Greenprint 2020

Water scarcity is a real issue in parts of the UK, with the average Briton using 150 litres each day. South-East England has less water available per person than parts of Sudan and that just 3% of water is freshwater safe for drinking. So with the summer approaching it’s essential we use water efficiently, and there are lots of ways to do this.

Last week a team of Greenprint 2020 volunteers and interns headed to Barts Hospital in London for ‘Bust a Flush’, showing the public how easy it is to save water. We donned our hippo costumes and gave away shower timers, save-a-flush bags and water hippos.

Over the year these people will now save 965,000 litres of water and over 4 tonnes CO2!

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Barts building just opened in March 2012 so it is a fantastic example of new energy efficient architecture. Barts and the London NHS Trust have created an environmental programme, reducing their annual CO2 emissions by 6000 tonnes. That’s enough to fill over 31,000 double decker buses!

Way’s you can save water:

Bronze (saving up to 5,000 litres per household per year)

• Use a water hippo or save-a-flush bag
• Fit a water efficient shower head
• Install a water butt/rain barrel and use this to water your garden

Silver (5,001 to 10,000 litres per household per year)

• Fix dripping taps
• Turn off taps when your brushing your teeth
• Fit water efficient tap adapters

Gold (saving 10,001 to 15,000 litres per household per year)

• Use the plug or a bowl when washing up
• Spend less time in the shower, aim for less than 4 minutes
• Switch from baths to showers

Platinum (saving over 15,000 litres per  household per year)

• Avoid sprinklers and hoses – use a watering can

Global Action Plan Resources