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SEX and style still sell in the multi-billion-pound trainer industry – but for many consumers, footwear now has to save the planet too. For decades, big brands have been leaving a huge carbon footprint , with six billion pairs produced annually — 90 per cent of which end up in landfill and take up to 1,000 years to degrade. That is why the biggest names have spent vast sums on glossy adverts featuring beautiful people in beautiful locations wearing “eco” goods made with recycled materials. But a new documentary on Channel 4 on Monday reveals how it is merely “greenwashing” designed to make the likes of Nike and Adidas more money — and far from reducing the production of plastic, they could actually be boosting it. Reporter Darcy Thomas said: “With consumers more environmentally aware than ever, trainer brands have promised to clean up their act. Slick promos create a vision of an eco-friendly future. “When it comes to protecting the environment, every trainer brand … [Read more...] about How trainers using ‘recycled’ plastic from big brands like Adidas and Nike could actually be making the planet worse

It turns out there's been a design revolution going on right under our noses – though you could be forgiven for having missed it. For thousands of years, we made things by either carving or casting them; after the Industrial Revolution, it was all about mass production. But since the early 1990s, a new way of forging objects has developed: 3D printing, also known as additive manufacturing. Essentially, anything you can design or model digitally on a computer can be "printed" in successive layers of material to form a whole object. Virtually anything you can imagine, you can create – from earrings or shoes to an aeroplane or even a house. And instead of a factory-based production line, it's all about the one-off, tweaked to exact specifications. Originally used for rapid prototyping – the standard for making architectural scale models for years – 3D printing is set to change the way we approach design and construction. Scrap that; it already has: from making car parts to hearing aids … [Read more...] about Object lesson: How the world of decorative art is being revolutionised by 3D printing

Have you ever seen those tiny little bookshelves in people’s gardens encouraging you to leave an old book and take one that you haven’t read? These are outdoor libraries, and they are great way to encourage reading in your local community, and to rehome old books in a sustainable way. And one savvy DIY-lover has shared how she was able to make her own outdoor library – and use it to improve visibility specifically for writers of colour. Crystal Norbert used her homemade library as the starting point to launch See Me On The Page – a community project that encourages the visibility of Black and Black mixed-race lead characters in books in the borough of Hackney, London . ‘By introducing and promoting these books, we want to develop the self-esteem of those who do not ordinarily see characters that look like themselves in print and encourage children and young people to acknowledge and celebrate their differences whilst also promoting reading,’ says Crystal. ‘Our aim is to … [Read more...] about Woman builds adorable DIY outdoor libraries featuring books by people of colour

JUST suck it up, folks! Live off the cash you’ve stuffed under the mattress during lockdown. And don’t ask for a pay rise. This seems to be bungling Bank of England boss Andrew Bailey ’s message to 28million households facing the biggest cost-of-living crisis in most people’s lives. Workers should “think and reflect” before asking for bigger wages to pay the soaring bills, suggested the £575,000-a-year governor. Bailey , an unpopular choice for the top job, is blamed by MPs for being “asleep at the wheel” as inflation took off last year to among the highest in the industrialised world. Alongside him in the dock is £330,000-a-year Ofgem chief Jonathan Brearley who failed to protect consumers from 31 high-risk pop-up “energy companies” which have crashed in the last year, adding £2.6BILLION to fuel bills. Now he has imposed a controversial new energy cap denounced yesterday by money-saving expert Martin Lewis as a “f***ing disgrace” . READ MORE ON … [Read more...] about The obscenely paid bosses of the Bank of England and Ofgem have let down Britain at a time we need them most

May 13, 2021 - 18:12 BST Kelly Ripa’s star-print leggings are perfect for summer workouts - and we found out where to shop them. Kelly Ripa ’ s girl boss chic style always makes us swoon, but the daytime TV host turned heads in a different way when she popped up in the cutest leggings. SHOP: Kelly Ripa sends fans wild in a red hot skirt - and we found the best dupe for $20 During a workout segment with her co-host, Ryan Seacrest and fitness guru Jillian Michaels, the Live With Kelly and Ryan star dazzled in black Ultracor leggings topped with a purple star print. Kelly completed the look with a purple sweatshirt. Kelly Ripa looked incredible in her Ultracor star-print leggings We loved her leggings and tracked them down on Ultracor. The brand’s Lux Knockout Leggings are a celebrity favorite and are made of high-stretch compression fabric. They also have built-in shapewear to provide an instant butt lift … [Read more...] about Kelly Ripa’s chic star-print leggings are perfect for summer workouts

