The Green Familia » Recycle Now

Ella’s Kitchen and TerraCycle Recycle Baby Food Pouches

Jo — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 16:00:55 +0000

Ella’s Kitchen is passionate about protecting our playground and helping little ones grow up in a healthy, happy world. In partnership with TerraCycle, the organisation that provides free waste collection programmes for hard to recycle materials, Ella’s Kitchen has successfully saved 100,000 used baby food pouches from UK landfill by recycling them into new products.

The Ella’s Kitchen Brigade was launched in the UK in October 2010 with a programme of recycling that has been embraced by families, schools, nurseries and baby and toddler groups across the UK as a perfect way to raise awareness of the importance of taking care of our environment whilst raising money for schools, charities and non-profit organisations.

Ella’s Kitchen Brigade participants across the UK have all done their bit to help reach this significant 100,000 collection milestone figure. For each used baby food pouch of any brand sent back to TerraCycle, two points is earned which can be redeemed for a two pence contribution to the school or charity of the collector’s choice. To date Ella’s Kitchen Brigade has raised over £3,400 for worthy UK schools, charities and non-profit organisations.

TerraCycle uses the waste baby food pouch material to make a wide range of recycled generic plastic products such as garden benches, watering cans or waste bins and upcycled lunch bags, pencil cases, place mats and more. Each month until the end of May 2012 every member of the Ella’s Kitchen Brigade who sends in 20 or more baby food pouches or packs in a single shipment will be entered into a prize draw to win 1 of 20 fabulous upcycled lunch bags, as part of the Ella’s Kitchen lunch bag giveaway.

Any interested individuals, schools and organisations can learn more about and sign up to the Ella’s Kitchen Brigade for free today at TerraCycle here.

Britain Throws Away 5.4 Billion Bin Bags Every Year!

Hannah B — Wed, 21 Sep 2011 11:00:34 +0000

When TGF heard about the astonishing amount of bin bags thrown away annually in Britain we thought it was of the utmost importance to share this shocking news with our readers!

British householders spend an astonishing £546m on bin bags every year, a new national report has revealed. As a nation, the UK throws away an incredible 5.4 billion refuse bags annually, which is an average of four per household, per week according to a study conducted by InSinkErator.

The national study into the UK’s use of domestic refuse bags discovered that the nation’s 26 million homes account for a massive 104 million bin bags weekly. Based upon an average cost of 11p per bin bag, or £2.30 for a roll of 20, it has been estimated that it costs UK homeowners an average of £22.88 per year, on top of council tax payments, to dispose of their rubbish.

As well as this landfill is one of the biggest environmental problems facing UK councils in 2011. Landfill tax, payable by local councils and levied from householders through council tax payments, costs nearly £50 a ton. Although the amount dumped in landfill has been decreasing, Britain is facing fines from the European Union if it does not see further reductions.

There is also pressure from the environmental lobby because food waste causes rotting landfill, which produces methane – a bigger contributor to global warming than CO2. Therefore there is an increasing problem in British society concerning waste disposal. However it is possible to make a change, this can simply be done by raising awareness of the issue so that the people of Britain are more conscientious about their waste.

How rubbish will your Bank Holiday Weekend be?

Jo — Fri, 26 Aug 2011 16:00:01 +0000

A new study commissioned by SodaStream has revealed that Britain is set to fill over 40 million bin bags with rubbish over the course of the Bank Holiday weekend.

With this in mind there is obviously a need to reduce waste before there is any need for recycling, and it is the practice of ‘precycling’ that SodaStream is highlighting with their research into British waste habits. The study has revealed that we Brits grossly underestimate the number of plastic bottles we use per week, with 60% believing they only use 1-4 plastic bottles, when the actual number is 15 each week.

To reinforce this SodaStream commissioned artist Bamber Hawes to create a ‘Bottle Family’ sculpture made up of 827 plastic bottles. This is the number of plastic carbonated bottles that an average family in the UK will use in a year; one SodaStream can help dramatically reduce all this bottle waste and more.

