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Organic cotton boom on the high street
Until now, some high street clothes shops have tried to display their
ethical credentials by selling Fairtrade lines. But now the new battleground
is organic cotton. New Look and H&M are both introducing organic
cotton ranges which will compete with Marks & Spencer’s limited
range and Topshop’s deal with People Tree.
Guy Lister, New Look’s marketing director, said that one-third
of the retailer’s cotton jersey ranges would be made from organic
cotton by next spring, up from 5 per cent now. “Organic fashion
gives us a point of difference. It’s been flying out of our stores,”
he told the Independent on Sunday newspaper. H&M’s 50-item
organic range, launched in March, sold out and a second collection will
follow in August.
The value of the organic cotton market in the UK is estimated to grow
by 50 per cent this year to nearly £60m. But currently demand
is far exceeding supply. Only 0.3 per cent of cotton is grown organically
now, although the World Agricultural Commission predicts that, in the
next 25 years, that will rise to 30 per cent.
Martin Hearson of Labour
Behind the Label, which monitors supply chains, warned the Independent
on Sunday: “Selling organic cotton is a step in the right direction,
but the retailers’ commitment shouldn’t end there. Consumers
shouldn’t stop interrogating the brands they buy from about the
conditions in which they are manufactured.”
Light bulb retailers league table
Which retailers are seizing the light to take a lead on energy efficiency, and which are lagging way behind? Greenpeace’s league table of light bulb retailers makes it easy to distinguish the bright sparks from the dullards. Their league table follows our rating of low energy light bulb brands in issue 107, July/August 2007.
Greenpeace wrote to retailers in early 2007 and asked whether they:
* support the principle of mandatory minimum efficiency standards for
energy-using products
* would support a ban, at UK or EU level, on sales of all incandescent
light bulbs
* would eliminate incandescent light bulbs from their range, and by
when.
They were then graded according to how soon they would get rid of inefficient
light bulbs, and two retailers came out ahead:
Currys, which will phase them out by the end of 2007, and Habitat, which
will be doing so by the end of 2009. The Co-operative Group is piloting
the removal of incandescent bulbs from sale in 50 stores in Autumn 2007,
and has committed to a complete phase-out across all its branches as
soon as practically possible, and by 2011 at the latest.
All those rated ‘E’ have said they will remove these bulbs from their shelves by 2011 at the latest. 2011 is the government’s proposed voluntary deadline.
Some have demonstrated a certain level of willing in promoting efficient CFL bulbs over out-dated models - both Morrisons and ASDA sell energy efficient bulbs at relatively low prices, and they make up 41 per cent of Ikea’s total bulb sales.
But one retailer stood out as ‘W’ for ‘Worst’ -
Woolworths. There’s no indication that the company supports a mandatory
ban, for every efficient bulb it sells it sells seven inefficient ones,
and the cost of efficient bulbs is up to 12 times more than its cheapest
inefficient variety.
Somerfield also performed pretty badly but, because it sells efficient
bulbs for considerably less than Woolworths, it escaped being placed
last - this time.
You
can download a pdf of Greenpeace’s full report.
Buy
issue 107 with our buyers’ guide to low energy light bulbs.
Alternatively the report is available to www.ethiscore.org
subscribers where brand ratings are updated daily.
Curry’s is also leading the way in other areas of energy efficiency.
It has asked manufacturers to phase out stand-by. John Clare, chief
exec of DSG International, which owns Currys, Dixons and PC World, has
called for closer collaboration between retailers and manufacturers
in an effort to substantially increase its energy efficient range. Clare
addressed manufacturers recently, asking them to make green progress,
saying: ‘We are in a prime position to have a significant impact
on our customers’ behaviours and choices.’
The Co-op is the only retailer to have actually withdrawn from sale
energy inefficient products, having removed all white goods less than
A-rated from its stores during 2007.
The Green League 2007
People & Planet, the student network which campaigns on world poverty
and the environment, has published the first ever green league table
showing the environmental performance of Britain’s universities.
Leeds Met, Plymouth and Hertfordshire top the table.
People & Planet’s Green League 2007 ranks all 120 British universities
- awarding them with a First, 2:1, 2:2, Third, or Fail - based on eight
different environmental criteria, both policy and performance related.
It incorporates data never before published in the public domain, obtained
under the Freedom of Information Act, including the percentage of energy
purchased from renewable sources, percentage of waste recycled, and
CO2 emissions for each institution.
The Higher Education (HE) sector has a significant environmental footprint.
Lacking transparency and accountability until today, many Vice Chancellors
have been complacent about their institutions’ environmental impacts.
A recent report by Business In The Community found that the HE sector
scored a poor average of only 55% on the BITC environment index, compared
to the business average of 83%.
The Green League shows up a significant anomaly: whilst it is university
academics who continue to warn us about the catastrophic effects of
climate change and the current generation of students who expect to
inherit the consequences, very little consideration is being paid by
some Vice Chancellors to the environmental impact of their universities.
Yet with their unique position in society, the skills and expertise
on campus, and the ability to affect millions of students and future
leaders, universities could and should be at the forefront of society’s
efforts to achieve sustainability.
