What can you do for World Environment Day?
- By Sonya Meagor
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- 05 Jun, 2017
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The website states: “In recent decades, scientific advances as well as growing environmental problems such as global warming are helping us to understand the countless ways in which natural systems support our own prosperity and well-being.”
UN Environment’s Erik Solheim encourages us to connect with nature and “make the planet great again”
So in today’s blog post we want to talk about ways you can be environmentally friendly in your home without breaking the bank.
Not that we wouldn’t love everyone to live green all the time in all the ways they can, but let’s face it, for some of us the thought of installing solar panels and upping the specification of your house’s energy efficiency can be a big task. Rather than covering this we will focus on changes that are quick and easy.
- Use rechargeable batteries!
- Make use of your brown and green bins and recycle all the items that your council collects
- In the office and at home – ensure you turn off any computer/laptop monitors at the end each day
- Get some exercise and walk or cycle your local trips to the bank/post office/shops and walk up stairs instead of using a lift or escalators (good for our bodies too)
- Use Green businesses when possible – this extends to buying non-toxic household cleaners like ecover or Method and use eco friendly beauty products.
- Take your packed lunch in an insulated bag rather than plastic containers or bags and keep a water bottle and re-use instead of buying bottles continuously (this is another great money saver)
- Get a smart meter installed and see how you can save electric and money too by not having unnecessary lights etc. on
- Buy seasonal British produce which is cheaper than unseasonal imported produce and better for you!
- When doing your weekly shop remember to use re-usable bags and not disposable ones
- Try growing your own veggies and/or herbs – a window box is great for growing your own herbs
- Avoid food waste by cooking batches of food and freezing some portions – this is a double dose of goodness as keeping your freezer full makes it more economic to run
- Use a roasting dish in the oven and not disposable ones and use a metal platter rather than disposables on your BBQ
Not only will these small changes help the planet but a lot of the above will also save you money. Win-win! At eco cuisine we use a fully electric van to deliver our clients event catering. In the kitchen we use Norwex cloths to clean and shine our worktops and use ecover products to clean/wash-up. We carefully monitor our water usage and ordering is done by each event so as to avoid food waste. We recycle all cardboard packaging and tins we use. We don’t over-cater to avoid food waste -that’s not to say we are mean with portions by any means but at the same time don’t give huge portions that are not needed and inevitably thrown away. Bills are paid online and invoices sent by email. Business cards and flyers are printed on recycled card. We use British producers to avoid food miles and seasonal produce for taste, cost, and food miles considerations.
We hope these quick and easy tips provide some food for thought. Until next time…
The Millfield theatre is home to eco cuisine and the events have been held here too for that reason.
OLIO (the food app) and NLWA (North London Waste Authority) CROPDROP (local Haringey boxed fruit/vegetable scheme) plus our very own Sonya Meagor (eco cuisine) are confirmed as our first speakers and we're For each event, we support a North London based charity related to the event theme - for this event we're delighted to collaborate with The Felix Project .
TICKETS
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/sustainable-food-packaging-tickets-61490383392?aff=website
With less than two weeks until Christmas and the holidays nearly upon us, the shops are stocked with delicious festive treats and people are already stocking up on Christmas food fit for a feast or two.
But, just because it is Christmas doesn’t mean we should not consider what is in season and keeping sustainability at the forefront of our minds.
So, what is in season over December and the winter seasons in Britain? Well, thankfully many of the Christmas time favourites are favourites for a reason – they’re traditionally easily grown and sourced in the U.K. over winter. Cabbage, sprouts, potatoes and onions, celeriac, celery and carrots as well as parsnip and swede are all in season this time of year. Not forgetting chestnuts, beef and venison and even guinea fowl too.
So roast dinners with all the trimmings can be environmentally friendly! Of course clementines, pomegranates and dates are seasonal favourites too and these are obviously not sourced locally.
Whatever you buy and eat over the festive season, remember to consciously consume – making informed and conscious decisions about what you buy and eat.
In the lead-up to the Christmas break we enjoy hearty, warming foods, keeping us warm in the cold weather and suitably fuelled over this busy season.
We enjoy Rumbledethumps – for those who haven’t heard of it, it is the Scottish equivalent of bubble and squeak as it is often made with leftovers, though it isn’t usually fried. It is a lovely filling dish served as a side or when served with a nice piece of fish or chicken breast can even be a substantial main meal.
Rumbledethumps
550g large potatoes,
350g swede
60g unsalted butter
250g kale, finely sliced
1 small onion diced
Sprigs of thyme
25g cheddar cheese, grated
Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4.
Peel and chop the potatoes and the swede and chop into large chunks. Next, boil in a saucepan tender. Drain and return to the pan.
Heat three quarters of the butter in a pan on medium low heat and cook the kale and the onions for a few minutes, until the kale is tender and onions lightly browned.
Add the kale and onions to the pan with the potatoes and swede then add the remaining butter and mash together. Season, to taste, with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Place the mashed medley into an ovenproof dish and top with the cheese. Cover with a lid and bake in the oven for about 20 minutes, then remove the lid and continue to cook for a further 15 minutes, or until piping hot and golden-brown on top. Serve with fresh thyme.
What winter dishes keep you going in the lead-up to the Christmas break? Let us know in the comments.
