Sustainable(ish)

There's an awful lot that's wrong with the world right now. In fact, some would say, there's a lot that feels broken.So how about some inspiration and practical ways you can mend just a teeny tiny bit of the world?Today’s episode is all about mending and repair!DID YOU KNOW..?Keeping clothes in use for just an extra 9 months can reduce their carbon and water footprints by 20-30%80% of discarded textiles are doomed to landfill or incinerationOnly 1% of collected textiles are recycled into new yarns or fibresA study in 2017 found that 60% of us couldn’t sew on a button – one of the most common mendsIn this episode I’m chatting to someone who is on a mission to skew those stats and get us all mending our clothes. Ros Studd is the founder of website Repair What You Wear and is passionate about making mending our clothes accessible, and as easy as possible.Enjoy!Useful linksRepair What You Wear- Website- Facebook- Instagram- You TubeWhat's so wrong with fast fashion? - blog post5 ways to get your fashion fix (without trashing the planet) - blog postSustainable(ish) Fashion - podcast episodeSustainable(ish) Facebook groupDo you mend? What got you started?If you don't, are you tempted to have a go?Let me know in the comments! AVAILABLE ONLINE AND IN ALL GOOD BOOK SHOPS NOW! "Easily the most family friendly way to do your bit"The Sunday Times"Absolutely love this book - should be mandatory reading"Online review […]

Today we’re talking all things plogging!"What is plogging?" I hear you ask... ...Well, it’s picking up litter, while you jog (or walk!) and it’s a very brilliant thing to do indeed. Litter isn't just an eyesore, it's also a real risk to wildlife both on land and in our waterways who might mistake it for food, or get tangled up in it. And if litter makes it out to the ocean, it contributes to beach pollution, and also to the massive 'floating islands' of rubbish that are being discovered. In this episode I’m chatting to Michelle and Dermot, founders of Plogolution, who organise community plogs, and who also work with schools to set up plogging clubs. We chat all about plogging: what it is, how it works, the amazing stuff they’re doing with Plogolution, and importantly, how we can all get involved. Enjoy!Michelle and Dermot from PlogolutionUseful linksPlogolution- Website- Facebook- Instagram- TwitterEpisode 10 - #2minutebeachclean with Martin DoreyMy all new favourite litter picker (because everyone has a favourite litter picker right..?! - It's from Waterhaul and made from recycled fishing nets - how cool is that?!Sustainable(ish) Facebook groupDo you plog? Are you tempted?Let me know in the comments! AVAILABLE ONLINE AND IN ALL GOOD BOOK SHOPS NOW! "Easily the most family friendly way to do your bit"The Sunday Times"Absolutely love this book - should be mandatory reading"Online review […]

If you’ve been listening along for a little while, you might have heard me banging on about food waste in previous episodes – I talk to Ann Storr about meal planning in Episode 66, to Tessa from Olio, the food sharing app, in Episode 47 and to Ivor from CozZo which is a food inventory app in Episode 41.So it’s fair to say I’m a big advocate of taking action to reduce food waste. And that’s because food waste is a Big Deal when it comes to the climate crisis. I’ve shared these stats before but I make no apologies for doing so again:If food waste were a country, it would be the 3rd biggest emitter of global greenhouse gases after the USA and China 50% of food waste occurs in the home. In my home, your home, all of our homes.One of the best ways to reduce is to meal-plan and I refer you again to my chat with the brilliant Ann from the Storr Cupboard in Episode 66, but today I’m chatting all things freezing with Kate from The Full Freezer. I hope Kate doesn’t mind me saying this, but she is a full on freezer geek – I have never known anyone so excited and so knowledgeable about the humble freezer – how to organise, what we can freeze, how to safely defrost food and much much more.So grab a cuppa, or an ice cream (see what I did there) and settle down for some fascinating freezer chat. Enjoy!Image from The Full FreezerUseful linksThe Full Freezer- Website- Facebook- Instagram- Twitter- PinterestEpisode 47 - Fighting food waste - why it's important and how to make it easier with OlioEpisode 66 - Meal Planning Magic with Ann StorrEpisode 41 - Use your phone to fight food waste with CozZoA Beginners Guide to Sustainable Eating (blog post)Three apps to help you fight food waste (blog post)Love Food Hate WasteSustainable(ish) Facebook groupKate's freezer - anyone else having freezer envy..?!!How is your freezer looking?Did you learn anything new about what you can freeze?Let me know in the comments! AVAILABLE ONLINE AND IN ALL GOOD BOOK SHOPS NOW! "Easily the most family friendly way to do your bit"The Sunday Times"Absolutely love this book - should be mandatory reading"Online review […]

