What you can do about air pollution
- Travel sustainably. Try to drive less if you can. Walk, cycle or use public transport, especially for short journeys.
- Find out more about alternatives:
- Transport gives information on buses, trains, walking and cycling.
- Energy Savings Trust: Active travel gives information about travelling sustainably.
- Many people still need to drive, especially if they are less mobile or live in a rural area. Tips for healthier and greener driving include:
- Drive smoothly.
- Shift to a higher gear at the right time.
- Switch your engine off if you know you won't be moving for a minute or so, and make sure the auto stop system is in use for newer vehicles.
- Switch your engine off when parked. Wear warm clothes or visit an indoor location if you are cold while waiting in your car.
- Stick to the speed limits. At 70mph you could be using up to 30% more fuel than at 50mph.
- Only use air conditioning and other on-board electrical devices (like mobile phone chargers) when necessary. They increase fuel use.
- Check your tyres regularly and keep them at the correct pressure. Under-inflated tyres can increase your fuel use.
- Remove roof boxes and bike racks when they aren't needed. They increase weight and air resistance, so your car uses more fuel.
- Carshare where possible.
- Consider using a car club rather than owning your own car.
- Consider replacing your car with an electric vehicle.
- Consider our Road safety for older drivers.
- Consider our Road safety for older drivers.
- Live sustainably. Shop local and buy locally produced food and goods. This will help reduce your travel and the amount of delivery vehicles on the roads. It will also reduce the national and global impact of production and delivery.
Support family, friends and neighbours by suggesting how they can make changes to improve air quality.
If you have a wood-burning stove or open fire:
- Only use your stove when you need to, especially if it is not your only form of heating.
- Avoid burning when air quality is likely to be poor, such as in still weather.
- Only burn permitted fuels. The whole of Kirklees is a smoke control area and you can be fined £1,000 if you breach these rules.
- Don't burn treated wood, old furniture or household rubbish on your open fire (indoors or outdoors) or your stove. These can release toxic pollutants into your home.
- Keep your stove well-maintained and serviced regularly.
- Get your chimney swept regularly by a qualified chimney sweep (up to twice a year if needed).
Avoid lighting barbecues in very hot, still summer weather and bonfires in cold, still winter weather.
DEFRA's Burn better, Breathe Better campaign and their practical guide informs how to reduce environmental and health impacts when using wood-burning stoves or open fires.
More information
- Avoid wasting food. It takes energy to produce and dispose of it.
- Consider reducing the amount of animal products, particularly red meat, in your diet. Livestock farming is a major source of greenhouse gas emissions, especially methane.
- Avoid buying items with excessive amounts of packaging.
- Compost garden waste, use the council's garden waste bags collection or brown bin garden waste service. Avoid burning garden waste.
Avoid lighting barbecues in very hot, still summer weather and bonfires in cold, still winter weather.
More information
- Keep warm at home, but don't waste energy. 18℃ is comfortable for most people. Get a smart meter if you can.
- Service your boiler regularly, so it operates efficiently and uses no more fuel than necessary.
- Turn off unnecessary lights and switch off electrical equipment, like televisions and computers, when you have finished using them.
- Boil only as much water as you need, above the kettle's minimum line. Kettles use a lot of energy for such a commonly used small appliance.
- When washing clothes, wait until you have enough washing for a full machine load and wash at 30℃.
- Dry clothes outdoors if possible, rather than using a tumble drier.
- When buying electrical items, choose energy-efficient models.