Newark & Notts environmental innovations

This weekend sees the Southside onlocation team at the superlative Newark & Notts agricultural show where the following is just one of the many delights on offer
Newark & Nottinghamshire Agricultural Society’s latest initiative, an Environment Village within its County Show, has had an exceptionally pleasing take up by exhibitors, say the organisers. Over 30 trade stands, displays and hospitality areas have signed up to the village which will be officially opened by the Rt Hon John Gummer MP on the first day of the show, to be held next weekend (10 & 11 May).

Five major sponsors, led by Newark & Sherwood District Council with support from the Environment Agency, Forestry Commission, Nottinghamshire County Council and Severn Trent Water, has generated a growing interest from exhibitors. Working on the themes of Earth, Fire, Water, Transport and General Recycling/Sustainability, the village encompasses a variety of information areas, interactivity, education and practical ideas that visitors can use at home to help protect the environment as well as reduce their fuel bills.

Turning waste into compost, reusing water, solar powered energy, wood burners, electric vehicles and using hemp or jute bags instead of plastic carriers are all practical methods that can be introduced into our daily lives.

New product innovations, such as eco-friendly bio-fuel briquettes, recycling discarded rubber tyres into rubber crumb for play areas and using reed beds for sewerage disposal as well as automatic passive detector lighting and heating valves will be on display.

Newark & Sherwood District Council’s Emergency Planning Coordinator, Mark Henry, said: “We are very pleased that the Environment Village has been embraced so well by all the organisations and companies attending the show. We hope this is the first step in an ongoing initiative and congratulate the Newark & Nottinghamshire Agricultural Society for this enterprising idea and taking it forward.”

The council will be bringing its Emergency Planning & Flooding and Recycling Waste Management stands to the show, as well as its Climate Change Bus, an information point for climate change and energy saving practices.

In support is the Environment Agency. Jayne Widdowson from the Environment Agency said: “We are delighted to be attending the Newark and Nottinghamshire County Show. We look forward to visitors on our stand in the new Environment Village, which will be located at the Red Gate Main Entrance.

“There, they can have a chat to experts from our Flood Incident Management Team and Environment Crime Team; this will be innovative, educational and fun. We will also be promoting World Environment Day - visitors can tell us what they’re doing to adapt to climate change and receive a free giveaway”.

Among the many exhibitors creating additional interest to the show will be Phoenix Fuels, a group of Nottinghamshire-based fresh produce, cereal and oilseed producers and technical engineers who will be launching their Green Dragon Fuel at the show. It is the only Rapeseed fuel in briquette form available in the UK and a proven environmentally friendly alternative to both wood and coal.

The striking, almost luminescent green briquettes burn three times longer than wood, give off twice the heat and are ideal for all solid fuel burning appliances including boilers, stoves and open fires.

Green Dragon Fuel briquettes will be on sale in re-usable hemp bags, designed especially for the show. Visitors also have an opportunity to win a month’s supply of Green Dragon Fuel briquettes. Showing that it’s not all about generating warmth, a bio-fuel converted Audi A6 will be parked at the stand, all ready to run on Phoenix Fuel.

The group’s hospitality tent will feature a TV-screen presentation by Phoenix Fuels’ technical engineer Ben Guy - Our Story: A Working Vision, looking at the Agri-fuel production process and its role in the environment