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The Air Ambulance Service has launched new indoor donation banks to offer an alternative way to donate preloved textiles to not only help the charity raise vital funds, but to continue in helping to build a more sustainable future.

The lifesaving charity – which operates the local Warwickshire and Northamptonshire Air Ambulance (WNAA) and Derbyshire, Leicestershire and Rutland Ambulance (DLRAA) – had been looking to provide an alternative collection unit over the past few years due to a number of organisations wishing to support the charity by hosting a traditional outdoor clothing bank but were unable to due to various factors.

The charity decided on an indoor clothing bank initiative and came across a Northamptonshire supplier – Vue Media Ltd – who understood the need for alternative units being as environmentally friendly as possible whilst still being sturdy and having longevity.

“We were recently tasked in helping The Air Ambulance Service to create a portable and sustainable clothing bank, that can be positioned in a variety of internal spaces and manoeuvred easily. We decided on a substrate with a minimum of 25% recycled polypropylene, offering both strength and longevity along with sustainability production, which was is always a key focus of the charity,” explained Scott Rendall, Client Services Director for Vue Media Ltd.

“The portable clothing banks compliment the large static banks nicely, and the desire is that the local communities will have even easier access, so that they can continue to support this amazing charity with their preloved donations,” he added.

By launching the new initiative of indoor clothing banks, the charity hopes to make donating preloved clothing and textiles even more accessible so it can keep attending lifesaving missions, adding to the 50,000 missions already achieved over the last 20 years.

“We are delighted to work with Vue Media who produced a prototype which was initially trialled at Long Buckby Primary School. After a successful trial I am pleased to say we now have our first lot off the production line,” said TAAS Business Support Manager, Liz Kelly.

“We would be delighted for community spaces, education establishments and businesses to support us and get in contact if they would like to host an internal collection unit to support our lifesaving service,” she added.

Hosting one of the charity’s new indoor clothing banks is a great and easy way to work towards sustainability and divert textiles from landfill whilst helping the local charity to raise the £1,700 needed for each mission.

To learn more about the new indoor clothing banks, or to order one, please email: ReUse@theairambulanceservice.org.uk, visit; www.theairambulanceservice.org.uk or call 0300 3045 999.

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 Globally, more than 1,000 companies disclosed their progress so far in reducing deforestation in a recent report from CDP. The number of companies participating in this report will increase by 300% in 2022 compared to 2017, and only 35 of them are from Southeast Asia.

 More than 60% of companies participating in this report disclose business risks due to deforestation. The average company faces a loss of $330 million as a result of exposure to this risk, while the cost of treating this risk is only about $17.4 million.

 About 90% of companies say they are not ready to transition to a deforestation-free future.

 Companies in Asia perform better than other regions in establishing no-deforestation policies, no-deforestation targets, traceability and ecosystem restoration.

The latest report from CDP, the non-profit organization that operates the global environmental reporting system, shows that 1,043 companies made disclosures through the CDP forest questionnaire in 2022. This result represents a 300% increase in the number of companies participating in the last five years. This is a positive sign that many companies are starting to realize the importance of forests and are starting to open up to disclose the impact of their business operations on forests. Unfortunately, there are only 35 companies making disclosures in Southeast Asia. Even though there is an increase in companies realizing that there are business risks from deforestation, actions to fulfill commitments to reduce deforestation are still considered insufficient, thus encouraging an increase in these risks. In fact, only 1 in 10 companies reported taking sufficient steps to stop deforestation. The report concludes that globally, companies are still not effectively mitigating risk, resulting in a potential loss of nearly $80 billion overall. Of the 10 companies in Southeast Asia alone, the total risk reported was $2.3 billion, while the full cost of addressing all the risks identified and reported by the 16 companies was only US$223 million. CDP is of the opinion that the company’s reported financial impact of this risk is significantly lower than the actual number.

