few days. What about a week? A month?

Going without plastic is extremely difficult in today's marketplace. It plays a part in nearly everything we buy. Even organic foods are typically stored in plastic. Even your cereal is stored in a plastic bag that is in a paperboard box. Still, while eliminating plastic from your life may be impossible for now (plant-based, compostable packaging is on the rise), it is not difficult to significantly reduce our use of plastic products.

Packaging is the most common use for plastic, from grocery bags to milk jugs, and not all are recyclable. First off, try to purchase products that are packaged in containers that can be recycled in your area. Second, cut down on your use.

• Take reusable grocery bags to the store.
• Buy fresh fruits and vegetables loose (not shoved in plastic bags).
• Look up a local farm or co-op that may sell local produce by the crate.
• Phase out plastic plates, silverware, and cups.
• Reuse and/or recycle the plastic containers you already have.
• Practice canning rather than freezing as much as possible.

As for television, stereos, and other products, there's not much getting around the plastic in these, but they are not disposable items and we typically use them for as long as possible. Just dispose of them properly when the time comes.

Even for one day it is a challenge to go without using plastic. On a daily basis, it is nearly impossible for average person. But just as human perfection is impossible but still a goal worth striving for, so we can strive to be free of plastic. You most certainly can make a difference.

In fact, here is something worth imagining: We, as a global community, reduce our use of plastic and recycle what plastic we do use to the point that no NEW plastic need be made. That's right, nothing but an endless recycle cycle. It all starts with just one day.

"Product Provenance" is a term Devon ethical fashion label, Quail By Mail  has coined to illustrate to customers exactly how each of their stylish garments came to be! In the artworld provenance shows the history of a painting via an ownership chain and how events shape and enhance an artworks authenticity. Annoyed by 'Greenwash' and other labels selling vague eco-fashion, Quail's founder, Shauna Chapman, decided to put green consumers on the right track and decided to publish its Product Provenance on their website. "I've created a high quality product and my supply chain deserves to be celebrated for having true ethical and eco provenance".

The Quail label uses cotton in 85% of its clothing line and can trace it back to non-GM seeds being sown in India through the design process and finally how online purchases are packaged and despatched in the most romantic and eco-friendly of packaging.

The cotton Quail has sourced, as explained in the 'Product Provenance' is from India, grown from non-GM seed in the Kutch area of Gujerat in Northern India. It is certified organic by the Dutch inspection body, Skal and the agricultural and harvest practices are certified as Fairtrade. Once harvested and processed the cotton is dyed using non-Azo (non-petro chemical dyes), or left natural!

The cotton is then hand-loomed by a weaving community in KV Kuppam, a rural area of southern India, which again is overseen by the Fairtrade Foundation. The fabric is exported to the UK. Quail believes in British ingenuity and only commissions British fashion graduates. Design elements such as functioning pockets, pleats, generous cuts etc are Quail's speciality. "I aim to add maximum design value to the organic and fairtrade cotton fabric and to create a unique British product not found anywhere else. It's hard work to create clothing designs from scratch so I appreciate it when customers appreciate the design and care taken to create my eco fashion".

Quail also sources sustainable haberdashery such as wood, coconut or shell buttons. Since the ethical fashion label wants to see rural and traditional manufacturing revitalised in England, Quail only utilises small, independent Cut, Make and Trim units in Devon and London. Local models are used to represent the brand and marketing material. Having created such special ethical and eco products, the packaging is also considered. And only reusable, recyclable and biodegradable materials are used: recycled kraft paper tied up in a parcel wrapped in a raffia bow. "Every girl loves a little package tied up with string and I think new, green fashion consumers are starting to think that just because a garment is unique, British, organic, Fairtrade, sustainable and fun - the prices are very, very fair indeed!, says Shauna.

On the 10th and 11th May 2008 London will see the very first UK AWARE – a new event which aims to inspire you with ideas on how to live an eco-friendly life. As an eco-travel site, ecobookers will be there to show you just how easy it is to make eco-friendly holiday choices!

www.ecobookers.com is a site for the independent eco-traveller, offering a wide range of eco-friendly accommodations in a variety of different locations, all of which can be booked securely online.

There are over 100 holiday accommodations on offer, from eco-friendly hotels and eco-lodges to tented-camps and tree-houses and you don’t need to completely change your lifestyle just to go green! Whether you’re looking for a romantic getaway or a family holiday, planning a luxury break or travelling on a shoe-string, there’s an eco-friendly hotel or ecolodge to suit you!

Travellers can use the site to find fantastic eco-friendly places to stay and get quotes online, and when booking through the site can be sure that they are paying the same price, or sometimes even cheaper, than if they book direct with the accommodation.

The eco-accommodations featured on the site have been researched and handpicked to ensure that they have a comprehensive range of eco-policies, protecting ecobookers’ customers against green-washing.

In addition, ecobookers.com has joined forces with a number of partners to help UK-based customers make green choices at home, as well as in their travels. The partnerships provide ecobookers customers with exclusive savings on a range of eco-friendly goods and services.

