Great news for any green beauty addicts out there: today I've got a fantastic prize courtesy of our friends at Big Green Smile who want to offer you a bumper beauty pack worth £52. The site has recently expanded its body and skincare range to include many of our favourite hippy brands, including Jason, Yes To Carrots and Weleda.

Follow the jump to find out how to enter...

As September draws to a close, it's dark at 7pm and we're starting to turn towards home comforts to get us through gloom. And what could be better than a bit of foodie indulgence to stave off those seasonal blues? If your usual comfort foods are bangers and mash and you're looking for something a little greener/healthier, fear not: there are plenty to go round that will help your conscience as well as your spirits.

Hungry? You will be! Click on the image below to see my top green and veggie comfort foods for Autumn.

What first caught my eye about this quilted clutch was the bizarre fan shape, the great contrasting materials and the textured frill detail around the edge. Bags that catch my eye are pretty much my job, so of course I quickly stopped scrolling. But what had me clicking through to find out more?

Many of us make an effort to avoid mass-produced clothes and accessories; a life choice that would once have been seen as a major sacrifice. But now, the craft revolution is in full swing, meaning we can make a 'handmade choice' towards goods made on a smaller scale that are often of better quality than their high street equivalents. As someone who loves seeing hand-made items on show, I can't wait to feast my eyes on a wide range of crafty goodies at a forthcoming show in the stunning surroundings of Crowthorne.

Follow the jump for more info.

There are still relatively few truly stylish. eco-friendly labels making shoes at the moment (while there is still a staid, 'veggie shoes' image that WILL NOT DIE), so I was thrilled to hear that a new ethical footwear label has come on to the scene after a storming debut at London Fashion Week.

[Via the GIN lady]

Not wasting food is a great habit for all of us to get into, but good habits are best learned young, which is why I'm totally behind a new scheme by Sky and its environment partner Global Action Plan that teaches schoolchildren how to reduce their own food waste. And targeting impressionable young minds is not the only good reason to focus on primary schools in the war against waste: research shows that the largest proportion of waste produced by a primary school is food.

Related: How not to contribute to the food waste mountain | Love food, hate waste?

If I learnt one thing from my recent energy monitoring challenge, it's not to use the tumble dryer so often. But what about when you really need to get your jacket dry in time for a meeting, or don't have any dry, clean sheets? I'd not tried these little alien-looking balls before now, but surprsingly, they do seem to dramatically reduce the amount of time needed to get things dry as well as making them softer to the touch and less creased than usual.

So how do they work?

If you're trying to banish antibacterials and other harsh chemicals from your home's cleaning arsenal (and, trust me, your hands will thank you for it if you do), then Cath Kidston's home cleaning and soap range is an attractive way to make the switch. The 'Washing Line' range consists of delicately-scented products made with non-toxic and biodegradable ingredients that are paraben and sulphate-free and veggie-friendly.

I know a lot of Kidston fans, and am well aware that they're prepared to pay above the odds for her distinctive and lovely designs. But alternatively, you might want to try Maison Belle, which is a little cheaper and which I personally swear by. You can buy everything in the range online.

Related: Video review: Maison Belle homecare products | Cath Kidston skincare range goes paraben-free

It's taken us a while to get to this point, and we lost a couple of testers along the way. But finally, I can reveal just how much electricity Katie and I used at our respective homes over the past couple of weeks, how much we differed, and how we compare to the UK average...

But how much did we use? Read on over the jump

I deliberately waited until after lunch to post this one, as it might just put you off your food...the above picture shows two McDonald's burgers: one bought in 1996, the other one hot off the grill when the picture was taken.

According to Karen Hanrahan who conducted this 'experiment' and blogged about it earlier this week, nothing was done to preserve the burger other than placing it in a plastic container: in other words, it preserved itself. Her verdict: McDonald's burgers are a 'chemical food' with no nutritional value that should not be sold to humans...

As I mentioned earlier in the week, the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) is holding its first FSC Friday today, a day dedicated to getting us all thinking about protecting our green and gorgeous forests. Consumer power is an important factor in this game, so you'll be happy to hear that the easiest way to promote responsible forestry is by going shopping! A number of places you might already shop are offering 10% discounts today on all products endorsed by the FSC.

Follow the jump to find out which stores are offering discounts today

Until now, I've resisted wading in on the debate over Giogio Armani's recent run-in with PETA, but it doesn't look like going away any time soon, so let's pick up the story from here. To recap, Giorgio went and got himself on PETA's shit-list when he used fur in his recent collection at New York Fashion Week. Now, that would normally be more than enough to get PETA's heckles up, but what made his crime all the more serious was the fact that last summer, Armini promised never to use fur in his collections ever again. Did he keep his promise?

What do you think...

This video is, apparently, what happens when you let geeks loose on the pressing question of energy efficiency. Tech Digest's Gary Cutlack is clearly on the right track when it comes to the complex science of turning stuff off, but should he perhaps be focusing more on the C02 cost of his idiot toys rather than blaming everything on his poor old fridge? Proof if proof be needed that nutrition is a mere accessory to the truly dedicated gadget freak, I'd say...

Related: Friday Fun: 'The Front Fell Off' video | Ali G on the environment

The new MP3 player from Trevor Baylis, powered entirely by renewable energy (i.e. your own frantic winding efforts) has finally arrived, allowing you to take your music anywhere without the need for batteries. And it looks pretty cool too, with an improved, streamlined design (compare with the old, slightly clunkier look). Now, I'm hoping to get my hands on one of these beauties as soon as possible to witness for myself windup technology meeting the digital age, but until I do, follow the jump to find out what the new model can do.

Related: Trevor Baylis' eco friendly windup media player at the Stuff Show | Trevor Baylis weatherproof globe lantern