The Southeast Asian region contains about 30% of the world’s total coral reefs, one third of the world’s total mangrove forests2, and nearly 15% of the world’s tropical forests. This makes the implications of indifference to the impact of deforestation very large and the impact will be tremendously felt in the Southeast Asian region. The government and policy makers in Southeast Asia have taken important steps in demonstrating their commitment to carbon neutrality or net zero. A number of steps have been taken, including setting targets to reduce emissions from the forest sector and land use, managing deforestation, and collaborating with non-governmental parties, including the private sector. Some of the initiatives that have been implemented include improving the Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC), developing a green taxonomy, and environmental, social, and governance (ESG) or ESG disclosure requirements.

Despite the progress that has been made, there are many challenges that need more attention, especially for companies buying commodities from Indonesia. One of them is the impact of commodity production on biodiversity in Indonesia. By 2022, there will be 28 companies (increased from 21 in 2021) in Southeast Asia conducting disclosure via the forest questionnaire and leading the region. Among them, 10 companies came from Indonesia, 7 companies from Malaysia, 6 from Singapore, 4 from Thailand, 1 from the Philippines, and none from Vietnam. Urgent action is needed to end deforestation. Therefore, this report outlines the main steps that must be taken by the company. These steps include conducting comprehensive risk evaluations, increasing compliance with no-deforestation-and-conversion policies, and disclosing their progress towards achieving deforestation-free, conversion-free supply chains. CDP-facilitated disclosure of companies and the financial services sector allows for transparent reporting of progress in achieving best practice frameworks and standards.

John Leung, CDP’s Southeast Asia and Oceania Director said: “The Southeast Asian region has nature and climate which are important in efforts to tackle climate change. Therefore, countries in this region need to immediately take steps to prevent climate change together. The choice made by the government and companies in Indonesia and other countries in the Asian region The Southeast can help prevent catastrophic global climate change and loss of forests and their habitats.” This latest development is certainly very promising, and the region is headed in the right direction in terms of sustainability. However, to achieve the global commitment to halt deforestation by 2030, decisive action must accelerate. Carbon neutral or net zero commitments will not be achieved without stopping deforestation and land conversion. This report has shown that in Southeast Asia alone, the total risk reported, which is US $ 2.3 billion, is 10 times greater than the cost to handle all identified risks which is only US $ 223 million.

More serious environmental action and disclosure is needed so that we can gain a clearer picture of how to move towards a more sustainable future, where nature and people can coexist. We hope more companies in the region realize that protecting the environment and strengthening their commitment to nature conservation can be a competitive advantage for them.” Thomas Maddox, Global Director, Forests, CDP said: “This year was an extraordinary year for companies disclosing their impact on forests, while also showing a positive signal for transparency. This report shows that companies are increasingly aware of the risks and opportunities related to tackling deforestation. However, we still see a gap between commitment and action. clear of them Deforestation is not a necessity in commodity production Eliminating deforestation from commodity supply chains makes economic and environmental sense but requires financial incentives and the right policies to prioritize such action There is no room for deforestation in achieving net zero emissions and society demands the same. The most important thing in achieving this goal is the ‘when’, not the ‘if’. Companies that act late face the greatest risk of costs.” The 2023 Global Forests Report entitled “The Forest Transition: From Risk to Resilience” was released based on data from over 1,000 companies. As such, this report is the most comprehensive and standardized data set on companies’ exposure to deforestation risk. To read the full report:

CDP_Global_Forest_Report_2023_Bahasa.pdf

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An innovative saltmarsh restoration trial in Chichester Harbour has attracted Government interest. Chichester Harbour Conservancy, the Environment Agency and the Solent Seascapes Project, met with Thérèse Coffey, Secretary of State for the Environment, on Wednesday 2 August to explain more about the project, and view the first shoots of glasswort (a pioneer saltmarsh plant species) colonising the site.

In 2021 a Natural England condition review found that saltmarsh in Chichester Harbour has declined by 58% since 1946. To help halt the decline Chichester Harbour Conservancy is leading a partnership initiative focussed on nature protection and recovery. The saltmarsh restoration trial at West Itchenor, which began in February 2023, has pioneered a technique for using sediment dredged within the harbour. The project used this sediment to raise the height of an area of shoreline with the aim of allowing saltmarsh plant species to colonise. 

