‘What drew you here?’ I asked a couple of nutrition coaches from Portsmouth as we sat in the sauna at one of Channel Four’s most famous Grand Designs. ‘Ooh, we had to see the house,’ they giggled. ‘We love a nose,’ agreed a mother and daughter couple, who go for a retreat day together a couple of times a year.

The lure of the grand design is an interesting idea. The borrowed fairy tale can be so other-worldly that it becomes a kind of liminal space for the yoga, breath work and natural swimming pond dip/sauna/hot tub prescription to work its magic.

But for anyone who saw the episode in which interior designer and architect couple, Nina and Dan, built their dream out of a Shrek-like swamp, the site of our day retreat was a story of transformation that we could all learn from.

Set in Bosham, one of the south coast’s most photogenic locations, The Watershed is a triumph of manifestation over the reality of glaziers failing to get your windows made in time. It’s a vision of how to make your dreams come true. In spite of Brexit, Covid, and Dan’s lovely dad dying before the magic could happen. As parallel narratives to accompany your yoga day go, it’s a good one.

How the dream began

As she showed us around the extraordinary space, regaling us with tales of the TV show experience and the hellish build, Nina told us how the biophilic design is about bringing the outside in. The vast windows look out onto the water and the garden, while the natural materials they’ve used for the interiors are all part of the plan to enhance well-being, health and productivity. It’s a very good place to retreat for the day.

After the first session, yoga overlooking the natural swimming pool, it was time for the dip. Now, I know a little about the oxygenating plants that purify a pond, creating an Eden for wildlife as the frogs, newts and dragonflies turn up the biodiversity volume. We’d almost gone the same route with the pond at our own eco-house in East Sussex, also home to retreats, but we decided that the ducks and geese might get more use from it. Dan and Nina have divided their pond; half for their human guests and the other half for the more indigenous swimmers.

The Water Shed natural swimming pool. Photo: IO Photography

It was always going to be a challenge to work with the elements, particularly the pond; ‘Like a narcissistic lover, water will destroy a building,’ Grand Design’s Kevin McCloud warns at the beginning of their build, as he surveys their plans. By the end of the episode, he clocks that these two clearly have someone to watch over them, as they dodge the bullets and brace themselves against the slings and arrows of life on a building site with two small children and a new puppy. The result is another triumph; a crystal-clear pool which the house perches upon, rather like the ducks on ours.

How could I not go in for a dip?

Yoga leader Anna Coates prepared the group. Trained in Wim Hof breathwork, she showed us how the breath can make all the difference to an icy swim.  ‘Dithering around’ in the shallows, she told us, confuses the body which is waiting to kick into protection mode. Commit to getting straight in up to your chest, exhaling slowly rather than panic breathing, and your body will do the rest, she said. The blood will flow to the surface, turning the skin a healthy pink.

I’m not sure I stayed in long enough to experience the ‘stabbing’ and the ‘electric fanny’ that everyone was chatting about in the sauna, but let’s just say that I’ve been having cold showers ever since.

The Water Shed hot tub and decking

And so to lunch!

Lunch! Photo: Gilly Smith

After a vegetarian lunch of burnt spring onions with ajo blanco, cavolo nero salad with sweet potato, beetroot and fat couscous, caramelised cauliflower and coconut soup, it was time to manifest our own dreams.

Guided by chantress, sound healer and breathwork coach, Camilla Hamblin, we used the gentle rhythmic pranayamic long breath mixed with a more activated short exhale to lead us into a meditation where our unconscious was waiting to have a word.

As we shared in small groups afterwards, there were plenty of tears as those who came for the view had a whole new way of seeing how to rebuild their own lives. Busy couples looked at each other as if for the first time. Workaholics, yoga sceptics and, yup even nay-saying cold water swimmers like me had a whole new vision of how life could be. And we hadn’t even had the cacao ceremony and sound bath yet.

The Water Shed living room

If houses could smile, I think the Watershed was rather pleased with the spell she had cast.

Kevin McCloud ends the episode of Grand Designs with a quote from American architect Charles Moore, who according to Aaron Betsky in The Architectural Review, had ‘the ability to make the fantastical seem logical, and the sensual seem necessary.’

‘Buildings should be the instruments of connection, not of isolation,’ says Kevin as he assesses the finished dream house. ‘The question is: what do you want to be connected to?’

