Green Gathering 2012

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Fancy an Eco-holiday this summer? Then why not attend the Green Gathering in Piercefield Park, Chepstow from the 2^nd-5^th August.

View Ticket Prices Here

 The Event:

“The Green Gathering 2012 will promote and platform sustainable lifestyles by combining education with entertainment, and follows the tradition of environmental and ethically conscious events established in the UK for over 30 years. The gatherings have developed into the main ‘green’ events in Britain if not the world, showcasing future technologies and alternative energy and inspiring people to adopt more sustainable lifestyles.”

“We will showcase the latest developments in green technology, with internet cafes, solar showers and extensive entertainment all powered by the wind and the sun. There will be a larger markets area, incorporating ethnic and holistic enterprises of the highest environmental standards with a number of different organic catering establishments.”

The Green Gathering aims to encourage people of all ages to re-think the way they live their day to day lives, to inspire them to become greener by recycling, reusing and reducing. It sounds like a fantastic couple of days out for all the family and should be an all round interesting and invigorating time! 

Have A Cracking Good Easter!

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 It’s finally spring, and at Green Achiever we are looking to the remaining year ahead. With yesterday’s budget announced, it can be argued that the outcome on the government’s incentives for environmental sustainability is pretty negative. The guardian’s Damian Carrington’s sums up the 2012 budget in his Environment Blog here: http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/damian-carrington-blog/2012/mar/21/environment-budget-2012-osborne-planning?newsfeed=true 

 So it’s nearing the end of March and with Easter just around the corner; I thought I’d share some of my tasty Easter treats and info with you all.

 When researching the most popular Easter Egg brands, both Nestle and Cadbury seem to be taking the environment into great consideration when designing their Easter Egg packaging.

 This is fantastic news for the environment, as approximately 80 million chocolate eggs are sold in the UK at Easter which generates around 4,370 tonnes of card and 160 tonnes of foil waste. Most of the plastic packaging used is still not recyclable yet, which means it will end up in landfills.

 So this Easter why not make a card out of recycled card and personalise it for that special someone, or even an amusing e-card.

NESTLE

Nestlé Go The ‘Eggstra’ Mile for Easter with 100% Recyclable Eggs

Today, Nestlé UK & Ireland is the first major confectioner to announce its entire Easter egg packaging is 100% recyclable by replacing rigid plastic with cardboard in its mug eggs.

With Easter eggs creating 3,000 tonnes of UK waste each year*, the manufacturer of SMARTIES®, KIT KAT® and AERO® Easter eggs, has become the first major confectioner to remove plastic packaging from all its eggs – the culmination of a six year process that has saved 726 tonnes of plastic waste going to landfill per year**.

http://www.nestle.co.uk/media/pressreleases/Pages/NestleGoTheEggstraMileforEaster.aspx 

CADBURY

Supporting our environment at easter

In 2008, we launched the award winning Eco Egg range; yummy Easter eggs wrapped simply in foil. The range includes Cadbury Treasure Eggs, with a 68% reduction in packaging and the Cadbury Egg Heads, with a 39% reduction.

We have also been reducing the amount of packaging used in our Medium, Large and Giant boxed Easter Eggs ranges.  For example, we now use 40% less packing for our Medium boxed eggs.Our Easter packaging reductions across the range to date have enabled us to remove over 2,290 Cadbury lorry loads from the road.

We also continue to work with the National Trust on Easter Egg Trails that support family time together. Since 2008, there have been 2.9 million attendees to the National Trust & Cadbury Egg Trails. For more information, visit www.eastereggtrails.com

http://www.cadbury.co.uk/cadburyandchocolate/OurCommitments/Environmental%20Commitments/Pages/EnvironmentalCommitments.aspx

For information on exciting gift ideas and more information on how to have a green Easter, visit HERE

 

Green Achiever has it's benefits -

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We hope you've all had a lovely weekend! This post is all about the Green Achiever Scheme and how it can help you and your business show off your green side. Let us know if you have an requests for future blog posts; what you want to see from us and what we can do for you...

A scheme for Green Business
If you are, or aspire to be, a Green Business with Green Credentials, why not show your customers, suppliers, shareholders and anyone that’s interested in your business, what you’re doing for the environment?