Matt Briers, CEO of Chichester Harbour Conservancy:
“Chichester Harbour is one of the most important sites for wildlife in the UK and our saltmarsh is amongst our most precious of habitats.  We were pleased to welcome the Secretary of State to visit our saltmarsh restoration trial site and encouraged by the importance she places on protecting and restoring this habitat.”

The Rt Hon Thérèse Coffey MP, Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
“The Saltmarsh Restoration Trial in Chichester Harbour is an innovative and exciting approach to nature recovery.  Saltmarsh is declining at an alarming rate; it has been inspiring to see this groundbreaking initiative to restore a habitat which is so important in storing carbon and mitigating climate change.”

Saltmarsh loss and degradation in Chichester Harbour is partly due to “coastal squeeze”, where hard structures and sea defences prevent the natural movement of sediment in the harbour and cause erosion of the saltmarsh. Climate change and sea-level rise pose additional threats.

With the first stages of the saltmarsh restoration trial now complete, the site will be carefully monitored to gauge the success of the technique, to inform future saltmarsh restoration projects.

More about the trial and Chichester Harbour Conservancy’s work to protect and restore saltmarsh is available at www.chapron.org.uk.

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Mercedes-Benz in the UK has chosen dynamic smart charging company Ohme as its new official home charging partner.

The agreement will see Mercedes-Benz recommend Ohme chargers to customers who need a home charging solution. And an Ohme Home Pro charger will be available in Mercedes-Benz showrooms for customers to view.

“We are delighted to announce that we will be partnering with Ohme as our recommended home charger supplier,” said Jason Allbutt, Head of Product and Planning from Mercedes-Benz. “Ohme’s technological innovation and excellent approach towards customer service and professionalism align with the core values and culture of Mercedes-Benz.”

David Watson, CEO of Ohme said: “Mercedes-Benz has one of the strongest premium line-ups of electric vehicles. This collaboration with Mercedes-Benz underlines Ohme’s position as one of the UK’s fastest-growing and most dynamic smart charging companies in the UK. We’re looking forward to introducing Mercedes-Benz customers to the benefits of smart charging and supporting its network of agents.”

Ohme’s dynamic smart chargers can connect with the national grid in real time and automatically adjust its charging for drivers to take advantage of all the times of low price charging with smart off-peak tariffs, not just set times.

Charging a Mercedes-Benz EQA with a 66kWh battery from 0 to 80% charge with an Ohme smart charger on a smart off-peak tariff, such as Octopus Intelligent*, could cost just £3.96. Ohme also offers drivers the option to charge their car when renewable energy generation on the national grid is at its highest, further lowering their CO2 impact.

Ohme has just been named as Fast Track Company of the Year in the 2023 UK Green Business Awards as well as Best Electric Charging Point Provider by Business Motoring.

* Octopus Intelligent at 7.5p/kWh for 23.30-05.30am, Standard Variable Tariff – 30p/kWh

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Fera Science Ltd has embarked on the largest ever ecosystem investigation of its kind across England, which will help assess the true impact of ‘nature-friendly’ farming practices at over 6,000 locations.

Funded by Defra and Natural England, the England Ecosystem Project is being rolled out by Fera with the support of 15 partner organisations, including the Wildlife Trust and ADAS.

The unprecedented project has been set up to build a picture of the current state of England’s farmland habitats and soil conditions, and how this varies across different regions and farming systems.

Martin Worsley, natural capital researcher and soil scientist at Fera, explains that the insights from this highly detailed data will evidence how farmers and estate managers are helping to achieve the UK’s 2050 net zero goal, and highlight untapped opportunities for environmental protection. .

“Our aim is to quantify the living aspect of soils across every type of farmland habitat, from upland livestock farms in the Scottish borders to horticulture and arable farms down in Kent,” he says.

“Creating this baseline will help us to track important metrics, such as soil carbon and nutrient levels, over time to show where farmers are helping to move the dial with environmental protection.

“It will also help us highlight opportunities for increased carbon capture, and where producers can learn from best-practice, to help ensure sustainable farming and land management efforts are targeted in the right place for maximum benefit – both to society and farm business,” he adds.

