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Ultra‑processed food, exhausted soils and a warming planet are all symptoms of a food system that forgot how nature works.

On Earth Your While, Jack and Ellie talk to Tim Mead, organic farmer and owner of Yeo Valley, about the remarkable journey from a small mixed family farm to a household‑name organic brand. Tim shares how a tragic farming accident pushed him into leading the business, why he believes biology, not chemistry, should drive how we grow food, and how regenerative practices could help tackle both climate change and the health impacts of ultra‑processed diets.

Topics covered include:

• The Yeo Valley origin story and how Tim unexpectedly took over the family business
• Why ultra‑processed foods dominate our shelves and who’s really shaping our diets
• Organic vs regenerative farming – what they mean and why it matters
• The Yeo Valley Soil Carbon Project and how healthy soil can lock away carbon
• Why current food markets fail farmers and what needs to change
• Building a business “designed around nature”

Music by Stock_Studio from Pixabay.

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On the latest Earth Your While, Jack and Ellie talk to Harriet Evans, co‑founder of Penrhos Spirits, the Herefordshire gin brand that became the first in the UK to move entirely into 100% recycled aluminium bottles.

Harriet shares how two farming families went from £30,000 of wasted strawberries to a circular spirits business now on shelves in Sainsbury’s, Waitrose and international airports. She explains why blueberries became their secret weapon for ultra‑smooth gin, how collaborating with Oddbox and other growers helps them rescue more wonky fruit and veg, and what it really took to ditch traditional glass for lightweight, endlessly recyclable aluminium.

They also discuss what it’s like working on farm in a year of drought, the realities of scaling a sustainable brand in a crowded gin market, and their growing commitment to farmer mental health.

Topics covered include:

• How the gin was created from two farming families’ frustration with wasted fruit
• Why they switched entirely from glass to 100% recycled aluminium bottles to cut their carbon
• Their collaborations with Oddbox and other farms to turn surplus fruit and veg into gin
• The realities of running a distillery during droughts and extreme weather
• Supporting farmer mental health with help of the local community

Music by Stock_Studio from Pixabay.

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What if a big part of climate action in healthcare starts with putting things in the right bin?

On Earth Your While, Jack and Ellie talk to Rufus Henderson, Sustainability Director at NuGreen, a B Corp‑certified consultancy born out of NHS waste research.

In this episode, Rufus explains how NuGreen is helping hospitals, GP practices, schools and SMEs cut carbon and costs through better waste segregation, and how an Innovate UK project with Leeds Beckett University is transforming treated clinical waste into a low‑carbon construction material that could replace mined sand.

Topics covered include:

• How NuGreen grew from an NHS research project
• The process and promise of turning treated clinical waste into a sand‑like aggregate
• Why so much “infectious” clinical waste isn’t actually infectious
• What really happens to household recycling once it leaves your bin
• Behaviour, bin design and small nudges that change how people sort waste
• A realistic 10‑year vision for circular healthcare waste

Music by Stock_Studio from Pixabay.