Good News for 2025

Welcome to our good news blog to keep you in high spirits!

1) UK’s electricity cleanest ever in 2024

Fossil fuels made up 29% of the UK’s electricity in 2024 – the lowest level on record. A Carbon Brief report showed renewable sources more than doubled from 65TWh in 2014 to 143TWh in 2024 (+122%).

https://www.carbonbrief.org/analysis-uks-electricity-was-cleanest-ever-in-2024/

2) Bumblebee populations increase 116 times in Scotland

Surveys of bumblebees in a 90 acre site near Perth, recorded around 50 bees in 2021. By 2023, after the site was rewilded, bumblebee numbers had topped 4000, with the number of different bee species doubling.

https://www.goodnewsnetwork.org/bumblebees-increase-by-more-than-100x-in-remarkable-scotland-rewilding-project-from-35-bees-to-over-4000/

3) Bee corridor in Letchworth wins award

Letchworth was granted ‘Bee Friendly’ status from the Bee Friendly Trust in 2024. 

North Herts council planted more bee friendly shrubs on roundabouts, rewilded grass verges, put up more bee hotels, and made and gave away bee seed bombs.

The council allocated £10,000 to develop more bee corridors in North Herts, with Royston next on the list!

https://www.north-herts.gov.uk/news/award-winning-letchworth-bee-corridor-coming-royston

4) Funding in Hackney for bees

£250k worth of funding was allocated to create bee corridors around Hackney in 2024. Funded by the National Lottery Grant, the 3 year project aims to plant a green passageway with the help of local residents, to encourage bees and other wildlife.

https://www.hackneycitizen.co.uk/2024/04/08/environmentalists-buzzing-250k-funding-bee-corridor-hackney/

See a bug-life video below about b-lines & how local corridors can help insects flourish: 

5) Community windfarm to fund a million trees in Hebrides

Trees are being planted in the Western Isles of Scotland in old abandoned crofts. The seeds, sourced by Hebridean Tree Ark, are harvested from local trees found clinging to cliffs as well as from uninhabited islands.

Four-fifths of the funding is from the £900,000 annual profits, made by three wind turbines owned by Point and Sandwick trust.

https://www.theenergymix.com/community-wind-farm-empowers-hebrides-reforestation-effort/

6) New rainforest in UK funded by Government Species Fund planted by drones

In a project led by the Woodland Trust, high-tech drones scattered 75,000 seeds across Bodmin in Cornwall.

The Woodland Trust hopes the new seeds will triple the area of temperate rainforest in Devon and Cornwall, to 24% of land area by 2050.

https://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/press-centre/2025/03/drone-sows-75000-native-tree-seeds-in-cornwall-and-devon/

Learn more about English rainforest conservation below:
https://www.positive.news/environment/restoring-britains-lost-rainforests/

7) 20 million trees will be planted a new Western Forest

In 2024, the West of England became the first region to publish a Local Nature Recovery Strategy. They’re aiming to create a new forest area of 2,500 hectares of woodland by 2030 - with a longer term plan to plant 20 million trees by 2050.

https://www.wenp.org.uk/priority-programmes/western-forest

8) Irish company giving a new life to wind turbines

Decommissioned wind turbines can be put to good use. Bladebridge (which is a spin off of Re-Wind) is giving new life to old blades, including parts of a bridge, bike stores & an e-hub. 

See more at: https://www.bladebridge.ie/

Another cool idea is a small house built inside one of the blades, developed by a Swedish company in the Netherlands https://www.positive.news/society/the-decommissioned-wind-turbine-that-became-a-tiny-home/

9) Prisoners help to recycle old fishing nets

A recycling scheme that collects & sorts fishing equipment has been renewed for another 3 years. Port of Jersey started the scheme in 2023 & 430 lobster pots, 66 tonnes of rope & 9000m of nets, had been collected through the scheme.

The project is run by the Jersey port; alongside the government, Jersey Fishermen's Association and the prison service.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cwydjv94q22o

10) Green washing to be banned in the EU

The EU wants to make sure that all information on a product’s impact on the environment, longevity, repairability, composition, production and usage is backed up by verifiable sources.