So with over 10 million of us planning to party, go to festivals, or have a barbecue during the Bank Holiday Weekend, now is the time to think green!

Worryingly, only a fifth of the waste produced by us over the long weekend will be recycled, and staggeringly half of the Britons surveyed admit they do not feel guilty about it.

Furthermore 10% of that non-recycled rubbish will consist of plastic bottles, with over a third of the nation admitting it hadn’t crossed their mind to try and reduce the number of plastic bottles they use,

The top five bad habits undertaken by us this Bank Holiday are likely to include:

1. Throwing away food

2. Leaving lights on/wasting energy

3. Not recycling food packaging

4. Throwing away plastic bottles

5. Buying/using too many plastic bottles

According to the SodaStream map of recycling habits, the most wasteful cities in the UK when it comes to bottle waste will be Newcastle and Sheffield, with Brighton and Bristol the least wasteful.

We can all do something to improve our green credentials. Try these easy top 5 recycling tips over the Bank Holiday Weekend:

1. Get organised before the weekend by having separate bags and containers ready to fill with different types of rubbish.

2. Re-use plastic bottles during the weekend instead of just chucking them out.

3. Wrap up leftover food as soon as you’re finished to make into meals and snacks the next day

4. Instead of buying lots of bottled drinks – make your own.

5. Make recycling fun for your kids by making it a competition to see who can collect the most recyclable items over the weekend.

SodaStream is the perfect alternative to other pre-packaged carbonated drinks. So please precycle and reduce waste before you recycle. It is the way forward for a greener planet!

The Next Stage of Genius Pads

Hannah B — Thu, 11 Aug 2011 11:00:00 +0000

Genius Pads are excited to announce the next stage of their Genius Pads, who help Worldview Impact Foundation with their tree replanting initiatives and poverty reduction programs. This year the company are planning to take their environmental initiatives one step further by making their Genius Pads from non-tree, waste pulp collected from crop farms and turned into unbleached paper and using this paper to then create sticky pads!

These new sticky notes will make any company be at the cutting edge of environmental initiatives and at the same time create a brilliant corporate gift, training resource, or workshop give away – the possibilities are endless! Any company can invest as little as £150 into the Treeless Genius Pad and become a founding partner creating a batch of non –tree paper and turning this into Treeless Genius Pads.

With each investment of £150 ten Treeless Genius Pads will be shipped to you once they have been created. When the investment reaches a hundred companies or £15,000 the Treeless Genius Pads will get manufactured. After investing £150 into the initiative you are given space for 3cm x3cm for your company logo on the back of the Genius Pads! So what are you waiting for? Become a Treeless club member today! Check out our previous post and learn more about the brilliance of Treeless Genius Pads here!

The Competition for the Best Recycling Collection Re-Act Fashion Show 2011 has Begun!

Hannah B — Thu, 11 Aug 2011 08:00:48 +0000

Calling all young and talented designers to the third edition of a unique fashion project that is aimed at young artists, full of creativity, who draw ideas from ecology and recycling. This year’s edition will be held on the 26^th of October in Lodz as an opening event of The Fashion Philosophy Fashion Week Poland. All Designers are able to apply until the 16^th of August.

Re-Act Fashion Show is a prestigious cultural fashion event that promotes pro-environmental values and broadens public awareness. Re-Act Fashion Show not only advance eco-friendly collections but also creates enormous opportunities for young designers to emerge in the fashion world. Re-Act is also a discussion forum which focuses on the essence of sustainable design and business in general. Previous two editions created great interest among artists across the world. This extraordinary collection show prepared with the use of recycled materials has already gained huge recognition inside the fashion industry.

