When thinking about living an environmentally sustainable life, the first thing most people think about is the 3Rs: ‘reduce, reuse and recycle’. As part of Sussex Green Living’s education outreach programme, we initiated a School Challenge looking at how you can reduce waste by repairing.
Our school challenge for Horsham District Schools was supported by a Horsham District Community Lottery Grant, a donation from a Horsham councillor and kindly judged by Horsham artist, Morag Warrack.
The challenge invited students to learn about repair cafés, what they do and how they help reduce waste on our planet. There are items that could be repaired but often people don’t have the skillset to make repairs. Repair Cafés are run by volunteers who have both a passion and the expertise to repair electrical, mechanical and textile items. The premise is that you can take along your items and for a small donation, they will try to fix them while you stay, watch and hopefully learn a new skill at the same time.
New year is often a time for reflection and making resolutions. I always start the year with good intentions but find it’s hard to keep them up when things get busy. This year I’m looking to put in place some changes that are easy wins. If you too are in that frame of mind right now, here are some ideas I found for making 2023 a little greener for you and your family.
https://www.sussexgreenliving.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/New-year-1080-x-640-300x178-1.jpg178300Marianne Lindfieldhttps://www.sussexgreenliving.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/SGL-logo-masthead.pngMarianne Lindfield2023-01-01 13:48:562026-08-10 15:45:36New Year New Green Resolutions
Did anyone see the coverage of the Earthshot awards presented by the Prince of Wales in Boston earlier this month? They were awards given to organisations, companies or cities recognised as making a significant contribution to dealing with climate change, reviving our oceans, and other similar objectives. You can watch the whole ceremony on BBC iPlayer Earthshot Prize.
The winner in the Building a Waste-Free World category was a London based company founded in 2014 called Notpla (i.e. not plastic!) They have come up with a unique product made from seaweed – or kelp (to use the more scientific term employed by Sussex Wildlife Trust and local universities involved in the Sussex Kelp Restoration Project).
https://www.sussexgreenliving.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/Kelp-Feature-image-1080-x-640-300x178-1.jpg178300Marianne Lindfieldhttps://www.sussexgreenliving.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/SGL-logo-masthead.pngMarianne Lindfield2022-12-29 07:36:062026-08-10 15:44:09Restoring kelp, eliminating single use plastic
“The battery won’t charge…” We hear these words very often at the Horsham Repair Cafe. It’s true that batteries don’t last forever, but we can make a drastic difference to its life expectancy. The original hybrid car, the Toyota Prius, uses a large traction battery. Many are still running 20 years later. So, how can the Prius keep the battery working efficiently for 20 years when some phone batteries only last three? Why do some household battery devices (vacuum cleaners for example) sometimes become useless after two years?
https://www.sussexgreenliving.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/Repair-Cafe-Volunteer-scaled-1.jpg25601920Marianne Lindfieldhttps://www.sussexgreenliving.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/SGL-logo-masthead.pngMarianne Lindfield2022-12-15 06:45:212026-08-10 15:41:59Protecting the Battery Life
Last Christmas we bought 226,800 miles of wrapping paper, 5.3 million artificial trees, 6.8 million real trees and £42 million of unwanted toys. As we continue to tighten our belts, we look at ways to reduce the waste from Christmas so we can have a more sustainable Christmas, that costs less for the planet and for our pockets. Read more
You all know the person that has everything and are probably struggling to know want to buy them for Christmas. Well, how about buying them a ‘giving back gift’? We’ve all heard about gifting a goat but many charities have now expanded this idea and you can buy everything from toys for vulnerable children to medical care and adopting animals to even twinning your rubbish bin.
Think about a cause or interest that the person has and try and link the gift.
Education has always formed a big part of the Sussex Green Living mission. In fact, it is where Carrie Cort started out, as a network of families learning about nature, the environment and ways that everyone can live a more sustainable life.
https://www.sussexgreenliving.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/school-shot-Edited-300x221-1.png221300Marianne Lindfieldhttps://www.sussexgreenliving.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/SGL-logo-masthead.pngMarianne Lindfield2022-11-28 14:30:492026-08-10 15:13:10Never too Small to Make a Difference
During the first lockdown in 2020 many people felt isolated. Sussex Green Living (SGL) thought it was important to connect people and to continue its work improving the environment. SGL’s Carrie Cort organised weekly online Horsham Climate Café events. Some of these attracted over 150 people, both local and from further afield. One of the aims of the café was to introduce people ‘virtually’ from the same villages and this is when the seed of Billingshurst environmental group BilliGreen was planted.
The group was started by Mela Davidson and Melanie Holliker who both wanted to create a network that boosted the local community and had a positive impact on the local environment.
00Marianne Lindfieldhttps://www.sussexgreenliving.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/SGL-logo-masthead.pngMarianne Lindfield2022-11-10 07:35:502022-11-10 07:35:50Community Collaboration at its Best
I recently completed a Carbon Literacy course with the Scottish Community Climate Action Network (SCCAN) who produce some excellent teaching resources. They focus on actions we can all take and as a result and based on a Scottish idea, I made an enquiry about the possibility of a formal car-sharing scheme at Horsham Rugby Club.
