TEENAGER Thomas Bond is embarking on a unique challenge - to help save our oceans.
The 13-year-old, is swimming in the sea, every month, for a year… in fancy dress.
Thomas is raising money for the Ocean Conservation Trust charity which encourages everyone, from individuals to communities and industry to government, to make choices with the health of the ocean in mind.
The keen swimmer hatched the idea after growing concerned about pollution, plastic waste and the plight of sea creatures.
He said: “I decided I couldn’t just sit there and do nothing. I...
Recycle Devon is encouraging Devon residents to ‘Green Your Clean’ this summer by sharing greener ways to clean our homes to reduce the amount of waste produced by shop bought cleaning supplies
The Green Your Clean campaign launches on Monday 5 July and runs until Sunday 1 August. Devon residents who take part in this waste reduction challenge can win one of 10 greener clean kits containing a range of natural ingredients which can be made into cleaning products for around the home.
Tips for how to produce homemade cleaning products will be shared on Recycle Devon social...
There are many excellent initiatives that businesses undertake to save the environment and create a sustainable space. Ecology-friendly items that reduce our carbon footprint are soon becoming the norm. Most eco-friendly companies are going out of their way to improve their products and promote sustainable products.
One such company is Circular & Co.
Cornwall-based Circular & Co believe that practical change in the right direction can help reduce plastic waste in the world. Waste dumping, landfills, and pollution are constant threats to the environment. To combat...
How much plastic do we really use, and can we live without it?
These are among the questions addressed by a tool that calculates the scale and extent of household plastic use, developed by the University of Exeter Business School’s plastics research hub.
The Exeter Multidisciplinary Plastics Research Hub (ExeMPLaR) estimated how much ‘invisible plastic’ is in our homes, as well as the amount of plastic materials coming in as products and leaving homes as waste each year.
Using a combination of national statistics and surveys, industry reports, academic research...
Creating sustainable plastics is vital for the future of our environment, a new report says .
It calls for urgent research on the impacts that plastic has on the living world right across its lifecycle, from the carbon footprint of the factories that produce it, right through to the impacts it has when discarded into the natural world as waste.
Chemical advances mean it is now possible to produce better, safer plastics, using more eco-friendly production methods, designing plastics that can be fully recycled and even by developing plastics that “degrade on demand” after...
Christmas party season is well underway at The Volunteer Inn in Ottery St Mary, but this year diners aren’t getting their traditional Christmas crackers.
Instead, landlord and landlady Mike and Jacqui Down have come up with an environmentally friendly alternative; a paper Christmas bag containing a joke, a paper hat, plus some homemade chocolate ‘bark’, all prettily wrapped in tissue paper and personalised.
Mike said: “We feel that Christmas crackers are really wasteful - the majority of the toys are made from plastic and are thrown away almost immediately.
Organisers of the Exeter’s Great West Run have pledged that this year’s event will not use any plastic bottles, thanks to an exciting new partnership with South West Water and Packed Meal Prep.
The half marathon, which is in its 35th year and attracts approximately 4,000 entries, will take place on 13 October, and smaller ‘Activate’ events (2.5km and 5km) which take place the day before, usually give runners plastic bottles of water both during and after the event.
This year, South West Water will provide the organisers Runjoy with a number of large 1000 litre containers of...
Primary school pupils from a Devon village have won the prestigious Prince of Wales award 2019, for their work tackling plastic pollution in the village.
Two young people between aged 9 from Tedburn St Mary Primary will collect the award for their project - Tedburn Turns the Tide - in a special ceremony at the Devon County Show on Friday May 17 along with their teacher Katie Skinner
The Award, which the Devon County Agricultural Association has run for the past 34 years, is open to Devon-based community projects with entries encouraged from all areas of the community, from...
A new water refill station will save 10,000 plastic bottles a year from being used as well as reducing litter and helping to keep walkers and cyclists hydrated.
Water retailer Source for Business, part of the Exeter-based Pennon Group, has sponsored the refill station at Okehampton YHA to help combat plastic waste. The refill station was opened by Fran Rickwood, Eco-School Co-ordinator at Okehampton Primary School who has driven a number of sustainability initiatives in the town.
“We’re proud to have helped Okehampton YHA with this important project. Helping businesses to...
Environmental issues will undoubtedly continue to be the subject of ongoing debate but this year has seen a significant increase in many businesses actually taking action and reviewing current practices. A simple matter of which cup should the staff and/or customers use when drinking tea, coffee or any other beverage, seems to have raised the profile of this important matter.
The media frenzy surrounding the use of non-recyclable or plastic cups has created a positive reaction and realisation that the protection of our world is essential. Devon continues to be at the forefront of...
