Data produced by Marketcheck, the most significant source of data on the UK used car market, show that within the postcodes affected by the expansion of ULEZ, sales of used electric cars have increased.
In the three months prior to the expansion of ULEZ (1st June 2023- 30th August 2023), there were 941 electric cars sold compared to 1013 in the following three months (31st August 2023- 29th November 2023). This is an almost 8% increase (7.65%).
EV Sales within postcodes affected by ULEZ expansion:
Total Sales (01/06/23-30/08/23)
Total Sales (31/08/2023-29/11/23)
% increase
EV
941
1013
7.65%
Hybrid
3164
3132
-1.01%
Sales of hybrid cars however remained stable, showing a small decline. Using the same time periods before and after expansion, there were a total of 3164 and 3132 respectively. Whilst stable, this represents a slight 1% decline in total vehicles sold.
Alastair Campbell, Marketcheck UK, commented: “These figures show that ULEZ is having a demonstrable influence on the purchase decisions made by people living in postcodes affected by the expansion of the policy.
Hybrid cars clearly remain the most popular choice, but the data point to the increasing popularity of fully electric vehicles.”
About Marketcheck UK:
By tracking data on 650,000 daily car adverts from 11,000 dealers in 14,000 locations, Marketcheck captures an incredible amount of data on the UK used car sector.
Data is matched against the DVLA, SMMT and other sources for normalisation and accuracy.
This includes historical data back to January 2021, broken down by model, price, mileage, days on market, location, website, dealer brand, and so much more.
With profits getting squeezed and a suggested lack of government support, a sobering 47% of companies have had to cut back on sustainability initiatives in 2023
Novuna Business Cash Flow, a leading provider of invoice finance solutions for SMEs in the UK, has conducted a comprehensive analysis surveying 500 SMEs on the state of sustainability in the business world. The findings shed light on the priorities taken by businesses when it comes to sustainability initiatives.
According to the study, an impressive 50% of senior decision makers at SMEs prioritise sustainability, recognising its importance for long-term success. However, the analysis also reveals that 26% of SMEs view sustainability as a low priority or have not considered it at all. Notably, medium-sized businesses with 50 to 249 employees are the most likely to prioritise sustainability, with a remarkable 65% acknowledging its significance.
To protect their profits, an eye watering 47% of businesses have had to make cutbacks to their sustainability initiatives over the past 12 months. Of those, 16% have cut a few initiatives, 20% have scaled back on most initiatives, and an alarming 11% have eliminated all sustainability initiatives altogether. Unsurprisingly, out of all the SMEs, it was the small businesses with 10-49 employees that have had to make the most cutbacks (67%) when 64% of this size business stated that sustainability was a priority.
The analysis also investigated the perception of government support for businesses in reducing their climate impact. The results indicate that 51% of SMEs believe there is not enough government support. Within the group that perceives sufficient support, a noteworthy 20% of SMEs feel there is more than enough. Medium-sized businesses (50-249 employees) are the most likely to agree that there is enough government support (59%), while sole traders are the least likely (35%). John Atkinson, the Head of Commercial Business at Novuna Business Cash Flow, commented on the research, saying, “The findings of our analysis highlight the complex landscape of sustainability in the business world. It is encouraging to see that a significant number of SMEs prioritise sustainability, recognising its importance for future growth. However, the cutbacks made by many businesses raise concerns about the long-term commitment to sustainable practices. Our analysis underscores the need for continued support and collaboration between businesses and the government to drive positive change and create a sustainable future for all.” Novuna Business Cash Flow is committed to supporting SMEs in their pursuit of financial stability and sustainable growth. Through innovative financial solutions and strategic partnerships, Novuna Business Cash Flow aims to empower businesses to overcome challenges and thrive in today’s dynamic business environment.
For more information on Novuna’s research, click here.
