Greener upon Thames

Where Do You Think It Goes?

2010-04-14T13:25:00.001+01:00

Plastic: Where do you think it goes?

Please watch our short film (it’ll only take 30 seconds)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YoL3v6pqJ9M

Greener upon Thames wants YOU to help reduce plastic bag use in the UK.

Why?
Plastic bags last up to 1,000 years
Each person uses on average 20,000 plastic bags in their lifetime
Plastic bags do NOT biodegrade
They kill wildlife and marine life
They act like a sponge absorbing toxins and passing them into the food chain
The “Pacific Plastic Stew” - waste accumulating in the Pacific Ocean - is now six times the size of the UK
It is EASY to live without them – take a reusable bag with you

Back us in getting the new Government to ban or introduce a national levy on single use plastic bags.

HOW CAN I HELP?

Please watch our 30 second film, sign our petition at http://www.greeneruponthames.org and forward this email on to your contacts.

THANKS SO MUCH – together we can do this!

Christmas Update

2009-12-20T21:14:00.002Z

Christmas nearly upon us and we want to thank you for your support through the year, whether your signature on our petition or in more substantial form in the fight against plastic bags. We feel a bit like those ducks, floating serenely on the water, but paddling like mad underneath!

Greener upon Thames ends the year on a high.

We joined in the festive cheer at Kew Sparkle and Barnes Christmas Shopping night, making a profit of over £400 for our campaign against single use plastic bags in the Borough. The Krispy Kreme donuts and hot chocolates flew from the stalls.

The Eco Dinosaur (made from wood and plastic bags) created by students of Holy Trinity Primary School in Sheen has had a starring role in the window display of the SOSS (Support our Small Shops) pop-up Gallery in Barnes. Andrea Craig of Support SOSS said, "We are absolutely delighted to have raised £500 so far on behalf of Greener Upon Thames. The pop-up shop has been very successful and we have had lots of interest from shoppers, residents and local artists interested in displaying their work. It has been brilliant to be part of and there will be more opening in the coming months".

PlasticBagFree Kingston and Ham United Group have joined the other urban villages on the river as members of GreeneruponThames, staging events and campaigning, some of which was fun, and some was cold and windy, but we were all warmed by people’s positive response!

Although as the Copenhagen Climate Summit comes to a close, and many other immediate and very important challenges face us, we carry on with what to some may seem like a minor campaign. It isn’t. When President Kennedy talked about aiming for the moon, he said, not because it is easy, but because it is hard. Well, what we are trying to do is easy. Just take your own reusable bag and say no to a plastic bag, and spread the message. This isn’t a moon shot, it’s much closer to home. It’s a small but essential part of looking after our Earth.

Greener upon Thames has exciting plans for the New Year. We will be shooting our film, launching our Greener Bag and badges and on 21st January holding an event at the Bingham Hotel in Richmond. Thank you again for your support (and if you can give us more, that would be good – look forward to hearing from you!).

With best wishes for an absolutely fabulous plastic bag free 2010!

Greener upon Thames

www.greeneruponthames.org

Re: Plastic bags again

2009-11-03T11:45:00.001Z

Another update from Carole...

International News

* Ireland has placed a levy on plastic bags. Oh, no, that was in 2002
* The Welsh environment minister proposed that a 15p levy be placed on plastic bags. But that was June 2009.
* 9 Jan 2008 ... The Chinese government announces a crackdown on plastic bags, in a bid to cut pollution and save resources. (BBC News)
* It looks as though Australia will be banning plastic bags state by state. South Australia has become the first to ban them, on 4 May 2009, but other states are pushing to join.

National News

Sorry, none. The UK government is still relying on voluntary action to reduce takeup of single use bags. Why?

Local news

GreeneruponThames supporters are still out there, working on the campaign to get the government to bring in a levy on single use bags.

We know it’s not the most important threat to life on this planet – what with climate change, overpopulation, war and disease. It is, in the great scheme of things, maybe quite small. But we can do it, and we should do it.

Here are a few words from Karen, who collected pledges from 90 shops in Sheen, to ask customers if they need a plastic bag, and to reuse plastic bags:

“The majority of the businesses I spoke to thought this was a good idea …, from the businesses I spoke to, this is a well supported and well considered thing to do.”

And also from the manager of Kingston Branch TKMaxx, which has a policy since last year to charge for plastic bags:

“You have to explain to some customers why we’re charging, but we have reduced usage by 70%”

A personal view

As you grow older, you recognise that you won’t be a hero. You won’t climb Everest, or be a famous ballerina or invent the cure for the common cold. You accept that the most you can do is live a decent life, try to bring up your children with a moral compass, give them more than you had and prepare them for a future you can’t envisage.

