Sustainable Squad

I'm launching series 2 with help from my friend Sabrina, who has represented Sustainable Squad in Thailand!!! Sabrina interviews Lisa from My Best Life CNX - the first zero waste shop in Chiang Mai. Lisa tells us how she came to Thailand as a volunteer and now donates 100% of profits from her shop and vegan cafe to support refugees at her education centre, Thai Freedom House. Huge thanks to Sabrina (instagram @organic_eye) and Lisa (instagram @mybestlife_cnx) for this amazing interview. There's some great tips for being sustainable on the go too!

We all love a wedding, they're the best days of our lives! But when you add up the number of single use items purchased for just one epic day, they can often be the most wasteful days too.

Jade from Two Woods Estate talks to us about how a few simple swaps can make a huge difference to the environment and to our bank balance. We discuss caterers, plates and glasses, alcohol, decorations and wedding dresses.

Jade also talks about being more green at wedding fairs and how they maintain their beautiful woodland venue.

To find out more and to get in touch, visit www.twowoodsestate.com

Around 60% of all landfill waste in the UK comes from construction and demolition. The Wood Store rescues surplus timber from contractors across Sussex to restore, re-use and sell on at their fabulous shop in Brighton. They're an award winning not-for-profit organisation and the National Community Wood Recycling Project was modelled on these guys!

Steve tells us about all the great work they do, we discuss the problem with pallets, he shares tips on how we can choose our materials and contractors more sustainably and we learn more about their amazing volunteers.

To find out more and to get involved email [email protected].

The Fast Fashion industry produces 1 billion new garments every year and is responsible for producing 20% of global waste water. It's an enormous problem and this is why it's so important to have businesses like Slow Re Purpose, because they teach us how to fall back in love with the clothes we already own by turning them into something new. Sara tells us about projects she's worked on, future collaborations and her journey to where she is now. If you would love Sara to take a look at your wardrobe and help you give your clothes a new lease of life, you can contact her via Facebook and Instagram @slowrepurpose.

In the UK alone, we produced 52.3 million tonnes of landfill waste waste in 2016 and I have no doubt the figure has grown considerably since. This is why businesses like M-24 are crucial to tackling this enormous problem.

Mat, the founder, tells us how he transforms lorry tarpaulin into super tough and super sustainable bags. We talk about his inspiring journey from turning an idea into a successful business, the highs and lows that come with it and what advice he would give to someone at the beginning of their entrepreneurial adventure.

I love this concept and have a great deal of respect for Mat. You can see his fabulous bags here https://www.m-24.co.uk

Food waste is a major problem and a big contributor to climate change. 1.9 million tons of food gets wasted by the food industry every year in the UK alone! Not to mention the food we throw in our own bins.

Fare Share Sussex are trying to reduce this problem and feed the hungry in the process.

Sabrina talks about all the amazing work they do, who they work with and tips on how we can all help reduce food waste in the home. We also talk to one of their volunteers Kieran.

It's no secret that single use plastic is everywhere and suffocating our planet. But with inspiring people like Harriet and Mhiran in our lives, there's still hope. In this interview we talk about the concept of plastic free shops, their products and customers, tips on how to reduce single use plastic, what it's like working together as a couple and a cheeky game of Mr and Mrs at the end. You can check our their fabulous shop here... http://harrietsofhove.com

It's really frustrating when you find out the brand you love is not ticking the ethical, social and sustainable boxes. We're then faced with a choice, do we ignore this information and carry on as normal? Do we take a stand and stop buying the product or service altogether? OR do we try and influence the business and encourage them to make positive changes?

Mark from Circle Squared is trying to do the latter. He is in the process of developing a brand new app that gives consumers a voice and businesses the data they need to implement positive change.

If you have any questions or want to get in touch, please find me on social media @Sustainable_Squad or contact Mark via the website circlesquared.com.

A series of interviews with people doing something extraordinary about sustainability.