Protect the ’Pods Campaign Calls for Stronger Animal Welfare Laws

Animal welfare charities have launched a new campaign calling for crabs, lobsters, prawns, octopuses, squid and other sentient sea creatures to receive stronger protection under UK law.

Crustacean Compassion and Compassion in World Farming unveiled the Protect the ’Pods campaign in Westminster, accompanied by a giant lobster and octopus. Colourful stilt walkers helped attract attention as campaigners carried their message across Westminster Bridge and towards Downing Street.

At the heart of the campaign is a striking inconsistency in animal welfare legislation.

Decapod crustaceans, including crabs, lobsters and prawns, and cephalopod molluscs, including octopuses, squid and cuttlefish, are recognised as sentient beings under the Animal Welfare (Sentience) Act 2022. However, they are not currently covered by the Animal Welfare Act 2006.

This means the law acknowledges that these animals can experience pain and suffering without giving them the same practical welfare protection afforded to many other animals.

As the Animal Welfare Act approaches its 20th anniversary, the two charities are urging the Government to “get their Acts together” and close this legal gap.

Dr Ben Sturgeon, chief executive of Crustacean Compassion, said recognition of sentience meant little while the animals remained outside the scope of the main welfare legislation.

“The Sentience Act says they can suffer. The Animal Welfare Act should protect them,” he told That's Green. “It’s time to close the gap, align the Acts and give these animals the protection they deserve.”

James West, chief public affairs manager at Compassion in World Farming, described cephalopods as extraordinary creatures and said scientific evidence concerning their sentience was clear.

“Recognition was an important first step, but now it must lead to meaningful protection,” he told us.

The campaign follows recommendations from the Animal Sentience Committee, which has called for the definition of an animal to be applied consistently throughout relevant legislation. It specifically suggested that using the definition contained within the Sentience Act for the Animal Welfare Act would bring decapods and cephalopods under its protection.

The Government’s Animal Welfare Strategy has also acknowledged that gaps remain in the treatment and protection of these animals.

Through Protect the ’Pods, members of the public are being invited to join the “Pod Squad” and ask the Government to extend the Animal Welfare Act.

The campaign’s message is simple: if the law recognises that an animal can suffer, it should also protect that animal from unnecessary suffering.

Two organisations have united behind one clear demand: it is time to put the ’pods in the Act.

http://www.crustaceancompassion.org

Volunteers Make a Difference on Historic Island I Vow

A dedicated group of volunteers has helped protect both the natural environment and the remarkable history of Island I Vow, near the northern end of Loch Lomond.

On 24 August, Friends of Loch Lomond and the Trossachs joined forces with the Elanvow Preservation Fund for a special Make a Difference, or MAD, day. 

The volunteers travelled to the island, situated opposite the Loch Sloy hydroelectric power station, to tackle non-native invasive plant species which were disrupting its natural ecosystem.

Removing invasive vegetation can give native plants a better opportunity to thrive while helping to protect the wider variety of wildlife which depends upon them. However, conservation work on Island I Vow must be undertaken with particular care because it is also an important archaeological site.

Archaeologist Fiona Baker was present to explain the island’s history and advise volunteers on how the work should be completed without damaging its historical integrity.

Island I Vow, also known as Elanvow or Ellan Vhow, contains the remains of a castle built in 1577 by Andrew Macfarlane, 11th Chief of Clan Macfarlane. Following his support for the future King James VI of Scotland and I of England at the Battle of Langside, Andrew was awarded a new crest and motto.

The crest showed a demi-savage holding a sheaf of arrows in one hand while pointing towards the royal crown with the other. This gave Clan Macfarlane its famous motto: “This I’ll Defend.”

King James is said to have later visited the island, a connection remembered in the Scottish proverb concerning “Macfarlane’s Geese”. 

Island I Vow became the seat of Clan Macfarlane after Inveruglas was burned by forces loyal to Oliver Cromwell during the mid-17th century. It remained the clan’s seat through the end of that century.

