In 2015 at COP21 in Paris, it was agreed and became a part of the remit for many governments, that for the next 30 years there HAS to be a reduction in global carbon emissions. 

For this to come to fruition in the future, we cannot only introduce higher rates of carbon tax, invest in public transpo...

We have often heard of the spread of invasive species, plant species like Japanese knotweed in Ireland, for instance. We come up with measures to remove them, so they do not wreak havoc on the local plant species and land.  Yet we have not really considered the most destructive and invasive species ...

As defined by the European Parliament;

“The circular economy is a model of production and consumption, which involves sharing, leasing, reusing, repairing, refurbishing and recycling existing materials and products as long as possible. In this way, the life cycle of products is extended.”

The driv...

It is a place many of us love to be on a sunny day, or on our holidays – by the sea.  Looking out on that beautiful, vast horizon I normally find my problems become minute, but how often does it enter our minds that it is being overwhelmed with plastic pollution?  I fear this problem is very much “o...

Inequality amongst the human race is something that has caused a lot of pain and suffering over the centuries, and unfortunately, injustice continues in present times.

Let’s look to the past to inform our present. The foundations of many of today’s inequities are centuries old and they have remaine...

 At Fifty Shades Greener, we always say that small actions do count, especially when being carried out by many. This blog series will endeavor to highlight those people or communities who are driving REAL action.  

We hope their stories inspire you, and more importantly that they spark hope. 

Our ...

18 months ago, the ‘Work from Home’ movement was building momentum, but for the vast majority of office workers, the concept of having a permanent full time office seemed unlikely.

The pandemic saw something we never thought we would witness in our lifetime, where industry and businesses grounded t...

With the news that soft plastics are now recyclable in Ireland I was left with a lot of questions. 

Firstly, when is my waste company going to let me know about these changes and what I need to do to segregate properly by their guidelines?

Can I start segregating soft plastic in my home bins today...

Lockdown life was and is tough. People do what they can to get through it and one such thing for me, was watching TV in the evening. Escapism was easy and I am privileged to have access to free TV and films. 

Viewing my favourite shows however, I began to notice something that I hadn’t before. The ...

As an online company, a significant amount of our carbon emissions are created “online”. The internet contributes to between 2% and 3.7% of global emissions (ClimateCare),(wholegraindigital.com). A report by Gartner, estimates that PCs and monitors account for around 0.8 percent of global CO2 emissi...

Striving for environmental sustainability in our shopping habits is no easy feat.

I find myself having to make tricky decisions every day of the week.

One of the first problems I encounter personally, is the issue of TIME, or lack of time to be precise.

I am blessed to live in an area where I ...

Recently, we met with Clare Tait, the founder and owner of Chocolatey Clare, an Irish business making a range of luxury confectionary.  The products are vegan-friendly; dairy, gluten and palm-oil free; with ethically sourced, where possible -organic ingredients; and plastic free packaging. 

At Fift...

Have you ever put an item into the wrong bin? Food in landfill, landfill in recycling. Did your brain tell you for a second this is wrong and you still did it?

I know I have, and I am ashamed to admit it but hey, it’s the truth. I worked in the Hospitality Industry and this is a hard paced, busy, ...

At the end of May, our team organised an online event called ‘Generation Tomorrow’ for students in Co. Wicklow and in Nigeria.

The students presented their research and findings on two topics - food waste and water.

Of course we expected differences and this is what made it such a valuable and ins...

The pandemic has sent sanitation and hygiene to stratospheric levels of compliance for the majority of people and businesses. Never have we paid such close attention to what we touch and how we clean to keep ourselves “safe”.

It is no surprise that with such demand, the offer for new products and s...

I have been working as an educator for environmental sustainability for a few years now, and never have I been more disillusioned than in recent times.

I like many others, had confidence and trust in the many “labels” seen on products we consume. ‘Eco-labels’ - Free from Tuna, Sustainable Palm Oil,...

I am a Hospitality professional with an entrepreneurial mind. 

I have worked as a Hotel Manager for 20 years of my life, but I always knew I wanted to do more, I wanted to do something different, something that changed our industry for the better and had a positive impact.

That is why in 2017 I fo...

Utility bills are often looked at solely to see the total cost to be paid and then filed away. 

How many people analyse them to become more energy efficient? Now there are many options in terms of energy providers, and I think it is time that we took a minute to see how they can help us, their cus...

Those who work in the hospitality industry are feeling a shift in perspective post-lockdown in Ireland.  Many have remained with their previous employer and have returned for the new season, but some have moved on to a new business or even a new industry.

This lockdown (#3) has given us all time to...

This is difficult to determine, because there is more than one issue at stake.

In terms of Co2 emission at the production stage, Tetra Pak cartons are the winner, followed by plastic, then aluminium, and surprisingly then glass is the worst.

Glass is the highest producer of carbon emissions becaus...

Over the past number of weeks, as the hospitality has prepared for reopening in both Ireland and the UK, we are constantly hearing from business owners and managers and the difficult they are having in rebuilding their teams.

There are many factors affecting staff retention within hospitality and s...

I am blessed that because of my job, I get to work alongside secondary school students but also the hospitality industry workers, through our Hospitality programmes. 

As an educator, I've always been aware of my own shortcomings. With English being my second language, I've always felt my languag...

I am beyond privileged that my weekly work allows me to meet Hotel teams from all over the world.

There is nothing more satisfying than one of your students surpassing your expectations!

This was exactly the case when I met the team at the Kingsley Hotel in Cork, Ireland. They have recently availe...

It is no secret that Climate Change is the biggest threat to our planet in modern times.

The irony of this colossal problem, is that more than likely it will not be the “adults” of this generation that will suffer the worst effects and consequences, of the current broken systems for safeguarding ou...