Clothes made from plastic, glass, paper, rubber, aluminum or other recycled materials will compete to win the top prize of the Re-Act Fashion Show. Applications for the contest must be sent till 16th of August, 2011. The Registration Form is available at http://www.re-act.pl/en/. The rules of the competition are simple – sketches are to be sent of women’s wear collections, consisting of three creations. Of course, the materials used must come from recycling. Above all, creativity counts. Competing projects can be made in accordance with both major trends in ecological fashion: up cycling and trashing. Twenty finalists will be announced in September! So get designing!

Green-Sleep – UK’s First Ever Bed Recycling Scheme

Jo — Fri, 22 Jul 2011 08:42:39 +0000

Silentnight, the UK’s largest manufacturer of branded beds, has launched the first ever Bed Recycling scheme. Knowing what to do with an old bed has always been a problem. How on earth do you dispose of it? Whilst buying a new bed is something that we all look forward to, knowing that we can now dispose of our old bed in a green way, is a great idea! Now we can have a green-sleep!

Sustainability is at the heart of all Silentnight’s products and operations. Through their Collect and Recycle scheme, the main Silentnight production site has not sent a returns bed to landfill since August 2009, consequently saving 112 tonnes of waste from the ‘brown’ waste stream. Research carried out by the company revealed that currently in the UK the level of damaged, worn out or returned beds and mattresses sent to landfill is 2,100 per month.

This new scheme is set to change that and utilise mattress materials for the greener good.

Silentnight offers to remove a customer’s old bed when it delivers the new one through its Direct Home Delivery Service, then taking it away to be recycled – so you can sleep even easier.

Working with West Lancs Recycling, old beds picked up via the initiative are deconstructed and the materials are reused or recycled, providing a more sustainable solution to furniture disposal.

The Bed Recycling scheme launched earlier this year, initially in Argos stores, and is set to be rolled out with other retailers nationwide during 2011.

Eco-Friendly, Recycled, Riz Boardshorts

Jo — Tue, 19 Jul 2011 11:00:04 +0000

It’s a simple idea. Riz Boardshorts set up their company with the initiative of producing the most beautiful and environmental boardshorts in the world! The stylish boardshorts are eco-friendly and made from 100% recycled and recyclable polyester, as well as being digitally printed with earth friendly water based inks in the UK.

Riz is a boutique brand that caters for the style savvy man at the beach. Each design is produced in small, exclusive runs using original prints featuring patterns inspired by the likes of William Morris. Tailoring is very in vogue in fashion circles at the moment, and these shorts certainly fit the bill for the fashion conscious gentleman surfer. Each limited edition piece is hand numbered, making them every more special and unique.

The company has a Rizcycling scheme. Essentially they are asking owners of Riz boardshorts to wear them out until no longer needed. Send them back to Riz, who will send the materials back to the plant where they will be recycled into new poly materials. To reward you for taking part in the Rizcycling scheme they will give you 25% off your next pair of boardshorts. The lifecycle of shorts then begins again!

Riz says: “The act of giving back a piece of recycled clothing so it too can be recycled and, in return, receiving a helping hand towards a new piece of recycled clothing. For us Sustainability seems too general a term. We want to focus the entire product life into a perpetual 360 degree process. As far as we know we are the only swim brand in the world where all the products are recyclable and offer this service. Going forward we want to challenge the system even further improving the offer, effectiveness and incentives.”

To be involved or just find out more got to Riz Boardshorts here or contact rizcycle@rizboardshorts.com

Aquafresh Teaches Children to Keep their Teeth and Planet Clean

Brenda — Sun, 17 Jul 2011 09:41:48 +0000

Aquafresh Oral Care is running a recycling fundraiser which encourages schools across the United Kingdom to collect used toothbrushes and toothpaste tubes which would otherwise end up in landfills! Once the used toothbrushes and toothpaste tubes have been collated and sent away they will then be recycle or up cycled by Terra Cycle into unique everyday products such as pencil cases and pen holders.

You can send Terra Cycle all of your recyclable goodies via free postage by printing free postage labels which are available from the Terra Cycle website. For every product that you send for recycling or for up cycling you earn two points which can be redeemed for a two pence contribution or towards a range of charitable gifts for a school or charity of your choice.