MEPs approved the agreement in January 2024 - EU countries have 24 months to incorporate the update into their national law.

https://www.europarl.europa.eu/topics/en/article/20240111STO16722/stopping-greenwashing-how-the-eu-regulates-green-claims

Can you spot green wash claims? Try this quiz by Greenpeace: 
https://www.greenpeace.org.uk/news/spot-the-greenwashing-quiz/

Check out our post too on green washing: Green Wash and Wish Cycling

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⚘⚘ Reasons for climate hope in 2025 ⚘⚘

https://blog.ecosia.org/why-theres-reasons-for-climate-hope-in-2025/

  Ignore your lawn in May, to help pollinators thrive! 

https://www.plantlife.org.uk/campaigns/nomowmay/

 Did you know 4th–10th May 2025 is British Hedgehog Awareness Week 

https://www.britishhedgehogs.org.uk/give-hedgehogs-the-edge-this-hedgehog-awareness-week/

https://www.hedgehogstreet.org/ is a great resource too!

Click here to see more good news - enjoy!

🦔 Thank you for visiting 🦔

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Good News for 2024

Positive Eco news for 2024

I don't know about you but the constant trickle of bad news can't be good for us so every now & then I like to add a bit of positivity to our lives. 

Here's some feel good stories for this year - hope you enjoy!

1) Could Cement be used to Store Energy?

Renewable energy solutions often involve sun & wind power but these can be unreliable due to fluctuating weather conditions. 

These innovative concrete batteries can be used to store energy & in turn could prevent our over reliance on lithium batteries.

https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20240610-how-the-concrete-in-your-house-could-be-turned-into-a-battery

Also check out this article on sand batteries – it’s great to see such innovative ideas!

https://happyeconews.com/sand-battery-energy-storage-for-renewables/

2) Harnessing Energy from Bacteria

Soil microbial fuel cells are being developed on farms, which can capture energy from chemical reactions occurring naturally in soil. 

When connected to carbon-based electrodes the electrons created by microorganisms in the soil are turned into energy, which can then be used by the farm.

https://www.euronews.com/green/2024/06/12/install-and-forget-soil-powered-batteries-could-bring-cheap-clean-energy-to-farms-in-europ

3) Scotland Exceeds Energy in Renewables

Recently released data shows that Scotland covered over 100% of its energy needs in 2022. 

Wind and hydro power helped them generate the equivalent of 113 per cent of Scotland’s gross electricity consumption. That’s wonderful news!

https://www.euronews.com/green/2024/01/29/enormous-potential-inside-scotlands-green-strategy-to-power-the-nation-solely-with-renewab

4) Gas Emissions Dropping in Europe

Greenhouse gas emissions in the EU dropped 8% last year. 

This brings greenhouse gas pollution below 1990 levels. Mostly driven by the use of renewable energy, I’m hoping the trend continues!

https://www.positive.news/society/total-net-greenhouse-gas-emissions-in-the-eu-dropped-last-year/

5) Is your Wallpaper Electric?

An innovative project in Glasgow is trialling eco friendly electric wallpaper to heat tenement housing. The paper can be added to ceilings & creates heat within minutes.

Made from copper strips & graphene, it has a surface that emits invisible infra red into the home helping to warm the property & thereby reducing mould.

https://www.euronews.com/green/2024/10/19/glasgow-is-trialling-eco-friendly-electric-wallpaper-to-heat-its-ageing-homes

6) Animal Friendly Wind Turbines

Wind turbines can disturb animals, particularly in the flight paths of birds. A new motionless turbine has been developed which collects wind via airfoils in a sleek design. 

The 1st UK prototype has been installed in Oxford on the roof of BMW’s car plant.

https://www.euronews.com/green/2024/09/05/could-these-motionless-turbines-solve-wind-energys-noise-and-wildlife-problems

7) Wind Power in a Tree Design?

Sometimes nature can inspire us to up our game & this nature inspired ‘tree’ may fit the bill. It has micro turbines to convert wind into energy & could be used in built up areas. They run silently & benches can be placed underneath. 