Visitors to the ecobookers stand at London Aware 08 will have the chance to win a weekend break at Natural Retreats Eco Lodge in Yorkshire.

Domestic heating accounts for a large proportion of domestic greenhouse gas emissions. Heating with wood fuel is one of a raft of solutions which can reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Compared to heating with fossil fuels or heating with non renewable electricity wood fuel is a clear winner. Compare the emissions figure for non renewable electricity which is 0.46 kg CO2 / kWh, mains gas at 0.216, with the figure for wood fuel which is less than 0.00612 kg CO2 / kWh.

These emissions are down to the processing and transport of the fuel. Trees need to be felled and cut, logs need to be split and everything needs to be transported from forest to stove. This is all usually done using energy from fossil fuels, either diesel, petrol, or electricity, and this is why there are any emissions at all.

The forestry commission is working on increasing production of wood fuel and aim to bring 2 million tonnes to the market yearly by 2020. Wood is not a viable heating option for everyone in the country as there is simply not enough, but wood heating is a viable option for many. This is especially the case if we all were to have well insulated houses that require only minimal heating. This is not because heating with wood is limited to low outputs, that is not the case at all, but it is always better to use the least resources possible. Switching to a low carbon heating source is all very well, but if your house is not well insulated you will just be wasting time and resources.

So what are your wood heating options?

For a start forget about fireplaces. Fireplaces are very inefficient and require huge amounts of air which is generally drawn from outside (where it is cold) into your house (which you are trying to heat). A stove is the way to go and there are various types available.

1 - Wood burning stoves

There are many wood burning stoves on the market many of which can come with backboilers to provide hot water and heating. It is relatively easy to plumb such a stove in to your existing heating system as long as you have a vented system. This is where a decent heat accumulator tank comes into it's own. A heat accumulator tank lets you store the heat from your wood stove and use it when you want to. It also allows you to combine heat sources such as a wood stove with a backboiler as and solar – this is a popular combination.

Wood stoves generally look good and are something which adds a valued feature to your home as well as lowering your carbon emissions. There are many styles available and prices range from around £300 to £1500. You have to bear in mind that the materials and installation can often cost as much if not more than the stove itself, so budget for around £1000 to £3000 for everything.

Modern wood stoves tend to be cleanburning which means that a secondary or even tertiary supply of air is introduced to the firebox. This allows unburnt gases to burn giving more complete combustion. This increases the efficiency of the stove.

Most stoves also have airwash which is where air is passed over the window of the stove to keep it clear of deposits and tar build up.

It is always a good idea to ask an expert in the field for advice on which stove would best suit your needs. You can find (and leave) independent uk stove reviews on http://www.whatstove.co.uk

A lot of help, advice and useful information is available free from us (Stovesonline) here: http://www.stovesonline.co.uk/stove_help_and_advice.html

We also carry a searchable national database of firewood, and wood pellet suppliers. 

If you want a heat accumulator tank then it is worth contacting Dedicated Pressure Systems – http://www.heatweb.com.

2 – Gasification boilers

These are not really pretty and would normally sit in a utility room or garage. These boilers are large and are more automated than a wood stove. A gasification boiler would normally work in conjunction with a heat accumulator tank, storing the heat from the wood for later use. Often wood chips can be burnt which are very cheap compared to other fuels, but have a high moisture content making them unsuited to burning on wood stoves (plus the chips do not tend to burn well on a wood stove anyway even if they were dry).

Some have the option of connection to a large fuel store which then auger feeds fuel into the stove to give you very automated burning.

Gasification boilers are relatively expensive starting at roughly £4000 - £10,000 +.

Dunster Woodfuels are a provider of gasification boilers in the South West - http://www.dunsterwoodfuels.co.uk

3 – Pellet stoves

Quite a recent technology in the UK, pellet stoves are much more like gas boilers. You can set them to come on or off and most feed themselves pellets as needed from a fuel hopper. Because the technology is recent make sure that you can get technical backup, spares, and that there are trained technicians available before going ahead with a pellet stove. That said they can be a very convenient way to heat your house with wood fuel, especially if you are not inclined to be filling a wood stove up with wood all the time.

Pellet stoves are a little more expensive than wood stoves and the price ranges are around £1500 to £4000 and upwards depending on the size of stove.

Stoves in smoke control areas

Most towns are smoke control areas. If you do decide to switch to wood heating make sure that you do not live in a smoke control area by visiting this website: http://www.uksmokecontrolareas.co.uk

If you do live in a smoke control area then there are a variety of stoves available which are approved for wood burning in smokeless zones, notably the Dunsley Yorkshire which is one of the only wood stoves with a large backboiler that is approved. More of these stoves are listed on this website: http://www.smokecontrolareas.co.uk

and there is also an Ecotivity article to be found here: http://www.ecotivity.com/wood-burning-stoves-in-smokeless-zones