THIS Valentine’s Day, East Enders can show their love of the environment by signing Tower Hamlets council’s green pledge which aims to reduce waste.

Pledges can range from choosing to buy goods with less packaging, composting fruit and vegetable peelings, to exchanging unwanted clothes with friends and family.

Lists of potential pledges are outlined on the council’s website, and highlight the amount of money that residents can save by helping the environment. Residents can also make up their own green pledges.

Example pledges:

exchange unwanted clothes and other items with friends and family – save up to �1,600 per year

reduce food waste by making a shopping list and buying and cooking only what I need and save up to �680 per year

use reusable nappies and save up to �500 per child

choose to buy goods with less packaging

compost fruit and vegetable peelings at home and save money by not having to buy bags of compost

use reusable shopping bags every time I go shopping

use a no junk mail sticker and sign up to the mailing preference service to reduce junk mail by a third

recycle all my paper, card, cans, cartons and bottles to save energy and landfill disposal costs

The council has teamed up with The Co-operative, who have provided two romantic hampers full of fair-trade chocolates and goodies worth up to �50, to encourage more residents to make a green pledge.

To enter, email your pledge and details to the council’s Recycling Team on recycling@towerhamlets.gov.uk. Insert ‘My Valentine’s Pledge’ in the subject heading and along with a pledge be sure to include contact details.

All pledge entries received by 23 February 2011 will be entered into the draw.