One ‘leaf’ on the tree can produce 1,000 kilowatts per year. Not suited to be connected to the grid but they can power buildings individually.

https://www.euronews.com/green/2023/11/12/could-wind-trees-with-micro-turbines-be-a-solution-to-green-energy-in-tight-urban-spaces

8) Spoonbills born in the UK

Spoonbills were previously extinct with no chicks born since 1668. The RSPB have celebrated the birth of spoonbill chicks in Cambridgeshire this year!

Chicks have also been born in wetland reserves in Yorkshire, Suffolk & Norfolk.

https://www.rspb.org.uk/media-centre/spoonbill-breeding-success-sparks-renewed-hope

9) Tree sleeves made from British wool

British Wool have collaborated with a company to produce eco wool-based tree guards. These will help prevent young saplings being nibbled by passing animals or trampled underfoot.

The new tree sleeves will be biodegradeable & made using wool from British farms.

https://www.farminguk.com/news/british-wool-invests-in-firm-behind-eco-wool-based-tree-guards_64897.html

10) Cosy Houses from Tennis Balls

Wimbledon goes through many tennis balls (55k per year). They become less efficient when they lose their smoothness so often get discarded. However, they’ve been found to make perfect homes for field mice & they’re waterproof too.

Field mice can help aerate the soil & disperse seeds so they’re useful for supporting eco systems, a win-win for all!

https://happyeconews.com/wimbledon-donates-tennis-balls-to-be-used-as-homes-for-field-mice/

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Lots more news to keep ya positivity chips re-charged in the link below:

https://www.euronews.com/green/2024/10/31/positive-environmental-stories-from-2024

Happy Christmas & thank you so much for reading

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(Check out some of our previous posts to help you make eco friendly choices this Christmas):

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Books Galore

Festive Dreams

Green Christmas

Cost of Living Tips!

Less Waste at Xmas

Have an Eco Christmas

 Homemade Items for Sale 

 

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The Power of Small Things

Small things

Hello, and welcome to my little post about small things! Little things can make a difference & we can too 😊

Have you made the switch to plastic free shampoo bars? I’ve been using them a while now & enjoy trying different ones. I like Garnier’s Ultimate Blends Oatmeal Shampoo Bar. Because I have sensitive skin it helps soothe the scalp & stop the itch! You can also get a kiddy ‘no tangle’ shampoo bar too for the little ones. https://www.garnier.co.uk/hair-care/shampoo-bars

Another one I’ve been trying recently is the Aussie Koala Bear Shampoo Bar. This is so cute sitting in my soap dish & lathers up really well with a nice soft foam. There’s a ribbon to hang it up too (keep away from running water when not in use). https://aussiehair.com/aussie-products/shampoo/nourishing-hug-solid-shampoo-bar/

Another thing I’ve been trying lately is Dr Beckman’s Magic Leaves Detergent Sheets for your laundry. https://www.dr-beckmann.co.uk/products/magic-leaves-bio-25-sheets/ They dissolve quickly into water even at low temperatures & can cut out plastic bottles altogether.

I found if you add one sheet you don’t get much scent so I added two without a fabric conditioner, but the fabric was still left feeling a little cardboardy. My conclusion is that due to the water quality in our area, that some sort of water softening is required!

Previously I had tried the washing ball called Eco Egg which our local supermarket now stocks. The idea is that you use the egg for up to 50 washes so don’t need a whole line of plastic bottles taking up room in your cupboard (you buy refill pellets to add in to keep the product going).

I didn’t like these as the ball makes an awful clonking noise through the whole wash & the scent was non existent. Plus it takes up space in the washer that the magic leave sheets don’t so I do prefer the sheets to the ball, in fact I gave away the ball + refill for someone else to try!

I've also tried Method Kitchen Spray refill. Available in a tiny bottle the size of my hand, this is strong enough to make up 10 bottles using water & re-using an old spray bottle. The citrus & mango one we tried so far & the smell is divine!

Caught the bug? 