Anne Hathaway dazzles in stunning white bejewelled print co-ord at Cannes 2022 Anne Hathaway, 39, looked the image of beauty as she took to the red carpet this evening in France. (Image: GETTY) Sign up for FREE for the latest news from the world of showbiz SUBSCRIBE Invalid email We use your sign-up to provide content in ways you've consented to and to improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and 3rd parties based on our understanding. You can unsubscribe at any time. More info Anne Hathaway, 39, looked the image of beauty as she took to the red carpet this evening in France. The actress stunned in a white ensemble which featured a bandeau top, arm detailing forming a bow on her back and a floor length skirt. This bow fell to the floor, leaving a trail element to her chosen outfit. At closer look of the co-ord, Anne stood out as her ensemble featured bejewelled white sequins. Anne looked youthful as she opted for minimal … [Read more...] about Anne Hathaway dazzles in stunning white bejewelled print co-ord at Cannes 2022

She is expecting her first child with her husband Alex in June. And Olivia Bowen looked every inch the gorgeous mother-to-be as she showcased her growing baby bump in an animal print dress on Instagram. The Incredible: Olivia Bowen looked every inch the gorgeous mother-to-be as she showcased her growing baby bump in an animal print dress on Instagram Not long left! Captioning the string of snaps, she wrote: 'Weekend vibes for me now include dressing up, going to the pub & then falling asleep for four hours after' Her blonde tresses were artfully tousled, as she sported a full face of glamorous makeup to accentuate her pretty features. RELATED ARTICLES Previous 1 Next 'I had this weird mole that popped up on my tummy': Love... 'We're all brainwashed to think things should look a certain... Dani Dyer keeps it casual in a grey jumpsuit as she cuddles... 'What an amazing woman': Molly-Mae Hague heaps praise on... … [Read more...] about Pregnant Olivia Bowen cradles her blossoming baby bump in animal print dress as her due date nears

IT is very easy to spot people who don’t know what they’re talking about with the Northern Ireland Protocol. Politicians in the US and EU constantly talk about it as though what is at issue is “peace” within Northern Ireland . And that anyone who wants to repeal it is risking the peace. What they seem not to realise is that the Northern Ireland Protocol (signed in 2019) and the Good Friday Agreement (signed in 1998) are not the same thing. It was the 1998 agreement that assured peace on the island of Ireland. Whereas the 2019 protocol was something signed in order to ensure that this country actually acted on the 2016 Brexit vote. I can usually clear a room in about five minutes by talking about Northern Ireland. But it is important. And here’s the crucial thing. The UK only signed the protocol (which effectively put a customs border down the Irish sea) because we had no other option. Read more on the protocol BORIS BREXIT BID Boris … [Read more...] about The EU’s disgraceful threats of a trade war over the Irish Protocol is more proof they just want to punish us for Brexit

“Trashier and trashier,” said Alice. The libel case of Vardy v Rooney at the Royal Courts of Justice is supposedly a rich source of entertainment, which has “captured the public imagination”. Has it? Sorry, but it fills me with a kind of weary disgust. When I look at Coleen Rooney, wife of ex-England captain Wayne, and Rebekah, partner of Leicester City striker Jamie, I see two fishwives screaming abuse at each other. Although that’s probably unfair to fishwives, who would have more sense than to blow an estimated £3 million during a national cost of living crisis over whether Rebekah did or didn’t tittle tattle to the papers about Coleen. They call it Wagatha Christie because Mrs Rooney cunningly drip-fed fake gossip to Mrs Vardy and waited to see it appear in print before exposing the villain. Chavatha Christie, more like. For all their Gucci loafers and Chanel handbags, the footballers’ wives are premier league vulgarians. This dim, deluded pair signal their status through … [Read more...] about Wagatha Christie? More like Chavatha Christie

When she appeared on the Matt Forde podcast in January, the most interesting thing Angela Rayner said wasn’t about the length of her skirt or the crossing and uncrossing of her legs in the House of Commons. Although she did banter with the Left-wing comedian about “the meme about Sharon Stone” that had been doing the rounds, the most telling part of the interview came at the beginning when she was announced as “the most powerful woman in the Labour Party”. Striding onto the stage at the Duchess Theatre in Covent Garden, where the podcasts are recorded in front of an audience, she joked: “I said he had to introduce me like that or I wouldn’t come on.” Like everything the 42-year-old deputy Labour leader says in jest, there appeared to be an element of truth to it. Later revealing how, “God, yeah”, she’d love to be prime minister one day, it is perhaps little wonder that this teenage mother turned political powerhouse is fast emerging as one of the Opposition’s best hopes of … [Read more...] about How Angela Rayner became a force to be reckoned with