March Update: The Green Newspaper

News

With flowers budding and animals being born, spring is a time of new beginnings. So, we wanted to embrace this and add a little something new ourselves – The Green Newspaper.

The Green Newspaper

Understandably, there’s a lot of negative press about the environment, and the damage we, as humans, are doing to it. And this press is necessary to increase awareness and make change happen. But, there’s also a lot of great stuff people are doing to combat these issues, and to give back to the planet we live in. The Green Newspaper is here to celebrate all of this great stuff. So, without further ado, here is some of our favourite eco-news from the last few weeks…

Iceland launches a plastic-free trial aisle in Liverpool supermarket

Supermarket chain Iceland has announced plans to introduce a plastic-free ‘greengrocer’ aisle in one of its larger stores – The Food Warehouse in Liverpool. The trial will see 35 items sold loose and 27 sold in plastic-free packaging. This alternative packaging will be made up of eco-friendly materials such as plant-based film, recyclable paper labels and compostable punnets. Loose produce will also be sold at a lower price than packaged to encourage people to choose non-packaged fruit and veg. The trial is all part of Iceland’s efforts to eliminate plastic from their shelves by 2023, and we can’t wait to hear the results!

WasteAid to fund recycling centre project in Kenya

British charity, WasteAid, has been awarded government funding to set up a recycling centre in Kwa Muhia, Kenya. Most of the town’s residents work on local flower farms, producing cut flowers for supermarkets here in the UK. At the moment, the town has no formal waste management system in place and is, therefore, a pretty polluted and unhealthy place to live. Nearby Lake Naivasha, an important wetland site, is also suffering from this waste problem and is now under threat. This project will help prevent disease spreading through uncollected waste, and improve the health of the village residents, create new, green jobs for locals, and protect Lake Naivasha from further pollution. It’s a wonderful step in the right direction to tackling waste globally.

Hubbub to double Community Fridge Network

In 2017, environmental charity, Hubbub, set up a free Community Fridge Network to reduce food waste and help people connect to their communities. Fridges are placed in community hubs across the country, as somewhere for residents and businesses to donate surplus food, and for anyone else in the community to take. There are now more than 50 Community Fridges operating in the UK, and Hubbub expect to see this double by 2020. The concept has also been introduced in Spain and Germany and is a brilliant way of bringing people together and sharing food that would otherwise be wasted.

Stella McCartney uses Paris Fashion Week to help save the rainforests

Earlier this month, English fashion designer, Stella McCartney, took her latest collection to Paris Fashion Week – but her focus wasn’t just on the clothes. Instead, she used the occasion to launch #ThereSheGrows, an Instagram campaign to save the Sumatran rainforest. With Oprah Winfrey providing star backing in the front row, McCartney showcased clothing donated by the past and dedicated to the future. Items included a fluid maxidress made out of vintage t-shirts, dresses made from sustainable viscose, sourced from certified forests, and a graphic wrap coat made of upcycled fabric. Fashion has always been about making statements, and we’re definitely on board with this one!

Scotland paves the way to greener roads

Scottish company, MacRebur, which uses plastic waste to surface roads, has opened its first factory in Lockerbie, Dumfries and Galloway. The new factory will granulate plastic waste which would have otherwise gone to landfill, and mix the granules with an activator, ready to be sent to asphalt producers. Once ready, the asphalt will then be used to surface roads and fill in potholes. The mix is designed to be strong and durable, so it can cope better with changes in the weather and reduce the chance of cracks and potholes. Even better, the road can be recycled at the end of its lifespan, creating a circular economy – and we love one of those here at Printwaste!

SHARE:

Previous Post
Why Waste-to-Energy is good for business and the environment
Next Post
5 easy ways to improve your office recycling rates