Talking of small things it has been lovely to see bees & butterflies in the garden this year but we have noticed a drop in numbers. I saw mostly small white butterflies, even though we have a large selection of flowers including allium, buddleia, clovers, daisies & home made wilfdflower seedballs, plus we leave parts of our lawn to grow wild.

We avoid using any pesticides in the garden & leave out shallow bowls of water with bug hotels dotted around (for solitary bees). The butterfly watch survey results will be published later this September so will be interesting to see what the trend is countrywide.

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If you want to help bugs in your garden why not check out https://www.buglife.org.uk/get-involved/gardening-for-bugs/ for some ideas. 

Don’t forget the hedgehogs need our help too. Encourage them into your garden with a small gap in the bottom of your fence for them to travel across spaces. You can map your hedgehog friendly gardens on this site https://www.hedgehogstreet.org/. Why not get the kids involved in designing a wildlife friendly space around your lawn.

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Remember, remember the 5th of November & remember the hedgehogs too. Make sure they’re not hiding out in log piles, if you’re planning to light a fire on fireworks night. 

Meanwhile next year why not take part in a Butterfly Count? You can load an app on your phone to help with recording & identification. You’ll be an expert before you know it! https://bigbutterflycount.butterfly-conservation.org/

If you have a wild space you can record your patch in the following site: https://wild-spaces.co.uk/. Folks with just a patio or window box are encouraged to take part too, we can all do our bit to help wildlife thrive & be(e) strong!

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According to bug life, 8 out of 10 wildflowers rely on insects for pollination. Our crops depend on insects too.

Don’t forget that hover flies, beetles, moths, butterflies, wild bees (including solitary bees) & honey bees can all help with pollination so a good range of bugs in your garden can all help!

Did you know also that 25% of native UK beetles are pollinators too as they like to feed on pollen & nectar? More useful tips here at: https://earthwatch.org.uk/blog/the-different-types-of-pollinators-and-why-we-need-them/

Video on wild spaces:

A cool idea for bringing more insects into your garden is planting wildflower seeds. Pollenize is a company that sells a blend of 34 native seeds & grasses with an extended flowering season. Once planted they’re encouraging businesses & citizens to record their planting on an interactive re-wilding map https://www.pollenize.org.uk/seed-map.

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If you don’t think your little space helps why not check out ‘The Every Garden Matters’ report? They say ‘green corridors begin at home’.

Small gardens can connect wildlife as they move from one garden to another. We built our houses in their way, maybe we can give back a little to encourage nature to return. https://gardenorganic-assets.s3.eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/documents/Every-Garden-Matters-report.pdf

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The organisation ‘State of Nature’ writes regular reports on wildlife & habitat decline in the UK. Can be depressing but also a reminder on how we can (& must) do more to turn things around.

If you want to help out with insect & wildlife counts in your local area then their site has a list of organisations they work with, including bat counts, mammals, butterflies, birds & marine life https://stateofnature.org.uk/

People’s Trust for Endangered Species are also keen to encourage spotters who can record their findings – from stag battles to hedgerows to water voles - check out their site for ideas: https://ptes.org/get-involved/surveys/ 

Old from new

So what else have we been up to? My hubby has been busy growing tomatoes & chillies & I love to grow herbs. I decided to venture into micro herbs this year. Re-purposed plastics can be good for this (we’re not against plastics but wish to cut down heavily on single use plastics, finding a new life for old is always a good).

Old tubs can be used as containers for growing seedlings. Drill a whole in the bottom of one tub & add some chord. Put water in the bottom pot & the plant with chorded hole next level up & it becomes self watering as the water soaks up the chord.

Cut the top off the upper half of a lemonade bottle & you have an instant cloche which can be watered from the top. Or you can even use an old cleaned Ziploc bag as a mini greenhouse placed over the top. 

Meanwhile, you can use old margarine pots as a micro herb grower (see photo above). You can even turn lemonade bottles into a make shift vase!

A new project for self is to make something ornamental for the garden using old medicine spoons. I have donated old spoons to an artist for paint stirring but built up more since. I have plans to create a flower using the spoons as petals – let’s hope I’ll get around to it some time!

