 Success for borough's first Climate Action Week
We were thrilled by the success of Climate Action Week, which we organised in partnership with Woodley Town Council.
Its aim was to inspire people to see how they can help address the climate emergency while having fun in the process.
More than 200 people took part in the free events, which ran from 18 to 23 November and included a community litter pick, charity shop fashion show and information sessions.
There were also events for children, including a recycled art workshop and a poster competition with Year 3 children from Highwood Primary School, Rivermead Primary School and Woodley Church of England Primary School.
You can watch the electric vehicle webinar on YouTube, which covers a range of topics including cost, myth busting and overcoming jargon.
Thank you to everyone who attended one of these events and to the town council for helping to make this week a big success.
 Have a holly, jolly and sustainable Christmas
The festive season is sure to bring a lot of joy to households across the borough, but it is also a time when we have the power to make simple swaps to reduce the impact we have on the environment.
Here are some suggestions to help make your holidays more sustainable, without compromising.
Sustainable present ideas
- Think quality not quantity. Purchase gifts that will last a long time and not end up in household waste, which ultimately gets incinerated
- Look at the materials gifts are made from and avoid single-use plastic items, or consider gifting an experience. Keep sustainability in mind by opting for recycled items or organic-certified food and clothing
- Don't throw away your unwanted electrical items. Consider donating them to charity or make sure they are recycled correctly if they are beyond repair. You can also attend one of the many repair cafés that run in our borough to breathe new life into the item
Wrapping and packaging
- Reduce waste by buying gifts with little or no packaging. If you must use packaging, use recycled, Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified, recyclable materials, such as brown paper and paper bags, or reusable fabric wrapping paper and bags
- Avoid plastic wrapping paper and packaging, plastic ribbon, tape and foil-backed wrapping paper. None of these can be recycled and must be placed into the bin for incineration
- Glitter may give things an extra sparkle, but it is very harmful to the environment and particularly marine life
Christmas cards
- If you like sending Christmas cards, look for cards made from recycled or FSC-certified paper
- Save paper by sending a Christmas e-card, or a festive email instead
Christmas decorations
- Sue Ryder are once again offering a treecycling collection service, which will run from Tuesday 7 to Friday 10 January. Taking part will support a great cause, as well as ensuring the tree is recycled and used to make wood chippings for local parks and woodlands, or to be turned into biofuels
- Light up your Christmas tree with LED lights. Not only do they use less energy and last longer, they are cooler to run and also do not contain harmful gases unlike traditional halogen or filament lighting. For your safety and to save energy, remember to switch your lights off at night or when not in use
- Make your own Christmas decorations by repurposing items in your home. You can make tree decorations from wood, card and recycled materials. Bunting and paperchains can be made from paper or materials found around your home
- Avoid single-use tablecloths and napkins and use material alternatives. Not only will they last longer, but they can also be used year after year, simply put them in the washing machine and wash on a low temperature
Food and drink
- Cut down on your meat consumption and opt for vegetarian or vegan alternatives. There is a great selection of meat-free alternatives available
- Increase the use of your freezer to reduce food waste. The Food Standards Agency advises that it is safe to freeze food right up until the use-by date. Love Food Hate Waste has an A-Z on food storage including how to freeze different types of food
- Instead of clingfilm, use Tupperware, foil and wax cloth covers to keep leftovers nice and fresh, while helping to reduce food waste
- If you don't fancy cooking, why not support a local business instead? We are lucky to have a wide selection of local restaurants, pubs, cafes, pubs and shops in the borough - there is something for everyone
- Try not to overspend on food and drink to avoid waste. Around the festive break, there is often a lot of food waste. To avoid this, budget and plan your meals carefully
- If you are able to, consider donating unwanted food and other essentials to local foodbanks either directly, or at designated drop-off points
If you are celebrating, we would like to wish you all a very happy and sustainable festive season!
 Congratulations in order following royal recognition
We are delighted for everyone associated with Freely Fruity, which recently received the King's Award for Voluntary Service.
The charity aims to plant fruit trees in parks and other public open spaces to give people easy access to fruit at no cost.
Last year, we worked with Freely Fruity on a new tree nursery on land between Barkham and Finchampstead. The land, which sits alongside the site earmarked for our first solar farm, is being used by Freely Fruity to propagate saplings.
More recently, the team gave up their time to brighten up the space outside Lower Earley Library, planting lots of fruit and tidying up the courtyard by removing moss, ivy and weeds.
 Win prizes and stay active as Winter Wheelers returns
Winter is here, but that doesn’t mean we have to hang up our bikes! Winter Wheelers, the fun and friendly biking challenge from Love to Ride, is back.
Whether you're a regular cyclist or it's been a while since your last ride, this challenge is all about enjoying the benefits of cycling while having the chance to win some amazing prizes. Here is how it works:
- Ride anywhere, any time, in December and January
- Log your rides for a chance to win weekly prize draws
- Ride to win £100 cash gift card voucher, with eight up for grabs
- The more you ride, the more entries you get for the grand prize of £2,500
No matter your experience level, Love to Ride offers all the tips and support you need to stay comfortable and safe while riding in winter.
It doesn’t matter how far you go, every ride counts. Whether it’s a quick spin around the block or a longer commute, every time you ride and log it, you're entered into a draw to win great prizes.
 Introducing new and greener bus shelters
Bus shelters across the borough have been replaced with new, modern, environmentally-friendly and sustainably produced shelters.
Some of these will also benefit from further enhancements, like planting or solar panels on the roof, or an electronic advertising screen.
There will be 20 shelters replaced with new ones, with some of the older ones reused at other locations.
The new shelters have green roofs, planted with a range of pollinator-friendly, drought-tolerant perennials. Green roofs have many benefits including reducing carbon dioxide emissions, lower noise levels, purifying air and providing habitats for insects and wildlife.
They have been manufactured locally within 30 minutes of the borough and the old shelters will be re-used and recycled where possible. Ten of the new shelters will have digital advertising screens which will be powered by renewable energy, including solar panels.
 Insulation tips to help you stay warm this winter
Following the recent cold weather, you are probably more aware of the need to heat your house and the rise in your energy bills.
You could be losing heat from your house if it is not properly insulated and this can be particularly hard for more vulnerable residents, such as the elderly and those with medical conditions.
A range of support is available to help you lower your energy bills and reduce your carbon footprint, including the free Home Decarbonisation Advice Service.
If you are thinking about making bigger changes to your home, but are unsure where to start, then we also offer free access to the online Parity Projects Plan Builder App.
Here are five tips to help you keep your house warm:
- Walls - about a third of all the heat lost in an insulated home escapes through the walls. By adding insulation, you could save energy and save money
- Roof and loft - similarly to your walls, a lot of heat can escape through the roof and loft, which can be helped through insulation. Make sure you use a professional and accredited installer
- Floor - insulating your floor is a great way to keep your home warm. Older properties are most likely to have suspended timber floors, which can be insulated by lifting up the boards, but newer homes will have a ground floor made of solid concrete and this can have rigid insulation laid on top
- Tanks, pipes and radiators - adding insulation to water tanks and pipes and insulating behind radiators reduces the amount of heat lost, so you spend less money heating water up and hot water stays hotter for longer
- Draught-proofing - block up unwanted gaps that let cold air in and warm air out. Saving warm air means you’ll use less energy to heat your home
To find out more about keeping your home warm, visit our staying well this winter information page and the Energy Saving Trust.
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