John Urquhart, chairman of Friends of Loch Lomond and the Trossachs, described the MAD day as another “huge success” for the charity. He also paid tribute to project officer Lloyd Weir, for whom the event was his final duty before leaving to explore new career opportunities abroad. Blair Wilson-Scott will replace him and help lead the charity’s work within the National Park.

Thanks were also given to the Ardlui Hotel for providing packed lunches and use of its marina, and to Loch Lomond Leisure for supplying a boat and skipper at a heavily reduced rate.

The Elanvow Preservation Fund works to study, preserve and maintain the island’s 16th-century castle, buildings and archaeological remains, alongside other sites connected with Clan Macfarlane.

https://www.lochlomondtrossachs.org.uk

Quick-Step pioneers fully recyclable laminate flooring

Laminate flooring has long been valued for its durability, affordability and ability to reproduce the appearance of natural wood. 

However, recycling it at the end of its useful life has remained a significant challenge for the flooring industry.

Quick-Step says it has now become the first flooring manufacturer to develop technology capable of fully recycling laminate flooring. 

The new process allows material from old floors to be recovered and used in the manufacture of new ones, helping to establish a more circular approach to flooring production.

At the heart of most laminate flooring is high-density fibreboard, commonly known as HDF. Quick-Step’s recycling process makes it possible to recover this material from discarded flooring and transform it into new HDF panels. These panels can then be used as the core of future laminate floors.

This floor-to-floor recycling system could help reduce the amount of laminate sent for disposal while also lowering demand for new raw materials. Quick-Step aims to include up to 20% recycled content in its laminate flooring by 2030.

Recycling is only part of the company’s approach. Extending the working life of flooring is equally important, as a product which remains in use for decades does not need to be replaced as frequently.

Quick-Step’s new Impressive and Impressive Designs collections have therefore been engineered for longevity. They feature a highly resistant wear layer, waterproof construction and a lifetime warranty, allowing homeowners to enjoy their flooring for longer before recycling becomes necessary.

The company also uses recovered wood in its manufacturing. The HDF core in every Quick-Step laminate floor is made using wood obtained from sources including sawmill by-products, forest management and roadside maintenance. Around 80% of each laminate plank is wood, giving material which might otherwise be discarded another useful purpose.

Repairability can further extend the lifespan of a floor. Quick-Step’s patented Uniclic and Unizip installation systems allow individual damaged planks to be removed and replaced without requiring the entire floor to be lifted. This can help homeowners repair a particular area rather than replace a complete room.

No manufactured product is entirely without an environmental impact, but designing flooring to last, making it repairable and recovering its materials at the end of its life are valuable steps towards reducing waste.

If the technology can be adopted successfully on a large scale, Quick-Step’s innovation could set an important new standard for the wider flooring industry.

https://www.quick-step.co.uk

Take the Plunge for Wildlife at Abseil for Animals 2026

Individuals and businesses are being invited to step outside their comfort zones and descend one of Sussex’s most striking natural landmarks while raising vital funds for animals in need.

International Animal Rescue’s Abseil for Animals 2026 will take place at Peacehaven Cliffs on Saturday 26 September, shortly before World Animal Day in October.

Under the supervision of professional instructors, participants will abseil 115 feet down Peacehaven’s iconic chalk cliffs. The exhilarating challenge is open to individuals as well as companies searching for an unusual and worthwhile team-building experience.

For workplace teams, the event offers an opportunity to leave everyday pressures behind, build trust and support colleagues as they face the challenge together. International Animal Rescue can allocate time slots to corporate groups, allowing colleagues to complete their descents together and cheer one another on.

Companies can enter a single team or invite employees from across the organisation to participate. They may also match the money raised by staff, establish a company-wide target or encourage some friendly competition between departments.

International Animal Rescue President Alan Knight OBE told That's Green: “Nobody sets off to climb a 115ft cliff feeling confident! Having your colleagues next to you, cheering you on and taking on the same challenge really brings you together. It’s about trust, support and celebrating your achievements together.