About Novuna
Novuna is a trading style of Mitsubishi HC Capital UK PLC, a leading financial services company, authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). We have over 2,200 employees, £7.6bn of net earning assets and nearly 1.3 million customers across five business divisions; Novuna Consumer Finance, Novuna Vehicle Solutions, Novuna Business Finance, Novuna Business Cash Flow and our European division specialising in Vendor Finance. For over 40 years, formerly as Hitachi Capital (UK) PLC, we have worked with consumers and small to medium enterprises (SMEs) as well as corporate multinationals in the UK and mainland Europe, enabling millions of consumers and businesses to achieve their ambitions.
From 1 April 2021 we became a wholly owned subsidiary of Mitsubishi HC Capital Inc., strengthening our relationship with one of the world’s largest and most diversified financial groups with over £60bn of assets.
Novuna Business Cash Flow
Novuna Business Cash Flow provides cashflow finance solutions to SMEs across a wide range of sectors in the UK, allowing businesses to release cash from unpaid invoices within 24 hours.
With remote digital on-boarding through FLi, its unique platform, and flexible approach to contracts, Novuna Business Cash Flow was awarded the Best Factoring and Invoice Discounting Provider at the 2023 Business Moneyfacts Awards.
Novuna Business Finance and Novuna Business Cash Flow are both trading styles of Mitsubishi HC Capital UK PLC, part of Mitsubishi HC Capital Inc., one of the world’s largest and most diversified financial groups, with over £60bn of assets.
ASPEC – AI System for Predicting Embodied Carbon in Construction – Website Launches as Innovate UK Funding Period Concludes
Winvic Construction Ltd, a leading main contractor that specialises in the design and delivery of multi-sector construction and civil engineering projects, and its partners in a cross-sector multidisciplinary research group is inviting people in the construction industry to register their interest to access a new embodied carbon analytics AI system. Professionals should visit www.carboncalculated.co.uk to join the mailing list and they will be able to access a free trial of ASPEC – which stands for AI System for Predicting Embodied Carbon in Construction – towards the end of the year.
Winvic, University of the West of England (UWE Bristol), and Costain make up the consortium that was awarded £800,000 funding by Innovate UK in November 2020 to create a fit-for-purpose technology solution to help drive down industry carbon emissions and meet government’s green targets.
The ASPEC website homepage, where professionals can register for the free trial
Users will be able to upload a 3D BIM file – a Revit model – to the revolutionary web-based system and it will calculate the building or infrastructure project’s carbon output within minutes. Materials can then be altered within ASPEC to directly affect the real-time calculations of the carbon data – this allows construction schemes to be designed in a ‘green first’, non-time-consuming approach for the very first time.
Users will be able to upload a 3D BIM file – a Revit model – to the revolutionary web-based system and it will calculate the building or infrastructure project’s carbon output within minutes. Materials can then be altered within ASPEC to directly affect the real-time calculations of the carbon data – this allows construction schemes to be designed in a ‘green first’, non-time-consuming approach for the very first time.
ASPEC is integrated with the Government Green House Gas conversion factors, Inventory of Carbon and Energy (ICE) and the Environment Agency (EA), making it the largest database of environmental construction data in the world. Nevertheless, the system also allows users to upload their own materials databases which will work alongside the data points already available. Winvic and its research group partners have also been engaging with supply chains and other stakeholders throughout the two-year ASPEC project and 360-degree feedback has been employed to ensure the tool is user friendly and functional.
The system will help to propel contractors and material manufacturing firms to meet the UK government target to remove 10MT of carbon dioxide by 2030. Furthermore, a 50 per cent reduction in carbon emissions has been set through the Construction 2025 strategy and the target for 2050 is to bring all greenhouse gas emissions to net zero.
Winvic Digital Engineering Manager and ASPEC project lead, Morgan Hambling, commented: “When we started this Innovate UK funded project two years ago, embodied construction calculation methods were onerous at best and there was simply no efficient way for design teams to proactively reduce the carbon footprint of projects. Therefore, ASPEC is transformational for the industry as contractors, consultants and material manufacturers can at last sit in the driving seat with this fit-for-purpose cloud-based tool.