Totally FREE – Register Now

FREE Registration with the following benefits :-
1) Environmental Health Check of applicable legislation and suggested areas for action
2) Inclusion in public Business Directory
3) Fortnightly newsletters
4) Use of Green Achiever logo
5) Reduced rate access to E4e-manager

Go Self Assessed - £120 + VAT

All the benefits from Registration PLUS :-
1) Review of in-depth self-assessment to produce star-rating and develop bespoke Environmental Declaration of Commitment to include recognition of current good practice and identification of areas for action for next 12 months
2) Free access to E4e-manager on-line information bank
3) Higher level listing in public Business Directory

Go Silver –

Less than 20 employees £330.00 + vat & expenses
More than 20 employees £660.00 + vat & expenses

All benefits from Registration and Self-Assessment PLUS :-
1) Full on-site environmental audit conducted by Principal Consultant. Establishes the legislative compliance and a baseline carbon footprint.
2) Provide detailed guidance for a 12 month action plan to reduce environmental impacts.
3) Support for Local trade press articles

4) Use of Silver Green Achiever logo

Go Gold –

Less than 20 employees £330.00 + vat & expenses
More than 20 employees £660.00 + vat & expenses

All benefits from Registration, Self-Assessment and the Silver Award PLUS :-

1) Full on-site environmental audit conducted by Principal Consultant. Review of progress in committed silver award actions. Establishes continued legislative compliance
2) Re-calculates carbon footprint and looks for improvements
3) Considers targets and actions for the next 12 months, including off-setting at least 25% of carbon emissions
4) Use of Gold Green Achiever logo

Keep on top of recycling your bottle tops!

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Here at the Green Achiever office we're obviously very keen on recycling just about anything! So when our Office Manager Zoe came up with an innovative way to recycle bottle tops, I thought it was only right to share her idea.

Councils will not take bottle tops, and it is said that mixing plastic bottle tops with normal plastic recycling can contaminate the materials, deeming it unsuitable.

I've mentioned Lush Cosmetics and their Green Values before in previous posts, but as Zoe is an avid buyer of the brand, she had the idea of starting a plastic bottle top collection, which she will then take in to the store.

To read more on bottle top recycling or to see Zoe's idea in full go to : http://www.wasteconnect.co.uk/page.aspx?ID=a8915c13-cf16-4552-bf04-b06312571f86

You can also follow the Green Hub from Lush on Twitter : @GreenTeamatLush 

Using recycled waste: a coffee tin, a plastic bag and recycled paper for the labels, here is the end result.

Climate Week 2012

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Climate Week 12th - 18th March 2012

"Climate Week is a supercharged national campaign to inspire a new wave of action on climate change taking place on 12-18 March 2012." @Climate_Week

Climate Week is Britain's biggest climate change campaign and is only four weeks away! It hopes to inspire businesses, schools, community groups, councils and many other sectors to raise awareness of climate change issues by staging events and taking part in Climate Week challenges. There will be a secret challenge that will take place on Monday 12 March 9.00am until 2.00pm and an hour long challenge that can be done at anytime during Climate Week. Teams need to come up with innovative and creative solutions to an unseen challenge.

There are a number of other ways to get involved, from cooking a low carbon meal; hosting a Climate Change Pub Quiz; organising a Swap, Recycling or Up-cycling event; walk, cycle or use public transport or inspire others to take actions to be more environmentally friendly. For more information and other ideas as to how to tackle climate change see http://www.climateweek.com/

Happy St Davids Day 2012

Have a wonderful day celebrating the Patron Saint of Wales

From all the GA Team

A reminder of Green Achiever price increase

As from Thursday 1 March, Green Achiever prices will increase for 2012 as follows -

• Self-Assessment - £120 (excluding VAT)
• Silver and Gold Awards

~        for businesses of up to 20 employees - £330 (excluding VAT and expenses);

~        for businesses with 20 or more employees - £660 (excluding VAT and expenses).

In order to avoid paying the increased rate, we are happy for you to pay now for your 2012 progression or renewal, at the old price, irrespective of your renewal month. Your progression or renewal will take place at the usual time.

Visit http://www.greenachiever.co.uk for more information or to register on the scheme.

Wolverhampton University does Green Week!

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For many students like myself who are interested in reducing our carbon footprint it came as a nice surprise when I logged on to Wolverhampton University's website this morning to see they are holding a 'Green Week' next week - 6th-10th February 2012.

Unfortunately, my timetable will see me in University for only 4 hours over 2 days next week, with my free time working back in the office, so I will not be able to take part in many activities. However, I thought I would advertise the event as it looks to be very interesting for students and teachers alike, and will hopefully help drive a lot more traffic to the University.

Green Week is taking place in the Students Union at Wolverhampton Campus as well as some activities spreading to Walsall Campus on Monday evening and Tuesday daytime. 

