My friend Suze is waging a one-woman crusade at her university campus; she is encouraging her colleagues to use use the 'real' plates and cutlery provided by their on-site canteen, rather than the disposable alternatives that are also available (for takeaway back to their desk). This may sound like an easy ask (and Suze is a very persuasive person) but she has been met with reluctance because people would have to...wait for it...walk their dirty crockery back to the ..read more

I read an entertaining article recently written by Lucy Holden, a journalist who attempted living without plastic 'I’ve been trying to live without plastic for a month — which writes off normal cheese from supermarkets and pretty much everything else you would fill your trolley with.' Holden finds it hard, near impossible to avoid plastic packaging (no surprises there) but she does make some permanent changes like switching to a reusable ..read more

My Top Picks for the UK's Sustainable Fashion Brands 2022 Up until my early 30s a new season meant a trip to the high street for a splurge on new clothes with the mindset that I 'needed' new winter boots, a new summer dress etc. It's the behavioural norm for most of us, and explains why we often run out of storage space for clothes and have items in our wardrobe that have seen little wear! For a number of reasons, I've stopped this kind of impulse ..read more

‘You do occasionally smell a bit whiffy’ are not words that you care to hear from your husband, particularly when his expression suggests that he would rather you did smell nicer but is humouring you for your ‘cause ..read more

Our Secondary School Garden for community and nature ‘When we were eating our packed lunch in the garden, we picked some of the tomatoes to go with it.’ said a beaming Amelia, gardening club member Words spoken in our first gardening club of 2023, when talking about the success of last year's Tiny Tim tomatoes, which produced prolifically despite times of searing heat and neglect! Amelia’s comment made me smile from ear to ear, as this is exactly what I f ..read more

Why Plant Bulbs? Bulbs are quick and easy to plant, and your efforts now will be rewarded in Spring with a colourful display to warm your heart (and leave you feeling a little smug :-). Bulbs take up very little space, and can be planted in pots, window boxes, flower beds. naturalised in your lawn, or planted in a communal area if you're up for a spot of guerilla planting. If you see a spot of bare soil, why not plant a bulb in it?  ..read more

Trash to Treasure - 5 Wise Tips For Reusing Everyday Waste  Coffee grounds in the bottom of the filter, breadcrumbs atop the chopping board, not-quite-but-nearly empty jars in the cupboard and bacon fat in the grill.  ..read more

What Is A Forest Garden? Most of us are familiar with the concept of grow your own, the seasonal planting of annual crops like potatoes, beans and tomatoes. Forest Gardening, also referred to as permaculture, is also a method of growing food, but rather than annual crops a forest garden consists of multiple layers of perennial vegetables, herbs, shrubs, fruit and nut trees that continue to grow year on year ..read more

Why Does Biodiversity Matter? Biodiversity is in some ways very simple; it's the web of life of which we are a part. It’s the air we breath, the water that we drink and the food that we eat.  ..read more

During lockdown we’ve experienced The Good; more time to enjoy nature and the ‘great outdoors’ (the sweet sound of birdsong!), a sense of community, sharing and a resourcefulness not seen for decades, The Bad; a rise in plastic use and disposables such as masks and single use items like plastic glasses, cutlery, and condiment sachets. Last, but certainly not least, The Ugly; fly tipping and litter-bugging of epic proportions (the latter autocorrected to &lsquo ..read more