Stocking up for Christmas!

Meanwhile, there’s only a few months ‘til Christmas so I’m pleased to announce that our Christmas shop is now open! I make cotton fabric crackers with seedballs & a poem inside or cracker sleeves so you can make your own crackers using loo roll. Add your own mini gifts inside. They can be used time & time again & can be washed & ironed if they get mucky paws on them!

We also have washing up cloths of various designs that can be composted as they’re all made from natural materials. Plus fairylight bottles made from upcycled whisky, gin, rum & wine bottles. The batteries can be replaced keeping your gift going for longer & helps to light up a Winter’s eve.

New for this year, get a 12% discount on multiple items in your trolley. 

💬 Quote SAVE12 to get the discount when checking out 

Meanwhile enjoy that last little bit of summer, it’ll be soon time to get out your winter warmers!

Check out some of our previous posts to help you make eco friendly choices this Christmas:

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🌟🌟

Books Galore

Festive Dreams

Green Christmas

Cost of Living Tips!

Less Waste at Xmas

Have an Eco Christmas

 Homemade Items for Sale 

 

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Positive News Spring 24

Yay for Positive News!

Summer is just around the corner & I felt it time to bring some uplifting news onto your 'ickle screens! 

Check out our Positive News Section for some other Feel Good Stories too 😊

1) Plastics Ban 1st October 2023

The single used plastics ban has finally taken effect in England from Autumn 2023. 

Previous bans have been introduced in Europe, Scotland & Wales so we’re a little behind the curve ball but good news all the same. 

Some items are restricted rather than banned such as plastic containers for catering as long as it’s pre-packaged or packaged at point of sale.

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/far-reaching-ban-on-single-use-plastics-in-england

20 useful tips on how to reduce your plastics can be found here at:

https://www.positive.news/society/20-ways-to-go-beyond-englands-new-single-use-plastic-ban/

2) EU Vote to Reduce Plastic Pellet Spills

MEPs voted in favour April 2024 to place stricter penalties on plastic pellet spills. 

Plastic is frequently transported in small pellet form, known as nurdles which can be spilled during loading or shipping & can make its way into water ways. 

They can easily be mistaken for food by marine life & additionally add to our plastic pollution.

It's great to see that 538 MEPS voted in favour, with only 32 against the proposed restrictions. More details will emerge after the June sittings.

https://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/en/press-room/20240419IPR20570/microplastics-meps-want-stricter-rules-to-reduce-plastic-pellet-losses

Read more about hidden plastics including nurdles in my blog post:

https://www.lovelierplanet.com/2020/02/beware-of-hidden-plastics.html

3) Cargo Ships Could be Powered by Wings?

A new wind powered cargo ship set off on its maiden voyage during Summer 2023. 123ft wings (made from the same material as wind turbines) are folded out to enable the ship to be powered by wind, cutting down its emissions by 30%.

This new innovation was designed by a team in the UK headed by John Cooper, who used to work with McLaren Team Formula One.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-66543643

4) Textiles More Eco Friendly

Clothing can often be discarded when no longer used & according to this BBC article less than 1% is recycled into new clothes. What a shocking waste! Some natural materials will eventually break down however products such as polyester are synthetic & won’t easily decompose.

Items such as spandex are nylon (synthetic) based however the Lycra team are looking at ways to use corn based material to create a more environmentally friendly product in the future.

Other innovative ideas to reduce wasteful products include: A U.S. company using material made from the roots of mushrooms, a U.K. company taking advantage of soil based bacteria to help dye products, as it naturally produces rainbow colours.  