The next day retreat is 2 May 2025, and the venue is available for hire
www.thewatershed.co.uk

Gilly Smith

Gilly Smith is a food journalist, podcaster and runs food writing retreats at A Sussex House near Lewes. @foodgillysmith on Instagram

The post Want a truly idyllic retreat? Try the Water Shed appeared first on Silver Magazine.

Losing a loved one is one of life’s most profound challenges, leaving families searching for meaningful ways to honour their memory. Planting memorial trees offers a unique and lasting tribute, transforming grief into growth while celebrating the life of the departed.

These living legacies not only symbolize renewal but also contribute to the environment, creating a space for reflection and connection.

The symbolism of memorial trees

Memorial trees hold deep symbolic value. They represent life, growth, and continuity, making them a fitting tribute to commemorate a loved one.

Unlike traditional memorials, trees grow and change with time, mirroring the journey of healing and remembrance.

For many families, planting a tree becomes a way to transform loss into hope, as the tree stands as a living testament to the enduring impact of their loved one’s life.

Why families choose memorial trees

• A Living Legacy: Trees grow stronger with time, symbolising resilience and continuity.
• Connection to Nature: Planting a tree allows families to reconnect with nature during times of loss.
• Environmental Impact: Memorial trees contribute to reforestation efforts, benefiting future generations.

Creating a space for reflection

Planting a memorial tree provides families with a dedicated space to honour their loved ones.

Whether in a private garden, community park, or forest sanctuary, these spaces become places of solace and contemplation.

Visiting the tree can be a comforting ritual for family members, offering an opportunity to reflect on cherished memories while surrounded by nature’s tranquillity.

Ideas for personalising the space

• Add a plaque with the loved one’s name and a meaningful message.
• Surround the tree with flowers or other plants that held significance for the deceased.
• Include benches or seating areas for quiet reflection.

Memorial trees as part of family traditions

For many families, memorial trees become an integral part of their traditions. They may gather annually at the site to celebrate milestones or anniversaries, ensuring that the memory of their loved one remains alive across generations.

These gatherings can include storytelling, music, or even planting additional trees to create a family grove.

You could:

• Invite family members to participate in the planting ceremony.
• Share stories about the loved one during gatherings at the site.
• Encourage children to care for the tree as part of their connection to family history.

Read more: How to start tracing your family tree

Choosing the right tree

Selecting the right tree is an important step in creating a meaningful tribute. Families often choose species that reflect their loved one’s personality or values.

For instance, an oak tree symbolises strength and endurance, while a flowering cherry tree represents beauty and renewal.

Factors to consider:

• Climate Suitability: Ensure the tree can thrive in its chosen location.
• Symbolism: Choose a species that resonates with your loved one’s character.
• Longevity: Opt for trees known for their durability and long lifespan.

The beneficial environmental impact of memorial trees

Beyond their emotional significance, memorial trees play an important role in environmental conservation. They help combat deforestation, improve air quality, and provide habitats for wildlife.

By planting memorial trees through organisations like Trees for a Change, families contribute to reforestation efforts in areas affected by wildfires or other natural disasters.

Environmental benefits

• Absorbing carbon dioxide and releasing oxygen.
• Preventing soil erosion and improving water retention.
• Supporting biodiversity by providing shelter for animals.

Planning a memorial tree ceremony

A planting ceremony can be a meaningful way to bring family and friends together in remembrance. This event allows everyone to share memories and find comfort in collective mourning while participating in an act of renewal.

Ceremonies can be simple or elaborate depending on personal preferences.

Ceremony ideas

• Include readings or poems that celebrate life and nature.
• Play music that holds special meaning for your loved one.
• Allow attendees to place notes or mementos near the tree.

Memorial trees as gifts

Memorial trees also make thoughtful sympathy gifts. Unlike flowers that fade over time, trees grow stronger year after year, serving as a constant reminder of love and connection. Gifting a memorial tree shows care not only for grieving families but also for the planet.

Tips for gifting memorial trees

• Choose organisations that plant trees in protected forests.
• Include a personalised message explaining the significance of the gift.
• Provide information about visiting or caring for the tree if applicable.

A lasting tribute for generations

Memorial trees create legacies that extend far beyond individual lifetimes. As they grow tall and strong, they serve as enduring reminders of love and resilience.

For families grappling with loss, these living tributes offer hope and healing while ensuring that their loved ones’ memories live on through nature’s continuous cycle.

