Brits are using more than twice as much water than they realise when showering, flushing the toilet and running the tap, according to research. A study of 3,000 adults found the average person estimates they use 57 litres a day, when in reality, it’s 144 litres – equivalent to more than four large wheelie bins worth of water a week. …

Two budding innovators have designed applications for voice-controlled devices to help tackle substance abuse and plastic pollution. Eleora Ajanaku, 16, from Cambridge, and Isi Holdom, 13, from Peckham, saw their ideas picked by a judging panel, which included Carol Vorderman, to win a nationwide competition. After starting to code at the age of nine, Eleora proposed an Alexa skill called …

A life-size ‘cow lamp’ has appeared in front of the Houses of Parliament – to draw attention to the potential of on-farm livestock’s poo being used as a renewable energy source. Passers-by did a double take at the unusual replica of a Victorian sewer lamp connected to a cow in central London. Following the government’s announcement last month of a …

A study of 2,000 people found 56 per cent have bought appliances such as air fryers, kettles and washing machines in an effort to keep down energy costs. With the average household spending £645.30 on new gadgets in the last 12 months, 28 per cent say home energy management is at the ‘top of their agenda’. And 81 per cent …

Are you green-fingered or do you stay well away from house plants, seeds and gardens? Take this quiz to find out just how your growing skills fare. How excited do you get about a trip to the garden centre? Do you know how courgettes are grown? How confident would you feel about growing a plant from a seed? It comes …

Brits admit they generate so much food waste – because their eyes are bigger than their bellies, ingredients go out of date and confusion over portion sizes. A study of 2,000 adults revealed making more than is required, a lack of time to accurately measure out ingredients and not planning ahead were among the top reasons for not knowing how …

A poll of 1,000 people aged between 15 and 25 found 71 per cent want to work towards a career which doesn’t have a negative impact on the planet. Many want to get into environmental consulting, energy engineering and geoscience, and 41 per cent would even explore roles in government where they could help shape the nation’s green policies. On …

Swipe right – a new tool is helping the nation to combat food waste by finding ‘soilmates’ for their leftover veg. The site lets people choose the unwanted vegetables sitting in their fridge drawers and produces tasty and waste-free recipe suggestions which put them to good use. It comes as a study of 2,000 adults found a fifth consider themselves …

A poll of 2,000 adults who own a home found 72 per cent think their property is economical in terms of its energy use, but two-thirds are unaware of what their energy performance certificate (EPC) rating is. These range from A, the most energy efficient with the lowest costs, to G, the least efficient, with just under 50,000 homes in …

A poll of 2,000 adults who celebrate the festive season found 31 per cent admit to wasting more food than usual at this time of year – as 61 per cent overbuy to make sure they don’t run out. And 16 per cent find it difficult to judge just how much they need to see them through. But in a …