| Water saving tips | Save litres by... - Turning off taps when brushing teeth
- Take a short 5 minute shower instead of a bath
- Wait until the dishwasher and washing machine are full before running
- Repair any dripping taps as they can waste 140 litres a week
- Wash the car with a bucket of water instead of a hosepipe Fit a water butt in the garden to collect rain water to use in your garden
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It was Environment Day at the BBC Leicester Open Centre on Tuesday 01 August. There was environmentally friendly advice, workshops and even free organic ice-cream! Our very own BBC Radio Leicester rickshaw accompanied an organic ice-cream bicycle around the city centre to highlight a pollution-free means of transport.  | | BBC Radio Leicester rickshaw |
The ice-cream bicycle is a new project for Bikes 4 All, a local charity whose aim is to provide bicycles for residents of the most deprived areas of Leicester to use as transport. The bikes are recovered from local tips or received through public donation, and then refurbished by asylum seekers, refugees, the long-term unemployed and socially-excluded youths. RecyclingStuart Brown, a Waste Management Technician, was available to tell people about Leicestershire County Council's recycling initiatives. They are trying to reduce the amount of waste people generate and maximise recycling as we are running out of landfill space.  | | Rope making workshop |
Their schemes include providing free reusable nappies, reusable bags and subsidised composting bins to make it easier for people to do their bit. But how about reusing some of your rubbish instead? With a bit of imagination you could turn it into something new, like a basket or even rope. Clare Bull, a Recycling Community artist, ran a rope-making workshop to show what you can do with all those leftover plastic carrier bags. Clare's work began with an interest in the aesthetics of using rubbish in artwork. However she soon realised that she was more interested in showing other people the environmental impact of their waste, rather than making art for art's sake. She started running workshops in schools and at the Eco-house, Leicester's environmental show home. She then became a resident there for a year...rent free! Listen to Clare's experience of living in the Eco-house....Eco-house volunteer, Claire Burwell, was also in the Open Centre to give ideas on how to make your home more eco-friendly. The Eco-house encourages people to take away one idea from their visit to use in their own home, such as switching off taps when brushing teeth. Saving Water| "You don't have to be a hippy to think about your actions on the environment, just doing a little bit makes a difference" | | Claire Burwell, Eco-house volunteer |
Severn Trent's Water Conservation Manager, Doug Clarke, ran an advice drop-in for people interested in saving water for financial as well as environmental reasons. According to Doug, people in the East Midlands are fortunate because the reservoirs are still full. But if we don't use water wisely, they will soon empty. He says "everybody can play their part, saving a little bit adds up to saving a lot". Ady Dayman, from the Down to Earth gardening team, was at hand with information on drought resistant plants and tips on how to look after your garden in hot weather. He suggested using Mediterranean plants and water butts to get through the summer months. | 
