The Green Expo Exposed

Helen Tandy, Director Eco Communities

We are on countdown now to the regions first Green Expo in Chester. The idea of this three day event is to show what’s been achieved in the region to Net Zero and Climate Change and how it will impact on us all.

Green Expo 2022 16-18th June – Castle Drive, Chester – SEE LINK

So, what will the three days uncover?

You might not be going to the Business or Youth Conference on the Thursday and Friday but you will still find lots going on and all for FREE. Eco Communities was asked to take on the Exposition stalls part of the four events. We have good credentials for organising events (for free) so were more than happy to take on this mantle as the event fits slap bang in the middle of our aims around Sustainable Cheshire.

How might you spend you day?

If I wasn’t organising the three-day event I think I might get a ticket for the Business Conference on the Thursday, leaving Friday or Saturday as my day to look around the Exposition.

Whether you are joining us from the Little Roodee Car Park or Lower Bridge Street your first stop will of course be the Welcome Tent where the Green Expo and Eco Communities Team – Jane, Grace and I will be able to say hello and give you more information on what’s going on. If I were you my first port of call would be book a test drive in one of the Tesla‘s, you will be able to book this in the Welcome Tent.

Whether you are sold on the idea of electric or not this has got be something else that’s worth looking into. Before you rush off to buy a NEXO, Sheffield and Derby are the nearest refilling stations to us at the moment!

Let’s move on from cars to something a little different – Eco Communities organises lots of events but often it’s our message that gets lost. We want to use the event to promote World Refill Day, Plastic Free Cheshire and our Giki Carbon Footprint projects – come and chat to us over the three days. If you have wondered about linking in then this is a great time to ask those questions.

Once you have escaped us, what next?

The Big Hitters – loads of information can be found at the next few stalls….

I would be straight to the Cheshire West or Cheshire East council stands – ask the questions you want to know and find out how the Climate Emergency will impact on you and what you can do to help. Next along we go back to Hydrogen

EA Technology is a new business name to me – Cheshire West has one of the UK’s largest industrial green-house gas emitters in the Ellesmere Port’s industrial region. I know this is the reason the region needs to consider some technologies that some residents are against. I still can’t decide on Hydrogen, partly as I know a lot of those that are firmly on the no side of the fence. But with Cheshire Wests huge footprint from industry, I can see why it’s being looked in locally. EA Technology have lots of typical buzz words on it’s website but ultimately they support the move towards low carbon technology. Then Hynet came very early onto our Tellus TV talk to go through what they are doing in the region and I know this will be another of many chances to engage with the public about Hydrogen technology . It will create the UK’s hydrogen economy across the North West and North Wales and so it’s important we all understand what is it all about.

I wonder if Encric read my last weeks blog! Encirc is a market leader in glass container design, manufacturing, bottling and logistics. In 2021, Encirc made waves in the glass sector by creating the world’s most sustainable glass bottles in a ground-breaking trial. They are joining the Expo to engage and speak to the younger generations about the huge job opportunities in our region.

Peel NRE were behind the fantastic and largest Windfarm in the UK in Frodsham, I smile every time I pass it. That was in 2017 and they are now bringing Protos the UK’s first plastic-to-hydrogen facility to our region. A 50MW windfarm, a 261.5MW biomass plant, a 49MW energy from waste plant in construction and a plastic park blueprint to revolutionise plastic recycling nationwide. Well that’s what they say….

We have not seen The Greener Group since one of our Sustainable Cheshire Fairs pre Covid, I do remember them having a very impressive stall. Experts in solar PV panels, biomass boilers, air source heat pumps and other forms of renewable energy technology. This includes the design and installation of green energy solutions, from small scale domestic projects to large scale commercial installations. The Greener Group was the first UK company to install solar electric roof slates and are now the UK’s first ever installer of Hydrelio floating solar PV for large bodies of water.

Sustainable Local Businesses, Community Groups and Charities

We are getting to where you can now spend some money!!!! We have lots of our regular businesses with us. Carpe Diem Holistics and Fairtrade along with Chester Fair Trading will both have loads of fairtrade goodies, including chocolate which I might need by 11am. Just Footprints is coming down, away from the quiet Forum Shopping Centre to entice you back to Zero Waste shopping. We haven’t seen Mary Makes Zero Waste for a bit as she is so busy, but she will be back with us and I am hoping she has one of her reusable kitchen rolls to buy.

Our community organisations are a mainstay in learning more about sustainability, led by the fantastic Chester Zoo team, Will from Cheshire Wildlife Trust loves us so much he keeps coming back to our events. He will be able to talk about all the fantastic projects they have in the region. Two organisations I have got to know really well this year, Maddy from the Welsh Dee Trust I see twice a month when we join up for our group litter picks and Poppy from West Cheshire Museums will be with us and talking about Festival for the Future I am proud to be helping with. Last but not least the team from Chester Community Energy will be with us to tell them about a huge solar project they are working on and much more.

Last but not least some new businesses – Sustainable Fashion with Reins Clothing, The End of the Avenue will have beeswax candles from their own hives, handmade soaps from homegrown ingredients and more. A new businesses Mimes Reusables is a sustainable brand selling stainless steel reusable water bottles.

Uban Tricycles and Urban Coffee will be on hand to keep you caffeinated and fed before you get scooting around.

Don’t forget your reusable shopping bag, or get to us early enough and you can grab one from our stall along with our Tellus Magazine…. Read more about our these businesses and stalls here – LINK

How did Green Expo Come About?

I have been working with Jane from CHASE (Cheshire Heritage and Sustainability Enterprises) but asked Niall MacFadyen from CHASE why they decided to put on such a huge event as a community organisation.

‘Mike Hog from CHASE suggested the expo having seen a vey successful similar event on the river bank in Melbourne, Australia. CHASE was set up after we bid for and obtained funding for a design study and business plan for the Hydro Hub (The old Hydro Electric Power Station Building on the weir)

We recognised that it would take a few years to re-develop the Hydro, and we felt the Expo was a good way to start the process of informing the public about the plans to address the climate emergency.  This was reinforced after we carried out a public survey last summer, and there was a lot of expressions of interested in hearing more.

Hence the Expo was born, with a lot of input from Katrina Kerr in terms of format (Awards Dinner, Conference) The LEP was one of our first sponsors, and they suggested the theme of the conference should be inward investment. Later, and again based on interest from Sponsors, we decided to add a youth conference, and the University, who are delivering it, came up with the of asking young people what was important to them,  rather than getting middle aged business people to tell them what they thought was important!

We believe all four events are a great showcase for the great things that are happing already and will happen in the next few years.  We hope to make the Expo an annual event as a celebration of the progress being made, and as a showcase for local businesses, large and small, to sell their products and services.‘