Activites include a green tea party, quizzes, a mobile energy bike, Valentines day card making, talks, debates and stalls.

You can find an agenda for the week on the University website here : http://www.wolvesunion.org/yourunion/environment/greenweek/ 

Green Achiever have enquired with the Union to see if we can provide them with any leaflets throughout the event. We believe that with the help of the University, we can provide students and teachers with information on how to stay green whilst reducing their environmental impacts.

We hope you all had a lovely weekend and are staying wrapped up and warm in this icy weather!

GA Team

Be Mine? Be Green!

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Valentines day, whether your taken or single, is a day to celebrate love. So how about we celebrate whilst also doing our bit for the environment?

This year, Valentines falls on Tuesday 14th February 2012, and I am very excited as I am being whisked away to a country lodge with my partner which will enable me to explore South Wales, which I personally find dazzling. 


But enough about me, since we all now need to be making better choices concerning the impact we’re having on the environment, surely this special day shouldn’t be an exception. A celebration of love should certainly involve showing your love for the world surrounding us as well. 


Zoe, part of the Wasteconnect team in the office, has put together a great fact sheet about where to buy your green gifts and includes some great ideas for an eco-valentines! 
You can find this here : wasteconnect.co.uk

But my personal favourite green valentines gifts come courtesy for Nigels Eco Store here - http://www.nigelsecostore.com/acatalog/Eco_Valentines_Day_Gifts.html (The soap gift box looks gorgeous! - hint hint)


And Lush Cosmetics, who bring out a valentines range every year- https://www.lush.co.uk/category/377  (this year looks even better than the last, I want EVERYTHING)

OTHER IDEAS...

Why not save on fuel emissions and take your loved one for a stroll in the countryside, a romantic bike ride or a picnic in the park? (Old fashioned girl, me!)  


You could even make your company a GREEN ACHIEVER, its free, simple and we're always on the end of the phone Monday - Friday if you encounter any problems ... http://www.greenachiever.co.uk  plus we're linked with the Bike to work Scheme, find out more here: bike2workscheme.co.uk

So, whatever you decide to do this Valentines, make it a green one and have a lovely time! 


GA Team x

Shrewsbury based consultancies establish pilot project

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Press coverage from Shropshire Live, on Green Achiever's joint venture with HEART of ENGLAND fine foods (HEFF).

http://www.shropshirelive.com/2011/12/23/shrewsbury-based-consultancies-establish-pilot-project/ 

Georgina Shanly, project executive at HEFF and Deborah Cairns, Green Achiever operations manager.

Halloween full of black, orange and green

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Why not be GREEN this halloween by following our helpful tips and hints, produced by one of our colleagues Zoe for the Wasteconnect website.

Costumes

Make your own costume or buy one at a second-hand shop. Have a look in your local Oxfam or other charity shops for second hand costumes or materials to create your own. You could even find something second hand on Ebay or Freecycle.

Remember, the traditional old white sheet still makes a great ghost.
Trick or Treat
Instead of sweets and chocolates which usually come with lots of waste packaging, why not give out healthier, packaging free treats such as apples, oranges etc.
For a nice change, why not give out useful, usable things such as crafts, toys etc.
Instead of using paper or plastic disposable bags to collect treats, use or buy a recyclable bag.


Food

Serve local, healthy and seasonal foods at your events - the options are endless. Use organic apples and sugar for your toffee apples. Remember pumpkins are not just decorative items. Reduce food waste by making use of all pumpkin parts. After carving a pumpkin, make sure to save the seeds. Bake them and serve them to party guests or feed them to the birds. Pumpkin flesh is great for making pies, soups and even lasagne! Check out local farm shops and markets or try Free Range Review to find local food to you!
Use re-usable plates, cups, utensils, napkins and tablecloths. Paper party goods can be expensive and just add more clutter to our nation's landfills. Check out Ecotopia's range of eco tableware! Other
• Decorations – store for next year when not needed.

• Walk – don’t drive. Trick or Treat by foot. Use public transport for parties etc.

• Keep hold of sweet wrappers etc until home to put in bin.

Experience nature. - Visit a pumpkin farm, pick fresh apples, talk a long walk outside, look up at the sky and see the moon and stars, remember, it's Halloween.

Light the way with the eco friendly wind up Bat Torch, available now from Nigel’s Eco Store.

Happy Halloween!

