Nordgreen Watches: the Scandinavians excel yet again

Alex Gibbon on 7 December 2021

Sleekness, minimalism and functionality appear to be the holy trinity of Nordic design. For a timepiece that boasts all three, look no further than Nordgreen. The Danish watch brand strives for products that are as aesthetically pleasing as they are sustainable. 

For a company that was only founded in 2017, practically fetal in the world of watchmakers, Nordgreen’s range of designs exudes maturity and elegance. This comes as no surprise when you realise that the watches come from the brand’s Chief Designer Jakob Wagner, who has collaborated with major brands such as Bang & Olufson, Hay, B&B Italia, and Cappellini.

The Gryphon was kindly sent a Philosopher model with a black dial and a 5-link chain. The watch itself features a raised and textured chapter ring, containing the slim second and hour markers. Measuring 36mm with a 7.4mm depth, the design is slim enough to not feel gaudy yet eye-catching enough to create a visual impact. What’s more, the angle and dainty size of the lugs mean that the piece fits very comfortably on the wrist.

Aside from the strength of its design, the Copenhagen-based brand is undoubtedly ethically-driven. The ‘green’ in their name is a testament to Nordgreen’s environmental commitment with fully FSC certified packaging and a pledge to ensure that overseas production facilities adhere to the highest standards.

What is most interesting however is the degree to which a Nordgreen customer can dictate the brand’s moral focus. As part of the Giving Back Programme, for each timepiece sold, the brand donates on the buyer’s behalf to one of three causes: providing clean water in the Central African Republic; giving education to children in India; or protecting the rainforests of Latin America. 

So, what’s the overall verdict? Nordgreen is a great choice for a watch with a timeless design from a brand that clearly champions change and innovation. The Scandanavians have done it again!

To see the full range of Nordgreen products, go to: https://nordgreen.co.uk/collections/leather-watch-straps

Note: The Gryphon received a complimentary product from Nordgreen in exchange for an honest review

Living Green: From Almond to Oat – Your Ultimate Guide to Plant-Milks

Alicia Ward on 5 December 2020

In 2019, 32% of UK households bought dairy-free milk. With the prevalence of lactose allergies, the rise in people converting to veganism and increasing awareness of the negative environmental impact of purchasing dairy, it comes as no surprise that more people are going dairy-free. But with all of the different plant milks that are available to buy, from those made with nuts to rice to coconut, which is the best? And what is it that people look for when choosing a plant milk?

Round 1: Cost

Some – especially students – may be swayed by the price when choosing from the huge variety of plant milks that UK supermarkets offer. Based on a litre of Alpro milk at Tesco’s almond, cashew and coconut milk appear to be the most expensive, retailing for £1.70 a carton, with oat and rice following at £1.40 and soya the cheapest at £1.30 a litre.

However, if you’re looking for luxury when choosing a plant milk and can compromise on price, Califia Farms is a brand that sells plant milks infused with sweet flavours like vanilla and even sell litre bottles of chilled coffee made with dairy-free milk. But you may find yourself dishing out a whopping £2.95 for some of these.

A little tip for those wanting to switch to dairy-free milk on a budget is to have a look in the long-life milk section on the shelves in supermarkets, where many sell their own-brand plant milks. For example, Tesco’s own almond milk retails for £1 a litre and their soya milk is just 85p. However, bear in mind that some of the supermarket-own brand milks can taste slightly different to the Alpro versions so you might want to buy a selection to see which you prefer.

Round 2: Taste

Speaking of taste, it is common that plant milks all work well for different uses. PETA UK give recommendations as to which plant milks are best for different things. For tea and other hot drinks, they recommend oat milk. I strongly agree, as oat milk makes a deliciously creamy coffee or hot chocolate. Many people agree that oat milk tastes the closest to cow’s milk in tea and it’s very important for us Brits to get a cup of tea right!

