What Can YOU Do?

One of the best places to start is to see if there are any changes that YOU can make to help try and improve things. Starting off with some small changes in your own life is an important first step in getting other people to see that you can make a difference. If YOU don’t do it – why should anyone else?

• Don’t leave electrical things on if you’re not using them. This includes leaving the TV or your computer on standby as you're still using energy even though it’s turned off (well almost!).
• Make full use of recycling bins and try not to waste stuff unnecessarily. Did you know – each household in Britain produces an average of a tonne in rubbish each year and we can't carry on burning and burying it. Learn the three R's – reduce, reuse and recycle. Look for items which don't have loads of unnecessary packaging and for packaging that can be recycled. Try to also buy recycled products where possible – there's no point recycling if nobody's going to buy recycled products.
• Cycle, walk or take the bus to school rather than getting a lift in the car. If your only option is a car then try to share lifts with other people that go to your school that live in your local area.
• Try and buy locally produced, Fairtrade and organic products where possible.
• Find out about any local groups in your area – there are so many fantastic causes who always appreciate extra volunteers. This could well be your local Young Green group. Use the regional links to find the nearest group to you.
• Join the Green Party – for students and anyone still in full time education this costs just £5. Make sure you tell people that you've joined and why. If you're not too sure why joining is a good idea then check out this page on the Green party website.
• Talk to your friends about issues that you’re interested in and try to get them interested as well!
• Re-use bags and make sure you say no to any unwanted bags – some shop assistants ask if you want one for things as small as a chocolate bar! Did you know that each person in the UK uses an average of 134 plastic bags per year – how many do you use?
• Learn more about the issues which you’re interested in – the internet is a great resource, as are teachers at school and local charities. Check out the links pages on the Young Greens and Green Party websites. We are also putting together some fact sheets for the Teen Greens area of the site. Let us know what you would like to see information about, or if you would like to have a go at writing one.

If you have any questions, comments or feedback then we'd love to hear from you at teens AT younggreens.org.uk