By planting memorial trees, families not only celebrate life but also contribute positively to the world around them; a powerful way to transform grief into growth.

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The post From grief to growth: how memorial trees help families celebrate life appeared first on Silver Magazine.

Two experts on how to find and where to buy sustainable fish and seafood, whether eating out or cooking at home. Having a little fishy on a little dishy isn’t necessarily as simple as seeing what’s on offer when the boat comes in.

Knowing how to find and eat sustainable fish isn’t always straightforward. You want to eat fish that isn’t appallingly farmed, or fished to extinction, but maybe you’re not sure how to verify that.

The Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) is an international non-profit organisation supporting sustainable fishing and fish stocks. Seeing an MSC label on your food is a very good place to start.

But the latest MSC consumer insights survey asked 4,000 people about their fish consumption, and found that people over 45 are eating more fish, but that awareness about the organisation’s eco-label is low.

Loren Hiller, commercial manager at the MSC, and specialist chef ‘Tom the Fish’, who has been running The Salutation Inn, a seafood hotel and restaurant in Devon for more than 10 years, have some useful tips for filling your dishy with fishies – with a clean conscience.

Love cooking fishy recipes? Try this zingy shrimp and turmeric soup

What are you putting in your trolley?

“The easiest way for a consumer to be assured that their seafood has been sustainably sourced is to look for the blue MSC eco-label,” says Loren. “This can be found on over 1,500 products across 53 species in UK supermarkets in the frozen and fresh sections. And even on pet food and supplements.

Look for the MSC label on all fishy products

“Essentially, that means you’re buying fish and seafood that has been sustainably sourced from a well-managed fishery. So that’s good for you and the ocean too, because these fisheries make sure the stocks are healthy.”

MSC-certified fisheries have a “minimal impact on the ecosystem and other endangered, threatened and protected species,” says Loren. Chef Tom is also a keen advocate of the MSC eco-label and urges responsibility on the part of supermarkets and shoppers.

“Most fish from supermarkets is farmed and imported. In 2022, the UK exported £1.7bn of fish and imported £3.7bn of fish. And we still import Russian cod to the UK via China, for instance,” he says. “But we live on an island so there’s a responsibility for supermarkets to sell local products. And there’s a responsibility to customers just to look at the labels and ask if it’s wild, how is it caught and where is it caught? Is it local or imported?”

Tom adds that it is important to consider how far a fish has travelled before it ends up in your trolley. “If fish has travelled across the continent, how have they been processed within the factory environment to make it still good to eat?

“There aren’t many fish counters left – Tesco has closed all of their fish counters now, so you can’t ask these questions directly from the fish-mongers – which is unhelpful,” Tom says. “And most people in this busy world don’t read the packaging – fish is convenient to buy in plastic, but, of course, it’s not great for the environment – so there are a lot of questions and choices for consumers to consider how ethical the fish is that they’re purchasing.”

So, which is better? Wild or farmed?

There’s no simple answer to this question, apart from “it depends”. While it’s common to assume that fish caught in the wild are automatically more sustainable than farmed fish, this might not always be the case. If the fish are wild-caught in an area that has been overfished, is unregulated, or uses unsustainable practices, such as drift net fishing, which can scoop up endangered marine life along with the more plentiful species, it won’t be a responsible consumer choice.

While it’s common to assume that fish caught in the wild are automatically more sustainable than farmed fish, this might not always be the case

The US-based National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) makes it clear that wild and farmed fish can both be part of the solution. NOAA defines sustainable seafood as “wild-caught or farmed seafood that is harvested or produced in ways that protect the long-term health of species populations and ecosystems.”

The UN Food and Agricultural Organization’s guidelines for assessing what they call “marine capture fisheries” include transparency, consultation processes involving all stakeholders, robust objection procedures and standards based on “sustainability of target species, ecosystems and management practices.” MSC adheres to these guidelines when certifying wild fishing operations.

Fishmongers and fish markets

To reassure consumers buying from fishmongers and markets, Loren says to look out for the blue MSC label, which shows they meet chain of custody standards.

Not just for human fishy products either

“Every time you see the blue label, you can be confident that it’s come from a certified fishery [and] been handled by a supply chain where everyone has that chain of custody certification – they have been independently assessed – there’s no mixing of MSC and non-MSC fish.”

“And it’s just great to have that conversation at the fishmonger or fish market,” she continues. “Just find out a bit more because they really like having those conversations as well.”