For cereal, almond milk is recommended by PETA. With its light texture and nutty taste, it is great poured over any cereal, especially nutty granola. I personally think almond milk is also great in any chilled drinks like iced coffees or milkshakes.

Soya milk is preferred for baking; with its creamy and sweet taste, it’s a great substitute for cow’s milk in anything from cookies to cakes. Try unsweetened soya for savoury cooking – to make a roux for a dairy-free lasagne – or try coconut milk stirred into a homemade soup for some extra flavour.

Round 3: Health & Nutrition

As some people can be intolerant or allergic to soy, soya milk is not the best health-wise, however, it is the most nutritionally similar to cow’s milk. Soya milk contains as much protein as cow’s milk but is lower in calories, low in saturated fat, cholesterol-free and offers nearly 50% of the daily recommended intake of vitamin b12 (which is generally lacking in a vegan diet).

While it lacks protein, unsweetened almond milk is the lowest-calorie option on the market with just 30 calories a cup, however, this isn’t an option for those with nut allergies. Oat milk is an alternative choice for those with nut or soya allergies but also great for everyone, containing a good amount of protein, being high in fibre and available as a gluten-free option.

Round 4: Environmental Impact

Despite soya milk using four times less water to produce than cow’s milk, two times less land and producing two and a half times less CO2 emissions, there is still a lot of controversy surrounding the effects of soybean farming. The WWF state that ‘behind beef, soy is the second largest agricultural driver of deforestation’, however, 70-75% of the world’s soy is used as feed for livestock and farmed fish. So, if you’re buying soya milk because you are vegan, your contribution to the deforestation caused by soybean farming is already massively reduced.

Despite the downsides of soya milk, it also has its advantages. Soya milk production uses the least amount of water compared to other plant milks, taking just 28 litres to produce 1 litre, compared to the mind-blowing 628 litres that it takes to produce just 1 litre of cow’s milk.

In comparison, almond milk uses half the amount of water as cow’s milk (371 litres) and is the highest out of all the plant milks. Almond cultivation has also had its fair share of controversy. California, which provides 80% of the world’s almonds, frequently experiences droughts which have become increasingly worse over the past decade. It takes 5 litres of water to produce a single almond, meaning that these mass exports are taking away from the local communities.

Winner!

It appears that oat milk comes out on top as the most favourable plant milk. Not only is it suitable for soya and nut allergy sufferers, but can also be gluten-free, has little impact on climate change and deforestation compared to other milks and is one of the cheapest available in UK supermarkets.

Despite this, all plant milks are great alternatives to cow’s milk. Whether you choose to buy them for lifestyle choices, allergies or just because you prefer the taste, each one can offer something different.

Next time someone asks you what the big plant milk hype is about, tell them they really ‘oat’ to know more…

Make this Christmas greener: ways to be kinder to the planet over the festive season.

Alicia Ward on 20 November 2020

Did you know that Christmas is considered ‘the world’s greatest annual environmental disaster’? According to Business Leader, we use 125,000 tonnes of plastic packaging for gifts, with 794,000kg of CO2 being emitted during the production of wrapping paper alone, not to mention the impact of wasted wrapping paper. 

It’s fair to say that Attenborough wouldn’t approve of the continuation of our current festive habits. However, it’s not yet too late for change. Having an environmentally friendly Christmas is so easy with a spoonful of swaps and a pinch of creativity.

Gifts

Conventional Christmas gifts are wrapped in layers of plastic and often discarded after Christmas, with a whopping 40% of children’s toys being thrown away by March every year! It’s so important to make sure that the gifts you’re giving this year also give back to the environment. How about baking festive treats for someone? These can be stored in a glass jar with decorative twine and a homemade paper label – gift packaging that can be reused for years to come. Or buy experiences for those people who are usually so hard to buy for. These could include restaurant vouchers, concert tickets or even a session at a trampolining centre for the kids (that the adults can also join in with). Eco-friendly gifts like a metal water bottle or a keep-cup are great for their long-term impact on the environment. 

