6 March - 12 March 2023
Why is food waste important to address?
Many of us buy much more than we need, and cook more than we are going to eat, and then don’t use up food before it goes off. Food Waste is important to address as it uses up natural resources like water and energy, as well as using large amounts of land. Globally, it is responsible for around 8-10% greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, an estimate by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, so it must be addressed to prevent climate change. Wasting food also costs us money and often ends up in landfill which is harmful to the environment. Around 30% of food produced across the world is wasted, and we can start by preventing some of this by reducing food waste at home.
To prevent food waste, it is important to:
- Plan out your meals weekly and make a shopping list,
- Aim to buy wonky fruit and vegetables, as these often get left behind and thrown away in supermarkets
- Store food correctly, keep bread in a cool dark place to prevent mould, freeze any food products you won’t eat straight away to keep fresh
- Use all your food up, use what you already have before you go shopping again, use leftovers for lunch, and for example, you can use overripe bananas to make banana bread
- Compost – put fruit and veg scraps in a compost bin where possible, the council collects brown waste or invest in a compost bin at home, check out top tips for composting
The Environmental Engagement Team will be out and about during Food Waste Action Week, look out for the Recycling Roadshow at the Dockside Outlet Centre on Thursday, 9 March, 9.30am-2.30pm. The Environmental Engagement Team are also attending numerous schools during food waste action week, to talk about reducing and recycling food waste. If you’d like the team to give a talk at your group, school or club, please e-mail: eet@medway.gov.uk
27 February - 12 March 2023
Fairtrade Fortnight is a yearly campaign running from the 27 February until the 12 March, celebrating the power of Fairtrade. Making the small switch to Fairtrade supports producers and their livelihoods, as well as protecting the future of some of the most loved food on the planet and the environment. There are several ways to get involved with Fairtrade Fortnight, this year the Fairtrade Foundation is running free online ‘Big Fairtrade Get Togethers’, where you can sign up to hear from Fairtrade farmers and other experts on how we can have a sustainable future for ourselves and our favourite foods.
 Sustrans big walk and wheel
20 March - 31 March 2023
Change your journey, change your world
Medway Council is encouraging all schools to take part in Sustrans Big Walk and Wheel, the UK’s largest walking, wheeling, scooting, and cycling challenge. This year’s theme of the Sustrans Big Walk and Wheel focuses on climate change and actions pupils can take to reduce pollution and improve air quality. It is open to all schools in the UK including SEN and is free to register and take part.
The event is designed to inspire pupils to make active journeys to school, improve air quality in their neighbourhood and discover how these changes benefit their world.
This year the challenge will run from Monday, 20 March to Friday, 31 March and the aim is for schools to compete to see who can record the greatest number of human powered journeys over the 2 weeks. Your schools best 5 days will determine your final position, but you can log journeys on all 10 days if you wish!
There are lots of free resources available, including curriculum linked lesson plans, which can be used in school to ensure everyone feels involved during Sustrans Big Walk and Wheel. Pupils can help reduce air pollution and learn about the benefits of active travel for themselves, their school, their neighbourhood, and the whole planet.
Medway Council is encouraging all schools to join this fantastic event, where daily prizes are up for grabs and certificates awarded to all participating schools.
Click the button below to find out more and sign-up!
17 March - 2 April 2023
The Council will be supporting the Great British Spring Clean again this year.
You can pledge to pick up a bag of litter (or more!) as an individual, community group or a school. Litter picking is a great way to immediately improve the look and feel of your community.
In 2022, 306 people took part in 53 events across Medway and collected an amazing 507 bags of litter weighting over 3 tonnes, which equates to the weight of 31 baby elephants! Can you help us beat this figure this year?!
We would encourage individuals or groups to contact the Environmental Engagement Team on eet@medway.gov.uk if they would like to participate in a spring clean. The team can lend litter picking equipment and clear any rubbish collected. We ask people to pledge their time and to record the number of volunteers and number of bags of rubbish collected so that we can collate the success of the event. We also ask if photos of events can be sent to us.
Don’t forget to follow guidance on litter picking safely.
85% of those who took part in last year’s Great British Spring Clean reported that taking part made them feel more pride in their local area. And 74% said it improved their mood too! [GBSC Website]
Earth Hour
Saturday, 25 March, 8.30pm-9.30pm
On Saturday, 25 March, join the Earth Hour movement. By switching off all lights in your house for an hour between 8.30pm and 9.30pm, you will be contributing to doing something positive for our planet, and we believe #SmallChanges can collectively make a big difference.
If you want to go the extra mile you could switch your phone off, or even have a candlelight dinner with a meat free meal or listen to some climate related podcasts.
You can share how you’re spending the hour on social media using #EarthHourUK
Free Practical Forestry Training
Applications can be made from:
- people who would like to take a step towards a career in forestry
- people currently working in other land-based sectors (such as agriculture) who would like to broaden their skill base
- people wanting to switch careers and need to develop skills to get them started
- people currently working in forestry who would like to develop their skills
The Boiler Upgrade Scheme
Through the Boiler Upgrade Scheme, you could get a grant to cover part of the cost of replacing fossil fuel heating systems with a heat pump or biomass boiler.
Before you consider this it is important to find out if a heat pump could be a suitable choice of central heating system for your home. Please follow advise on the Government website.
EV infrastructure grant for staff and fleets
Grants are available for small-to-medium-sized business to install electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure in their commercial car parks.
Free webinar: ‘Funding For All – Environmental Groups’
Aimed at Kent and Medway Charities and VCSEs who wish to discover the skills needed to increase their chance of getting funding.
Thursday, 23 March, 18.30pm-20.00pm
Registration for a new round of the Solar Together Kent scheme will be opening later in March. Check out our website after 20 March for registration details.
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Reduce, Reuse, Refill…and Repeat! 🔁
A small change can make a big impact on the planet:
• Bring your own shopping bag
• Carry a reusable water bottle or thermos
• Upcycle glass containers
• Reduce packaging by buying in bulk
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Have you been loaned NHS equipment and no longer need it?
Did you know you can return equipment that you no longer need really easily. By returning loaned equipment you will help the NHS to save money and give other people in need the opportunity to use it. All equipment is cleaned and checked to ensure it is safe to use before it is passed on. Larger items can be picked up for free, while smaller items, like crutches, can be dropped off at amnesty bins across Medway.
Find out how you can recycle equipment here
Have a question about climate action in Medway? Get in touch today!
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