• Use water saving shower heads that deliver a max of 10 litres of water per minute
• Choose shower heads that have a ‘shower off’ button to conserve water while you lather up
• A medium sized bath about 1500mm long is as comfortable and cleansing as a big bath, and uses a great deal less water
• Install wash basin taps with aerator outlets. The aerator mixes air with water, resulting in a lower flow rate ( 5-10 litres per minute which splashes less)
• Don’t let water run in the basin. While shaving or brushing teeth, keep the tap turned off
• Don’t leave a tap running while you brush your teeth 
• Fix those leaky toilet and taps! 
• Take shorter showers 
• Don’t waste water just because someone else is footing the bill, such as at restaurants and hotels 
• Save fruit and vegetable scraps for the compost heap

• Use containers for keeping food in the fridge instead of plastic wrapping which cannot be re-used
• Use recycling depots where they exist. Glass jars, bottles, newspapers and aluminium cans can all be recycled. South Africans throw away 65% of all glass products made annually -- all of which can be recycled
• Choose glass over plastic when buying goods as more local authorities recycle glass than plastic
• Use wax wrap instead of plastic or foil
• Try to avoid throwing your waste down the sink
• Save fruit and vegetable scraps for the compost heap
• Fill a bowl of water to clean vegetables, instead of rinsing them under a running tap 

• Start a compost heap in your garden with left-over fruit and vegetable scraps and garden debris
• Choose organic fertilisers (e.g. horse manure) and try to avoid pesticides altogether
• Encourage wildlife in your garden - put up bird feeders, nest boxes and encourage wild flowers to grow
• Plant trees and plants indigenous (local) to your area where possible as these are adapted to local conditions
• Save fruit and vegetable scraps for the compost heap
• Use a broom, not a hose, to clear leaves from your driveway 
• Report broken pipes, open hydrants, etc. to local authorities 
• Plant indigenous plants – in general, they require less water 
• Water your garden in the early morning to prevent excessive evaporation 
• Don’t buy water toys that require a constant stream of water 
• Do one thing each day that can save water – every drop counts! 
• Cover the swimming pool to slow down the evaporation of water
• A pressure control valve controls the fluctuation of pressure through the home's plumbing system and prevents imbalances in the system
• Reduced flow pressure reduces the amount of water used
• The main benefits: water saving and a balance between hot and cold water systems 
• Shower rather than bathing. This saves up to a third of water used
• Use aerosols sparingly and only those which state they do not contain CFCs. (Chlorofluorocarbons)
• Avoid using colouring for toilet water as these introduce chemicals into the sewage system which can be dangerous and costly to filter out
• Much raw or only partially treated sewage is being pumped into the sea, so avoid flushing sanitary wear, cigarette butts and plastic packaging down the toilet. Sanitary wear can take 120 days to decompose and plastics can take hundreds of years to break down.  
   
  For the Environment:
• Voice your concern. Write letters to your local, provincial or national elected representative, and newspaper on environmental issues that concern you. Ask questions and insist on answers. Many improvements have been achieved through persistent public outcry
• Campaign for better public transport and recycling facilities
• Join an environmental group - they need your support
• Use less, reuse more and tell others to conserve our precious resources as well
• Spread the word amongst friends and colleagues
• Save fruit and vegetable scraps for the compost heap

What to do at home to improve the environment?
 
We can all make small and simple changes in our way of living at home which can help the environment.  
 
The coal, oil and gas burned in our homes and power stations give off carbon dioxide and other gases which contribute to the greenhouse effect and acid rain. By using less fuel, you can play a personal role in helping combat these problems. Some of these measures may cost more at first, but save you money in the long term. 

• Switch off lights, heating and other electrical equipment when rooms are not in use.
• Use draught excluders at doors and windows, and install insulation in the roof in colder climates, and around your hot water tank.
• Adjust your hot water geyser to a lower setting; 55 - 60"C is adequate and switch this off when going away for long periods
• Install solar panels. The initial cost may be quite high, but you will reduce electricity bills
• Use fluorescent light bulbs instead of ordinary incandescent bulbs. Although more expensive to buy, they last eight times longer and use much less electricity
• When buying electrical equipment, make sure they are energy efficient - ask the sales representative for energy consumption figures
• Instead of boiling a kettle repeatedly, use a flask to keep the water hot
• Don't use the hot water tap unless you actually want hot water and then use as little as possible

  What to do away from home to help the environment?
 