The project involves Fera’s team of ecologists carrying out in-depth analyses of soil samples and vegetation surveys captured at 38,000 sampling points across England. This will be revisited every five years.

Mr Worsley says: “We’ve had a fantastic reception from the farmers who’ve granted us land access for soil sampling.

“They are genuinely very interested in the detailed data the project will be able to provide and how it could inform their future land management plans, which they could tap into private and public funding pots for.”

For farmers and land managers looking to explore environmentally friendly income streams, Mr Worsley advises that quantifying the natural capital you have is a vital first step.

“It’s important to have detailed baseline measurements of your farmland natural capital to be able to accurately plan how best to go about making investments and tapping into the funding on offer,” he says.

“If you’re not 100% confident on current farmland data, such as the levels of soil carbon or total wildlife habitats across your holding, you’ll be in the dark when it comes to making the most of income opportunities.”

Fera’s natural capital assessment service, LAND360, helps farmers and land managers to measure, map and monitor their natural capital, so they can make more informed land use decisions. To find out more, visit: https://www.fera.co.uk/land360-land-management

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Pip & Henry is a sustainable footwear brand for children. With over 80 million pairs of shoes thrown away each year in the United Kingdom alone, Jeroo Doodhmal set out to create comfortable, durable and most importantly, planet friendly shoes for kids.

Furthermore Pip and Henry offer an easy to use recycling scheme for shoes which have been outgrown. But why have shoe recycling accessible for sustainable footwear only?  As part of their commitment to doing their bit for the planet, Pip and Henry have opened their shoe recycling program to accept all shoes, no matter the size or the brand.

Making sure our children are comfortable in their shoes at all times – not too small, not too big – can be really tricky.

This was an issue that Jeroo Doodhmal faced in the early years of raising her daughter.  This made her consider the impact that constant shoe consumption was having on the environment. This was the moment Jeroo decided to take matters into her own hands and created Pip and Henry.

In the UK, around 15% (or 26,244 tonnes) of post-consumer shoe waste is collected and redistributed as second-hand. The remaining 85% (or 142,756 tonnes) is sent to landfill. It is estimated the average pair of shoes takes 100s, even 1000s of years to fully decompose. Ultimately this results in chemical-based compounds breaking down and constantly seeping into the earth. The simple solution, handing over your old shoes to Pip and Henry for recycling.

How does Pip and Henry recycle shoes that are not sustainably made?

Pip and Henry have opened their recycling service to accept any shoe no matter the size or brand.  Although these shoes can’t be recycled the same way as Pip and Henry’s own brand, they are rather broken down and made into useful materials such as insulation for children’s playground equipment or floor fillers.

How do I send my shoes to Pip and Henry to be recycled?

The service is Free and extremely simple to use. Better yet Pip and Henry will give you £10 off your future order if you send your old shoes for recycling.  All you would have to do is follow these three easy steps:

1. Package up your shoes and post them to 37 Franks Avenue, New Malden, KT3 5DD, United Kingdom. Don’t forget to add a note in the package with your name and email address so we can send you your voucher.

2. Pip and Henry will responsibly strip your old shoes into their component parts and repurpose them for different uses (such as playground surfaces and floor fillers).

3. Pip and Henry will then send you a £10 off voucher for your next pair via email so keep an eye on your inbox after your shoes have been sent.

What else do Pip and Henry have up their sleeve?

The brand believes that the best way to increase children’s awareness of the environment and to help them feel empowered to drive change, is through playful and fun storytelling.

So alongside their children’s footwear and recycling program, they pen beautiful stories about Pip & Henry, a little girl and her dinosaur friend embarking on adventures to save and learn about the planet.

For more information visit: https://pipandhenry.com/

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IDOM Merebrook, a leading environmental engineering consultancy is supporting the remediation of a challenging site for redevelopment in Tipner, Portsmouth. The site forms part of a former tar works, chemical works, oil storage depot and scrapyard. 

The development is on the edge of Tipner Lake – a Site of Special Scientific Interest RAMSAR site and a wetland conservation zone.  Tipner Lake is connected to Portsmouth Harbour and provides an important habitat for wintering birds.