Tom agrees that asking questions and learning from the expertise of fishmongers is important. He advises asking where the fish is from and how it was caught, as well as asking for cooking tips to “mix up the selection of fish you consume.”

“Waiter! Is this fish sustainable?”

Loren says the MSC eco-label can be found in many restaurants and fish and chip shops across the UK: “We work with a wide variety of food service outlets and it’s still growing.”

Perhaps surprisingly, McDonalds, JD Wetherspoons and Oaxaca are among the companies that work with MSC. So you can have that Filet-O-Fish with confidence. Or you can simply have a conversation with restaurant staff if the provenance of the fish is not made clear on the menu or you can’t see the eco-label anywhere.

Don’t be afraid to ask your server if the fish is MSC approved

“The origin of where the fish comes from should be displayed on the menu and if it isn’t, then just ask your server,” says Tom.

Loren says asking if they know where the fish has been sourced and what type of gear is used by the fisheries can be instructive. Generally, pole-and-line fishing has a lower impact on ecosystems, but if hundreds of boats are using this method, it can make fish stock vulnerable. Big trawlers, such as those used in the North Sea, are sustainable if the fish stock is healthy and plentiful.

Having that conversation in a restaurant may mean the manager gets involved. Or, if you’re eating in a restaurant that’s part of a group or chain, emailing head office to ask about their fish sourcing or checking the website can be useful.

Loren says that starting these important conversations with consumers is “the way to drive improvements [and] create a culture where people think, why wouldn’t you buy sustainable fish”.

Getting certified

MSC is an independent non-profit organisation that sets globally recognised standards for sustainable fishing and seafood traceability, with its certification programme for sustainable fishing practices. To obtain this certification, fisheries are independently assessed based on three main principles. These are the health of the stock, whether there are enough fish for the fishery to operate indefinitely, and the impact on the ecosystem.

“We look at what type of gear they are using. What impact does that gear have on the surrounding ecosystem? How do they interact with endangered, threatened and protected species – these are the ones they’re not directly trying to catch.”

Additionally, fishery management is scrutinised by MSC, such as complying with relevant laws and adapting to new information, according to scientific research. For example, well-managed fisheries will change the gear they use if new information shows that they need to use something better suited to the ecosystem where they operate.

MSC allows all gear types in its programme, apart from explosives.

The certification process can take 12 to 18 months, with certification lasting five years, albeit with regular checks each year.

Local fish for local people

Keeping your fish consumption as local as possible is one of the best ways to be an ethical, sustainable diner or cook.

“I believe that localism is the way forward with fish – it has been spoiled with factory fish farming, which can be far from ethically produced,” says Tom. “We have a fantastic wild bass season at this moment [Summer 2024] – it’s a few quid more, but it’s so worth it. And hasn’t travelled 2,500 miles.”

As a bonus, localism can help the UK’s fishing industry, which has taken a – pardon the pun – battering in recent years, with winners and losers emerging since Brexit.

“The UK has amazingly rich fishing grounds with conservation areas within the waters and I think it’s much better for the environment if we buy locally, buy seasonally, and don’t travel fish around,” Tom concludes. “If we kept the fish we exported and ate them too, it would be such a positive for the fishing industry, I believe.”

Check out the MSC website.

Georgia Lewis

In a career that has spanned Australia, the Middle East and the UK, Georgia has written about all sorts of things, including sex, cars, food, oil and gas, insurance, fashion, travel, workplace safety, health, religious affairs, glass and glazing… When she’s not writing words for fun and profit, she can usually be found with a glass of something French and red in her hand.

The post How to find and where to buy sustainable fish appeared first on Silver Magazine.

The time is here for us to adorn our homes with fairy lights, garlands, and of course, the Christmas tree. Many of you might already have your tree up, but for those of you still trying to get it together, how about an eco-friendly Christmas tree this year?

Real or artificial? 

There’s been debate around whether a real or artificial tree is more eco-conscious. Your initial thought process might be to choose artificial. As it does mean you’re not ripping out a piece of mother nature every year. 

However, it’s not as simple as that. Pretty much all artificial trees, after all, are made from plastic of some kind. I’m sure we all know the struggle of having needles all over the carpet at Christmas. Real or artificial, they shed. These ‘needles’ from artificial trees will break down into micro plastics. Which can get everywhere, the sea, food, even into our bloodstream. 

(Image: Pexels)

So real trees are better? I hear you think.