South Downs painting by local artist John Thompson
Scotland seems to be ahead of the game in looking at the big picture, using the joined-up thinking that needs to happen now to address the current crises in resources, economy, nature and climate.
Last month’s Film at the Horsham Green Film Festival was made in Scotland: ‘Riverwoods’. This wonderful film opened with shots of Alaska’s bountiful nature, then moved across the same latitude to Scotland with its acres of treeless uplands, a legacy of the clearances of the traditional small mixed farms to make way for large scale sheep grazing.
But why are there no sheep at Knepp’s rewilding project? Read more
00Marianne Lindfieldhttps://www.sussexgreenliving.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/SGL-logo-masthead.pngMarianne Lindfield2022-11-03 07:13:002022-11-03 07:13:00The Big Picture
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Students create inspiring art in Repair Cafe Challenge
/in Children & nature, Education, Repair Cafe/by Marianne LindfieldOur school challenge for Horsham District Schools was supported by a Horsham District Community Lottery Grant, a donation from a Horsham councillor and kindly judged by Horsham artist, Morag Warrack.
The challenge invited students to learn about repair cafés, what they do and how they help reduce waste on our planet. There are items that could be repaired but often people don’t have the skillset to make repairs. Repair Cafés are run by volunteers who have both a passion and the expertise to repair electrical, mechanical and textile items. The premise is that you can take along your items and for a small donation, they will try to fix them while you stay, watch and hopefully learn a new skill at the same time.
Read more
New Year New Green Resolutions
/in Money saving ideas, Seasonal celebrations/by Marianne Lindfield© Marekuliasz from Getty Images via Canva.com
New year is often a time for reflection and making resolutions. I always start the year with good intentions but find it’s hard to keep them up when things get busy. This year I’m looking to put in place some changes that are easy wins. If you too are in that frame of mind right now, here are some ideas I found for making 2023 a little greener for you and your family.
Read more
Restoring kelp, eliminating single use plastic
/in Biodiversity & Nature, Ecology/by Marianne LindfieldThe winner in the Building a Waste-Free World category was a London based company founded in 2014 called Notpla (i.e. not plastic!) They have come up with a unique product made from seaweed – or kelp (to use the more scientific term employed by Sussex Wildlife Trust and local universities involved in the Sussex Kelp Restoration Project).
Read more
Protecting the Battery Life
/in Money saving ideas, Recycling, Repair Cafe, Take Action/by Marianne Lindfield“The battery won’t charge…” We hear these words very often at the Horsham Repair Cafe. It’s true that batteries don’t last forever, but we can make a drastic difference to its life expectancy. The original hybrid car, the Toyota Prius, uses a large traction battery. Many are still running 20 years later. So, how can the Prius keep the battery working efficiently for 20 years when some phone batteries only last three? Why do some household battery devices (vacuum cleaners for example) sometimes become useless after two years?
Read more
Christmas Money Saving Ideas
/in Green art & games, Money saving ideas/by Marianne LindfieldCharity Gift Ideas
/in Fundraising, Take Action/by Marianne LindfieldYou all know the person that has everything and are probably struggling to know want to buy them for Christmas. Well, how about buying them a ‘giving back gift’? We’ve all heard about gifting a goat but many charities have now expanded this idea and you can buy everything from toys for vulnerable children to medical care and adopting animals to even twinning your rubbish bin.
Think about a cause or interest that the person has and try and link the gift.
Read more
Never too Small to Make a Difference
/in Children & nature, Eco News, Education/by Marianne LindfieldRead more
Community Collaboration at its Best
/in Children & nature, Eco News, Education, Recycling, Single use plastic/by Marianne LindfieldDuring the first lockdown in 2020 many people felt isolated. Sussex Green Living (SGL) thought it was important to connect people and to continue its work improving the environment. SGL’s Carrie Cort organised weekly online Horsham Climate Café events. Some of these attracted over 150 people, both local and from further afield. One of the aims of the café was to introduce people ‘virtually’ from the same villages and this is when the seed of Billingshurst environmental group BilliGreen was planted.
The group was started by Mela Davidson and Melanie Holliker who both wanted to create a network that boosted the local community and had a positive impact on the local environment.
Read more
Car Sharing in Horsham
/in Eco News, Transport/by Marianne LindfieldRead more
The Big Picture
/in Eco News/by Marianne LindfieldSouth Downs painting by local artist John Thompson
Scotland seems to be ahead of the game in looking at the big picture, using the joined-up thinking that needs to happen now to address the current crises in resources, economy, nature and climate.
Last month’s Film at the Horsham Green Film Festival was made in Scotland: ‘Riverwoods’. This wonderful film opened with shots of Alaska’s bountiful nature, then moved across the same latitude to Scotland with its acres of treeless uplands, a legacy of the clearances of the traditional small mixed farms to make way for large scale sheep grazing.
But why are there no sheep at Knepp’s rewilding project? Read more