Soil Association Organic Fortnight - 6th to 21st September 2008

The Soil Association Organic Fortnight takes place from September 6th to 21st and sees people across Britain celebrating all things organic.

During the fortnight, individuals, businesses and communities will be hosting events to raise awareness of the environmental, health and social benefits of organic production. The campaign also gives everyone a chance to enjoy organic products from delicious food and drink to beauty and textiles.

Events will be taking place all over the country from organic breakfasts at work and farm open days to organic cookery lessons in schools and organic fashion shows. Click here to find an event near you.

The message this year is ‘Love Your Planet, Choose Organic’. Amidst growing concerns about climate change and food security, Soil Association Organic Fortnight provides a chance to look at why organic production - fashion, beauty, food and farming - is better for the planet.

The fortnight kicks off with the Soil Association Organic Food Festival, Europe’s largest celebration of organic, 6-7 September 2008, at Bristol Harbourside and closes on a high with the Soil Association Scotland's Organic Food Festival on 20-21 September.

The Soil Association website is packed with more information about the fortnight, including how you can get involved, a list of scheduled events plus the facility to tell others about any events you are planning yourself. The website also includes details of how to order campaign material for any events you choose to run plus information on how schools can also get involved in the fortnight.

Visit www.soilassociation.org/organicfortnight for full details.

WIN! £1000 to spend on organic produce!

InstantWin4Now.co.uk are giving you the chance to win a massive £1000 to spend on organic food to feed all the family and help to keep them fit and healthy! For your chance to win, click here!

WIN! a Kitchen Composter Kit!

Turn all your food waste into perfect compost and plant feed with this amazing Kitchen Composter Kit!

CLICK HERE FOR YOUR CHANCE TO WIN!

The Kitchen Composter takes all your kitchen waste and turns it into rich garden compost and liquid plant feed. Never again will a scrap of food waste have to go into your bin!

The Kitchen Composter can take it all - raw or cooked food, meat, salad and veg, fish and more. Simply put it all into the composter, add a handful of Bokashi bran (included) which stimulates the micro-organisms into action and then just wait a few weeks for the whole lot to turn into perfect material to go onto your compost heap or straight onto your flower beds.

The container is air-tight so can be kept indoors or outdoors without fear of any nasty odours or hygiene problems so it's perfect for keeping in the kitchen, right where you need it.

The competition is open until 11pm on September 22nd and is free to enter to anyone who registers with the Big Green Switch website. Other terms & conditions apply.

So click here for your chance to win this brilliant kitchen composter kit!

Back to school - eco-style!!

Get kitted out for the new school year with this fantastic set of recycled stationery and notebooks!

CLICK HERE FOR YOUR CHANCE TO WIN!

Whether you're sending the kids back to school or simply wanting to stock up on supplies for your home or office, this set of recycled staionery has everything you need!

The prize pack includes:

A Remarkable^TM "I used to be a car tyre" recycled notebook

Two plain recycled notepads

A water-powered calculator

Remarkable^TM recycled car tyre pencil case

Recycled Remarkable^TM ball point and handwriting pens

Pack of 10 Remarkable^TM recycled pencils

Pack of Remarkable^TM recycled colouring pens

Remarkable^TM ringbinder and A4 document wallet made from recycled retail packaging

Remarkable^TM recycled polystyrene ruler

The competition is open until 11pm on September 15th and is free to enter to anyone who registers with the Big Green Switch website. Other terms & conditions apply.

So click here for your chance to win this fantastic set of recycled stationery!

WIN! £300 worth of your favourite eco-products!

The Big Green Shop Eco Shopping Spree competition is back by popular demand!

Once again, we're giving you the chance to win eco-friendly gifts, gadgets and goodies of your choice from the Big Green Shop - and this time, there are £300 worth of products up for grabs!!

Simply take a look through the Shop and build yourself a dream Shopping List of all the great things you'd love to buy from it up to the total value of £300. We'll then pick one of our visitors' Shopping Lists at random - and pay for everything on the winning list!*

It's a great chance to bag yourself a range of clever energy-saving gadgets to help you to save energy and money on your bills or perhaps you'll choose to pamper yourself with a host of organic and natural body and skincare products?

Whatever eco friendly products you're interested in, this is your chance to scoop a huge shopping basket full of brilliant eco-friendly goodies you really want.

