Take the low carbon diet

The goods we buy and even the food we eat has an impact on our carbon footprint. The good news is that making greener choices in the supermarket can save you money - as well as helping you shed carbon calories.

A whopping 11 billion km a year is clocked up by food distributed around Britain by road and air - that adds up to an 18 million tonne CO2 bill.

Check food labels and be selective about what you put in your shopping basket. Choosing locally grown, seasonal produce that hasn't been transported miles by lorry or plane could save around 50kg of CO2 on the average shopping basket.

Check out local farmers markets at www.farmersmarkets.net or join an organic box scheme that will deliver local produce to your door. Remember, don't choose local produce if it has been grown out of season. The energy taken to grow tomatoes or strawberries in hothouses outweighs the carbon savings.

Let the cows live

Vegetarians are much lighter on CO2 emissions than their meat munching counterparts. Why? It takes far more energy to rear animals and process and refrigerate meat products than it does to grow crops. Cows are also flatulent creatures and release huge amounts of methane into the atmosphere. Veggie burger anyone? Give up steak or beef for just one meal and you can save 2.6kg of CO2.

Waste not, want not

What's lurking at the back of your fridge? According to the Food Climate Research Network, the average UK family throws out one fifth of the fresh food they buy. Think of the wasted CO2 emissions spent producing and importing it all - not to mention the £424 wasted each year. Plan your meals carefully and keep an eye on sell by dates to avoid waste.

The average UK car owner travels 130 miles miles a year just to buy food. Doing a bigger shop, rather than making several smaller trips, will save on petrol and cut down on packaging waste. Supermarkets that deliver to your home are a better option as they serve several customers in one trip.

Disposable nation

We live in a 'throw away' society where products are manufactured for our convenience - and are conveniently polluting the planet. Plastic razors, paper plates and cups, and paper towels... do we really need them? It takes vast quantities of energy to manufacture and dispose of throw away goods, so think twice before you take what seems like the easy option.

Every little helps

Approximately 40% of the rubbish in a typical UK dustbin comes from retail packaging - cardboard, boxes, plastic sheets and bubble wrap. Buy loose products rather than expensive plastic wrapped containers whenever you can. When you've finally finished your carbon friendly shopping, remember to put your purchases in a reusable bag, rather than plastic carrier bags - every little helps!