Lots of us are becoming increasingly aware of some the many issues for both people and planet that are created by the fast fashion industry. But how many of us think much about the impact of our shoes?DID YOU KNOW?25 BILLION pairs of shoes are made globally each year90% of them will end up in landfill, often within 12 monthsAn average shoe can have 50-60 different components, making it's manufacture complicated and carbon intensiveThe carbon footprint of an average pair of shoes is around 13kg CO2Clearly the shoe industry needs to clean up it's act - but what are the options? How can the shoe industry become more circular? (If you're wondering what the hell the 'circular economy' is, then check out this great page here from the Ellen McArthur Foundation). Listen in to this episode with Emma Foster-Geering, Head of Sustainabilty at Vivobarefoot, as we chat about all things sustainability in shoes, and Emma shares news of ReVivo - a new project from Vivobarefoot which aims to drastically reduce the numbers of pairs of their shoes that end up in landfill. Image from the Ellen McArthur FoundationUseful linksReVivo- Website- InstagramVivobarefoot- Website- Facebook- Instagram- Twitter- Sustain This PodcastBoot Repair CompanySustainable(ish) Fashion podcast episodeTansy Hoskins - Footwork bookSustainable(ish) Facebook groupHave you thought about your carbon 'shoeprint' before?How do you feel about secondhand shoes?Let me know in the comments! AVAILABLE ONLINE AND IN ALL GOOD BOOK SHOPS NOW! "Easily the most family friendly way to do your bit"The Sunday Times"Absolutely love this book - should be mandatory reading"Online review […]

I'm delighted to be working with Organic UK* for a mini-series of podcast episodes to mark Organic September - an annual month long awareness campaign by the Soil Association In collaboration with the Organic Trade Board.Now I’ve been buying organic food for a while now – we get a weekly Riverford veg box, and I seek out organic products in the supermarket whenever I can. But until recording this series I wasn’t really that aware of the huge potential impact that organic systems can have on the climate crisis.Agriculture and food production get a bad rap when it comes to the climate – agriculture is responsible for 9% of all Greenhouse Gas emissions in the UK. Together with related emissions from changing land use and cutting down forests, it accounts for around 30% of greenhouse gas emissions globally. BUT research by the The Soil Association shows that if Europe’s farmland all followed organic principles, agricultural emissions could drop by 40-50% by 2050. That's a massive chunk of carbon saved right there.So how does this work? What is it about organic practices that means they pump out so much less carbon?Well I’m glad you asked! In this episode I’ve got a two parter for you – in the first part I’m chatting to the wonderful Anna de la Vega from The Urban Worm who some of you may remember from episode 38 where she answered all my questions about wormeries. In this episode she’s sharing her knowledge about soil health, why it’s so vital to the planet, why modern agriculture is so bad for it, and how organic systems can help to replenish it.And then in Part 2 I’m chatting to Tim Mead, dairy farmer and owner of Yeo Valley, about how organic and regenerative agriculture works in practice on their farm and what they’ve achieved in terms of reducing their carbon footprint.It’s a fascinating episode, a total eye opener for me – I think I say the words ‘mind blown' at least 57 times…Enjoy!* This is a paid partnership with Organic UK.This episode was edited by Emily Crosby Media Useful linksOrganic UK- Website- Facebook- Instagram- TwitterOrganic SeptemberThe Urban Worm - Website- Facebook- InstagramYeo Valley- Website- Facebook- Instagram- TwitterThe other episodes and blog posts in the Organic mini-series- [072] - The plight of the bumble bee- [073] - Organic 101- A beginners guide to organic- [074] - Eating sustainably- A beginners guide to sustainable eating[038] - Everything you ever wanted to know about wormeries with The Urban WormKiss The Ground - documentary on Netflix about soil - it's fascinating, do have a watch if you can!Elaine Ingham - Soil Food Web"If Europe’s farmland all followed organic principles, agricultural emissions could drop by 40-50% by 2050",The Knepp Estate - Rewilding in West SussexThe Sustainable(ish) Facebook group The Power of One Challenge!As with all things Sustainable(ish), organic doesn't have to be 'all or nothing'. No-one is expecting you to covert to 100% organic, and as Harriet points out in the podcast, you'd struggle even if you wanted to, as there are some products that there aren't organic versions of. But I hope after listening to this episode, and to the others in the Organic September mini-series, you'll be a convert (if you weren't already) to the power that organic farming has to help us to pass on a healthy planet to our kids and grandkids. As consumers we have a lot of power to amplify the impact of organic by making some simple swaps. Next time you're shopping, can you swap one of your regular products for an organic one? Just imagine the surge in demand if everyone who was able to do this, did it!  Had you heard of 'regenerative agriculture'?Is your mind as blown as mine..?!!Let me know in the comments! AVAILABLE ONLINE AND IN ALL GOOD BOOK SHOPS NOW! "Easily the most family friendly way to do your bit"The Sunday Times"Absolutely love this book - should be mandatory reading"Online review […]

