As anyone travelling into London yesterday should have been aware, 17 June was Green Britain Day. Even just a glance at the front page of the capital’s free commuter newspaper would have you noticing the unique, one-off lashings of green that dominated the covers.

So however long you may have promised yourself that you would ditch your car for your underused trainers, or simply attempt to reduce your carbon footprint by deciding to stay in bed all day (a great excuse, I’m sure), yesterday was certainly the day to do so!

To complement the undisputed colour of the day, the word of the day was surely ’save.’ Whether that be saving on energy, money, the planet or, ideally, all three, the message was that we should all try and do our bit for planet Earth and learn good habits that will keep us green for life.

So rather than just suggesting that we should all be green for one day, the campaign is designed to provide tips and advice on how to change your un-green ways forever; and indeed how easy it is to do so.

Established by our friends at EDF Energy as part of their ‘Team Green Britain’ London 2012 activation programme, the national initiative aims to help reduce the UK’s carbon footprint by the time the Olympic and Paralympic Games hit town in 2012.

So what’s the big idea behind the events that make up Green Britain Day?

Well, seeing as the London event was merely a short wander up the road from us in the heart of Covent Garden, I thought I would pop along (by foot of course!) to see what was going on for myself.

Green Britain Day in Covent Garden

To get a better idea of it all, I was lucky enough to have a chat with the event’s organiser, Adam Kelbie, who said it’s far more than just a one off celebration of all things environmentally friendly.

He said: “It’s actually about encouraging us all to think and act greener while having some fun.

“The event will be going across the whole of the UK and EDF aim to give people an understanding of how easy it is to save energy and how to do so with the simplest of things.”

The events are themed around being greener in three key areas of everyday life: the home, food and travel.

Among the array of exciting food stalls were Crussh juices, who were providing healthy samples of their tasty smoothies, as well as a relaxing ‘Urban Picnic Area’ where you could sit and enjoy your treats.

They were on hand to provide great tips to all of us who think the best thing to do with your fruit once it goes a little brown is to throw it away. Why not blend it all together to make a delicious smoothie? Or failing that, simply stick it in the freezer until you’re ready to eat it.

The Crussh stall at Green Britain Day

For the ‘travel’ component of Green Britain Day, there was something for those who have always wanted to follow in Boris’s footsteps but who have been too afraid to jump on a bike and brave it through London’s infamously treacherous roads, with cycle advice and training on show. But, keeping to the ‘lasting impact’ theme of the day, the free training is not simply confined to today’s event. How many people knew there were free, professionally run cycling courses for anybody living or working in London?

Adam said: “As well as wanting people to enjoy what’s on offer today, we also want to let people know about the array of green initiatives and options that are available to them.”

But he acknowledged that saving is indeed the main premise of the day, with every aspect of the day dedicated to showing people how to save money while reducing your carbon footprint in the process.

However, the emphasis on becoming a greener country before the Games is key: “We really are pushing it before 2012. We want to show that London and the UK are the most environmentally friendly location to ever host the Games.”

So how about when the day ends? Are people simply going to revert back to their old ways? “No not at all, said Adam.

“As well as informing people of the easy lifestyle changes they can make, we are also taking down people’s email addresses and will be regularly sending them useful tips of how to save energy.

“We are hoping that everyone who visits us in Covent Garden will take something back with them that they can use in their every day life: a fundamental understanding that saving on a bit of energy here and there can really help to save the planet.”