“With the Innovate UK two-year funding period now over and development in its final stages, we’re now inviting people to visit the ASPEC website to register their interest. We’re looking for professionals to get hands on in a free trial towards the end of the year – this is just the beginning, where we can all make the real impact that is required to meet client and building occupier needs as well as important government and industry targets.”
For more information on Winvic, the company’s latest project news and job vacancies please visit www.winvic.co.uk. Join Winvic on social media – visit Twitter @WinvicLtd – and LinkedIn.
A GLOBAL water tech giant welcomed the UK Government’s commitment to improve reservoir safety.
The Dam Safety Group – which includes North Wales-based Robertson GEO – says reforms to the regulatory regime and modernisation of the Reservoirs Act 1975 are a positive move for the industry.
The reforms will help to ensure the regulatory regime remains effective and robust in securing the ongoing safety of such critical infrastructure so that those living downstream of reservoirs are protected from flooding which could risk their lives and property.
Environment Minister Steve Double said: “The safety of those living and working near reservoirs must always be a priority.
“By modernising and reforming legislation and regulation regimes, we will help to protect communities and provide them with increased peace of mind.”
Caroline Douglass, Environment Agency Executive Director for Flood and Coastal Risk Management, added: “We look forward to working with Defra, reservoir owners, and engineers to implement these reforms and ensure that reservoirs are regulated using a modern risk-based approach.”
Reform of the regulatory programme will be delivered in collaboration with reservoir owners and engineers over the coming years, with a timeline that will ensure changes can be managed by industry while maintaining ongoing reservoir safety management.
The Dam Safety Group brings together a group of member companies, both instrument OEMs and service contractors, ideally positioned to use proven geophysical technologies, services and products for dam site investigation and monitoring together with seismic monitoring via earthquake early warning and evaluation systems.
Visit www.damsafetygroup.com for the latest news and information from the Dam Safety Group.
Two Anti-Poaching dogs in training from not-for-profit organisation Dogs 4 Wildlife visited Safari Zoo, Cumbria this week for some animal familiarisation ahead of their future deployment to South Africa.
Kitapo and Dan were joined by Dogs 4 Wildlife Directors Jacqui Law and Darren Priddle, with the two pups meeting a variety of animals at the zoo including several Rhino and Giraffes.
These familiarisation trips are hugely important to get the young dogs in training used to the sights and smells of the endangered wildlife that they will be protecting in the future in South Africa.
Kitapo, a fully trained anti-poaching dog, developed by Dogs4Wildlife, is destined for big things- the protection of White Rhino, 1000’s of Antelope species, Giraffe, Zebra, Buffalo, Leopard, Pangolin and many other species at a 30,000 acre reserve in South Africa. Last year, a total of 451 rhino were poached in South Africa. 327 within government reserves and 124 on private property.
Anti-poaching dogs contribute to reducing incidents of poaching by as much as 70%, so the dogs will have a huge part to play in the conservation of rhinos and many other endangered species.
Non-Profit Organisation Dogs 4 Wildlife aims to provide both quality, highly trained dogs and specialised ranger training for the development of anti-poaching canine units, to protect endangered wildlife. Helping to inspire and motivate the next generation of wildlife protectors, through effective and determined education.
Deploying anti-poaching dogs and K9 units is a crucial part of conservation efforts in Africa.
The funding is currently not in place to get Kitapo on her mission but Cumbria Zoo Company have committed to funding Kitapo’s transportation to the reserve, a move that Darren explained is so important as Anti-poaching dog Bane (who Kitapo will join) has eradicated snares and poaching in one reserve that was previously experiencing 10-15 instances of poaching each week since his deployment in 2020.
Cumbria Zoo formally helped fund Dogs 4 Wildlife Dog Indy and were part of a team of people who helped her get to a Wildlife Reserve in South Africa to work as a bushmeat detection dog. Indy now works as an open area search dog to locate and indicate on cached bush meat and animal carcass.