I'm delighted to be working with Organic UK* for a mini-series of podcast episodes to mark Organic September - an annual month long awareness campaign by the Soil Association In collaboration with the Organic Trade Board.In the same way that 'sustainability' and 'sustainable living' mean different things to different people, 'sustainable eating' will too. With that in mind, we've collated a brilliant panel to discuss what it means to them, the impacts our choices around food have on the planet, and how we as individuals and families can take some simple steps to eat more sustainably. Our brilliant panel comprises Melissa Hemsley – self taught cook and author of a stack (technical publishing term..) of amazing cookbooks including her latest Eat Green – based on the 15 most commonly thrown away foods; Ben White from Coombe Farm Organic - an organic farm in Somerset breeding and rearing slow-growing native breeds to produce award-winning meat; and Tim Field, head of sustainability at Daylesford – one of the most sustainable farms in the UK.Enjoy!* This is a paid partnership with Organic UK. This episode was edited by Emily Crosby Media Useful linksOrganic UK- Website- Facebook- Instagram- TwitterOrganic SeptemberMelissa Hemsley- Website- Facebook- Instagram- Twitter- Eat Green - Melissa's latest book- The Felix ProjectCoombe Farm Organic- Website- Facebook- InstagramDaylesford- Website- Facebook- Instagram- TwitterThe 'Dirty Dozen' and 'Clean Fifteen' - lists of fruit and veg with the most and least pesticide residuesStudy looking into nutritional values of organic vs non-organic milkResearch article regarding glyphosphate (a widely used weedkiller) levels in people eating organic and non-organic foodsCity to Sea - Contactless Coffee campaignThe Sustainable(ish) Facebook group The Power of One Challenge!As with all things Sustainable(ish), organic doesn't have to be 'all or nothing'. No-one is expecting you to covert to 100% organic, and as Harriet points out in the podcast, you'd struggle even if you wanted to, as there are some products that there aren't organic versions of. But I hope after listening to this episode, and to the others in the Organic September mini-series, you'll be a convert (if you weren't already) to the power that organic farming has to help us to pass on a healthy planet to our kids and grandkids. As consumers we have a lot of power to amplify the impact of organic by making some simple swaps. Next time you're shopping, can you swap one of your regular products for an organic one? Just imagine the surge in demand if everyone who was able to do this, did it!  What does 'sustainable eating' mean to you?Let me know in the comments! AVAILABLE ONLINE AND IN ALL GOOD BOOK SHOPS NOW! "Easily the most family friendly way to do your bit"The Sunday Times"Absolutely love this book - should be mandatory reading"Online review […]

