Wednesday 28 November 2018

A RE-LAUNCH BECAUSE THE TIME IS NOW...



It's been three years since I last posted on this green blog. I started it in 2006 when I'd just returned to the UK from Los Angeles. I'd been studying interior design and architecture at UCLA and had been fascinated and enthralled by the then, very new, work of one of my professors - DAVID HERTZ
My intention was to research and share information on how to live a greener life without going too crazy, peeing in a compost toilet or spending to much money. I developed a TV show about it and we took it to some TV stations...

747 WING HOUSE, MALIBU, CA. A repurposed aeroplane designed by David Hertz.

Then life took over, I got a fantastic acting opportunity and in the last seven years have been concentrating on my screenwriting and directing career. My blog took a back burner as corporations and companies, looking at their bottom line, seemed to be making small changes to save energy and waste.

But the time to reignite might be nigh. Presidents and world leaders are still not agreed on the effects of climate change - or if it even exists - so as knowledge is power, I want to report on the on-going changes that in 2006 were sometimes a foreign language to most people. The younger generation are now shaming their parents to recycle, stop using single use plastic bottle and paper coffee cups. The ocean liner, while it cuts through a sea of floating plastic, is turning around...

My last post was about the introduction of the 5p plastic bag. Here's how we've been doing... Mark Hall at Business Waste has done a few numbers...

41% OF SNEAKY CUSTOMERS ADMIT TO STEALING PLASTIC CARRIER BAGS

A surprising majority of shoppers have confessed to stealing plastic carrier bags during their weekly shop, it has been revealed. Despite the 5p plastic bag levy introduced by the Government in 2015, a survey collated by waste management agency, BusinessWaste.co.uk, shows that light-fingered shoppers are still sneaking bags past the scanners in a bid to avoid paying.

The survey, which covered 1,000 shoppers from across the UK, showed that 41% admitted to the theft of plastic bags at least once in the past 12 months, blaming shops who charge more than the minimum 5p amount set by the legislation.
One unabashed shopper added: “Most places charge 10p now - that’s just too much, especially when I’ve got a grand’s worth of them under the sink already!”
This appears to be a common attitude, with social media awash with jokes about plastic bag stashes being worth a small fortune after the charge came into effect - suggesting that households are well aware that bags should, and can, be reused.
However, those who avoid paying the levy despite hoarding plenty of bags at home highlight a misunderstanding of the purpose of the charge - in that it was introduced by the Government to encourage reuse of existing carrier bags, or a switch to a reusable product such as cotton shopping bags.
The move saw a dramatic reduction on the number of carrier bags issued in the year after the charge was introduced - down to 19 per person from 140, suggesting that Brits have responded to the financial disincentive and are adopting more eco-friendly shopping habits. However, 1.04 billion plastic bags were still sold by the seven major supermarkets in 2017-18 - and single use plastic bags can take up to 1,000 years to break down, meaning there’s still an enormous risk to the environment if shoppers don’t change their ways.



Mark Hall, Communications Director of BusinessWaste.co.uk, warned:
“Shoppers may resent paying for plastic bags - but the solution is certainly not to steal them! A cotton or jute tote bag is easy to keep in the car, your handbag, or by the front door and can be used hundreds of times. Of course, it means remembering to take it with you, but with a bit of preparation you never need to buy a plastic bag again - which is great, not only for the environment, but also for your wallet.”

Shoppers may soon find themselves more inclined to switch to reusable bags, as the Government has announced a consultation on the plastic bag levy, to take place at the end of this year. The consultation could see the charge rolled out to all retailers, not just supermarkets - and crucially, could see the minimum levy double to 10p per bag.
  
With Government plans to further increase scope and cost of the plastic bag levy following the success of the initial 5p charge, it’s the perfect time for shoppers to make the switch over to reusable bags.
“Many people will have suitable bags lying around already, but they’re readily and cheaply available and, as with many lifestyle changes, once you’re used to taking a cloth bag with you, it’ll become second nature. A tiny amount of forethought could have an enormously positive environmental impact, and that is something we should all endeavour to spend an extra second or two on before we head to the shops.”



