Hydes prove it is easy being green (From This is Hampshire)

Hydes prove it is easy being green

10:08am Thursday 22nd March 2007 in News By Kate Martin

BEING green is not just habit for the Hyde family - it's a way of life.

Mum Lyz, dad Gary, three children, plus grandparents John and Sue Hyde, live together in Grainger Close, Brighton Hill, Basingstoke.

Since moving into the house 18 months ago, they have steadily transformed the gardens into green havens and come up with projects to cut down on their energy consumption and carbon emissions.

They have four water butts to collect rainwater for the garden, grow their own vegetables, instead of buying heavily-packaged products from the supermarket, and use a composter and leaf mulch.

Fruit trees and herbs are grown in the front and back gardens, and any products they do need to get from the supermarket are carried home in reusable bags.

The family are also taking part in Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council's food waste digester trial, which they hope means almost nothing will need to be put in their black wheelie bin.

Mrs Hyde told The Gazette that the family had started their green drive in a small way, but their projects began to snowball as time went on.

She said: "We always recycled paper, but once we got the composting bin, we started to do more. Then it was cans, then glass and it has just grown.

"We have always been keen on doing our bit but having done a little, we then wanted to find out more things to do. Just as we think we can't do more, we find something else that we can do."

Mrs Hyde added that even though she works full-time and does a part-time course, she still always has time to be green, and the whole family joins in.

She said: "It doesn't take a lot of effort. We spend about half an hour on the garden in the evenings and a bit more at weekends, but we enjoy it."

The family's next projects will be to give up one of their two cars - which means Mr Hyde will now cycle to work - and to begin recycling used household water, or greywater.

Mr Hyde said: "It is just getting into the habit, because it is easy to chuck things away. Once you get it organised, it is easy. We encourage all our friends to do it as well, or bring rubbish here and chuck it in our composter."

• Are the Hydes the greenest family in Basingstoke? If your family are doing their bit to help the environment, we'd like to hear from you. Have your say below or e-mail editor@basingstokegazette.co.uk