Co-Director of Jacqui Law, commenting on the trip to Safari Zoo said: “We can’t put in to words how truly grateful we are for the amazing support from Safari Zoo and all the staff and customers.
“ Our visit truly blew us away on how much time, advertising and engagement they have dedicated to Indy and now Kitapo!”
Sam from Cumbria Zoo Company, operators of Safari Zoo said: “We have been honoured to support the development of Indy and to be able to help with Kitapo’s deployment in this way.
“It’s really amazing to meet these little four-legged heroes and humbling to know what an important role they are going to play in the protection of wildlife and ultimately, in securing a long-term future for many species around the world.”
Also joining Jacqui and Darren was 8-month-old puppy Dan, named in honour of Daniel Bridle whose mum Caroline has made it her mission to sponsor an anti-poaching dog in wildlife and Dog-loving Daniel’s memory. Dan is being developed in human scent tracking and apprehension, ready for his future deployment in the fight against poaching.
To help get Kitapo to the reserve, donations can be made here or by entering Cumbria Zoo’s 30-prize raffle
With a long term committed view to assisting in the protection and continuation of endangered species, Dogs 4 Wildlife are a highly experienced team of knowledgeable, dedicated animal lovers with a commitment to wildlife conservation. With 12 operational dogs across 4 Southern African countries, The Dogs 4 Wildlife K9’s help achieve up to a 75% reduction in poaching numbers
Dogs 4 Wildlife aims to provide both quality, highly trained dogs and specialised ranger training for the development of anti-poaching canine units, to protect endangered wildlife. Helping to inspire and motivate the next generation of wildlife protectors, through effective and determined education.
Dogs 4 Wildlife promote, for the benefit of the public and our future generations, the conservation and protection of endangered species and the protection against wildlife crime through:
Training and establishing skilled, reliable, and highly effective, anti-poaching canine units.
Advancing the training and equipment of Anti-Poaching rangers.
Community empowerment projects, to advance the awareness and education of endangered species for the continued protection of biodiversity.
Providing educational platforms in both the UK and Africa to raise awareness for the plight of wildlife and inspire the next generation of wildlife protectors.
A dog lover is all set for global sales after innovating a range of sustainable dog poo bags that dissolve in water.
The idea for what George Greer calls a ‘revolutionary’ new environmentally-friendly product came after walking his beloved four-year-old Swiss Shepherd, Noah.
What should have been an enjoyable stroll turned into a rubbish-strewn obstacle course as they visited Loch Long in Argyll and Bute.
“There was this awful scene of plastic bags and debris all along the shoreline,” said George, a former payments network director who quit his job to invest his time in his ambitious new venture Project Harmless https://projectharmless.com/ in lockdown last year.
“It shocked me. It underlined just how much plastic is in our water. In fact, ten per cent of general waste plastic worldwide ends up in rivers and oceans,” said George.
“The UK throws away more than ten billion plastic bags of dog waste a year,” George added.
So rather than simply complaining or forgetting about it, George set up Project Harmless to cut down on the use of harmful plastic and improve the planet “one bag at a time.”
He ploughed on with product development amid subsequent lockdowns and his business began to grow through word of mouth.
Just 12 months later, George’s poo bags are available to UK dog lovers and are all set for the worldwide market. Interest has come from Ireland, Belgium, and America, with a subscription box idea gaining traction.
George, of Edinburgh, added: “Dog owners are a hugely responsible group of people and they recognise this is a huge problem and are keen to help.
“I called my product poop rather than poo bags as this is more in line with international branding.
“I am very encouraged by the support and opportunities so far. There are around 13 million dogs in the UK alone. Each one of those dogs does its business about three times a day, and around 70% of owners use dog mess bags. So that’s more than 25 million bags being used, every single day.
“Work that out over a year and it’s nearly 10 billion bags,” says George. “If ten per cent go into our water, that’s a billion. And most of those will be around for 500 years. As they degrade, they release poisonous microplastics and toxins which are bad for wildlife. Fish eat them and they go into the human food chain.”
