CUT A DASH WITH GRASS CARRIER BAGS

British clothing brand Weird Fish, which has its headquarters in Tewkesbury, has introduced grass paper carrier bags into its retail network – a major step forward in the company’s “The Only Way Is Ethics” sustainable policy.

The grass paper bags will replace singleuse plastic carrier bags in Weird Fish stores. The company is the first UK retailer to put grass paper bags across its entire retail network.

Grass paper is a pulp-based product consisting of at least 30 per cent grass fibres. No chemicals are used in the production of grass pulp and the production process is more water and energy efficient. The raw material production uses up to 75 per cent less CO2 emissions compared to wood pulp.

John Stockton, Managing Director of Weird Fish, said: “While we appreciate that we still have a long way to go as a

“By continuing to take these relatively small but important steps, we become ever closer to reaching our goals” company to be able to say we are a completely sustainable brand, by continuing to take these relatively small but important steps, we become ever closer to reaching our goals.”

The Weird Fish sustainable policy, introduced last year, has already rolled out a number of initiatives, including the introduction of sustainable fabrics within the clothing range, including Tencel, bamboo and linen, and providing fabric offcuts, old trims and spare parts to fashion university departments to recycle into clothing.

Weird Fish has 17 branded stores nationally and more than 1,400 stockists across the UK.

Gloucestershire County Council is expected to begin the search for a highways contractor to deliver £22 million of transport improvements, considered vital to support the UK Cyber Business Park planned for West Cheltenham.

The county council is a key partner in the Cyber Business Park plan which includes the development of 45 hectares of employment land to support companies bringing skilled cyber jobs to the area.

The four phases of the transport scheme have an estimated total value of £22 million.

A sum of £13.7 million will be initially allocated by the county council to carry out phases one and two.

The funding for the scheme is coming from the Gloucestershire First Local Enterprise Partnership (GFirst LEP) Growth Deal and is subject to its approval of a full business case.

Gloucestershire County Council was asked to take the scheme on from Cheltenham Borough Council following a GFirst LEP board meeting last year, thanks to the council’s successful delivery of a number of major transport projects.

National UK cycling charity Cycling Projects has joined forces with Gloucesterbased trike manufacturer Tomcat SNI Ltd to design an affordable range of trikes.

The result is “The Dragon”, a quality, robust, stable and affordable single speed trike for independent teenagers and adults weighing up to 125kg.

Tomcat is one of the largest suppliers of special needs tricycles in the UK, building an average of 700 tricycles for children and adults of all abilities year on year.

Ian Tierney, Charity Director said: “We first started talking to Tomcat six months previously about collaborating on a trike design that better suits our end users.

“Using our years of expertise and insight of inclusive cycling sessions we recognised what was lacking in our existing trike provisions.

“We combined this with Tomcat’s skill and innovative design capabilities to produced a trike that everybody wants to ride.”