THE OUTLOOK #62

#62 - phenomenal fashion, tremendous trees and upcycle upgrades.

PEOPLE

The UK’s most extensive exhibition of African Fashion

A brand new exhibition at London's V&A Museum is ‘shining a light on trailblazing African designers’ and celebrating their influence within modern day fashion. It is hoped that the exhibition will spark ‘a regeneration of the geography’ within the industry. After a year and a half of planning this exciting exhibition is now open to the public to celebrate the creatives of African fashion.

PLANET

New hope for Britain’s ancient trees

In an exciting new study carried out by Nottingham University, evidence suggests that there could be more than 2 million ancient and veteran trees in the UK - 10 times more than originally thought. Not only do these beautiful wildlife havens provide researchers with evidence of historic land, but each ancient tree also has more biodiversity than a thousand 100-year-old oaks.

PRACTICE

Upcycling is when you take an existing item and turn it into something else, giving it a new life. By repurposing items you already have at home, you are living a more sustainable lifestyle by reducing unnecessary waste.

The average UK family throws away 6 trees worth of paper per year, but over two thirds of this could be recycled.

For our first upcycling project we are going to turn old toilet paper tubes into biodegradable plant pots.

Things you will need (don’t worry, you will most likely have these things at home already) :

Toilet paper tubes
Soil
Plant/flower seeds of your choice
Any household tray
Scissors
Water

Method:
Start by cutting the paper tubes in half horizontally. Then line them all up inside your designated tray. Fill each of the tubes with soil and plant a seed within each roll. Spray them with water to keep the seeds hydrated (Careful not to overwater). After a few days, your seeds will have sprouted! Now it's time to transfer your new plants into a larger area, keep them inside the tubes to keep all the roots intact and prevent them from getting damaged. The tubes will biodegrade so there’s no need to remove them from the soil