IT HAS never been easy for flat-dwellers to be green – but things are starting to change at last
Out here in the rural idyll, there's loads of space for compost bins, a recycling station, a veg plot and, if only the bank balance was healthier, a ground source heat pump and mini-turbine too. But this doesn't mean I've forgotten my tenement years
where all that stuff seemed like something from another planet. It was bad enough getting the neighbours to take their turn sweeping the stairwell, let alone persuading them that we should split the cost of some solar panels.
In search of proof that being green really is possible when you live in a flat in the city, I called Changeworks (0131 555 4010), the Edinburgh-based organisation dedicated to waste reduction and energy efficiency. My first guide was Evelyn Mitchell, expert in the three Rs (reducing, reusing and recycling). She points out that in most cities you no longer have to walk miles to find a recycling point – many streets have their own recycling bins. She does mention the conundrum surrounding glass bottles – if you've been struggling to find somewhere to hide the evidence of your chardonnay habit, it's probably because noise complaints from people living near bottle banks meant the council had to remove them.
If you have a shared garden and can get the neighbours on board, Changeworks will send round a volunteer from its Master Composter project to advise everyone on where to site the compost bin and what to put in it. Yes, you'll have to trek downstairs with your 'kitchen caddy' filled with scraps, but think of the waste you'll be saving from landfill and the free compost you'll have for growing your own prize-winning veg.
What about energy efficiency? Nicolas Heath, Changeworks' energy project officer, explains that old tenements do have their eco-pluses – there are fewer outside walls than a detached house (so less heat escapes) and if you're high up, you get free heat via your downstairs neighbours.
If you want to insulate solid walls, the most viable option is installing interior wall insulation (fairly major building work).
If you're on the top floor, Heath suggests capitalising on that rising heat from downstairs by putting in loft insulation – otherwise 25% of the heat will disappear through the roof. Double-glazing is also an excellent idea, but if this isn't an option because you're in a listed building, secondary glazing can be fitted inside instead.
And if you have an old boiler, it could be running at less than 65% efficiency so is worth replacing. Less expensive measures such as insulating the hot water tank pipes, ensuring radiators have thermostatic valves and fitting draught-proofing around the front door and letter box are all good ideas.
Of course, one of the joys of tenement living is the camaraderie with the neighbours. If you're lucky enough to experience this, you could share the costs of installing a heat recovery system and 'draught lobby' (second entrance door) to keep the stairwell toasty. Solar and other renewable technologies are possible in flats, but they're a far more complex (and expensive) undertaking than insulating your pipes. As nearly 75% of the energy used in a domestic property is for space and water heating, we should probably all be aiming for good insulation and an efficient heating system before worrying about where to locate the mini-turbine.
Healthy planetYOU may travel to get away from it all, but this device ensures you don't miss a thing. The Globetrotter's solar panel attaches to your rucksack and charges mobile phones and digital cameras on the go. (Globetrotter, £49.99, 01684 774 000,
www.solartechnology.co.uk)
5 Minutes to save the worldGO BACK to the pre-standby era and switch your appliances off. Why? Because the equivalent of two power stations' worth of electricity is wasted each year when we leave our TVs, computers, games consoles and other gadgets on standby (and three million tons of CO2 are produced). Plus you'll save money by switching off – £40 annually, according to a recent Which? report.
The full article contains 693 words and appears in Scotland On Sunday newspaper.