The contaminated land team has worked in partnership with PMC Construction and remediation specialists Soilfix to implement the approved remediation strategy that will allow the contaminated site to be reused for a residential development and ensure the safety of future residents and the surrounding environment. 

The site presents a variety of challenges including a wide range of contaminants such as metals, hydrocarbons, VOCs, asbestos, cyanide, tars and phenolic compounds. This is in addition to the site being built on land reclaimed from Tipner Lake using a series of World War II barges, creating interesting challenges regarding water management and obstruction removal.

Throughout the project contamination hotspots are being removed and bio remediated before being stabilized, and used as backfill to the remedial excavations. The stabilized soils will form a plug to prevent impact to the underlying Chalk aquifer and an impermeable barrier has been installed to prevent any contamination from reaching Tipner Lake.

Future water flowing through the site will be allowed to leave through permeable reactive carbon gates which will remove contaminants. Once the remediation phase is completed the site will be capped to seal off any residual contamination and levels raised to protect from flooding.

On site the team of consultants are carrying out daily environmental monitoring of noise, dust and odour levels to ensure the site works are carried out safely and without negative impact for workers, surrounding residents and wildlife.

Nigel Huish, Managing Director, IDOM Merebrook commented:

“Britain has a housing crisis and sites such as Tipner are an important part of addressing the shortfall, it is imperative that land does not go to waste and can be successfully remediated.

It’s normal for former industrial sites to be contaminated as a result of their historic uses. However, this can all have a significant impact the success of regeneration projects, so it’s it’s crucial to consult an expert team and undertake robust, practical and cost-effective land remediation works.

While this has been a challenging site for our consultants – from treating grossly contaminated soils, providing clean soils in areas of soft landscaping, the management of Japanese knotweed, tank, scrap metal and concrete removal, we are now in a position where the land will be fit for purpose and a new space for community living and working can be created.”

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With the average festival goer generating a carbon footprint of 25kg of CO₂, the equivalent of burning 13kg of coal, both visitors and festival organisers are seeking ways to reduce their impact on the planet.

Gone are the days of drinking warm wine from flimsy plastic cups and the demand has shifted towards quality craft brands that deliver on taste and help reduce our environmental impact.

For alt-format, Italian craft wine brand When in Rome, it’s part of their ongoing de-carbonising mission to reach as many consumers as possible with their range of premium canned, bag in box and paper bottle wines with packaging that produces up to 10 times less CO₂ than a single-use glass wine bottle.

Their award-winning paper bottle wines have already made an appearance at Coldplay’s net zero concerts this year, with frontman Chris Martin spotted enjoying the wine on their Music of the Spheres tour; and the paper bottles will also be served at the Y Not? festival this month.

Rob Malin, When in Rome founder, said: “Our Italian wines are intended to be enjoyed all year round, but our wines really come into their own during the summer season, where we have a wine and a format for every occasion.

“We want to help the rest of the world enjoy wine like the Italians do, by producing premium, yet accessible wines packaged in more sustainable alternatives to single-use glass bottles.

“Our canned and paper bottle wines provide the perfect solution for festival organisers who have an obligation to reduce their climate impact. Not only do they produce less carbon, but they are also lighter to transport and without the risk of hazardous breakages.

“Italian wine has risen in popularity over the years, proved by the fact that for on trade, Italy was the top selling country by volume in 2021, and with Puglia’s wine makers now producing pale rosés that rival Provence, we think Italy will continue to be a dominant force in the wine industry.”

In April, When in Rome was recognised at the London Wine Competition, winning silver for their Primitivo wine and bronze for their Pecorino. They also won a silver award for their canned Pecorino at the International Canned Wine Competition.  

Currently there are five wines in the brand’s canned range, including Primitivo, Rosato, Pinot Grigio and Pecorino, with their semi-sparkling wine, ‘Sekko’, launching in August.

“We are doing things differently and we’re proud of it,” added Rob.