For more information and to view the whole League table, go to http://peopleandplanet.org/gogreen/greenleague2007
or call 01865 245678.
Recycled sandals
Last issue we mentioned the ‘Recycle Your Jeans’ sandals.
Their Cumbrian manufacturer, Softwalker, also does a range of hemp shoes
or you can buy recycled denim sandals and shoes off the rack.
You can also get recycled sandals from Vegetarian Shoes. Their Re-Tread
flip-flop style sandals are made from recycled car-tyres. Worn Again
make cross-strap sandals, constructed from old car parts - tyres, interiors,
car seat leathers. Maasai Treads is also a range of sandals, bags and
wallets which are made from reject new tyre treads and recycled inner
tubes. The products provide income to families in Kiberia, the largest
slum in East & Central Africa and the second largest in the world.
www.recycleyourjeans.com
~ www.vegetarian-shoes.co.uk
Tel: 01273 691913 ~ www.wornagain.co.uk
~ Maasai Treads online from www.jambo-jambo.com
Consumers' guide to WEEE
WEEE stands for Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment – and
that means more or less anything with a plug or a battery that you no
longer need. From August 2007, WEEE has to be disposed of separately
to household rubbish. It must not be landfilled. It means that producers
of electrical and electronic goods now have to take financial responsibility
for the collection, treatment and recycling of their WEEE, and distributors
must provide a free of charge take back solution, on a like for like
basis, when consumers are upgrading their electrical equipment.
WEEE includes all sorts of everyday electrical and electronic items,
from old washing machines, vacuum cleaners or coffee machines to computers,
table lamps and even some children’s toys. Electrical equipment
now has to be labelled with the WEEE symbol, a crossed out wheelie bin.
From August 2007, the retailer, online or store, has to offer you a
free way of getting rid of your old equipment, when you buy the equivalent
new item. This means that they will give you information about free
local collection facilities or they will take back the items themselves.
For bulky goods, retailers have to offer a ‘collection on delivery’
service, taking away an old item of equipment when they deliver a similar
new one. They can choose whether or not to charge you for this.
Alternatively you can take old electrical and electronic goods to the
local household waste site if it’s a designated WEEE collection
facility. You can either take the items yourself, or arrange for them
to be collected. You may be charged for a collection service.
Wherever possible, items are refurbished and reused, and recyclable
materials recovered. What’s left should be disposed of in an environmentally
safe way.
Thanks to the Miele’s ‘What does WEEE mean to me’ guide
for this info.
The Peace Tax Seven
A group of conscientious objectors who have been partially withholding
their taxes are now applying to the European Court of Human Rights for
the right to divert taxes to non-military alternatives. They regard
the tax system as a form of conscription, which forces them to pay others
to kill on their behalf.
The Peace Tax Seven come from Quaker, Anglican and Buddhist faiths,
and include a retired teacher, an accountant, a toy designer, a psychiatrist,
a university lecturer and a single parent. In order to put up this legal
challenge, all seven have accepted liability for the legal costs. To
take the case to Strasbourg is costing £70,000. They cannot obtain
legal aid and must find this money themselves.
To donate or to find out other ways to support them, go to:www.peacetaxseven.com
Valued at Oxfam
A New Zealander living in the UK has taken a lead from author Iain Banks,
who recently sold his collection of luxury cars in an effort to become
green. Not wanting to be outshone by the star, Louise Pepper, has not
only reduced her car ownership, but has donated the unwanted automobile
to Oxfam’s ‘Valued at Oxfam’ (VAO) project.
Valued at Oxfam is a dedicated valuation, transportation and selling
service for donations of perceived high value or unwieldy size, as in
this case. This car for example, could bring fresh water to 42 families
for a whole year. Other donations such as a limited edition of Twilight
of the Gods illustrated by Arthur Rackham, fetched enough to pay for
two cows for a dairy farmer in Malawi.
If you have any items you think would benefit Oxfam you can speak to
the team on 01522 532 415 or have a look at the VAO section on the Oxfam
GB website (www.oxfam.org.uk).
Good hospital food
The state of UK school dinners has received much media and public attention.
Boosted by Jamie Oliver's involvement, improvements have been made.
But although the state of hospital food is equally famous, few improvements
have been made in this area. However, one pioneering partnership between
the Soil Association and NHS trusts in Cornwall is revolutionising hospital
food in the county. Since 2001, The Cornwall Food Programme has succeeded
in providing meals to three flagship hospitals - made from fresh, local
and organic ingredients. All of this has been achieved without increasing
costs overall, keeping within the Royal Cornwall Hospital’s budget of
£2.50 per day and showing that local, fresh and organic meals could
be served up by the NHS UK-wide. The changes means that now:
• 92% of patients served describe the food as 'very good' or 'excellent'
• 83% of the 2006 food budget was spent with companies based in
Cornwall
• annual food miles were cut by 67%
A report has now been published, 'A fresh approach to hospital food',
which summarises these achievements. Buy the paper copy or make a donation
and download it as a pdf from the Soil Association website (www.soilassociation.org)
by going to 'Information Centre' then 'Shop'.
