Sustainable(ish)

In this episode I'm chatting to Amy Robinson who is the business development manager at Triodos bank.For those of you who haven’t heard of them, Triodos are the UK’s most ethical bank and have a tagline that is “money as a force for good" which I totally love!The banking industry as a whole isn’t one that I think would be seen as ‘ethical’ – we all have images of rich nanker types making their fortunes and only really caring about the financial bottom line.At Triodos they do it diferently, and as well as making sure they are making sound financial investements they look very carefully a the impact of the projects and organistions they are funding on both people and planet too. Duing this podcast I talk about how I have long recognised the power of my money in terms of using it to cast a vote for the kind of world I want with my buying deciosns, but how I hadn’t really joined up the dots to wonder about what my money might be funding when it was locked away in the bank, and I think that that’s probably pretty common. Find out more about the power of your money in this episode and the things that you can do to ensure that it’s being used as a force for good – enjoy! […]

I don't know about you but when I think about a 'green family' or a family living 'sustainably', I would expect to see lots of muted colours, wooden toys, maybe one of those bikes with a trailer, and the odd dreadlock or two. I know, I like to buy into stereotypes...But do you know what? My family is so NOT like that. The kids wear the same jeans and hoodies as their mates (although most of my kids is second-hand!), we have ALL the plastic toys in our house (the people at Lego appear to have asked if they can use us a depot unbeknown to me...), and we are a two car family.So on many levels I feel like a failed eco-warrior.But that's the point. You don't need to be an eco-warrior hippy family to make a difference.This is stuff we can ALL do. And we can do it without needing to radically overhaul our lives and make them any busier or crazier than they already are. The secret is...the 'ish'.Listen in! […]

This is another 're-purposed' interview from last year that I recorded with Lisa Stanley, co-founder of Good with Money - a website about "helping you become good with money while doing good with money too".  I don't know about you, but it took me far longer than it should have done to realise that the money in my bank might be being used to fund all kinds of businesses and organisations that didn't align with my values. And that my money might not be working as hard as I am for a fairer, healthier world.Lisa and I dive into this, and Lisa shares some top tips for how to really harness the power of your money. […]

This is an interview I recorded with Rachelle, the founder of Zero Waste Week in 2017, just before the 10th annual Zero Waste Week. In it Rachelle shares how she got started on her own zero waste journey, as well as 'fessing up to the fact that her own bin is possibly not be as "zero waste" as we might expect! There's so much great stuff in here, that it seemed ridiculous to keep it gathering dust on my computer rather than being out there in the world inspiring people. So I'm re-publishing it here on the new site and the new podcast just in time for the 2018 Zero Waste Week campaign (3rd-7th September 2018).Enjoy! […]

In this solo episode I'm talking all things recycling. Or rather NOT recycling. We're digging into the 'waste hierarchy' (yes, I am aware this is the most dull sounding precise of a podcast ever - I promise it's not that bad! You might even giggle a bit...) to find out all the things we can do BEFORE we even think about recycling Useful linksBBC news article - Recycled packaging may end up in landfillFreecyleFreegleThe Repair Cafe website​The Essential Guide to a Plastic-Free(ish) Home My Sustainable Life FB community (do come and join us!) FEELING INSPIRED TOTAKE ACTION ON PLASTIC? Get the Esse​​​​ntial Guide to a Plastic-​Free (ish) Home.Easy swaps, ideas and tips you can do right now to help you get started on your plastic-free (ish) journey! In achievable bite sized steps. BUY NOW

As this episode goes live, we're right in the middle of Plastic Free July, a global movement to encourage people to reduce their consumption of single use plastics. Since Blue Planet II it feels like the world is finally waking up to the impact of plastic pollution on our planet, which is fabulous, but it can also feel really overwhelming.In this episode I'm chatting to Martin Dorey, founder of the #2minutebeachclean campaign. Martin is a writer, surfer and activist, who wanted to take action to help to clean up the beaches near him in Cornwall. In 2013 he took a picture of the litter he had collected and shared it on social media with the #2minutebeachclean hashtag, thinking that if just one person joined in, that would double his beach cleaning efforts.Since then over 79,000 posts have been shared on IG using the hashtag, and the latest estimate is that at least 130 tonnes of plastic has been picked!Martin has now taken the next logical step, and created the #2minutesolution - small, easy things we can ALL do to reduce the amount of plastic ending up in the oceans. […]