Project Harmless came up with a new approach after they found research pointing to current ‘sustainable’ solutions not measuring up to anticipated results.
“We believe some biodegradable and plant-based compostable bags, made using corn-starch, are better than the eco-disaster of degradable bags, but they are still not ideal,” said George.
George’s partner, Ka Ho, had previously researched materials used in the making of medical pills which dissolve as they are digested.
“Unlike any biodegradable or plant-based compostable bags made using corn-starch, or single-use plastic, our bags are water-reactive, and they dissolve in the presence of water,” says George.
“If one of our poop bags gets into landfill, it will disintegrate very quickly. If it gets into the open environment, or into rivers or oceans, it will disintegrate rapidly. So, it’s no threat to fish or wildlife.
“Protecting millions of marine animals who die from eating harmful plastics is a massive consideration.
“It is also made of harmless non-toxic and microplastic free material.
“That’s why I call it probably the most harmless poop bag on the planet.
“If dog owners simply replace their existing harmful dog waste bags for Harmless Poop Bags, they can make the planet a better place one bag at a time.”
One-hundred Harmless Poop Bags cost £15, which George says compares well against cheaper varieties when you consider the quality and positive effect on the environment. “In fact our Harmless Poop Bag Subscription plan works at just £2.60 a week for one dog, that’s less than the price of a coffee to make the world a better place”.
Future plans include supporting local communities and charities as well as providing more environmentally products and services.
For more information about Harmless Poop Bags and how they are protecting the environment visit: https://projectharmless.com/
Better Cotton today announced the launch of its ambitious new climate change mitigation target as part of a new strategy designed to deliver substantial environmental, social and economic impact across the cotton industry by 2030.
The headline climate change mitigation target has been set to reduce overall greenhouse gas emissions per tonne of Better Cotton produced by 50% by 2030 (from a 2017 baseline).
Four additional targets covering soil health, pesticide use, smallholder livelihoods and women’s empowerment are expected to be announced by the end of 2022 with impact indicators providing robust metrics for tracking and evaluating against the baseline.
These progressive new metrics will allow enhanced measurement across the five key areas to ensure greater and lasting economic, environmental and social benefits at farm level for cotton growing communities.
Since its formation (in 2009) Better Cotton has had a significant impact on the sustainability of the worlds’ cotton production. For example, on average Better Cotton production had a 19% lower GHG emissions intensity per tonne of lint than comparison production across China, India, Pakistan, Tajikistan and Turkey, a recent study analysing data from three seasons (2015-16 to 2017-18) showed.
During the 2019-20 season, Better Cotton Farmers in India—where the most farmers are licensed to grow Better Cotton — used 10% less water, 13% fewer synthetic fertilisers, 23% fewer pesticides and 7% more organic fertiliser when compared to farmers in the same regions who operate outside of Better Cotton projects or Comparison Farmers. At the same time, Better Cotton Farmers in India achieved 9% higher yields and 18% higher profits than Comparison Farmers in the same season.
Better Cotton and its partners have also trained over 2.5 million farmers in 25 countries, having raised €99 million since 2010 to fund capacity building and other field-level activities. This is projected to grow to just over €125 million by the 2021- 22 season.
Alan McClay, CEO, Better Cotton (pictured above) said
“This is a pledge for Better Cotton farmers and a stake in the ground for the global cotton sector. Nearly a quarter of the world’s cotton is currently produced under the Better Cotton Standard. We aim to at least double that by 2030.
At COP 26, the textile and fashion industry announced a whole series of commitments aimed at achieving net zero by 2050. Our new 2030 Strategy not only aligns with these goals but sets solid and measurable metrics that will have material impact across cotton production worldwide for the benefit of the whole industry.
We know that climate change poses a great risk to cotton farmers – with rising temperatures and more extreme weather events like flooding and unpredictable rains.We will help on the ground by incentivising farmers to enrich the environment and embrace both climate-smart and regenerative agricultural practices.