Saturday 3 October 2015



I always refuse a bag when I can. Would you mind paying 5p for every shopping bag you use? Will this new law make you use fewer bags and bring your own every time you shop?

From Monday large shops in England will charge 5p for each plastic bag. But how did shoppers get so used to free carrier bags in the first place, asks Chris Stokel-Walker. 
The Single Use Carrier Bags Charges (England) Order 2015 comes into force on 5 October. 
The order requires sellers who employ more than 250 people to charge 5p for a "single use carrier bag" which is less than 70 microns (0.07mm) thick. 
Though there are plenty of exceptions to the rule, including for medicines, raw meat and razor blades, having to pay for bags will be a major change for most English shoppers.
The history of the plastic carrier bag's ubiquity is slightly hazy, with no-one able to place a definitive date on the point when they were standard at all UK checkouts.
READ MORE HERE...

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-34401851?SThisFB


Wednesday 26 August 2015

Flowers by bicycle....




Just discovered this lovely film about a florist in London's East End who delivers her bouquets by bicycle and donates £1 from every bunch of flowers to beekeepers....

Click here to see the Marks and Spencer's website article...






Tuesday 28 January 2014

Don't Just Lower The Lights, Lower Those Electric Bills And CO2 Emissions At The Same Time...

 I'm so one for gorgeous lighting set ups in my interiors. I HATE overhead lights in rooms (I sort of get a wee bit nauseous) and love playing with table and floor lamps and dimmer switches.

This week is Big Energy Saving Week so... Here's some more info for those of you reluctant to switch out incandescent bulbs for the more 'expensive' LED lights in your home... this is The Big Picture, the Long Term Solution.... The Low Down.... oh you get the idea...

 
Won't Cost the Earth - An infographic by LightBulbs-Direct to promote the Benefits of LED Bulbs for ‘Big Energy Saving Week’.  To view the full image click here.

Friday 24 January 2014

Stylish AND Sustainable....? I'm IN! Mimosa Street!

I'm often invited to post pages that advertise a green-ish, eco-ish or sustainable products, but often those peeps don't get the remit here: -
It is: how do we live a sustainable and stylish life with as little impact on the planet as possible - and without living in a field in Cornwall peeing into a compost toilet... well, I think MIMOSA STREET may be onto something. Have a click on the links and you decide....

 cute handbags....
 lovely jewellery and much more...

The very stylish website offers a unique mix of jewellery (much of it handmade), accessories and lovely objects for the home. The product mix is unique because they source items directly from small independent suppliers, artists and designers. (nice!)

Mimosa Street loves to celebrate individuality and support emerging talent on the design-front, because while beauty and quality are at the heart of everything they do, they believe that where something comes from matters too. And that’s also the reason you’ll find plenty of lovely and unusual ethically-sourced items from around the world at Mimosa Street. (click here now!)

There’s a widespread misconception that if something is fair trade or eco-friendly then it’ll be dowdy, hackneyed or lacking in style, but they aim to dispel this by offering a range of beautiful objects for the home which are as lovely to look at as they are ethically sound. (yup!)

There's a collection of products made from recycled glass. In a landfill site, a glass bottle will take more than a million years to biodegrade (if it biodegrades at all), so our vases, tealights and carafes, which are both fair trade and made from recycled glass are the height of eco chic. (gotta love that!)

They are a new company and have lots of new and interesting stock on the way, so please support them and watch them as they continue to grow...

Wednesday 10 July 2013

GREEN PUG RECYCLES! and changes lightbulb, carpools...


This little film was made a few years ago. I can't believe I haven't seen it 'til now. All of my friends know how much I love being GREEN and PUGS, so this is the PERFECT combination *wipestear* 






Monday 3 June 2013

Now this is what I call Off The Grid Living - and check out the cute owner too!


 One day I will design and build a beautiful dwelling. Maybe not as eco, green and full of found objects of the forest as this one, but what an inspiration. This is of the grid in New York State somewhere.... ooohhh.... I could get so much writing done!