It’s also not completely straightforward when it comes to real trees. After all, when you cut them down they do stop absorbing carbon from our atmosphere. Which in turn helps to offset the carbon emissions we’re putting out into the world. 

If you already have an artificial tree, it’s good to make sure you look after it and use it for year upon year, to get the most life out of it as you can. Using an artificial tree for at least 11 years is a good time frame. 

However, if you tend to opt for a real tree, then look at where you’re sourcing it from. 

Is your tree a sustainable choice?

Ensure the supplier is part of the British Christmas Tree Growers Association. This tells you that you’re buying a quality tree, that’s been locally grown. 

The best option would be a locally grown potted tree. Which, after the festive season, can be taken and re-potted into the ground to carry on growing. So nothing is getting chopped down or wasted. 

We’ve collected a list of some eco-friendlier options of where you source your tree this year.

Eco-friendly trees:

Green Elf Trees

(Image: Green Elf Trees)

These guys offer pot grown trees and will collect it after Christmas to replant. They’re also donating £3 this year for every tree sold, to a Ukrainian refugee UK charity, and gifting trees to Ukrainian families living in the UK.

PLUS they have an exclusively electric fleet delivering trees and offset carbon emissions. So even the transport of your tree is carbon neutral.

If you buy a cut tree from them, they offer a responsible collection and disposal. They’ll be used as compost for nutrition for future trees.

To browse Green Elf Trees visit their site

Caring Christmas Trees

(Image: Caring Christmas Trees)

Based in Scotland, these Scottish grown trees are delivered in bio-degradable netting.

All profits from their trees go to the ‘Bethany Christian Trust’ which works to end homelessness in Scotland.

Explore Caring Christmas Trees

Edenmill 

(Image: Edenmill)

Another one which has potted trees available. Edenmill offer potted trees that you can keep in the garden through the year, and use again next festive season.

Visit Edenmill’s website

The Christmas forest 

(Image: The Christmas Forest)

Grown in the UK, The Christmas Forest replace every tree which is chopped down for Christmas. They also endeavour to grow close to residential areas, to encourage customers to retrieve their tree on foot, removing any car emissions.

Minimal chemical intervention is used when growing their trees. The Christmas Forest make sure absolutely nothing is sprayed within three months of harvest.

To explore The Christmas Forest’s trees visit their website

Forestry England

(Image: Forestry England)

Forestry England have Christmas Tree farms around the country. With some farms offering potted trees, and all come in biodegradable netting.

Money from their Tree sales is used to maintain the forests trees grown in. This helps benefit and support the local wildlife.

Visit Forestry England to find your local Christmas tree farm.

Recycling your tree

If you opt for a cut tree rather than potted, when it comes to taking it down don’t dump it somewhere. To keep your tree eco-friendly as possible, it’s important to recycle it properly after it’s use. 

Since not all suppliers offer to take the tree back and recycle it, you might be stuck as what to do. 

Recycle Now has tool which can help you find a local recycling point which will shred the tree for chippings. So keep a bookmark of this Recyle Now link for when January comes around. 

Don’t get caught out this Christmas! Winter strikes and walkout dates 

Lana Hall

Lana can usually be found spinning her collection of records, or writing odd poems in her phone notes. Her mixer of choice is a ginger beer, and you’ll never find her away from the sea for more than a few weeks.

The post Eco-friendly Christmas tree – How can you make a difference? appeared first on Silver Magazine.

Have you ever wondered how you can help to save the oceans?

It is easy to feel inadequate and useless next to a problem so large. But this is far from the truth; the ‘average’ person can make a big difference to the environment. And yes, that means you.

The smallest of differences to your lifestyle and daily tasks can make a huge impact on the world we live in. So how can we help save the oceans?

Here are five easy changes you can make:

1. Shopping for sustainable seafood options

Start by making sure the fish you are purchasing has been harvested using safe methods.

Overfishing means that there are not enough of a fish species left to sustain a healthy population, and this can take decades to rectify. In some cases, where a fish species is removed from an environment, the whole ecosystem can collapse.

Buying fish sustainably reduces overfishing, maintains marine biodiversity and often contains more vitamins and minerals, which means it helps us too.

Do these things…

– Check for an MSC (Marine Stewardship Council) label, this blue tick means that the fish is considered to have been fished at a sustainable level.

– Ask your fishmonger – They are required to tell you everything they know about the fish they are selling.