I'm delighted to be working with Organic UK* for a mini-series of podcast episodes to mark Organic September - an annual month long awareness campaign by the Soil Association In collaboration with the Organic Trade Board.Most of us are now quite familiar with the concept of organic food, and maybe even organic textiles, but (and I'm speaking for myself here) maybe we don't really have that great a handle on what it actually means. Is it a legal definition? What does it mean if a product is organic? Is it just about pesticides? Is organic really any better for me and the planet? In this episode we've put together a brilliant expert panel to answer all those questions and more! Lee Holdstock from The Soil Association, Harriet O'Regan from Organic UK, and Guy Singh-Watson from Riverford joined me around my virtual kitchen table for a cuppa, and we dived into all things organic. Even as someone who gets an organic veg box, and regularly seeks out organic produce in the supermarket, I'm not sure I'd have been able to explain the benefits to friends and family in a very articulate or persuasive way. But I hope that after listening to this episode, we'll all feel like we have a greater understanding of what exactly "organic" means, and the role it has to play in the health of the planet and feeding the world.  Enjoy!* This is a paid partnership with Organic UK. Organic is...working with nature. It's stewardship. Handing the land over to our children and grandchildren in a fit state. It's about taking responsibilityLEE HOLDSTOCKThe Soil Association This episode was edited by Emily Crosby Media Why Organic?Check out The Soil Association's post for more details on each of the bullet points below.It's better for the planet - fewer pesticides, increased biodiversity, healthier soil and more!Better for nature and wildlife - fewer pesticides and more biodiversity means more insects, more birds, more wildlife Higher welfare for farm animalBetter for people and healthImage from The Soil Association The Power of One Challenge!As with all things Sustainable(ish), organic doesn't have to be 'all or nothing'. No-one is expecting you to covert to 100% organic, and as Harriet points out in the podcast, you'd struggle even if you wanted to, as there are some products that there aren't organic versions of. But I hope after listening to this episode, and to the others in the Organic September mini-series, you'll be a convert (if you weren't already) to the power that organic farming has to help us to pass on a healthy planet to our kids and grandkids. As consumers we have a lot of power to amplify the impact of organic by making some simple swaps. Next time you're shopping, can you swap one of your regular products for an organic one? Just imagine the surge in demand if everyone who was able to do this, did it!  Useful linksOrganic UK- Website- Facebook- Instagram- TwitterOrganic SeptemberThe Soil Association- Website- Facebook- Instagram- Twitter- Why Organic?Riverford- Website- Facebook- Instagram- Twitter- "In organic we trust" - article from Guy in the Riverford Wicked Leeks Magazine- "An uncomfortable truth" - article from Guy about the devastating soil loss they suffered this year that he references in the podcastOrganic Trade Board30 ways to join the organic movementThe 'Dirty Dozen' and 'Clean Fifteen' - lists of fruit and veg with the most and least pesticide residuesWorld Wildlife Fund Living Planet Report 2020The Sustainable(ish) Facebook groupAre you up for the Power of One Challenge? What organic swaps have you already made? What do you think you might swap out this week?Let me know in the comments! AVAILABLE ONLINE AND IN ALL GOOD BOOK SHOPS NOW! "Easily the most family friendly way to do your bit"The Sunday Times"Absolutely love this book - should be mandatory reading"Online review […]

I'm delighted to be working with Organic UK* for a mini-series of podcast episodes to mark Organic September - an annual month long awareness campaign by the Soil Association In collaboration with the Organic Trade Board.We'll be diving into all things organic - what the term actually means, how we know if something is organic, AND crucially, the impact that organic food and farming has on the planet. We're kicking off with the brilliant episode with David and Emma Buckley from Buckleys Bees. Talking, unsurprisingly given the name of their business, about bees! DID YOU KNOW?Bees and insects are essential pollinators of our food - It's estimated that it would cost UK farmers £1.8 billion a year to pollinate their crops manually if wild bees disappearedBee and insect populations are crashing - every square kilometre in the UK has lost an average of 11 species of bee and hoverfly, between 1980 and 2013In the UK at present there are around 270,000 active honeybee hives, compared to a million in 190098% of natural wildflower meadows have been lost in the UK since the early 1900s Plant, insect and bird life is 50% more abundant on organic farmsTune in to learn more about the wonderful work of bees, why they's so vital, how organic farming can help to support them, AND how we can help them in our own gardens too.Enjoy!(Heads up on the sound quality - it's pretty rubbish at the start of the podcast, but improves quickly, so please do bear with!!)* This is a paid partnership with Organic UK.This episode was edited by Emily Crosby MediaUseful linksOrganic UKOrganic SeptemberBuckleys Bees- Website- Facebook- Instagram- TwitterSoil Association - Bee Organic articleSoil Association article: "Why Bees are Important"Plant Life - "How to get 10 times more bees on your lawns"The Sustainable(ish) Facebook groupDavid and Emma inspecting some of their hives Top tips to help the bees!Plant bee friendly seeds and flowersLet your lawn and hedges flower - mow less!Avoid 'blended honey' and look out for UK and local honeyLeave out a shallow dish filled with marbles and water for the bees to take a drinkBuy organic fruit and veg if you canPic credit: Buckleys BeesHow are you getting on with your bee-friendly gardens and window-boxes?Let me know in the comments! AVAILABLE ONLINE AND IN ALL GOOD BOOK SHOPS NOW! "Easily the most family friendly way to do your bit"The Sunday Times"Absolutely love this book - should be mandatory reading"Online review […]