“Given that 39% of the wine industry’s CO2 emissions stem from single-use glass bottles, we feel it’s our duty to lead the charge towards the decarbonisation of the wine industry and provide eco-conscious consumers with an alternative.

“We are responsibly delivering our product as transparently as possible – we’re the first wine brand in the UK to publish the climate footprint of each bottle, can and box on the packaging.”

When in Rome can be found in Sainsbury’s, Waitrose, Ocado, BA High Life Café, WHSmith from August 14^th and independent stockists throughout the UK.

For more information, visit www.wheninromewine.com

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Based on a farm in the heart of the Yorkshire Wolds, Yorkshire Rapeseed Oil creates delicious-tasting artisan oils, dressings and mayos using our own cold-pressed rapeseed oil. Naturally plant-based it lends itself deliciously to making this alternative vegan mayonnaise that has all the flavour and texture of our standard Yorkshire mayonnaise. Our plant-based mayo is made from oil seed rape that is grown on the Yorkshire Wolds and cold-pressed in the factory on our farm.

Reasons to buy? New product
Delicious, plant-based alternative to traditional mayo
Made on the Palmer family farm in Yorkshire
Created using Great Taste award-winning rapeseed oil
Full of flavour, easy to use and versatile
Support a family-run artisan business
Not available in supermarkets
Suitable for vegetarians and vegans.

The perfect creamy mayonnaise made using award-winning cold pressed Yorkshire Rapeseed Oil, with just a touch of mustard. Delicious with sandwiches, salads, chips and so much more! A great addition to homemade coleslaw.

https://www.yorkshirerapeseedoil.co.uk/

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As the world becomes more and more aware of the impact of climate change, we all need to contribute in whatever way we can to protect the environment. As travellers, it’s important to be aware of our carbon footprint and take steps towards sustainable travel. Travelling sustainably can be a cost-effective way for reducing carbon emissions while satisfying our wanderlust. In this blog, we will discuss ways to travel more sustainably and reduce your carbon footprint:

Choose a sustainable mode of transportation

While air travel might seem to be the most convenient way to get around, it’s the most carbon-intensive mode of transportation. Instead of flying, choose to take trains, buses or even a bike whenever possible. When driving, carpool and drive efficiently to minimise fuel consumption. Alternately, you can also consider staying close to home and exploring your own city and places around to minimise your carbon footprint.

Consider accommodation options too

A significant impact on your carbon footprint comes from the accommodations you choose. Many hotels have become ecologically conscious with an emphasis on sustainability, but there are also eco-lodges, camping sites, and B&Bs specialising in environmental awareness. Book your stays carefully, and look for hotels that advertise sustainable practices like using renewable energy, recycling, and water conservation.

Try vegan foods

You may wonder, how exactly does food impact the environment? Well, animal farming has been known to contribute to greenhouse gas emissions, deforestation, and water pollution. By opting for vegan food options on holiday, you can help reduce the demand for animal products, thereby reducing its environmental impact. Additionally, trying vegan foods can also introduce you to new cultures and gastronomic experiences.

Pack lightly

Carrying a lot of luggage on your travels can contribute significantly to carbon emissions. Heavy luggage requires more fuel to transport, which burns more carbon into the atmosphere. Opt for packing light, and limiting your luggage to essentials to reduce carbon emissions.

Moreover, you can also pack some eco-friendly products like a water bottle that can be refilled, soap bars, and bamboo utensils to reduce your environmental impact while travelling.

Respect local communities and the environment

When travelling to a new place, it’s essential to respect the environment and the local communities that call it home. Any relevant information, such culture recommendations or etiquette guidance, can be obtained through research before travelling. It’s also important to be aware of the effects of your actions on the environment, especially when visiting protected areas such as national parks. Stay on designated trails, avoid single-use plastics, dispose of all trash properly, and avoid damaging the environment while exploring.

In conclusion, sustainability is an essential aspect of travel, and we must be responsible as we indulge in our wanderlust. Implementing these tips will not only reduce your carbon footprint, but also make your travels more meaningful and enjoyable. This approach to travel will have a positive impact on our planet. Let’s all do our part, one trip at a time.