Big Green Ideas - including the return of the drinking fountain, and 'precycling'

15. Backyard sufficiency

In a nutshell: Treating your garden as a source of protein.

The clever bit: Also known as Micro Eco Farming, backyard sufficiency is about exploiting small (and often unpromising) plots of urban land until they yield a bumper harvest.

NVDL: Some great - and simple - ideas.

clipped from www.guardian.co.uk 7. Reinstate the drinking fountain In a nutshell: The rebirth of bottle-free water. The clever bit: Saying "no" to bottled water – and the 13bn plastic bottles sold in the UK every year (just 3bn of which are recycled) – is catching on but is still hard work. This begs the question of what happened to all the beautiful fountains, many donated by philanthropists in the 1800s, that were once dotted around civic centres and parks, and when are they coming back? Some community groups, such as Warley Woods Community Trust near Birmingham, are already planning a £75,000 restoration of the park's drinking fountain. Light bulb rating: 2/5 19. Precycling In a nutshell: The bottom has fallen out of the recycling market, so make it your last resort. The clever bit: Precycling happens at the point of purchase, and entails you choosing the product that comes in the least packaging (therefore diverting waste from landfill) or bringing along your own container or bag. Light bulb rating: 4/5