We had a visit this week from our friendly Parcelforce man. But this wasn't our regular friendly pick-up/delivery man, nor was it a regular visit. Michael Anderson Head of Innovations and Environment Programs at Parcelforce joined us for a morning to keep us up to date with how the parcel people are improving their eco credentials in an effort to deliver our products with full consideration for our environment.

So what eco goals would you expect from a parcel delivery company? The obvious one would be in the area of transport. Over 50% of the carbon Parcelforce produce comes from their vehicles. The company are currently piloting a number of low emission vehicles including two electric (a 7.5 tonne truck and a normal parcel van), one hybrid and one eco-start (the engine automatically turns off when still). They're also piloting aerodynamic and lightweight trailer options to save on fuel.

One of the biggest problems with the new vehicles is the sound they make whilst driving - that is, no sound or at least very little. The delivery drivers involved in the pilot claim that people are constantly walking in front of their moving vehicles - they don't hear anything coming and often don't look for caution's sake.

An issue with hydrogen fuel cell vehicles is the infrastructure to support vehicles is just not there. The fill-in stations are few and far between and with a fleet of thousands of vehicles this option is not yet viable.

From a strategic perspective Parcelforce are determined to be a sustainable and eco conscious company across the board. By 2015 they want to have reduced their CO2 emissions by 50%, no easy task for a company driven (literally) by petrol fuelled fleet of trucks and vans. But they say they will do it and we believe them. On a smaller scale Parcel Force aim to be carbon neutral in London by 2012 (great timing considering the number of parcels sent to the big city should increase dramatically with the Olympics in town.

... and more eco-friendly! A waste disposal scheme that involves the removal of domestic rubbish through underground pipes supposedly recycles more household waste than traditional means. In fact, it could potentially double our efforts.

Residents in a London housing complex are currently using the hi-tech system. It involves separating their waste into organic waste, dry recyclables and non-recyclables then dropping it into the relevant disposal shoot. The separated rubbish ends up in the complex's courtyard via the pipes system. The pipe network is connected to ‘cyclones' that basically suck waste away. A little like a vacuum cleaner the rubbish can travel at up to 70km an hour and up to 2km away.

Not only is this system easier and more space efficient avoiding multiply bins in the kitchen, it's also believed to be cleaner and more environmentally friendly than the current rubbish truck collection methods. Jetsons here we come!

Buzzing in the sense we need to get a move on and all start helping but not so buzzing in the way of sound as our bee colonies continue to bee eradicated.

According to SaveOurBees.org (and plenty of ecologists, botanists and scientists of the plant variety across the country) billions of UK bees are dying at a speedy rate indeed. One in three honey bee colonies died last winter from often unknown causes.

Why must we fret so for our little buzzing friends? Well apart from saving them from eradication they are responsible for pollinating one-third of all (yes all!) the food we eat. The great scientist himself, Mr Albert Einstein predicted: "If the bee disappeared off the surface of the globe then man would only have four years of life left. No more bees, no more pollination, no more plants, no more animals, no more man."

From an economic perspective bee pollination of commercially grown crops is believed to be worth £165 million/year. We really do need to lend our stripy friends a hand.

We can help by joining the Save Our Bees Campaign. Visit the website, sign up to the campaign and get tips on which bee friendly plants to plant in your garden.

Now here's a small invention that could have a big impact on the way we dispose of our waste. The rubbish muncher pictured in Palm Springs in the US is powered by the sun and can compact five times the amount of a normal waste bin.

The solar compactor does the work of the large trash trucks that collect our rubbish but on a smaller scale. The thing with rubbish trucks is they compact the rubbish using fuel from their petrol tank (the more fuel used, the more CO2 emitted into the atmosphere). The independent invention that it is - this sun-fuelled bin can function off the grid because of it's increased solar efficiency and low price to maintain.

Nice bins.

Now this is the kind of show every vegan should know about (or even just veggie fanatics like me!). The largest show of its kind in Europe, The Incredible Veggie Show will have more than 100 exhibitors showcasing a vast array of vegan products.

There will also be a cooking demo area, a talks area, a dairy free area, nutritional consultants, a vegan café, a kids play area and free product and hot food tastings. What we like about this year's show is that there are new sections dedicated to Beauty & Body care, Clothing & Footwear and Health & Lifestyle.

The Incredible Veggie Show is hosted by Viva! who are the Vegetarians International Voice for Animals. Viva are a bit like a support group for vegetarians who research veggie issues like how eating meat affects the degradation of the environment. They also provide wholesome recipes and give advice on how to go Vegetarian as well as campaign against cruelty to animals.

The third Incredible Veggie Show will be held on Saturday 18 April at the Royal Horticultural Halls in London SW1 from 10am to 6pm. Admission is £4 and free for those under 18. Also if you pre-book you save 25% on the ticket price (£1 off to spend on a nice plump melon). For more info visit the Viva website.

They're expecting 5,000 people across the course of the day so if you want to avoid the crowds get there early!