We will also help open doors to markets, and through our metrics, feed back information on the results farmers are achieving, so they can see the benefits of sustainable practices and continuously improve the way they farm.”
Better Cotton also intends to take the lead in developing solutions for physical traceability enabling retailers and brands to make stronger sustainability claims related to the cotton content and provenance of their products.
Jason Clay, Senior VP, Markets, and Executive Director, Markets Institute at WWF said
“Having convened the very first meeting in 2004 with the International Finance Corporation of what was to become Better Cotton, I have a particular interest in the organisation and their work towards market transformation.
Better Cotton was one of the first certification programs that focused on performance metrics for the key impacts of producing cotton. It was the only program that focused onhelping all producers, not just rewarding the best. This new announcement re-enforces these aims and adds considerable weight to mitigating against climate change.”
Pramit Chanda, Country Director – India, Global Director – Textiles & Manufacturing of IDH, The Sustainable Trade Initiative said
“IDH has been a strategic partner to Better Cotton for over a decade, providing the initial funding and support in creating strong public-private collaborations that enabled the scale-up of Better Cotton’s programmes. Today, Better Cotton farmers account for nearly a quarter of the world’s cotton supply, and we see this has the potential to reach 65% by 2030. As IDH, we wholeheartedly welcome the focus on climate resiliency in the 2030 Strategy. We see this as an essential prerequisite for the achievement of better incomes for cotton producers around the world.”
The climate change mitigation target launch comes on the back of the recently released 2020 Better Cotton Impact Report. The evolution of more sustainable cotton production methods continues to build on previous farmer reporting and demonstrates how each component of the Better Cotton Standard System is set up to deliver impact in a world where supply chain transparency and accountability are paramount.
For some time now, I have been on a mission to cut down on my own carbon emissions and have been looking for more eco-friendly products to help me do that.
I traditionally held the view that eco-friendly products would somehow be more expensive and less effective – but in a mission to cut down my own emissions, I’ve given some a try – and been pleasantly surprised by what I’ve learned.
Here’s just 5 of eco-friendly products I’ve tried recently that I cannot be parted from.
1. ‘If You Care’ Re-Useable Paper Towels
Image: If You Care
These were an incredible surprise – not least because we can get through paper towels at an incredible rate thanks to my fish keeping hobby, messy pets, and a general inability to prevent spills of tea, coffee, coca cola, you name it, we mop it up.
The manufacturers claim that each of these re-usable paper towels can last up to a week, replace 18 conventional paper towels and when used, they are completely compostable. It sounded like a challenge – and at 12 sheets for £8.50, my answer was, ‘they’ll have to be damn good!’
The good news is, they aren’t just good, they are amazing. Spills that would turn a whole kitchen roll into a soggy mess are picked up with one towel, which can be wrung out, rinsed and re-used for up to a week as needed. These clever little sheets are made in a patented process from a three-dimensional blending of cellulose, non-GMO unbleached cotton and mirabilite – a natural mineral salt. In production, the mirabilite is washed out, leaving the remaining blend (70% cellulose & 30% cotton) extremely porous, which makes the towels extraordinarily absorbent, able in fact, to absorb 16 times their own weight. They also don’t leave any fibres on the surface, unlike bamboo towels.
I was challenged to give them a try, and a few months down the line I have still not used all 12, not bad going considering I would normally get through a roll in just over a day. We’ve used them for cleaning, mopping up, cleaning up pet accidents that would normally kill a towel (and my nerves) and sopping up coca cola from our brand new rug without leaving a mark, these handy little towels are amazing and when they dry out you can just re-use them.
These are one of the most handy things to have in your kitchen and can be bought here:
I came across these on a Facebook ad and wasn’t sure whether or not to give them a go. I’ve used Ariel for years and am pretty much devoted to them.
I am really pleased I did, because they are brilliant at stain removal at low temperatures.
A one time purchase is £15.00 but if you subscribe monthly, this reduces to £9.00.