– The Marine Conservation Society uses scientific research to provide consumers with information about marine life. Every year they create a Fish Guide to help you make sustainable choices about your fish.

2. Plastic free alternatives

Single use plastics such as plastic bottles can last up to 500 years in the ocean. These are some easy adjustments you can make to reduce this damage and save marine life…

– Carry a reusable water bottle instead of buying plastic bottles on a day or night out.

– Avoid plastic cutlery and straws, invest in metal straws.

– Take a cloth bag with you when you leave to do your food shop

– It may be a shock to find out that chewing gum actually contains plastic. This means you can recycle it!

3. Making easy and yummy seafood swaps

Through this website you can choose the fish or seafood you’d like to eat, and you will be provided with the best alternatives in terms of taste, sustainability, nutrition and price. Making small changes such as sources and variety of seafood can reduce the over-farming and production of specific species.

Here are some quick examples:

– Buying cod produced in the UK is currently an extremely unsustainable option. So if you do fancy cod for dinner, look for cod that has been caught in the waters surrounding Iceland, as the stocks are still healthy.

– Scallops and mussels farmed in the UK are great because they have a low environmental impact. So are an amazing alternative to prawns imported from other countries.

– Popular fish such as salmon and tuna are often farmed intensively. So go for healthier and eco-friendly options like trout or herring.

4. Protect the beaches

By 2050 there could be more plastic in the sea than fish and leaving waste on the beach means that it’s likely to end up in the ocean and destroy marine life. When you leave the beach after a lovely sunny day, make sure that you’re only leaving your footprints.

By 2050 there could be more plastic in the sea than fish

– Use sea-safe sun-cream! Two of the most frequently used ingredients in sun cream, oxybenzone and octinoxate, are deadly to corals and causes them to bleach, which can be fatal. However, you can use reef-safe sun cream that doesn’t include these ingredients which is especially important in tropical areas.

– There are green alternatives to most products out there – did you know that you can buy eco-friendly surf boards? Even greener picnic blankets and sandals, so watch out for eco-friendly substitutes before heading to the beach this summer.

– Clean up your local beaches, helping to clear small and easily forgotten debris will prevent it from flying into the ocean.

Have an eco-friendly barbecue

5. Conserve water

Conserving water saves energy, which is needed to filter, heat and pump water into homes, so reducing the amount of water you use daily will reduce your carbon footprint. Maintaining water in our ecosystems helps to keep aquatic habitats full of fish species and other animals like otters.

There are lots of ways to easily save little bits of water here and there, it all adds up.

– Turn the tap off while brushing your teeth. A running tap can waste more than six litres of water per minute

– Use a bowl in the sink when washing fruit, vegetables, or dishes. You can then use the waste water to water your plants.

– Check your property regularly for leaks on your internal plumbing.

6. Donate and volunteer

There are hundreds of different charities dedicated to bettering the state of the ocean, who do amazing work but run on funds donated by kind people around the world. It is easier than ever to click a few buttons and donate as little as £1 to ocean conservation. Alternatively, get stuck in and volunteer for beach clean-ups, lectures and campaigns.

Some links you may find useful:

Donate – Coast Magazine has a good roundup of organisations where your money would be most welcome

Volunteering opportunities – check this link on the Marine Conservation Soc site

Volunteering – get involved with beach cleans. Find your nearest clean-up gang on the Beach Cleans site

Fancy diving a bit deeper into longer term plans for the oceans? Read the MCS strategy booklet

7. Educate yourself!

Immerse yourself in media and literature to expand your knowledge of the ocean. The more you know about the sea and how your carbon footprint affects the life inside it, the easier it will be to take small steps towards the rejuvenation of ocean life. Some further reading…

World Ocean Day

WWF (World Wildlife Fund)

GVI

Blue Marine Foundation

Ocean Conservation Trust

Millie Owens

www.titlemedia.co.uk

The post 7 ways you can help to save the oceans appeared first on Silver Magazine.

The sun is out, barbecues are hot, and everyone is happy. Except for maybe the planet. We’ve compiled a handy guide on how to have an eco friendly barbecue.

Let’s talk about your options.

Disposable BBQs and picnic options

Instant disposable barbecues are tempting, super cheap, and very convenient. However, they’re also often wrapped in plastic, have a metal grill that isn’t easily recyclable, and the firelighter fluid included in the charcoal area isn’t great environmentally. You can do better.