“It’s a fantastic way to invest in your people, bring colleagues closer together and show your customers you care about animals worldwide.”

Phily Day from International Animal Rescue, who has previously completed the abseil, described the experience as beneficial to her mental health and wellbeing.

“It was nerve-wracking standing over the edge of that liff, but once I went, I knew I could do it,” she said. “When I reached the bottom, I felt such a sense of achievement. It was a nice reminder that we can achieve far more than we think, especially when we have other people encouraging us.”

Registration costs £15, and every participant is asked to raise at least £125 in sponsorship. Everyone taking part will receive an official International Animal Rescue T-shirt, while members of the charity’s team will be at Peacehaven to offer encouragement throughout the day.

Money raised will support International Animal Rescue’s work with community projects around the world. This includes rescuing animals from suffering, providing veterinary treatment and rehabilitation, and helping to protect endangered wildlife and threatened habitats.

To learn more or register for the challenge, visit International Animal Rescue’s adrenaline challenges page https://www.internationalanimalrescue.org

New global database maps more than 800 businesses helping to make reuse mainstream

REUSE Foundation has launched REUSE.IQ, a free global database featuring more than 800 reuse and circular economy businesses helping reduce single-use plastic waste worldwide.

Could reuse, rather than recycling alone, provide one of the most practical answers to the world's growing plastic waste problem?

UK-registered charity REUSE Foundation is hoping to make the organisations working on that solution much easier to discover with the launch of REUSE.IQ, a free, publicly searchable database covering more than 800 reuse and circular-economy businesses around the world.

The database brings together reuse operators, consumer goods innovators and businesses developing alternatives to the familiar "use it once and throw it away" model.

That includes refillable packaging, reusable containers, rental services and take-back schemes – all approaches designed to prevent plastic becoming waste in the first place.

The need for alternatives is clear. According to the OECD, only around 9% of plastic waste was ultimately recycled globally in 2019. With worldwide plastic production continuing to increase, recycling by itself is unlikely to provide the complete answer.

REUSE Foundation argues that greater emphasis needs to be placed on reuse and the circular economy.

REUSE.IQ has therefore been developed to provide researchers, businesses, policymakers, funders and consumers with a clearer picture of what is already happening.

Each database entry includes information such as an organisation's location, business model, main category, year founded and ownership status. Information is drawn from public sources and cross-checked by the Foundation's research team.

Users can search and filter the information, switch between card and table views and explore a map showing where reuse initiatives are operating around the world.

Greg Hewitt, Chair of Action on Plastic UK, believes the database could become particularly useful as Deposit Return Schemes (DRS) and Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) develop.

He said it could help businesses find solutions that allow them to reduce their dependence on single-use plastic and embrace circular-economy principles.

Importantly, REUSE.IQ isn't being presented as a finished project.

It has launched in public beta as a living, community-verified resource. Businesses and members of the public can suggest organisations that should be included, report errors or corrections and express an interest in contributing more detailed case studies.

Roger Sharp, Trustee of REUSE Foundation, told That's Green "until now anyone attempting to understand the global reuse movement has effectively had to piece it together from scratch".

By bringing hundreds of initiatives into one searchable resource, REUSE.IQ could help demonstrate just how much innovation is already taking place.

For those of us who want to see less single-use plastic, that's encouraging. Recycling remains important, but perhaps the greener question increasingly needs to be: why throw something away at all when it could be reused?

REUSE.IQ is free to search at the REUSE Foundation website.

https://www.reusefoundation.org

That's Food and Drink: Put the Matches and Lighters Away: This Is Not the...

That's Food and Drink: Put the Matches and Lighters Away: This Is Not the...: At That’s Food and Drink, we love outdoor dining. Ordinarily, few things are more enjoyable than gathering around a barbecue on a summer eve...

That's Books and More: Land of the Buffalo: A Powerful Portrait of Surviv...

That's Books and More: Land of the Buffalo: A Powerful Portrait of Surviv...: Just 150 years ago, the wild American buffalo came perilously close to disappearing from the face of the Earth. An estimated 60 million of t...