What I really hate is the fact that my most enduring legacy will be the plastic bags I brought home from the supermarket, the yogurt pots and the bread wrappers. That they will be there for centuries after I’m gone, polluting the seas, releasing their toxic chemicals into the food chain and causing harm where I had only hoped to do good.

We’re not giving up and neither should you.

GreeneruponThames continues to campaign. We welcome your support.

10:10 Campaign goes to parliament

2009-10-19T12:46:00.001+01:00

If you haven't heard of 10:10 yet you should get informed...anyone and everyone is invited to pledge to cut their carbon by 10% in 2010.

The Lib Dems have brought a motion for parliament to make the pledge.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2009/oct/18/1010-liberal-democrats-commons-motion

let's hope the gov signs up.

Can Greener-upon Thames make the 10:10 cut too?

Carole Reports from the Front Line

2009-10-15T20:26:00.001+01:00

Once upon a time, on a blustery autumn day, 4 intrepid warriors of the Greener tribe set out to save the environment . There was M, an experienced fighter, calm and undaunted in the face of adversity; W, enthusiastic, committed and brave; J, engaging, energetic and prepared, and finally C, driven by a mixture of outrage and zealous determination. But smiling with it.

Well, that’s what it felt like. You had to be there.

What really happened: We gave out leaflets and asked shoppers to sign our petition. We visited a parade of shops and asked them to sign a pledge to promote the use of reusable bags, keep plastic bags out of sight and ask customers if they needed a bag before providing one.

Here are some of their responses:

Pet Food Supplies
Absolutely! we don’t give out plastic bags, we use reusable and already ask customers to bring in their own (served customer and took an old Tesco bag from under the counter for her).

Fishmonger
sadly, surrounded by plastic, but nevertheless passionate that the environment should be looked after, he would do what he could, and it was a disgrace the way our fish stocks had been managed. “Our customers bring their own bags.”

Butcher
Certainly, did agree that plastic bags should be paid for. Among other things, would reduce the rubbish littering the parade

Upmarket Wine Merchant
Happy to sign. Did not give out any plastic bags, reused their boxes

Convenience Store
Signed to do his best, but felt under pressure to provide bags, as they were available free up the road from Asda.

Delicatessen
Our star. Wrapped his food products in waxed paper, was prepared to fill customers’ own containers, asked them to bring their own bags and had a little rant about the litter and this is not allowed in South Africa, where he is from. (also, by the way, not allowed in Australia, Ireland, China, Bangladesh ….. )

Oriental Foods
Manager not in, but deputy promised to hand form over for signature. In less than perfect English, he engaged in informed discussion, wished us well and said he fully supported our campaign. Smiling nods from other staff.

We visited 13 shops.
We took away 10 signed pledges, with one possible to follow.
Almost without exception, passersby accepted the leaflets and most were prepared to sign the petition.
We collected 79 signatures in support and we were only out an hour.

If I were a politician and I got this sort of feedback on an issue, I would think this was a mandate.

Radical Thinking in Government Report

2009-04-02T11:33:00.004+01:00

This report has been published by the Sustainable Development Commission. It makes interesting reading:

http://www.sd-commission.org.uk/publications/downloads/prosperity_without_growth_summary.pdf

Here is an extract:

"This may seem an inopportune moment to question growth. It is not. On the contrary, this crisis offers the potential to engage in serious reflection. It is a unique opportunity to address financial and ecological sustainability together. A world in which things simply go on as usual is already inconceivable. But what about a world in which nine billion people all aspire to the level of affluence achieved in the OECD nations?

"Such an economy would need to be 15 times the size of this one by 2050 and 40 times bigger by the end of the century. What does such an economy look like?

"What does it run on? Does it really offer a credible vision for a shared and lasting prosperity?

"Fixing the economy is only part of the problem. Addressing the social logic of consumerism is also vital. This task is far from simple - mainly because of the way in which material goods are so deeply implicated in the fabric of our lives.

"This growth model was always unstable ecologically. It has now proven itself unstable economically. The age of irresponsibility is not about casual oversight or individual greed. If there was irresponsibility it was systematic, sanctioned widely and with one clear aim in mind: the continuation and protection of economic growth.