It’s not all doom and gloom though, as new products start to arrive on the market. This CasusGrill Biodegradable Instant Barbecueis completely sustainable, and 100% biodegradable; made with bamboo, cardboard and lava stones. Lay a few of these in for those days when only al fresco dining will do.

Otherwise, perhaps consider using a small portable travel barbecue, like this LotusGrill Mini, which means you can choose your fuels carefully. The barbecue runs on two batteries (which you can use reusables for) or a power source. And obviously the benefit of this (apart from the fact that they cook better) is that there’s very little waste each time you use it.

CasusGrill Biodegradable Instant Barbecue

Let’s talk about your charcoal…

According to the BBC, the UK imported almost 90,000 tonnes of charcoal in 2018, most of which has been linked to mass deforestation in developing countries such as Namibia, Nigeria, and Paraguay. Wood is cut down and converted to charcoal by burning, and often the wood used is in scarce supply, endangering forestry. Often the charcoal you buy is less than beneficial to the planet and its resources.

A lot of charcoal is made from wood sourced in tropical forests that really ought to be left alone

A lot of charcoal is made from wood sourced in tropical forests that really ought to be left alone. Not only that, it can often be soaked in fire-lighting chemicals which are definitely pollutants – as well as your making your food taste yuck.

So how can you be sure that your charcoal is on the green list? The Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) is the world’s largest certification scheme for wood products and charcoal, so it’s a good idea to look for their stamp on your charcoal bags. But even then, ensure the wood is from sustainable forests.

Charcoal generates three times the amount of greenhouse gases as gas grills, but the wood itself is often from sustainable sources.

There are UKFS (UK Forestry Standard) approved charcoal companies such as The Oxford Charcoal Company or The Dorset Charcoal Company that sells sustainably sourced and carbon neutral charcoal.

Buying from UKFS approved charcoal means that you are supporting the regeneration of UK woodlands, and you are using higher quality charcoal to cook your food that does not contain harmful pollutants.

Choosing eco-friendly food

The food you choose to grill up also has some environmental factors to consider.

Barbecues are synonymous with meat and juicy beef burgers. But according to research done by The University of Manchester, a regular medium sized 100g beef burger releases enough greenhouse gases to fill more than 60 balloons. This is equivalent to driving in a car for more than six miles!

Chicken is a better option as it releases far fewer greenhouse gases compared to beef, only 15 balloons-worth, and one and a half miles in a car.

Would you consider smashed Parma Violets on your barbecued meat?!

This Greenpeace article goes into detail about how the meat industry is a major contributor to world emissions, which explains the growing demand for a vegetarian or plant-based diet. If you’re willing to make the effort, there are lots of plant-based products widely available so you can still have your burgers and hot dog moment. Why not serve some grilled vegetables on the side? Grilled peppers, asparagus, aubergines, courgettes, corn; and of course you can’t beat a good stuffed mushroom.

If a barbecue isn’t a barbecue for you without some real meat, give thought to where it comes from. Has it had a high welfare life, farmed sustainably? What about food miles – is it local? Can you buy from a decent butcher and not only enjoy better meat without loads of plastic packaging, but support local business too?

Limit your waste

Investing in good quality barbecuing equipment can help limit your waste. Assembling a ‘grill kit’ can be useful in so many ways. Not only will you always be prepared and have everything you need, but these items can also be used again rather than disposed of and repurchased.

Your grill kit could include:

• An apron or two
• Spatula
• Tongs
• Knife
• Oven mitt
• Lighter/matches

Don’t forget to fill up your water bottles (and bring your own bottles of wine and beers!). Bring your own plates and cutlery, and use recyclable/biodegradable/linen napkins too. Ditch the one-use stuff.

Assembling a ‘grill kit’ can be useful in so many ways

Another eco-friendly barbecue hack is to bring your own plastic wrap-free snacks. Instead, cut up some fruit and snacks, and stock up on some nuts and sweets at a local zero-waste bulk shops. And prep everything ahead if possible, storing in reusable containers (with decent tightly-fitting lids) – you can even double the lids as plates if needed.

Lastly, don’t forget to dispose of your trash responsibly. Bring some biodegradable bin bags with you, or put your trash in your now-empty containers. Whatever you do, don’t just leave it behind.

Take only photographs, leave only footprints. And enjoy!

Genevieve Ng

The post Time for alfresco tongs and aprons?! How to have an eco-friendly barbecue appeared first on Silver Magazine.