ECO-FRIENDLY businesses got together to show Swindon how to go green.

Yesterday’s Eco Family Day at Orchard Grange on the Turnpike road in Blunsdon was a chance for eco or green businesses to set up a stall.

Mark Butler, who runs e-motion, an electric powered bicycle company based at the garage, came up with the idea.

He said: “I thought it would be an open day for people to look and sample things.

“I think it has been a success and we’d love to do it again.”

Activities included rides on electric powered scooters and bicycles.

Other stands included organic food, recycled wooden furniture, eco-products and the Wiltshire Wildlife Trust with a compost information stand.

Charities including the Swindon and district groupof brain injury association Headway and Lights for Learning, which installs solar-powered LED lights in poorer countries, were also present.

Mr Butler added about e-motion: “People are a little bit wary of electric bikes – they think ‘What if I run out of power?’ Realistically that bike will do 50 miles.

“It’s saving you money in the long term, it much better for everybody and the environment. It’s like anything, it’s a little bit of investment for a long-term gain.”

Tracey Butler is general manager of Rain Wind Sun, a Purton-based company that installs renewable energy and sustainable energy building projects.

She said the company’s first move, when called in, is to see if a person’s house is energy efficient with basics like loft insulation and draft excluders. Then she said people can consider installations like solar panels, ground source heat pumps and air source heat pumps, which transfers heat from the ground or air into heating water.

“There can be disruption, but at the end it’s worth it,” she said.

Mary Bowling owns Your Ecolife, which sells eco-friendly household cleaning products and toiletries and home furnishings made from natural materials, such as bamboo towels.

She said as part of the service she refills the old bottles saving on plastic waste.

She said: “We’ve got to reduce the amount we use, re-use then recycle.

“Recycling is good, but it’s the last option.

“It’s great that Swindon borough council take waste away to recycle, but wouldn’t it be great if we didn’t have to recycle it?”

Visitor Lucy Avery, 17, from South Marston, said: “There is so much you can do with eco-products and it’s cheap.”