"The failure of this strategy is disastrous in all sorts of ways. Not least for the impacts that it is having across the world, in particular in poorer communities. But the idea that growth can deliver us from the crisis is also deeply problematic. Responses which aim to restore the status quo, even if they succeed in the short term, simply return us to a condition of financial and ecological unsustainability."

Happy reading!

The Age of Stupid

2009-03-16T11:56:00.004Z

Last night I watched a climate 'activist' film called the Age of Stupid. It is basically a documentary set within a dramatisation showing the world in 2055 when things have gone very badly wrong and most life, and most humans, have disappeared. Pete Postlethwaite sits in an archive wondering why we were so stupid, and didnt act to save ourselves before it was too late, when it was so very obvious that there was a climate crisis emerging.

It was very moving and energising and the premiere was run on solar power in Leicester Square. It had about 1% of the emissions of a typical hollywood premiere apparently.

It ended with a couple of announcements, one being that the Maldives have announced they are going to be the world's first carbon-neutral country, and intend to achieve this within 10 years. Another was from Pete Postlethwaite who said to Ed Milliband, who was brave enough to turn up for a bashing, that if the government approve the building of a coal station in Kent this year, he will return his OBE - and he will also demand that Ed Milliband should be removed from his post as he is not fit to represent the people. They also wanted to draw attention to the Copenhagen summit this December at which emissions will be discussed and targets agreed, by the world's governments.

There is lots more to say about all this and it is very much a fierce campaign. The people who believe climate change is an emergnecy, naturally become very passionate about it. If you dont think it is an emergency you are less likely to be so active and passionate although you might think there is some kind of problem that you can address in a few small ways.

I felt the film was not just about climate change however. Quite a lot of it was about social injustice and the oil industry, it was centered around the idea that oil is a dirty thing. I felt this was a distortion.

For example, it is a fact that up to a fifth of the world's carbon emissions are coming from forests as they are cut and burned away. This was not mentioned once in the film , the whole focus was on oil - in the states, in nigeria, in iraq, in india; but oil is not the only factor and oil is not all bad. It would be good if they had mentioned the forests and included a sotry of someone in a forest/deforested area. Deforestation is a serious issue here becuase not only are you releasing carbon from the living trees of today (as opposed to the dead plants of the long distant past, as in oil) but you are also destroying one of the few natural carbon capture systems we have that can function on a really large scale. Its a climate double whammy.

We all are contributing to all these problems, and to deforestation we are adding through the consumption of palm oil, meat, and timber products. Palm oil is in almost everything you want to eat or use in cosmetics, shampoos, soaps etc, so its a nightmare trying to cut it out of your diet or lifestyle. I've tried to start doing it - its really really hard. Meat - especially the beef cattle - is nourished on a lot of soya and other vegetable products a lot of which are grown in cleared forest lands, largely in South America's Amazon forests, and unfortunately the land doesnt stay cultivable for more than a few years so there is a constant need to move on and clear more forest.

Timber and wood and paper markets also add to the damage - the construction industry uses a lot of the asian rainforests, in particular for China's growth. But also many of the nice garden furniture you buy at the garden centre has come from - often illegally - logged forests in Asia. This to me is scandalous but it goes on. Even worse was when I learned that some loo paper is made from tropical forest wood. This is really dreadful to destroy such wealth of species and diversity so we can wipe our arses once. I would like to see laws that loo roll has to be made of recycled paper.

Anyway putting all that aside I would like to propose that we could investigate having a screening of the Age of Stupid in Kew when it becomes publicly available on May 1st. In the meantime you can go to see it at a cinema.

Find out more
Film: The Age of Stupid
Climate Change Campaigners
Deforestation and Climate Change

Thanks for reading, do post your comments.

Titbit for interested folks

2009-03-13T18:24:00.000Z

London Sustainability Exchange invites you to join the Energise London Learning Network and benefit from a free suite of services to support your work in Energising Londoners towards energy efficiency, use of renewable energy sources, and water conservation.

You will get all these free services by signing up! Join now by contacting Rachel Grewal (r.grewal@lsx.org.uk).

I have enclosed a briefing sheet of the project

Rachel Grewal

Behaviour Change Programme Assistant
London Sustainability Exchange
84 Long Lane
London SE1 4AU
Tel: 020 7234 9405

Fax: 020 7234 9419
e: r.grewal@lsx.org.uk
Web: http://www.lsx.org.uk

Government Policy on Plastic Bags

2009-03-13T13:20:00.003Z

A while ago I signed a petition on the Number 10 website, about plastic bags, and the Government has now responsed to the petition:

"The Government is committed to reducing significantly the wasteful distribution of single-use carrier bags, and has already taken decisive action.