Plus a Finnish company using wood pulp which is spun into thread for making textiles. The only by-product from this process is heat which is pumped into the local heating system. Win, win! 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-66985595

Meanwhile Alison Coomber a design graduate from University of Bristol has made highly colourful blinds using old Sainsbury’s shopping bags.

https://www.positive.news/lifestyle/the-green-grads-designing-the-future/

Additionally, Justine Aldersey-Williams, an artist based in the Wirral managed to create her own pair of jeans made from indigo & flax grown in her own allotment!

https://www.positive.news/economics/the-woman-who-grew-her-own-pair-of-jeans

If you have any clothes to get rid of & don’t have a clothes bank near you, why not order a free donation bag from Oxfam & bung it in the post free! 

https://www.oxfam.org.uk/donate/donate-by-post-for-free/

5) Using eDNA to Track Biodiversity

The Natural History Museum are looking at innovative ways to track species in various environments using eDNA. This can help build up a picture of plants & wildlife that are in threat & need our help, whilst also tracking down where species may be thriving. Biodiversity is key to a healthy eco system.

https://www.nhm.ac.uk/discover/what-is-environmental-dna-edna.html

Check out this video to learn more: 

6) Renewables Reaching New Highs

The world got more than 30% of its electricity from renewables last year (in 2023). According to Positive News 'China, led the charge, accounting for 51% of additional global solar generation & 60% of new global wind generation'.

Let’s hope the momentum continues 💚

https://www.positive.news/society/good-news-stories-from-week-19-of-2024/

What's Happening this Spring?

🦋 No Mow May! - This is a campaign to encourage gardeners to leave their lawns un-mown each May, which is a great time to allow for lawn flowers to feed the emerging insects from their Winter slumber.

Councils are also joining the movement & wildflowers are becoming more abundant which is great for bees, butterflies & moths which ultimately helps with pollination. https://www.plantlife.org.uk/campaigns/nomowmay/

Did You Know 'We’ve lost approximately 97% of flower-rich meadows since the 1930’s'?

🌼 World Bee Day – Look out for World Bee Day on 20th May 2024

For stories, infographics & factsheets why not check out the following bee-lightful website! https://www.fao.org/world-bee-day/en/ 

🌱 World Biodiversity Day

The International Day for Biological Diversity on 22nd May 2024 (or World Biodiversity Day) is a United Nations international day for the promotion of biodiversity issues. 

The theme this year is Be Part of the Plan, encouraging all stakeholders to come together for a solution. https://www.undp.org/biodiversity-day-2024


🌍 World Environment Day

The World Environment Day will be on 5th June 2024. The theme in 2023 was on Plastic Pollution. https://www.worldenvironmentday.global/

Check out this video for 2024 - 'We Are Generation Restoration'.

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Did you know we have a little shop? 

We have home made washing up cloths, wildflower seed balls, fabric crackers (more available at Christmas) plus upcycled fairy light bottles. Available at:

https://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/LovelierPlanet

Save 12% when you order 2 or more items -
use SAVE12 code during checkout

Thank you for reading my blog!

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Season's Greetings!

You could being saying, 'Ahh Christmas' or you could equally say 'Arghhh, Christmas' - either way I hope it's a joyous one for all my readers! 

It's a perfect time to snuggle up with your loved ones, but do we need the stress and does the planet need all the waste? An absolute no on both counts.

To take away some of the strain, I have written useful tips on how to have a green Christmas, how to reduce waste, some eco books to buy & loads more. 

(See Christmas links at bottom of page).

Meanwhile take a look at some of our hand made goodies, including:

Re-usable Fabric Christmas Crackers
Cracker Sleeves to make your own
Christmas Themed Washing Up Cloths
Home Made Wildflower Seed Balls 
Washable Re-Usable Face Wipes 

Stocks are very limited so grab 'em while you can!

For those with the Winter blues, why not check out our positive news section to give you a bit of a boost along the way? 

Meanwhile, for those forward thinking types (one step at a time) then why not check out my directory of all good things, to help you decide which charity you'd like to support, how you can volunteer and some good sites to browse for the New Year.

So put your woolly browsing socks on & enjoy the ride!