This brilliant new innovative which is new to the United Kingdom aims to teach children about the importance of resource conservation, whilst also reinforcing good dental hygiene through educational materials on brushing for kids. The scheme also raises much needed money for multiple good causes of your choice! Show your support now and send your recyclable goodies – for more information on this brilliant regime click here!

Get your Early Bird Tickets for Half Price NOW!

Hannah B — Wed, 09 Feb 2011 16:00:01 +0000

It is important to remember that one person´s trash is another person´s treasure! The Swap-a-Rama clothes swap is an amazing opportunity to clear out your closet. All you need to do is search through your wardrobe and find something in there that you haven’t worn for at least a year. You have to bring it along to UK AWARE and you can swap it for something else. There are two sessions per day so there is every opportunity to find a stylish new piece. You will also have the peace of mind that you have saved more clothes going to landfill. So even if you´re new to the concept of clothes swapping which is also known as “swishing” it is very simple and you will fall right into the swing of things quite literally.

There is 9 weeks until the show and you can purchase your ticket for half price until Friday 4^th February! The full price of tickets is only seven pounds but make sure not to miss out on this deal! You can get a ticket for half price by simply entering the word “penguin “in the promotion box!

Here is the schedule for your Swap-a- Rama Day:

10.00 to 11.00 – Exchange your items for Vouchers

12.30 to 13.30 – SWISHING

14.00 to 15.00 – Exchange your items for Vouchers

16.30 to 17.30 – SWISHING

The Big Swish- The Aprés-Ski Party

Hannah B — Sat, 22 Jan 2011 08:00:06 +0000

When TGF discovered that The Aprés-Ski Party was taking place on the 27th January we felt that it was vital that all readers were informed of this great spectacle that will leave you with a fun and memorable experience. The Big Wardrobe and stylist Lupe Castro invites you all, to The Aprés-Ski Party which is being held at Jewel in Piccadilly Circus on the 27th January! This spectacular gives you ladies another exciting swishing party which enables you to bring along your pre-loved fabulous clothes and swap them for some uber cool gems!

If you have ever wanted to join the jet setting celebrity pack that hits the slopes in January but you are a little strapped for cash, then come and Zig Zag, Snow Plough and Schuss you way towards Jewel for January´s coolest swishing party! This party is definitely one to be put in your diary and cannot be missed!

The rules of The Big Swish are simple:

Raid your wardrobe!

Check your wardrobe for good condition clothes, shoes and accessories and bring them to Jewel between 18.30- 20.00 , The BIG Swish team will then check them in for you and issue you with a Swish passport. We will then size and display your clothing and accessories for you.

How many can you bring?

You can bring up to 15 pieces, which include clothes, shoes and accessories. And for this special Aprés Ski Swish party we will also be accepting Ski-wear too! If you just can’t help yourself and fall in love with more clothes than your clothing donation, then you can make a minimum donation of £2.50 per additional item (additional items can only be purchased at the end of the Swish to ensure all attendees have a fair chance of all items). Any clothing left at the end of the event will be donated to Cancer Research.

Clothes to Swish?

All clothes must be in good condition; any clothes with bobbles, stains or from Primark will not be accepted by our team of sorters. To give you all a great range of clothes to feast your eyes on, we will not be accepting plain T-Shirts / vests, T-shirts with prints or wacky words will be accepted with glee!

How much does this spectacle cost?

Entry: £5.00

Ticket on the door: £7.50

Golden VIP Ticket: £20.00 – This ticket comes with a goody bag, annual membership to www.bigwardrobe.com (valued at £12.00), and a five-minute head start at the Swish. Only 25 tickets are available so grab yours now while you can!

The Big Swish Party also includes:

- Bespoke mapping of ethical London created by Fox&Squirrel.

-Complementary face mapping and skin analysis from Dermalogica and entertainment from the boys from Soho Gyms.

To purchase tickets click here.