The Government now has powers, introduced through the Climate Change Act, to require retailers to charge for the carrier bags they distribute, but our preference has always been for a voluntary approach to reducing bag use. This was behind the Government’s decision to sign up to an agreement in December 2008 with Britain’s leading supermarkets represented by the British Retail Consortium (BRC). This committed to a 50 per cent cut in the number of carrier bags given out by spring 2009, working towards an eventual reduction of 70% in numbers of bags distributed. This is a positive development and is exactly the reduction in bag distribution we have been seeking, and is a similar reduction to what we estimate could be achieved through legislation. The enabling powers in the Climate Change Act have motivated retailers who have responded well to these challenging targets. The Government is confident that, with the continued help of their customers, retailers will deliver significant reductions in the numbers of bags they give out.

Progress on the agreement will be monitored by the Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP). We will review to see if the 50 per cent target has been achieved this spring, and again in 2010, to assess further progress. Whilst regulation remains as a fallback, to be used if the voluntary action was not sufficient, we feel that it would be inappropriate to regulate just now when retailers are offering to do so much on a voluntary basis."

I will be interested to know if the 50% drop has come as expected, and your views on whether this is the right approach.

I do feel that even if we campaign very hard locally, eventually government and other social forces will be the effector of real change. This doesnt mean I dont think its worth doing - it helps smooth the way for the bigger players and it also means we can in the future take the lead on other green issues locally.

Does anyone know whether Richmond is signed up to the Sustainable Communities Act? I think it is but its nowhere to be found on their website.

Greener Kew is Going Global!

2009-03-02T07:31:00.003Z

well not quite, but it is spreading:

www.greeneruponthames.org

Traders across the borough of Richmond upon Thames are getting together with Greener upon Thames to help end the free plastic bag culture that has caused so much damage, particularly to the world's ocean life.

We want to pursue a healthier world by taking responsibility for our needless waste. Convenience is easy, but our environment is in trouble. It's not that hard - just bring your own bags, just like your parents used to do.

All I want for Christmas is Kew!

2008-12-10T14:19:00.006Z

Remove the drudgery of Christmas Shopping by going local!

From turkeys to trees, from balloons to books, from cakes to cards, from music to mince pies - everything on your doorstep!

Shop in Kew this Christmas:
- for a wide range of choice
- to talk to people who are passionate and knowledgeable
- to protect local character and prosperity
- to reduce congestion and pollution
- and to support the Greener Kew campaign!

ART & ANTIQUES
- Andrew Davis and Kew Frame on Mortlake Terrace
- Kew Gallery on Sandycombe Road

BOOKS
- Lloyd's of Kew Booksellers on Mortlake Terrace
- Kew Bookshop on Station Approach

CARDS & GIFTS
- Mind Your Step on Kew Plaza
- Ceramics Cafe on Mortlake Terrace
- La Boheme and Kitten to Cat on Sandycombe Road
- Mia Wood on Station Parade
- Sonya on Station Approach

FLOWERS & PLANTS
- Kew Gardener on Station Parade
- P&M Flowers on Station Approach
- Zita Elze on Sandycombe Road

FURNISHINGS
- Fabrique on Kew Green

MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS & SHEET MUSIC
- ABC Music on Station Approach
- Chandler Guitars on Sandycombe Road

SUNGLASSES & ACCESSORIES
- Eye Kew Opticians on Station Approach

TREES
- Kew Gardener on Station Parade

TURKEYS & CHRISTMAS FARE
- Maids of Honour on Kew Road
- Oliver's Wholefoods on Station Approach
- Pether Butcchers on Station Parade

WELLBEING
- Earthlife in the Kew Bridge Arches
- Heavenly Green on Kew Green
- Oliver's Therapy Rooms on Station Approach

... and remeber to bring your shopping bag!

Knitting for Tree Huggers

2008-11-26T10:39:00.003Z

Although its not to do with plastic bags, I liked this and you might too.

The Woodland Trust are promoting a lovely scarf you can knit yourself, that doubles up as a way to measure ancient trees and help them build a record of where they are. The idea is that you use the scarf to measure the tree's girth and send them info if its big enough to count as 'Ancient'.
Perhaps we could do this in Kew - anyone know of some big old trees to measure? Oaks, beech, that sort of thing.

I suspect due to Christmas overeating I will also classify as an Ancient Tree. Hopefully all that knitting will help to burn up some energy. Plastic bags can be used as yarn , so we could actually use up old bags with this.

