Liverpool Echo

C O N T E N T S

PAGE 3: You're going green - great environmental activities around Merseyside. PAGE 4: Environmental inspiration - we're looking for creative types with designs on the planet.

Wellcome to ... It's Our World

WELCOME to the first It's Our World supplement, part of our new green section dedicated to making Merseyside a better place to live in - for us, our families and for future generations. Since we launched the platform at the start of the month, I've been overwhelmed by your fantastic green ideas, your ingenious tips and the many inspirational things you've been doing to make the world a better place.

We're Going Green!

WHEN we launched It's Our World, we asked what you are doing for the environment - and we were inundated with responses. From schools to gardening groups, businesses to voluntary organisations, you are making a difference. Here are just a few of the green initiatives taking place. .. . PUPILS at St Margaret"s CE Primary School in Anfield have been looking at ways to reduce the amount of waste going to landfill this term.

Is Your Art in the Right Place?

WITH dramatic skylines, stunning seascapes and a wealth of green spaces, Merseysiders are spoilt for choice when it comes to the finest view. And with improvements in water and air quality, and more and more of us recycling and using public transport, our environment continues to get better.

Why It's the Great Outdoors for Park Fans Any Time of Year

FAMILIES have been flocking to enjoy the great outdoors at Runcorn Town Hall Park. The first phase of a pounds 450,000 programme of improvements has been completed, and already the facilities are proving to be a big hit.

A Clutch of Good Ideas

FORGET cheap and nasty plastic bags. This season, the smartest shopping peeks out of a reusable tote, writes JADE WRIGHT. Thirteen billion plastic bags are given away each year in the UK alone. Their production and disposal adds to CO2 emissions and many contribute to pollution problems and threaten wildlife.

Eco Suit Is No Wind Up!

EVEN cleaning can be given a green twist thanks to natural cleaning products from Method. Non-toxic, biodegradable, naturally- derived and never tested on animals, they're as safe for you as they are for the world. And as they're packed with essential oils and natural essences, they smell pretty good, too. Most products are about pounds 3, or buy a bundle for pounds 20 from www.method products.co.uk.. SUPER shiny hair and helping preserve the rainforests? Sounds like a plan to me. From the re...

Cost of Waste

WE all love food don't we? Well seemingly not. The average family could save pounds 50 per month if they paid a bit more attention as to how they manage their food. According to WRAP (Waste Resources Action Programme), 6.7 million tonnes of food is thrown away from UK homes each year - that's a third of the food we buy.

Use Our Top Tips to Get More From Your Food and Start Saving Now

Plan meals: Planning your meals is one of the most effective ways you can reduce food waste and your bills Start by checking your fridge, freezer and store cupboard, and before you go shopping write a list so you don't shop for things you already have Work out a weekly meal plan and think of how much you will really use Try to shop for planned meals and not random ingredients Play it cool: Perishable food lasts longer if kept cool and months if frozen Get a fridge and freezer thermometer and ...

Good Reasons to Go Green with Yout Recycling

RECYCLING is reward in itself, but now Halton Council is to become the first authority in the north of England and only the second in the country to launch a voluntary scheme for rewarding residents who recycle. Starting in the autumn, 10,000 households in seven pilot areas will be offered the choice of earning points for how much they recycle in their blue bins. The points are converted into vouchers for national retailers, local shops and businesses, or charity donations.

Top Ten Jobs to Tackle This Weekend . .

1. Top up loft insulation to 270mm. 2. Fit a jacket to your water cylinder. 3. Draught-proof doors/windows/fill floorboards etc. 4. Insulate or "lag" your hot water pipes. 5. Switch bulbs (inc halogen & dimmers) to low energy ones 6. Put up a washing line to dry clothes outside. 7. Fit reflective panels against the back of radiators.

& the Top Ten Where You Need a Professional to Do the Work

1. Insulate your loft (if none at all). 2. Replace boiler with a condensing one.

Lofty Ideals

WHILE we're basking in the summer heat, insulation is the last thing on our minds. Admittedly, we may not have the predicted heatwave just yet, but still, it's an organised person indeed that's planning their pipe lagging in July. Bur that's exactly what we should be doing, say the experts at the Energy Saving Trust.

We're Jumping for Joy [ ... ]

IT was the river that powered the Industrial Revolution, the heart of the north west"s thriving business empire. The River Mersey has been immortalised in music and is known throughout the world. It provided a vital trade route for the transport of valuable commodities from the mills and factories in the region to the thriving port of Liverpool and the world beyond.

A Walk On the Wild Side

RELAX, put your feet up and let someone else do the driving. There is a wealth of fun to be had in Merseyside, all an easy ride away on the train, bus and ferry. Public transport gets the cars off the roads, eases congestion and reduces CO2 emissions. Walking to and from bus stops and train stations is a good boost for your health. Public transport users walk 20 minutes per day on average more than drivers.

Day I Tried Out for Hollyoaks

IT was 9.30am and already dozens of glamorous girls had started to arrive at Lime Pictures in Childwall to audition for a part in Hollyoaks. But this was no ordinary casting.

Summer Pops Rolls Into Town

THE biggest-ever Summer Pops festival rolls into Liverpool this week. More than 80 acts will play at five city centre venues over the next month, starting with John Mayall at the 02 Academy tonight.

Skating the Way to School ; Pe with a Twist to Fight Obesity

MERSEYSIDE schools have unveiled a new weapon against childhood obesity - skateboard lessons. Every primary and secondary school in St Helens has added Vigorboarding to the timetable.

Card School Is the Business!

PUPILS at a Liverpool school have no excuse for forgetting their parents' birthdays after setting up a greetings card company. The venture is the brainchild of enterprising students at St Anne's Stanley CE primary, in Old Swan.

Two Arrests Over Fires

TWO men were arrested on suspicion of arson after a fire in Ellesmere Port. Crews were called to the house in Percival Road shortly after 4.30am, to find two occupants had escaped the fire.