Carbon footprints - we've probably all heard the term, but what exactly is a carbon footprint? And why does it matter?Do I have a carbon footprint?How do I know what it is?How do I reduce it?What do I need to reduce it to?ALL the questions about carbon footprints!Luckily in this episode I'm chatting to Jo Hand, co-founder of Giki Zero, an app and website that allows you to easily measure and track your individual carbon footprint.Because I'm a bit of an eco geek, I've tried out a few different carbon footprint calculators, and whilst they're great for giving a ballpark figure, they don't allow for much nuance, and the only way to really see it come down is to do something really drastic, like go car-free, or move to a smaller house - neither of which are hugely practical right now.So when I tried out Giki Zero I was geekily excited to see that this is a calculator that does allow us to factor in many of the smaller changes we're making day to day, and to see our footprint shrink!Jo answers all of the questions above, and many many more, including sharing her top tips for the big impact things we can do to reduce our footprints.Listen in, then go and check out Giki Zero! Let me know what your score and your footprint are!Useful linksGiki Zero- Website- Facebook- Instagram- Twitter[046] - Sustainable(ish) supermarket shopping with Giki Badges (podcast)Carbon footprints and off-setting  (festival session)How Bad are Bananas? - great book by Mike Berners-Lees that looks at 'the carbon footprint of everything.'Ecosia - a greener alternative to Google!- The search engine that plants trees (and how to install it) (blog post)The World Land Trust[068] - How to waste less at work with Livvy Drake (podcast)Big Clean Switch* (green energy comparison site)*if you use this link and switch I get a small commission at no extra cost to youA beginners guide to switching to a renewable energy supplier (blog post)Make My Money MatterSwitch ItHow to make sure your money is doing as much good as you are (festival session) 2040 filmFashion's Dirty Secrets - fast fashion doc by Stacey DooleyThe Knackered Mums Eco Club - come and join us!Sustainable(ish) Facebook groupMy carbon footprint...!Have you measured your footprint..?What is it?Let me know in the comments! AVAILABLE ONLINE AND IN ALL GOOD BOOK SHOPS NOW! "Easily the most family friendly way to do your bit"The Sunday Times"Absolutely love this book - should be mandatory reading"Online review […]

Once upon a time (I'm looking at you 1990's) we were told that all we needed to do to be green was to do our recycling. And although it might have taken a while to catch on, most of us now diligently sort our rubbish out into a gazillion different bins and boxes each week, and feel good that we're doing our bit.However, sadly we're now realising that there's much more to saving the planet than simply popping our tin cans into the right bin, and that actually even the act of recycling is in itself bloody complicated (technical term for the UK's recycling infrastructure).One of the reasons that our recycling varies so widely across the country, is that it's managed by local councils, and many of us may have visited our council website or Facebook page for information about what we can and can't recycling where we live. But whilst we might find the information we need, we very rarely find anything else to engage us on the topic, answer some of our trickier questions, and (whispers) entertain us.Which is why Denis the Dustcart, from Exeter City Council, is such a revelation and I was so excited to interview him. Well, not actually Denis himself. He's a dustcart. Actually, he's not even a dustcart, he's an emoji dustcart persona. So I spoke to Merrick Palmer, recycling officer at Exeter City Council and Denis' alter-ego. Who happens to be very funny, and very good well-informed (by the recycling team at the council), and very good at writing engaging posts around all things waste and recycling on the Denis the Dustcart FB page.Listen in as I throw all my recycling questions at Denis, with biggies like which is better (when it comes to the planet and recycling: palstic, glass, or tetrapak. These are genuinely the kind of things that keep me up at night...Enjoy!Useful linksDenis the Dustcart- Facebook- Instagram- Twitter- Great graphic from Denis about the different recycling signs -->[011] - How and why to recycle less (podcast)This week (7th-13th Sept) is Zero Waste Week - find out more about it on this podcast with Zero Waste Week founder Rachelle Strauss here.Sustainable(ish) Facebook groupWhat are your thoughts on recycling..?Let me know in the comments! AVAILABLE ONLINE AND IN ALL GOOD BOOK SHOPS NOW! "Easily the most family friendly way to do your bit"The Sunday Times"Absolutely love this book - should be mandatory reading"Online review […]