How to take part:

	Firstly, you need to register and log-in to the Big Green Shop. New users can register here while existing users of either the Big Green Switch or Big Green Shop sites can log in here. (Your usual Big Green Switch log in details will work fine on the Shop - there's no need to re-register).
	After you've logged in, click on the "My Shopping Lists" option on your account page and create yourself a new shopping list called "£300 shopping spree list".**
	Now you're ready to start browsing around the Big Green Shop site to discover a whole range of great products to help support a greener lifestyle. As you find products that you would like to be included in your possible prize pack, simply click the "Add to Shopping List" option for that product. When prompted, tick to add the product to your existing "£300 shopping spree list" and click done.
	Continue browsing and adding products to your list until you've reached between £280 and £300 worth of items (Take care not to exceed £300 or your entry will not count). You can view the running total value at the top of your list by choosing the "View List" option after adding an item to it or by clicking on "My Account" and then "My Shopping Lists". Then all you have to do is sit back and relax! At the end of the promotion, we'll be picking one list at random and paying for all the items on it for the lucky winner.*
So click here to register/log in and start building your dream Shopping List of great green products! * Terms & Conditions apply

Free your bike this summer

It might be stating the obvious but cycling is good for you, good for the planet, it's fast, it's convenient, it gives you freedom and independence, it takes you from door to door – and it's fun.

A recent survey conducted by Sustran shows that 44 per cent of women have access to a bike but three quarters of them never use a bike at all.

The reasons women don't cycle vary from their concerns about safety to the problems of what to wear and the weather. Sustrans, who have been developing the National Cycle Network for the past three decades, believe that a combination of dedicated cycle lanes and good information on how and where to cycle are two key elements that would increase the number of women cyclists to European levels. In the Netherlands 32 per cent of women's trips are made by bike.

Sustainable transport charity Sustrans is encouraging more people, men and women, to get out and about on two wheels and is offering free tailored information packs to help people do just that. The pack is full of great ideas for rides in your region and comes with plenty of information to help you get more from cycling.

Sustrans is the charity behind many practical and innovative projects that help people travel in ways that benefit their health and the environment, including the National Cycle Network, 12,000 miles of people-friendly walking and cycling routes around the UK. Many are on traffic-free paths or quiet roads, perfect for families and anyone new to cycling. Over 75% of people in the UK live within two miles of the National Cycle Network so there’s sure to be a route near you.

To claim your free information pack from Sustrans visit www.freeyourbike.org.uk or call 0845 113 00 65

Great cycling prizes up for grabs!
We've teamed up with competition website InstantWin4Now to give you the chance to win a selection of great cycles. Click on the links below to visit the InstantWin4Now website for your chance to win!

	Instantly WIN an Apollo Men's Town & Trail Bike Available in 21" or 18" frames, this Men's Town and Trail Bike has an Aluminium frame, 21 speed gears, powerful aluminium V-brakes and Gel saddle for added comfort.
	Instantly WIN a Raleigh Pioneer Ladies Bicycle Perfect for city riding and leisurely cruises along country lanes, this ladies Raleigh cycle is designed to be functional, solid and reliable.
	Instantly WIN an Apollo folding bicycle With a lightweight aluminium frame, this Folding Bicycle has an easy folding mechanism allowing you to go from cyclist to pedestrian in seconds - perfect for green commuting!
	Instantly WIN a super cool Trikke bike! The Trikke is an excellent eco friendly alternative for nipping around town and it even folds up so you can easily carry it through shops, university or on the tube!

WIN! a fab energy saving Eco Kettle!

Make your kitchen more eco-friendly and save on your energy bills with the Eco Kettle!

CLICK HERE FOR YOUR CHANCE TO WIN!

The innovative Eco Kettle has a unique double chamber that allows you to measure out exactly how much water you want to boil, saving electricity, water, money and time, making it better for the planet.

The Eco Kettle will boil a cup of water in around 30 seconds so it uses far less electricity and makes a fast cuppa and uses 30% less energy than standard kettles.

The Eco Kettle has been approved by the Good Housekeeping Institute and is recommended by Powergen as a pioneering product in the battle to save energy in the nation's homes.

The competition is open until 11pm on September 1st and is free to enter to anyone who registers with the Big Green Switch website. Other terms & conditions apply.

So click here for your chance to win this brilliant energy saving Eco Kettle!

WIN! a portable Freeplay Summit Wind-up Radio!

Win a Freeplay Summit Radio and listen to music around the house, in the garden or wherever you are!

CLICK HERE FOR YOUR CHANCE TO WIN!

The Freeplay Summit Radio is a compact multi-band radio, which combines unparalled sound quality with the reliability of multiple power sources.

The Freeplay Summit Radio is compact and portable but still provides great sound quality when not used with headphones.

Features include: Wind-up, Solar, and Rechargable power options, 4 wave bands (FM, AM, SW, LW) Digital tuning, 30 station presets, LCD digital display panel, Clock and Alarm.

Wind-up power is created by an AC alternator driven by the crank handle. Alternatively, you can charge it using solar power via the thin, sleek panel on the top of the radio.

The competition is open until 11pm on August 18th and is free to enter to anyone who registers with the Big Green Switch website. Other terms & conditions apply.

So click here for your chance to win this brilliant Freeplay wind-up radio!

WIN! £100 worth of eco goodies of your choice!

Discover the savings that you could make by living a greener lifestyle - and you could win £100 worth of eco friendly goodies of your choice!*

With the cost of living continues to rise, seemingly by the week, there's never been a better time to take steps to reduce some of your household bills.