Get the scarf pattern here:

http://www.ancient-tree-hunt.org.uk/news/newsarchive/athwinterknitters.htm

Greener Kew in the The Green

2008-11-07T10:01:00.001Z

This months The Green magazine features Greener Kew in a double page spread and cover story.

Very nice.

Tesco Are At It Again

2008-08-13T22:01:00.002+01:00

Tesco are claiming they will only hand out plastic bags to people who ask for one, but I was in there the other night and the guy had one ready before I was at the till.

I dont think they are really serious about it, just looking for publicity.

Let's make Kew even greener!

2008-08-11T16:29:00.003+01:00

Most independent traders in Kew have said goodbye to plastic bags - but there is more we can do!

I think that ZWIN, the Zero Waste Initiative for Local Business, could help:

"ZWIN aims to help organisations in the borough of Richmond to develop sound environmental policies in order to reduce energy and water consumption, reduce waste production, encourage recycling and the efficient use of resources. This is achieved through free environmental assessments, which are carried out on-site by trained volunteers. Where ZWIN's recommendations are put into practice, organisationss can benefit from reduced operating costs and improved environmental performance."

ZWIN

Sheen Lane Centre

74 Sheen Lane

London SW14 8LP

020 8831 6142

Plastic bags info video

2008-07-31T12:46:00.001+01:00

Debate on plastic bags

2008-07-23T16:10:00.001+01:00

The pros and cons of banning the bag are discussed noce a clearly on this BBC article

http://www.bbc.co.uk/bloom/actions/bringyourownbag.shtml

Ideas for plastic bag recycling

2008-07-05T11:06:00.006+01:00

Plastic is an amazing material - that is why it is so incredibly popular across the world.
It's cheap, waterproof, light and incredibly hard-wearing - which is precisely why its so problematic when it gets into wild places.

So why throw it away? OK they are a bit ugly especially when they have been in a cupboard for a few weeks all crumpled up. But with a bit of ingenuity you can make them into our own custom bag-for-life. Or all sorts of other useful things. And although you might think you don't have time for some of these tricks, in fact its very easy to knit or sew in front of the television on on a train.

Here's some great ideas:

Have fun - and send us pictures of your plastic bag projects!!

BBC News Clip

2008-07-02T08:33:00.001+01:00

There is a clip viewable on the BBC website:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/7484488.stm

Party Started

2008-07-01T20:51:00.003+01:00

Last night we had a super launch party in Kew Village.

Baroness Tonge was late due to delays on the tube, but she spoke as did Susan Kramer MP, the Mayor of Richmond, and Zac Goldsmith as well.

There was a great turn out and fab weather, drinks from Olivers, coffee from Starbucks and snacks from Ma Cuisine,

We raised at least £500 towards the £1500 we need to cover costs of things like printing the bags and stickers, information and so on.

Greener Kew bags were much in evidence and Kew Gardens put some of tehir new paper bags on display.

Mike Glazebrook made a good point - that we need to stop using disposable bags at all. Even using paper and cornstarch, while they are better in that they can rot away quickly, still has a high environmental impact. Zac made the point that average disposable bag has a use lifetime of around 20 minutes, which represents simply a crazy waste of resources.

A good number of people in kew now will be aware of the campagin and we wonder how well it lasts. In six months time, will we back to old habits or is this the start of a lasting change?

And what other things can we do to make Kew Greener?? Tell us on the comments!

Greener Kew on BBC 1 London News

2008-07-01T20:25:00.003+01:00

Greener Kew's launch party was covered by the BBC news and will be showing after the ten o clock news tonight.

I am very excited cos this is my first logo to appear on television! :-)

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/7482519.stm

More local press coverage

2008-06-30T18:23:00.001+01:00

http://www.yourlocalguardian.co.uk/news/richmondnews/display.var.2346611.0.kew_to_go_plastic_bag_free.php

The BBC will be covering this evening's party and interviewing traders tomorrow morning as well.

National Archives Pledge Support

2008-06-30T17:29:00.000+01:00

The National Archives is committed to supporting the Greener Kew Campaign and will no longer offer customers plastic bags in its shop, opting for recycled paper bags instead. Customers requesting a more substantial bag will be given a plastic bag only while the small quantity of existing stock lasts. In the future we plan to offer a Fairtrade cotton bag for sale. We are also exploring more environmentally-friendly alternatives to the clear plastic bags currently used in our reading rooms.