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Hi all,

Hope you've all had a lovely summer break and a good weekend. Its Monday again, so why not start a fresh this week and make it the greenest week you've ever had. Register as a Green Achiever free for 3 months at http://www.greenachiever.co.uk/

Now that the Indian summer has drawn to a close, and the autumn weather is surrounding us all, many owners of solar panels will be sad to see the last of the sunny spell as their energy generation reduces. The Department of Energy and Climate Change have revealed that for the second quarter of this year, renewable energy contributed to an all time high of 9.6% of the UK's energy supplied to the grid, a 50% increase from the same time last year.

The Grass is GREENEST in Shropshire!

                                       JOIN THE CAMPAIGN HERE

In other news, we are pleased to find out that The Little Green Mag has blogged about Green Achiever on their website, with information from our most recent newsletter. See it here -Thanks!

This months' company profiles:- 

For a cleaner, greener home! Ecophy go Silver

Ecophy Cleaning Services Ltd joined the Green Achiever Scheme in April this year and has been awarded Silver Status.  Key to Ecophy is that their approach to environmental management isn't just about a written policy - it's about the overall ethics of the company.   Ecophy believe that cleaning should be a clean business and having ensured the basics are right Ecophy have a track record of innovation and looking to technological solutions that bring environmental benefits using nanotechnology, ultrasound, and uv light  all as alternatives to other more traditional (non-chemical) products.

Ecophy also consider the equipment they use to ensure they use as little water as possible, have replaceable parts so a whole machine doesn't become obsolete for the sake of one broken element, and plan the order of the use of their materials to achieve their maximum re-usability before they go for recycling.   Carbon accounting is at the core of Ecophy's pricing structure and regular customers benefit from a 1 tonne carbon off-set. 

Jamie Austin, Managing Director said "It is good be associated with the Green Achiever Scheme and the Silver process is extremely good; it made me think about lots of things on the day and also makes me think about the future of our business and how we become more aware of our surroundings.   Even though we have made many decisions on moving our business forward, this is by far the best one to date and I am sure it will change future decisions for us."

http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?llr=ed6ye8bab&et=1107970412298&s=1904&e=001Ph2Fq1RVFMMzyUI5VyvKesdmDWeCjCzN30zXCQtOHvCrS20JGriWv4OOha4WAbTL3F_CEJhRJROj8a3LNHCm6ZopglQRKv4zU_ekRf8n6zc=

Cognition has recently completed its 3rd Green Achiever Self-Assessment and has confirmed its excellent environmental performance as a 4-star company.  Cognition is a fully integrated marketing agency providing branding, PR and digital assistance to their clients from offices in the heart of Leamington Spa, Warwickshire.  As the company has expanded they have maintained their environmental practices, including the environmental approach as an integral aspect of their induction for new employees, moved to using laptop rather than desktop computers and have offset increasing amounts of carbon through the Sponsor a Tree Scheme. 

Anthony Purkiss commented: "Our environmental approach is important to the Cognition team and we are keen to continue our improvement programme.  We will be implementing our targets for this year and look forward to achieving the 5-star rating next year." http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?llr=ed6ye8bab&et=1107970412298&s=1904&e=001Ph2Fq1RVFMMDFVh7fsZutAG-gunELGmg6pYxv3SUL6yirUh829T3ItVc4lir36_EaAkzZyhYGyFrJ0FpCMBfH8OvyO66rbBBdt8qZ2boHZ8DMYZJiFYrqg==  

If u are/aspire to be a GREEN business with GREEN Credentials, why not show everyone what u are doing for the environment - http://www.greenachiever.co.uk/

If you have anything we could feature in our blog, let us know via the website, twitter, facebook on through this website - Thanks!

Follow Green Achiever on Twitter: http://twitter.com/greenachiever
Green Achiever on Facebook: www.facebook.com/greenachiever

Kids and Grown-ups Love it

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There is an art to exhibiting, particularly when all you have to show is a few brochures and a couple of banners framing your formica table top.  Fortunately we spent some time before hand thinking about how to attract people to the stand so that we could beguile them with our interesting and informative repartee. We dismissed the bikini clad girls early on (couldn't bare the competition) and plummed for the Tomy Big Loader toy.

What a stroke of genius. Having tested it at Sustainability Live with great results, we gave it a re-run at The Stafford County Show and Rea Vent, renewable energy exhibition in Minsterley, Shropshire.  We saw grown men reduced to tears as they reminisced about buying the same toy for their now grown up sons or daughters, others offered large sums of money to take it home as their next executive toy. Little did they realise they were being lured into our trap.

To view the up-coming events Green Achiever will be attending, go to : http://www.e4environment.co.uk/whats-hot