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Useful links for an eco friendly Christmas:

Books Galore

Festive Dreams

Green Christmas

Cost of Living Tips!
Less Waste at Xmas

Have an Eco Christmas

🎄 Homemade Items for Sale 🎄

 

Positive News for July 2023

Positive News July 2023

This time of year is so uplifting but there’s always space for more good things so here’s our latest round up of good news 😊

1) King’s college Meadow - A New Study

We previously reported on wildflower meadows taking shape in Kings College Cambridge. As part of a study, King’s Research Fellow Dr Cicely Marshall, found that in spite of its small size, the wildflower meadow supported three times as many species of plants, spiders and bugs, including 14 species with conservation designations.

Terrestrial invertebrate biomass was found to be 25 times higher in the meadow, with bat activity over the meadow also being three times higher than over the remaining lawn. 

https://www.kings.cam.ac.uk/news/2023/study-shows-impact-kings-wildflower-meadow

I love the fact they use horses to harvest the meadow at the end of the season with the bales offered to locals to create a meadow of their own: 

https://www.kings.cam.ac.uk/a-greener-kings/kings-wildflower-meadow

2) Postcode Gardeners

Friends of the Earth & Co-Operative Bank have partnered together to place Postcode Gardeners into the most nature deprived neighbourhoods, helping to green the area & also bring neighbours together. Trial projects have taken place in Hackney, Chester & Bideford, Devon with more being planned in Birmingham, Bristol & London.

https://friendsoftheearth.uk/nature/planting-more-postcode-gardeners-create-greener-streets

3) Chocolate Wrappers to go Plastic Free

For the first time since its launch in 1936, Nestlé is changing the packaging of their famous Mars bar wrapper. Traditionally wrappers are made from aluminium & plastic which are hard to recycle although they can be recycled via Terracycle collection points (if there’s one in your area) who shred the wrappers & melt the plastic element into pellets.

Nestlé are piloting a new recyclable paper wrapper which will be available at 500 Tesco stores in the UK for a limited time.

https://happyeconews.com/candy-bar-wrapper-plastic-free/

Have you seen the new Smarties packaging? Smarties was the first global confectionery brand to switch to recyclable paper packaging, removing approximately 250 million plastic packs sold globally every year.

https://www.nestle.com/media/news/smarties-first-global-confectionery-brand-recyclable-paper-packaging

4) How to Recycle Old Credit Cards

HSBC are providing a new drop off point in selected branches for people to recycle their old debit & credit cards. The recycling scheme is in unison with Terracycle. Old cards will be shredded & turned into plastic pellets.

https://uk.pcmag.com/e-commerce-payments/147433/mastercard-is-encouraging-us-to-shred-our-credit-and-debit-cards

5) Royal Mail Pledges to Achieve Net Zero

Royal Mail are hoping to achieve net zero operations by using 100% renewable energy, switching to more trains (& less planes) for the movement of parcels & using electric vehicles for deliveries.

According to their site ‘We have the UK’s largest electric fleet of any major UK parcel operator, with almost 5,000 electric vans in service today. We continue to trial other alternative fuel vehicles such as micro electric and hydrogen vehicles, as well as other delivery models – including delivery by drone!’

https://www.royalmail.com/sustainability/stepstozero/net-zero-operations

6) UK's First 100 Per Cent Sustainably-Fuelled Aircraft Takes to the Skies

The UK’s first ‘waste-fuelled’ aircraft piloted by the RAF took to the skies over Oxfordshire using 100 per cent sustainable fuel last year. Sustainable fuels using waste based fuels such as used cooking oil have the potential to reduce carbon emissions by up to 80 per cent, according to the RAF.

https://uk.news.yahoo.com/uks-first-100-per-cent-200000100.html

7) Carbon Zero Fuel for Cars?

Former Formula One engineer Paddy Lowe hopes to start production of a new type of e-fuel this Autumn, which uses green electricity and carbon dioxide from the atmosphere to make a carbon-neutral alternative to petrol. The fuel is seen as attractive as it can be used in existing cars & passenger jets which could help reduce scrappage of usable vehicles.

https://uk.style.yahoo.com/british-lab-synthetic-petrol-race-065424482.html

8) Turning Carbon Dioxide into Cleaner Fuel

A team from University of Cambridge have discovered how to create clean, sustainable fuels using carbon dioxide captured from the air and energy from the Sun.