There's Going to be a Party and Everyone's Invited

2008-06-26T10:34:00.003+01:00

Greener Kew is having a launch party on Monday June 30th from 7pm, to launch a plastic-bag- free village.

And everyone's invited!

Various bags and information will be available and Zac Goldsmith, Susan Kramer MP and Baroness Jenny Tonge will be there to give speeches.

The lovely banner is made by the kids of Kew College.

Another Kew Trader joins in

2008-06-23T14:46:00.004+01:00

La Boheme is a romantic and cosy boutique specialising in vintage home accessories. The distinctive Belgian charm with abundance of colours and rare items is what sets us apart.

Shopping in La Boheme feels like a treasure hunt, with crystal candleholders, cherub figurines, vintage clocks and everything else just scattered all over the place, because a home is like that - things are all around the house, with one photo frame displayed on the mantelpiece and the other next to the bed just for you to glance before going to sleep...

We do not believe in overpricing but we do believe in high quality and excellent customer service. So, visit us and experience your own treasure hunt.

Blog Coverage

2008-06-19T15:50:00.004+01:00

We're also on the Going Underground Blog!

Cheers, Annie.

Plastic bags media coverage - Standard v Richmond & Twick

2008-06-19T09:15:00.002+01:00

Article in the Richmond & Twickenham Times - not so soft on Tesco this time!

http://www.richmondandtwickenhamtimes.co.uk/search/display.var.2346611.0.kew_to_go_plastic_bag_free.php

Latest headlines

2008-06-18T11:55:00.001+01:00

Kew has got the attention of London's press, and so has Tesco...

Read the story in Evening Standard

Greenfest West London 15th June

2008-06-14T14:16:00.006+01:00

There is a Greenfest taking place in Furnivall Gardens by the river in Hammersmith from 1pm - 5pm this Sunday.

Both a lovely way to spend an afternoon beside the river, and a chance to find out about and become involved in some environmental stuff and the community.

Around 50 environmental groups will be present. Your chance to find out about campaign groups and become involved in organic and wildlife gardening, composting, eco-living, recycling and saving energy, solar heating, cycling and other greener ways of getting around.

Sounds like good fun for all the family!

Ban the Bag Bill in London

2008-06-13T09:11:00.002+01:00

The London Local Authorities (Shopping Bags) Bill, which is currently making its way through Parliament, will bring about a ban on single-use throwaway shopping bags in London.

Londoners throw away more than 1 billion shopping bags a year, often after using them just once. Many of these can take up to 400 years to breakdown and can harm both wildlife and the environment.

If passed, the Bill will bring about a ban on single-use throwaway shopping bags in the capital.

The interesting thing about this campaign is that it targets not plastic bags but single-use bags. In other words, its the throwaway concept that is under attack, and in my view, rightly so. There are many fancy paper bags that are designed for single-use and that also has a very negative impact through energy and resource waste.

You can contact your MP to ask them to support the bill.

http://www.londoncouncils.gov.uk/banthebag

The Original Maids of Honour

2008-06-12T13:56:00.004+01:00

The famous Maids of Honour tea rooms on the Kew Road have pledged their support to the campaign. We also discovered they've recently started using free range chicken only in the pies, in response to the Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall and Jamie Oliver 'Chicken Out' campaign. They are also reviewing other areas of the business to see how they can improve their ecological profile.

And most importantly of all, they do delicious cakes.

Visit their website to find out more about the Original Maids of Honour.

Earthlife Pledges Support

2008-06-10T10:55:00.001+01:00

Earthlife is a unique and tranquil facility in the arches of Kew Bridge, where emphasis is placed on Fitness, Health and Wellbeing. Our aim is to provide a personal and holistic approach to fitness and wellbeing in a place of calm and relaxation.

We offer a wide range of Complementary Therapies, Beauty Treatments and Workshops, as well as Fitness Classes for adults, teens and children, with no membership or joining fees.

On our website, www.earth-life.co.uk, you can read more about what we offer and if you are not sure which treatment or class would be best for you, please do not hesitate to contact us and we will do our best to help you find the right one for you.

Earthlife Wellbeing & Fitness
Arch 2, Kew Bridge Arches
Richmond, TW9 3AW

Tel: 020 8940 0888
Email: info@earth-life.co.uk
Web: www.earth-life.co.uk

Oliver's Therapy Rooms pledge their support

2008-05-23T12:59:00.004+01:00

Oliver’s Therapy Rooms provide an opportunity to reawaken your vitality and help to calm and soothe your mind and body. The same ethos which has made Oliver’s Wholefood Store a vital part of the Kew Community extends to the Therapy Rooms.

