Sponsored by Cauldron who are joining in the week for a fourth year, National Vegetarian Week encourages individuals, community groups, schools, businesses and organizations to get involved in the week and focus on increasing fruit and veg consumption, look at issues surrounding food and try something different.

Now in it’s 18th year, National Vegetarian Week is an established date in the food calendar, and encourages both vegetarians and non-vegetarians to get involved.

The week meant strictly no meat to be consumed, and to try out different foods and products available for vegetarians at supermarkets.

The students spent the week blogging, twittering, and making video diaries telling of their experiences.

Jessica Dutton says:

‘I found the week to be a great challenge, and really enjoyed the documentation process of the week. I tried foods I had never tasted before, and surprised myself at how well I managed. I think everyone should definitely try it next year, for a new experience and to learn something new about a different type of lifestyle.’

The week proved difficult at times for Natalie Eccleshall.

‘I’m glad I chose to take part in the week, even though it was difficult at times. I’ve enjoyed the challenged. i have noticed, however, that many restaurants and other eateries don’t sport a wide selection for vegetarians which was a bit of a let down. i think this was a big factor of my boredom. Home cooking was much more enjoyable and I’ve discovered dishes this week that i will continue to make.’

Take a look at Jessica Dutton’s blog and Natalie Eccleshall’s blog.

Jessica Dutton & Natalie Eccleshall

The first Home Grow Health Exhibition to be held at The Studio, Cannon St, Birmingham proved to be of great success. Around 100 guests gathered to view the exhibitors stands on Tuesday 4^th May.

There were around ten stands at the exhibition featuring specialists in growing vegetables, the environment, and natural and herbal remedies.

Stands included Audrey Miller, who is a Grow Your Own specialist. Audrey was promoting the School of Everything. She encourages people to grow their own vegetables, with and without a garden, demonstrating ways to grow seeds in jam jars, growing food in recycled containers, and fun ways to get your children involved by growing cress seeds in eggshells.

Also at the exhibition were Birmingham Vegetarians and Vegans, who are based in Allison St, Digbeth. Founded six years ago; they have around 300 people on their mailing list and have around 20-25 people attend their monthly meetings. Events scheduled throughout the month include country walks, fayres and marches.

Barbara Staples was demonstrating her Aura-Soma consultations. Using Aura-Soma equilibrium bottles containing herbal and coloured oils, Barbara is able to read your aura. Barbara was offering free ten-minute consultations at the exhibition

Northfield Ecocentre had it’s own stand at the exhibition; they were promoting their latest events and campaigns. These included grow your own veg class, sewing workshops, and workshops on learning how to campaign successfully.

Shen-Fa-Hang Chinese Herbal Clinic, based in the China Town, specialises in Chinese herbal medicine, there was even a doctor on the stall if you had any health problems you wanted to talk about.

Event organizer, Hollie Egg, says:

‘The event was definitely a success, we had great teamwork, lovely exhibitors, amazing venue and visitors. It was the first time I have held an event like this, I never thought I would be holding an event that teaches you how to grow your own vegetables and how to use alternative therapies.’

Hollie will be holding another exhibition, the “Rookie Arts Exhibition” which is calling for young art talents within Birmingham. The exhibition will be taking place at the Sauce Gallery, The Custard Factory from 4th June.

The Waste & Resources Action Programme tested seven different materials; biopolymers, paper and cardboard, plastics, food, textiles, garden cuttings, and wood but they found that recycling is best.

They then called for better recycling facilities after claims that homeowner’s feel they are wasting their time recycling.

The other disposal methods researched were incineration, composting, recycling, and landfill measured in terms of water use, greenhouse gas emissions, energy use and other resource use.

Currently in Birmingham there are no sufficient recycling facilities for residents living in flats.

This is both a personal and work issue for Phil Burrows from Birmingham Friends of The Earth.

‘I live in a flat, and currently there are no recycling facilities for residents. We are pressing the council for recycling collection for flats.’

The exhibition is the biggest event for the recycling and waste management industry and takes place on 14th – 15th September.

Leading supermarkets Asda and Marks & Spencer will reveal their strategies for reducing landfill costs and becoming ‘greener’ at the exhibition.

Guest speakers include Jane Bickerstaffe, director, Industry Council for Packaging & the Environment (INCPEN) who suggest how packaging could be improved to help consumers live greener lifestyles, and Mandy Keepax, head of facilities management, Marks & Spencer who will give advice on selecting a waste partner.

Supermarkets currently face environmental issues such as waste management, recycling, and limiting the use of plastic bags, which has become a national obsession.

Phil Burrows from Friends of the Earth Birmingham suggests that the limitation of plastic bags does not make as strong an impact of some of the other lifestyle improvements we can make to help the environment.

“There seems to be a public obsession with saving, limiting and re using plastic bags, but we must focus on comparing the carbon saving of the plastic bag compared to what is actually inside the bag.

We must focus on the rate of consumption and waste, as well as reducing the amount of plastic bags.”

Packaging and food waste are the main concerns for the supermarkets at the exhibition.

The exhibition on 17th September in the Business Seminar Theatre is devoted entirely to retailer concerns.

The exhibition will also feature a live recycling plant on the exhibition floor dealing with various waste streams, an outdoor area and a networking zone.

Find out more at RWM 2010

As part of a pro-active attempt to encourage students to consider the environment, the books recycling bin is an addition to the plastic and paper recycling bins already provided at Birmingham City University.

The bin has been placed in the Baker building, of the City North campus, Perry Barr.

READ International, winner of ‘Best New UK Charity’ in the 2007 Charity Times Awards, is a scheme set up in 2003 by a group of gap year university students that donates books across the world to schools with little resources.

Now there are over 500 student volunteers involved, operating from 22 university sites across the UK.

The scheme was originally started by a group of University students. The scheme has now donated 564,000 books across the world.

The bin has so far only seen itself be filled with empty food wrappers and bottles instead of any books they don’t need and are willing to contribute.

A spokesperson for READ International said:

“After trialling the project out over at Edgbaston campus with great success we decided to expand it over to Perry barr too, there are bins on the first floor in the Students Union, Baker and Edge, floor 6.

So far due to lack of advertisement as we have been waiting for flyers and posters to be printed there has been very little response however hopefully we can turn this around!”

One BCU student, Clare Evans, said:

“The bin is quite small, and the poster is also, so the set up is not too distinctive.

I think it’s a shame that students haven’t respected the scheme, but with more awareness I think it could really work.”

READ International are looking for donations of literature and text books, any books donated that are not appropriate are sold through Better World Books to generate funds to ship books and pay for books produced locally.

Birmingham Recycled will continue to monitor the progress of the scheme at BCU.