Feisty, down to earth and burning with enthusiasm, writer and broadcaster Tracy Smith took the subject of sustainable living by the scruff of its neck to give out all sorts of useful advice on reducing waste and saving money.

The lunchtime event, in the Studio at the Pound Arts Centre on Monday (22), involved a demonstration of flat-bread making and an anecdotal, humorous tour through the house to discuss new environmentally friendly ways of cleaning, eating and living.

Tracy, author of The Book of Rubbish Ideas (Sawdays / Fragile Earth Books), recruited members of the audience to help in her bread-making demonstration in a bid to persuade them how easy and quick the process could be. Eschewing scales or a fixed recipe, she supervised the cooking up of a tasty flatbread flavoured with carrot and served with mashed banana – which she shared with the audience at the end of the session.

Tracy dished out all sorts of inspiring and useful information on living a more sustainable life, encouraging her audience to see the benefits and advantages of using fewer chemicals and creating less waste. Many left the talk armed with new ideas and inspired to try something different.

You can tune into her radio show ‘Slow Down and Green Up’ every Wednesday between 10am and 1pm on www.AppleAM.com, to catch up on her eco-product and book reviews, green news and interviews with people who are making a difference to their local and global environment.