Plastic is big news right now as we are waking up to the environmental impact of plastic pollution and our addiction to single use plastics. In this episode we're looking at ‘The Big 4’ plastic polluters: water bottles; coffee cups; plastic bags; and straws, and the impact YOU can make by choosing to refuse single use and going with the re-usable versions of each! Useful linksPlastic Free JulyRefill appKeep CupsStojo collapsible coffee cupsRcup - Re-usable leak-proof coffee cup made from recycled disposable cupsOnya - lightweight re-usable mesh bags for loose fruit and vegBlog post: 5 of the best re-usable water bottlesBlog post: Sustainable alternatives to disposable coffee cupsPodcast: Episode 7 - Getting starting with Plastic Free Living with Anne Marie Bonneau, the Zero Waste ChefPodcast: Episode 8 - Shopping plastic free without a local zero waste storeThe Sustainable Living Hub ACTION YOU CAN TAKE AFTER LISTENINGSOURCE RE-USABLE VERSIONS OF THE BIG 4: Water bottles for all the family check-square-o Coffee cups for those that use them check-square-o Shopping bags: For the weekly shop; for those odd times when you just pop into the shops; and lightweight bags for loose fruit and veg Re-usable straws if you feel the need/have small peopleREMEMBER TO TAKE THEM WITH YOU! Think about ways you can make it a new habit to take these things with you Keep you shopping bags in the car Attach a small bag to your keyring check-square-o Keep your coffee cup in your bag or your carGET THE FAMILY ON BOARD..! Have a chat with the rest of the family about the changes you are making, and why they are important.  check-square-o Get the kids to pick their own water bottle - there is such a great range now! check-square-o Ask other family members how you can all help each other to remember your re-usables - harness the 'pester power' in a constructive way! How are you doing with The Big 4?Do comment below and let me know! FEELING INSPIRED TOLIVE MORE SUSTAINABLY?Join my Sustainable Living Hub and discover practical ways to reduce your impact on the planet. JOIN NOW GET MY WEEKLY NEWSLETTER SIGN UP

Renewable energy seems to really have the bit between it's teeth now, which is fabulous news. It has gone from contributing 9% of our electricity mix in 2009, to 25% in 2018 and in 2017 more renewable energy was added to the 'global grid' than energy from fossil fuels.In this episode I'm chatting to Tom Steward who is one of the energy boffins (and very lovely with it!) at Good Energy. It's a fascinating conversation about the renewable energy sector in general, and about Good Energy and their 'good approach' to energy, business and everything that they do. […]

In this episode of the Sustainable Life podcast I’m chatting to Kim Tew, the founder of Plastic Free Pantry which is the UK’s first plastic free online food shop. […]

In this episode I'm SO excited to be chatting to Anne Marie Bonneau, aka the Zero Waste Chef.Anne Marie shares the story of how she got started on her Zero Waste journey, and her top tips for cutting out single use plastic. Useful linksAnne Marie's blog - Zero Waste ChefAnne Marie on InstagramAnne Marie on FacebookAnne Marie on TwitterBeth Terry's blog - My Plastic Free LifeThe PlastikiHow to make your own cloth produce bags - Anne Marie's guest post for me!Homemade deodorant (that works!)PopcornRoasted chickpeas (this sound gooooood!)Meetup.com- to organise your own Zero Waste Meet Ups..!Rainbow Grocery in San FranciscoPlastic Free Pantry Homemade vanilla extractEarth Food Love- the Zero Waste shop in TotnesMy Sustainable Life FB community(do come and join us!)Some of Anne-Marie's Top Tips Check out your local farmers market for packaging free produce Make/take your own produce bags when you go shopping Make your own deodorant check Cook from scratch more - cook in bulk, freeze, plan ahead check Pick ONE thing to change at a time ACTION YOU CAN TAKE AFTER LISTENINGBABY STEPS Find your nearest farmers market, when it's on and then make a date to try it out Take your re-usable bags with you when you go shopping - including for loose fruit and veg Experiment with making your own popcorn as a snackBIGGER STEPS Find your nearest farmers market, when it's on and then make a date to try it out Take your re-usable bags with you when you go shopping - including for loose fruit and veg Experiment with making your own popcorn as a snackGREAT STRIDES Organise your own Zero Waste Meet Up locally