From 31 May to 5 June, the focus in countries throughout Europe will be how to take steps to have a cleaner and better quality of life.

The Council has been offering tips such as:

• If you are going a short distance, think about walking instead of driving – transport, including cars produces around 25% of all carbon emissions in the UK today.
  
  
• Get your vehicle checked for exhaust emissions.  You risk getting a fixed penalty fine of £60 if the Council’s vehicle emissions testing unit fails your vehicle.
  
  
• Idling your vehicle is also an offence punishable with a £20 if you don’t switch off.  Idling vehicles are adding to the pollution in the city so if you’re parked, switch off.
  
  
• Glasgow householders produce enough waste to fill Hampden Park over seven times – but over 80% of household waste can be recycled.  More than 93,000 households have blue recycling bins and there are more 120 multi purpose recycling sites around Glasgow.  We need to reduce the amount going to landfill so think before you bin it- can you recycle it?
  
  
• If you buy a new fridge for your home and your old one can be recycled.  (Call the City Council to arrange for an uplift. We take care to recycle old fridges.)
  
  
• Help your local environment by enhancing and conserving its biodiversity.  Use homemade compost or peat substitutes rather than peat.
  
  
• Don’t drop litter or rubbish – and report fly tippers to the Police or Crimestoppers.
  
  
• Support the Eco Schools project which focuses on topics like recycling, saving energy, travel planning and reducing pollution.

Glasgow City Council has many projects supporting the message being sent to everyone via Urban Green Days activities.  These range from various recycling schemes to supporting projects that save energy or bring back areas that were once thriving wild life hot spots. 

To find out more about improving the environment, check out the Council’s web site using the search facility for your topic – www.glasgow.gov.uk

You can call to speak to someone about improving the environment - phone 0141 287 8651.

To find out about Urban Green Days 2005, click on www.urbangreendays.org