By living a smarter, greener lifestyle, you'll not only be doing your bit for the environment and reducing your carbon footprint, you'll also stand to save a small fortune on your household bills at the same time!

We've pulled together 16 simple carbon-cutting ideas that will help you reduce your bills while also slicing a chunk off your carbon footprint. Collectively the tips could save you over £600 per year!

Size Up The Savings for your chance to WIN!

1) On each of the tip pages listed below, you'll see the "Size Up The Savings" piggy bank panel containing details of just how much a typical UK household could save in a year by carrying out that tip.

2) Take a look at each tip and make a note of the money-saving amount listed for each one. Once you've looked at them all, you then need to work out which three of the actions have the biggest money saving potential. (Of course, you could just guess - but we think you may be surprised by the actual answer!)

3) When you've got your top 3 money-savers worked out, click here to complete the Size Up The Savings entry form with the details.

All correct entries will then be entered into our draw to win £100 worth of eco friendly gifts and gadgets of your choice from Ethical Superstore.*

Our 16 "Size Up The Savings" money-saving tips...

	Switch equipment off fully instead of leaving it in standby mode			Choose top-rated energy efficient models when replacing old kitchen appliances
	Install cavity wall insulation to stop heat escaping through walls			Turn down your heating thermostat by a single degree
	Insulate your loft to stop heat escaping through your roof			Foil-back your radiators to reflect heat back into the room
	Wash your laundry at 30oC rather than at higher temperatures			Fit draught-excluders to any breezy doors or windows
	Cut your tumble dryer time by 25% by using dryer balls			Only boil as much water as you need when making a cuppa
	Fit an insulation jacket to your hot water tank to keep your water hotter for longer			Cut out one washing machine load per week by doing fewer, fuller washes
	Ditch chemical cleaning products in favour of natural alternatives			Replace your standard light bulbs with low energy equivalents
	Fit a Savaplug to your fridge to reduce its energy consumption			Improve your car's fuel efficiency by leaving the air conditioning off and keeping windows closed

Click here to complete the Size Up The Savings entry form for your chance to win!

* Terms & conditions apply

WIN! a pair of cool recycled Grolsch bottle goblets!

Enjoy your summer drinks in style with this pair of goblets made from recycled Grolsch bottles!

CLICK HERE FOR YOUR CHANCE TO WIN!

These great environmentally friendly goblets are made from the iconic 450ml swing top Grolsch beer bottle, transformed into stylish and unique drinking glasses.

Grolsch goblets take recycling to the next level. They are made by first cutting away the base of the bottle, polishing the edges and then bonding the base to the neck to form the foot. Hey presto, an upside down beer bottle glass!

As the glasses aren't melted down, they save 90% of the energy normally used to make recycled glass.

Drinking from them is a delight and they'll make for a great talking point at your next party or summer barbeque!

The competition is open until 11pm on August 4th and is free to enter to anyone who registers with the Big Green Switch website. Other terms & conditions apply.

So click here for your chance to win these brilliant recycled Grolsch goblets!

Big Green Switch wins 'Campaign for Change' award

Big Green Switch was last night named the winner of the Campaign for Change category in the New Statesman New Media Awards.

The website, which aims to empower people to make choices that help them live a greener life, was launched in May 2007 by Associated Northcliffe Digital’s Derby-based new product development division.

White-labelled versions of the website have been created for several of AND’s sister regional newspaper websites in the Northcliffe group including the Leicester Mercury, Derby Telegraph, Nottingham Post, Bristol Post, The Sentinel and the Western Daily Press.

Big Green Switch’s carbon footprint calculator and a tip of the day feature are also carried on the DMGT-owned Metro website.

Big Green Switch offers independent information and advice for those who want to be more environmentally-friendly and encourages visitors to share their own ideas and experiences via community message boards, comment panels and blogs.

Site manager Steve Allen said: “Our aim is to encourage people to learn about being green without feeling pressured or lectured. The emphasis is on achievable ideas which are easy to put into practice. ‘Start small and do more when you are ready’, is the key message.

“We are delighted to have won the award for Campaign for Change and proud to be recognised for having created what we feel is a clear, fair and positive information portal where anyone can find all the advice and knowledge they need.

“We would like to thank users for their continued support and daily website interaction which has helped us to build this online green community.”

The site also includes tools and features such as a green products shop, environmental jobs search engine and a directory of other green websites, businesses and organisations.

Judges decided that out of all the entrants in the Campaign for Change category, Big Green Switch had most effectively influenced opinions and behaviour through the use of new media technology. It championed a cause and provided information and tools to instigate change, they believed.

Big Green Switch currently receives about 45,000 unique visitors a month who between them look at about 300,000 pages.

The prestigious annual New Statesman awards, now in their 10th year, aim to highlight the positive impact of new media technology on public life. Big Green Switch received its award at a ceremony in central London.