Passing the gas through an alkaline solution, the researchers were able to concentrate the CO2 to make it easier to convert into syngas fuel using sunlight. Adding plastic waste to the system enabled the team to create useful chemicals like glycolic acid, which is widely used in the cosmetics industry.

“This solar-powered system takes two harmful waste products – plastic and carbon emissions – and converts them into something truly useful,” said co-first author Dr Sayan Kar. 

https://uk.finance.yahoo.com/news/scientists-create-clean-fuel-thin-150153623.html

9) Electricity from Humidity! (Air-Gen )

Researchers at the University of Massachusetts have discovered how to generate electricity from humidity. The researchers claim that just about any surface can be turned into a generator by replicating the electrical properties of storm clouds. Sounds very promising...

https://happyeconews.com/the-air-gen-device-that-converts-humidity-into-energy/

10) Irish Native Bee Sanctuary

To save the bees it’s important to protect native wild bees including bumble bees & solitary bees. Paul Hendrick has set up a bee sanctuary with 55 acres of organic land in County Wicklow Ireland. They purposefully do not cater for honey bees (no hives) but focus on wild native bees using meadows, flowering weeds, wetlands + trees, bushes & hedgerows to give them places to thrive all year round.

https://www.positive.news/environment/the-worlds-first-native-bee-sanctuary-how-to-save-bees/

11) Earn Eco Rewards at Bracknell Forest

Choosing to walk, cycle or take public transport in Martins Heron (Bracknell Forest) just got more rewarding, with the introduction of new Eco Rewards QR codes around the area. Residents who walk or cycle to local amenities, such as the shops, parks, schools or station, will also be rewarded for choosing active travel routes.

The expansion of Eco-Rewards programme comes after the council secured funding through South Western Railway’s Customer and Communities Improvement Fund (CCIF). Points earned can lead to discounts, prizes, or cash-back rewards!

https://www.bracknell-forest.gov.uk/news/2023/07/eco-rewards-expansion-martins-heron

12) Rewilding at Northwood – Nurturing Nature

The Northwoods Rewilding Network was set up in 2021 to harness the growing appetite for nature restoration among farms, crofts, smaller estates and community landholdings. Northwoods now consists of over 60 land partners stewarding 14,000 acres.

In their recent email they cited the following key points:

In 2022, Northwoods land partners planted 108,000 native trees and set aside 4,800 acres for natural woodland regeneration plus 70 new ponds & scrapes, 22 ‘leaky’ dams & 130 acres of restored peatland means more homes for wildlife and a reduced risk of flooding.

9km of new hedgerows were planted & 10km of redundant fencing removed, allowing wildlife to expand and disperse (all with the help of land partners & 500 volunteers!)

https://www.scotlandbigpicture.com/

What is Happening in July?

🦋 The Big Butterfly Count is now on - Between Friday 14th July and Sunday 6th August, choose a place to spot butterflies and moths. Watch for 15 minutes. Then submit a record of the species you see!

An ID guide can be downloaded online or you can use their app to identify & report your findings. https://bigbutterflycount.butterfly-conservation.org/

🌞 Check out Plastic Free July – a movement that began in Australia which has since grown to 100+ million participants in 190 countries. 

Get some tips on how to reduce plastics at home, in the office or at school here at https://www.plasticfreejuly.org/

Some Useful Apps For You to Try

If you’re out & about in the garden or nature reserve why not try these interesting apps that help you identify plants or bird song?

🐦 Merlin bird app helps you identify birds. I found the ‘record bird song’ element really helpful & manages to pick up bird song even when there’s traffic noise in the background. It highlights which bird is singing & keeps a record of your spottings you can refer back to later. https://merlin.allaboutbirds.org/

🌻 Plant Net app helps you take photos of weeds & flowers in your garden & instantly tells you what it may be (with a ranking so you can see other suggestions). I have found it to be user friendly - some weeds I have deliberately left for insects after learning more about them. https://identify.plantnet.org/

Check out our directory for lots more useful links - enjoy!

💚💗💜