If you want to be pampered and de-stressed we have a wide range of massages, facials, waxing and beauty treatments to choose from.

We also offer an excellent range of complementary therapies such as homeopathy, acupuncture, kinesiology, refelexology, counseling, craniosacral therapy and rolfing.

Our staff are happy to advise you on which treatment might be best suited to your situation or problem.

Call us on 020 8948 2200 or email therapyrooms@oliverswholefoods.co.uk. You can check out our website at www.oliverstherapyrooms.co.uk.

Dry cleaning alternatives to plastic wraps

2008-05-16T16:18:00.002+01:00

The Modbury site links to a Google group that discusses going plastic-free.

I found a topic there about replacing plastic covers in the dry cleaning business which is so heavily reliant on plastic.

Click here to read about it.

Kew Frame - Fine Framing with Flair

2008-05-16T13:53:00.006+01:00

Florence Nielsen of Kew Frame is also supporting a Greener Kew!

Having practised fine art framing in both Brussels and London, Florence creates some of the best frames in London at local prices. Visit her at her fascinating workshop close to Kew Green for:

A large range of hight quality moulding: platinum, gilded, silvered, painted, stained, distressed, wood and more
A very wide range of mounts which can be used to create specific styles: traditional, rustic, contemporary, box style
Glass: standard, museum, non reflective, mirror, perplex
Restoration services for oils, prints, watercolours and frames
Friendly, professional service and advice
A selection of paintings, prints and cards for sale

Kew Frame

8 Mortlake Terrace

Kew Green

TW9 3DT

020 8296 8999

07708923738

kewframe@yahoo.co.uk

Opening Hours:

Tue - Fri 9.30 - 17.30

Sat 9.00 - 17.00

Kew Bookshop Pledges to Ban the Bag

2008-05-13T11:50:00.005+01:00

We are delighted to add that Kew Bookshop have pledged their support for a Greener Kew, promising to end plastic bags from July 1st.

If you are a trader in Kew and are interested in participating, email us for information or ask for an information pack at Robbins' hardware store by Kew Gardens Station.

About Kew Bookshop
Kew Bookshop has been serving the local community for nearly two decades. We are a small, friendly family-run bookshop with a strong emphasis on children’s books, book-related gifts and greetings cards. We have a large range of adult titles including fiction, travel, cookery and history. One of the highlights of the shop is the recommended reading section which is full of books read and enjoyed by staff members – this means we have a more diverse and interesting range than many other shops. If you want some personalised advice on what to buy just ask – we are always happy to help.

Kew Bookshop
1-2 Station Approach
Kew
Surrey TW9 3QB
Tel: 020 8940 0030
Email : kew.bookshop@virgin.net

Painting by Victoria Messel

Mia Wood joins greener Kew

2008-05-10T13:39:00.000+01:00

Mia Wood is delighted to be a part of a Greener Kew. If you are looking for something special Mia sells a unique range of jewellery, handbags, accessories and homewards at her flagship store in the heart of Kew Gardens Village. Alternatively you can visit our website for a range of products, or the new store on Ham Parade, Petersham.

www.miawood.co.uk

completely rubbish free??

2008-05-06T14:51:00.002+01:00

A couple in New Zealand are going to try living a year without producing ANY rubbish for landfill.

Anyone wanting to go further than the plastic bag ban - start here!

http://www.rubbishfreeyear.co.nz

The Sustainable Communities Act

2008-04-30T09:32:00.003+01:00

An interesting Act that could affect Greener Kew:

http://www.opsi.gov.uk/acts/acts2007/ukpga_20070023_en_1

Here is some background to it,
http://www.unlockdemocracy.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2007/01/broadsheet.pdf

Logo agreed

2008-04-20T12:00:00.003+01:00

The meeting on Saturday was useful and a logo design was agreed upon for the campaign, which will go on the cotton bags that are intended for retailers to seel. They are also potentially going to be distributed to residents, depending on the council's decision on funding which is due in the next few days.

The logo could also be used to make window stickers, reminder notes for people to put on the fridge or front door, and whatever else we come up with.

The design is by local Sarah Dixon of Spider Creative.

Recyclable, Recycled, Degradable, Biodegradable, Compostable

2008-04-18T16:13:00.004+01:00

As the green idea is gathering momentum, plenty of companies try to look "green" without really changing a thing. Where plastic carrier bags are concerned, you can find all sorts of claims on them to lure you into thinking that your supermarket is doing something - it's most likely to be very little if anything at all.

