Here’s a roundup of some of the stories that have captured Life & Soul Magazine’s attention this week:

1. Inside the big supermarkets’ most eco-friendly stores – The Grocer takes a look at some of the big retailers’ most eco-friendly stores and the initiatives they’re testing out inside them.

2. Mangrove Conservation and Restoration: Protecting Indonesia’s “Climate Guardians” – For people living in coastal areas, like Konstantinus, mangroves are not just mere plants. Mangroves, which grow on the coastline and river mouths, serve as a barrier to seawater abrasion and reduce the risk of floods. They are the guardians of local homes and livelihoods, World Bank reports.

3. The A-Bee-C of gardening: National Trust shares bee-friendly tips to support Radio 2’s Big Bee Challenge – Gardener Cal Stewart, the designer of a new ‘Buzz Border’ at the National Trust’s Nunnington Hall in North Yorkshire, has shared tips on how everyone can attract these important pollinators into their gardens.

4. B Corp certification could represent the future of sustainable tourism – Numerous sustainability certifications exist within the travel sector, but by spanning all areas of the environment, social and governance (ESG) spectrum, B Corp certification could become the sought-after standard, says GlobalData.

5. Canada appoints first indigenous governor general – Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau named Mary Simon – a former journalist, ambassador, and Inuit community advocate – to serve as the representative in Canada of its head of state, Queen Elizabeth, earlier this month, Reuters reports.

6. Study finds that microbes in cow stomachs are capable of degrading plastic – Microbes found in the stomachs of cows can consume certain kinds of plastic, including polyethylene terephthalate (PET) that’s commonly used in fibres for clothing and containers for liquids and foods. Researchers from Austria found that bacteria in a cow’s rumen – the largest of four stomach compartments – can digest certain types of the ubiquitous material, according to Cordis.

7. UK household waste to be used in jet fuel production – Eight companies have today (23 July) been shortlisted to receive a share of £15 million to develop first-of-a-kind production plants across the UK that will turn waste into jet fuel, Circular reports. 

Rosa Medea is Life & Soul Magazine’s Chief. She writes about lifestyle including sustainable and green living.