While at full price this looks expensive compared to a pack of 36 Ariel Original pods, (£10 per pack but currently on offer for £7) there is no cost to the planet from using these, because all the ingredients are eco-friendly and even the packaging is compostable. However, it’s important to note that you can’t use half a pod for small loads, but these sheets can be torn in half for smaller loads of less than a basket, giving you up to 80 washes per pack.
First time round I bought unscented and they literally smell of nothing, which sounded cool but in practice wasn’t what I expected, so I’d recommend going for scented. However, the cleaning was excellent, it completely dissolves so there is no mess and no waste and the packaging can be torn up and buried in the garden, or thrown on your compost heap, creating no long term legacy. Also, their lightweight design means there’s a low carbon footprint for their delivery too, overall making it a no-brainer.
3. ‘If you Care’ Baking Cups and Pie/Baking Tin Liners
Image: If You Care
As a rule, baking cups and liners are bleached and dyed and while many are recyclable, some are not.
Concerned at the rate with which I can go through cases when in a baking mood, I bought 3 sets of silicone baking cups – the cheap sets from Wish were thin, flimsy and utter rubbish – don’t bother – but the higher quality ones are excellent.
However since COVID I’ve been concerned about handling unwrapped baked goods to family and friends, everyone is far more hygiene conscious and anyway, it feels nicer in a cake case.
I tried the ‘If You Care’ range which are nice and thick and very reasonably priced against some of the glossier alternatives, and found that not only are they unbleached and uncoated, they are very well made, available in a wide range of sizes and look great, giving a lovely ‘home-made’ presentation to baked goods. And yes, the big ones are big enough for Muffins. I love them and now have several sizes stocked in my cupboard.
Likewise, commercial baking and pie tin liners are often bleached, as are pure white sandwich bags (and don’t even get me started on plastic lunch bags). Helping the environment when baking and preparing snacks is as easy as switching to unbleached, uncoated products, they do the job just as well. There’s no doubt that you can’t beat the taste of homemade cakes, pies and sandwiches – knowing that the materials you use to bake and carry them won’t hurt the environment means there’s no bitter taste for my conscience either.
I wasn’t aware until recently that most fabric conditioner contains animal product tallow, made from beef or mutton fat and a bit of scent. I’m not vegan, but certainly don’t like the idea of sticking my clothes in beef fat to make them soft and pleasant smelling. In fact, I’m sometimes not sure whether if we saw the reality of what we use, rather than pretty packagaing whether we would make the same choices… anyway, I decided as I didn’t need to buy beef fat and alternatives were available, I’d give Ecozone a try.
The first thing I noticed is that Ecozone was a lot thinner than the normal softener I used. However, I didn’t need to use a lot of it and it did the job. If I’m honest the feel on skin is probably better with traditional softener, but the feel on my conscience was a hell of a lot better and it smelled great and felt soft enough. I just ordered another bottle from Amazon.
5. ‘If you Care’ Basket Coffee Filters
Image: If You Care
If you make your coffee in a traditional filter machine, the coffee may taste great but the bleach used to make those perfect white filters is more harmful than you realise – to humans, wildlife and the environment (click on this link to see just how harmful).
Given that bleach causes so much damage, is there an alternative?
Well, seeing as coffee is not white anyway, filters don’t need to be white at all, unbleached filters work just as well – therefore, this is a really easy way to go green. We love ‘If You Care’’s Coffee basket filters and will be recommending that coffee shops switch to unbleached coffee filters – it’s a great selling point for owners and something they can talk about with customers.
I don’t drink filter coffee that often, but I am going to be championing unbleached filters everywhere I go now. If you don’t care what colour your filter is, demand coffee suppliers make the switch.
Businesses, schools and community groups from across Devon and Cornwall have been nominated by their local community to be given a bee brick from RGB Building Supplies so they can encourage solitary bees to outdoor areas.