Some bags read RECYCLABLE. Hah! Nearly everything is recyclable, but it needs to be collected, it needs to be clean, it needs to be sorted and so on. Plastic bags are, of course, theoretically recyclable but unfortunately 99% of them are not being recycled. So much for that.

Then, some bags contain RECYCLED plastic, varying from "contains a proportion of recycled material", to 20% or 33%, perhaps more. That is a step in the right direction, but the problems of plastic bags littering our environment and clogging our landfill sites remain.

Some plastic bags (the co-op uses them now, except, of course the co-op in plastic-bag-free Modbury), are DEGRADABLE. These are still petroleum based, see below, but will degrade in about three years or so. That's certainly better than floating about for 500 years! Again, a step, but not enough.

I think that if we have to use disposable bags at all, they ought to be BIODEGRADABLE / COMPOSTABLE. This means that they decompose into natural matter in a matter of months, some might need longer on a domestic compost heap. Corn starch bags fit the bill as well as unbleached paper bags.

There is lots more bag info to be found on the Modbury website.

Campaign featured on BBC London!

2008-04-17T22:42:00.004+01:00

Our campaign has featured on BBC London radio!

We were interviewed during the Breakfast Show on Thursday 17th April. The show is now offline. Keep watching this blpg to stay up to date with press coverage.

Meeting for Kew Traders Saturday 19th 9am

2008-04-17T16:37:00.003+01:00

There will be a meeting in Kew for traders, to find out how they can stop using plastic bags.

The meeting is to be held on Saturday 19th at 9am. If you can't make it, please let us know by sending a comment on this post. We can then get in touch with you and keep you informed.

Lots of traders are concnerned that they need plastic bags for their customers. The idea of the meeting is to suggest the alternatives and give information eg pricing, availability etc.

The main alternatives proposed are to use cornstarch instead of plastic, and paper bags.

Another BBC link on plastic bags: Newsnight

2008-04-17T16:00:00.002+01:00

Newsnight last night had a piece by the head of Sainsbury's about reducing use of plastic bags.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/newsnight/default.stm

When the chap came onto the show, he was quizzed by Paxo about food waste but didn't want to accept any responsibility for that one.

Maybe that's something for Kew to get its teeth into in the next round!

Adding to the Debate...or Complicating matters?

2008-04-14T10:36:00.003+01:00

I found this on a news item:

"As though the paper-or-plastic question weren't vexing enough, now some retailers are finding that the "biodegradable" plastic bags they'd hoped would please green shoppers might not be so Earth-friendly after all.

"Lunds and Byerly's recently replaced its plastic bags with a biodegradable bag made of low-density polyethylene that purportedly breaks down when exposed to sunlight, oxygen, soil, moisture and microbes.

"But biodegradable bags are still petroleum-based, and while they do break down into smaller particles, chemicals eventually show up in the food chain and our bodies, according to Susan Hubbard, CEO of Eureka Recycling in Minneapolis. And it's unclear whether biodegradable bags can be recycled."

Read the full story

I think they are talking about 'degradable' bags but this isn't the cornstarch ones.

It seems to me that the most eco-friendly option of all would be to get a basket your grandmother made from old clothes or a willow tree and use it every time you go shopping.

Disposable stuff, even if it is compostable, is much more energy-demanding and rubbish-generating than things that can be used over and over again for years.

Of course most people would probably say that some things have to be disposable, but is that really true? Its all about how much work we are prepared to put in to compensate for the disposability of stuff. Its a real tedious thing to have to wash out and carry reusable pots to carry fresh fish home. Where does the line lie? Will it move as resources become scarcer?

Greener Kew on Google maps

2008-04-09T13:53:00.002+01:00

You can view a Google map of all the shops and outlets participating in this campaign, on the marvellous Google, here.

The map will be continually updated by participants so you can get the latest on which shops have joined in and stopped giving plastic bags to customers.

Local press - Rich & Twick Times

2008-04-04T17:17:00.004+01:00

The local paper has featured the campaign already: Read the article online here

and let us know your comments!

A greener kew starts without plastic bags

2008-04-03T19:31:00.001+01:00

Kew traders have got together with the Kew Society to start the process of banning the plastic from all Kew shops and stores.

The launch date - when Kew goes plastic-bag-free - is July 1st.

Even the Kew Tesco is involved.

So make sure you yourself a sturdy cotton, jute or even and old plastic bag - just don't expect to be given one if you go shopping in Kew after July 1st.