Individuals and conservation organisations are working at local, national and global levels to stop the destruction of this wonderful world in which we are privileged to live. Throughout the world we are destroying our greatest global assets, and the natural systems that give us beauty and keep us alive. Rainforests are being cut down, pollution from burning of fossil fuels is contributing to the greenhouse effect and changes in world climate, while thousands of species are threatened with extinction due to loss of habitat. But we have the awareness, the responsibility and the ability to stop this destruction.

Whoever and wherever you are, whatever you are doing, you can help the environment. Today we must all take responsibility for our planet. 
 
On the Coast: 
 
Our coastline is very vulnerable, take good care of it by taking your rubbish home. Around the world over 2 million seabirds and 100 000 sea mammals die annually - trapped or injured by discarded rubbish.

Anglers should always make sure they take home all their equipment. Discarded hooks, sinkers, lines and nets can be hazardous to humans as well as wildlife. 

Keep vehicles off sand dunes - vegetation on dunes is very fragile and slow-growing.  
 
At work:
 
There is enormous wastage of paper and energy in the workplace.  
 
Thousands of trees are used to make the paper and other products which we throw away. Save resources by recycling. 

• Save energy and money by switching off lights and heating that is not in use, particularly over lunch hour and after work
• Is your workplace using environmentally safe products e.g. phosphate free cleaning agents? Promote this as a policy
• Support the use of recycled paper -- this uses less energy and produces less wastage and pollution than virgin paper
• Does your company or workplace have an environmental policy? Help develop one with other concerned people and make it official policy. If not, start one!

Encourage your employer to promote water conservation in the work place. 
 
Shopping:
 
Next time you go shopping take a moment to think of the effect your next purchase could have on the environment. Be an informed consumer. There are safe alternatives to many of the products we buy today.  
 
Buy pump-action sprays, particularly when refills are available. Avoid aerosols unless they state they do not use CFCs. Buy recycled toilet paper, stationery etc.

• If you can, buy in bulk - it saves packaging and money
• Avoid products designed specifically for a short life span, for example disposable items such as nappies - buy long-lasting items to reduce the amount of urban waste. 
• Take your own bag shopping. Billions of non-recyclable or non-biodegradable carrier bags are given away free and used only once. These can, for example, end up in rivers and seas where they can kill or injure wildlife. Re-use them as dustbin liners and take half-a-dozen along to the supermarket for re-use. Some supermarkets have introduced collection points for carrier bags - find out if yours has one
• Remember yours is the power of the purse - you can make a difference by selecting articles which are environmentally safe. 

Travelling:
 
Do you need to drive the car so often? Huge amounts of poisonous gases and substances are released by our cars and other motor vehicles each year, including nitrogen oxides and hydrocarbons as well as lead which contributes to acid rain, smog, health problems and the greenhouse or global warming effect.  

• Try walking or cycling instead of the car. It also keeps you fit
• Use public transport when possible. If there is not a good service make sure your elected representative or local authority knows
• Consider sharing car journeys with friends or relatives or form a car pool
• Drive more slowly. Reduced speeds lead to less fuel being used and less pollution
• Have your car serviced regularly -- an efficient engine is a clean one
• Watch out for animals crossing the road, particularly at night when your vehicle's headlights may dazzle and confuse the animal. Slow down if you think you see an animal at the side of the road. In the United States it is estimated than more than one-million mammals and birds are killed by motor vehicles every day! 

For the Environment: 

• Write to your elected representative, local authority or local paper on environmental issues that concern you. Many improvements have been achieved through persistent public outcry
• Campaign for better public transport and recycling facilities
• Join an environmental group - they need your support
• Use less, reuse more and tell others to conserve our precious resources as well
• Spread the word amongst friends and colleagues - show them this leaflet.  
  

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This article is brought to you by Endangered Wildlife Trust (EWT).

The Endangered Wildlife Trust (EWT) is a South-African-based non-governmental, non-profit, conservation organisation, founded in 1973 to conserve threatened species and ecosystems in southern Africa, to the benefit of the people of the sub-region.