For every sale over £150 during Solitary Bee Week, which took place between Monday 28th June and Sunday 4th July, RGB donated money to purchase bee bricks from Cornwall-based company Green&Blue. The builders merchant was able to buy 80 bricks, which will provide environments for bees to nest, and invited people to nominate schools, businesses, charities and community groups to receive one of the special bee houses.
Solitary bees don’t live in colonies and, as they have no honey or queen to protect, they aren’t aggressive and don’t sting. They make up 90% of the bee population and are essential for the ecosystem as they pollinate plants and crops ensuring they are healthy and productive. However, due to a loss of natural habitat, they are in decline.
Lee Kift, Branch Manager of RGB Barnstaple, commented:
“Thanks to everyone who made a purchase during Solitary Bee Week and helped us to buy bricks that we could donate to the local community. Solitary bees are so important to the ecosystem and we hope all the schools and groups who have received the special bricks enjoy watching the bees coming and going from their new habitat.”
Having been nominated to receive a bee brick from RGB, the below will be able to create a solitary bee house in their outdoor spaces:
Affinity Outdoor Adventures, Tiverton; Apple Tree Farm Services, High Bickington; Appledore Primary School; Ashleigh Primary School, Barnstaple; Berrynarbor Britain in Bloom; Bishop Tawton Primary School, Barnstaple; Boyton Primary School, Launceston; Bradford Primary School, Holsworthy; Countess Wear Primary School, Exeter; Early Birds Nursery, Fremington; Exmoor Forest School, Lynton; Falmouth School; Farms for City Children, Exeter; Felicity’s Fledglings Nursery, Barnstaple; Geeb Farm, Lands End; Hayward’s Primary School, Crediton; Hi-5, Bude; Holsworthy Scout Group; Ilfracombe Junior School; Kings Nympton Primary School; Kingskerswell School, Newton Abbot; Ladysmith Infant and Nursery School, Exeter; Landscore Primary School, Crediton; Little Frogs Pre-School, Torrington; Marwood School, Barnstaple; Moorland View Ward, North Devon Hospital; North Devon Hospice, Barnstaple; Parkham Primary, Bideford; Polperro Primary Academy; Rydon Primary School, Newton Abbot; St Catherine’s Primary School, Newton Abbot; St Columba & Torpoint RFC; St Margaret’s Primary School, Bideford; St Mary’s Primary School, Bideford; Sticklepath Primary School, Barnstaple; Tarka Swims, Bideford; The Burton Art Gallery, Bideford; Thorne Day Nursery, Holsworthy; Wolborough Primary School, Newton Abbot.
As the world emerges from the global pandemic, we will continue to champion sustainability and circularity within our business and support our customers as they do the same.
Modular solutions for the circular economy
Sustainability and circularity are at the heart of Elliott’s modular solutions. Our business model provides a low-carbon solution for the circular economy. Through our services, projects, and client portfolio, we have integrated sustainability and ESG factors into our vision, purpose, and everyday business.
To achieve long-term success, we are transitioning to a sustainability strategy with circularity at its core, providing modular space for people to work, learn and live.
Working in collaboration with our stakeholders to create and develop a shared value for people and the planet. Creating products that make a positive difference to society while contributing to our ongoing success.
Developed our ongoing sustainability strategy around three key pillars: Environment, Social, and Governance (ESG), with circularity, adaptability, and leasing at the core.
Aiming to be carbon neutral by 2050
In 2021 we’ll continue to report to Board progress on Net Zero Strategy through the ESGS committee (4 reviews per annum)
In 2022 we’ll establish science-based targets
In 2023 we’ll source 100% Renewable Electricity for the Group where available
In 2025 we’ll reduce waste to landfill by 50% per typical unit (vs baseline 2020), reduce water consumption by the Group by 10% and reduce Group total gross emissions in metric tonnes CO2e by 10%, (vs baseline 2020)
In 2030 we’ll transform the new product portfolio to Net Zero carbon
In 2050 we aim to be Net Zero carbon of our end-to-end supply chain by 2050 and implementing our circular, ‘Loops within Loops’ model.
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