For any other green gift ideas check out some amazing UK sites like The Ethical Superstore, The Green Tulip and Plastic Freedom, which stock everything from organic clothing to gorgeous wooden and metal decorations.

Decorations

Speaking of decorations, keep an eye out for items to display around the house during the festive season when you’re on your next winter walk. Evergreen branches, flowers, holly leaves and berries and even dried oranges and cinnamon sticks will make your home feel and smell festive! Decorate the Christmas tree with pinecones on ribbons, punch a hole in polaroid pictures of you and your friends to hang on a branch, or make homemade decorations as a house, or with younger siblings at home. 

This year, my housemates and I have set ourselves a challenge to decorate the Christmas tree with unconventional decorations that we can find around the house. As well as having a laugh together it also makes the decorations personal, rather than the usual red and gold plastic baubles that everyone and their Gran has. 

Gift wrap

Make sure you have the best looking presents this year with the new and greener way to wrap gifts that has become so popular in the last few years. Using brown paper, old newspaper or even cutting up and using the paper shopping bag that you bought the presents in can make your wrapping look rustic and chic, as well as being great for the planet. Get some inspiration on Pinterest and switch up your wrapping with strips of waste-paper, fabric ribbons and decorative flowers and branches. Learn a new skill with the style of Japanese wrapping, Furoshiki: the art of wrapping gifts in a bundle of fabric. 

Cards

Send a virtual video message to your loved ones this year to save on wasted card and paper, or go for another green alternative with seed paper cards. Seed paper can be planted in soil and watered to grow beautiful wildflowers. Not On The High Street are currently selling their eco-friendly seed paper cards in the style of woodland creatures. Each card comes with a little paper hedgehog, squirrel or other animal for the receiver to plant, and it’s only 95p to deliver them anywhere within the UK!

Christmas Dinner

Enjoy an ethical and sustainable Christmas dinner this December with some delicious vegan food. M&S’ vegan Christmas range is unbeatable this year with ‘No-Chorizo pigs in duvets’, their Plant Kitchen butternut, almond and pecan nut roast, and their vegan chocolate torte or sticky toffee pudding for dessert. Other Christmas classics are also very easily made vegan, such as Christmas pudding, roast veg, Yorkshire puddings and gravy. Check out vegan chef Gaz Oakley’s “Vegan Christmas” cookbook and the Vegan Food & Living Magazine Christmas edition – subscribe for a year and receive a £30 voucher for the Vegan Kind Supermarket!

Christmas Tree

If you want the smell of pine needles in the house this Christmas and don’t fancy buying a fake tree (which would have to be used for at least 20 years before it is classed as a greener option) please dispose of your tree wisely once the festive season is over. Residents from LS6 postcodes and 9 other postcodes can book to have their tree collected from the door between 7th and 11th January 2021. Simply visit events.st-gemma.co.uk and choose ‘Christmas Tree Collection’. Alternatively, there are eight different recycling centres in Leeds that accept Christmas trees, including Kirkstall and Meanwood Recycling Centres.

There are also services outside of Leeds that rent out and then replant the trees! Do some research to see if your family could use this service, or for anyone from the Leicester, Coventry and Nottingham areas you can use www.loveachristmastree.co.uk. 

Don’t want the hassle of messy pine leaves but don’t want to support a business selling trees of plastic? Purchase a fake tree that you can reuse for many years to come on Gumtree or from a local charity shop. Or if you and your house see no point in getting a tree for the 3 weeks before you all go home for Christmas, decorate your house plant that has been sitting there bare for 11 months of the year!

Have a greener Christmas this year by being kinder to the planet and your conscience. Whether it’s taking up a new hobby in Furoshiki, having a browse on The Ethical Superstore, or sending cards that can be planted to make wildflowers, make sure you enjoy Christmas this year and send joy to the world!