Archive for Companies going green

NHS plans for reducing its carbon footprint

January 26, 2009 · Filed under Carbon Dioxide emissions, Companies going green, carbon footprint, carbon neutral · Tagged , , ,

Today saw leaked information about the NHS’ plans to try and reduce its carbon emissions.  The NHS has a special Sustainability Group that comes up with ideas on how to become more green.  Their great idea is, and prepare yourself, it is amazing- is to reduce the amount of meat it serves in hospitals!  Wow!

The powers that be think that by reducing the amount of meat they buy in it will reduce their carbon footprint.  It is true that the NHS is one of the biggest buyers of food in the UK but even so is this really the best idea they can come up with?!  In the UK the NHS accounts for more than three percent of carbon emissions in England which isn’t bad considering it is the largest employer in Britain and the third largest in the whole world.  The NHS also has a lot of properties throughout the country.

Whilst it is true that the carbon footprint of food is quite high there are other things the NHS could do to reduce its carbon footprint.  However, instead of cutting down on meat products perhaps the NHS should actually buy in locally sourced, fresh produce rather than microwave meals that come from goodness knows where.  In fact this might keep patients healthy, they might actually enjoy the food and it is better for the environment!

We’ll have to wait until tomorrow to see the full outline of the plans to reduce carbon emissions and go carbon neutral.  We’ll keep you posted!  Ethical and Green wonder what Jamie Oliver will make of this considering he is promoting British meat at the moment?!

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Big Green Smile for ethical and green shopping

August 5, 2008 · Filed under Companies going green, reduce carbon footprint · Tagged , , , , , ,

Those of us who are interested in buying ethical and green products will no doubt have noticed that more and more online shops are popping up.  This can only be good news for the environment.  One of the latest green online shops is Big Green Smile.

Big Green Smile sell a wide range of green, ethical, recycled and eco-friendly products.  Their unique selling point is that they offer the largest range of water saving products in the UK.  Great if you are on a water meter!!

We checked out the site and found it easy to navigate and packed with lots of info on how to go green and reduce your carbon footprint. We liked the eco MP3 player but are not sure if it will give the iPod a run for it’s money just yet.  Perhaps we’ll have to buy one and give it a go!

 

BigGreenSmile.com work closely with their suppliers to ensure that all products are the most environmentally friendly of their type on the market.  They also have a wide selection of products in almost all categories you can think of.  As BigGreenSmile.com Director Nicholas Buhler says ‘The site allows people to make small changes in the way they shop so they can help protect our planet’ which is a fab outlook.

 

So if you are interested in checking out the site the address is www.biggreensmile.com  It’s worth looking at as there are some tips to help save money in the credit crunch as well as saving the planet.

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SKY is carbon neutral

July 28, 2008 · Filed under Companies going green, carbon footprint, carbon neutral, reduce carbon footprint · Tagged , , , , ,


When we go through companies going green we often talk about what measure companies are taking to go carbon neutral.  However, with Sky there is no need to do this.  This is because Sky is the first media company in the world to be totally carbon neutral.  That’s right since 2006 Sky has no carbon footprint to speak of!!  They did this with the help of a company called Carbon Neutral who are helping companies all over the world become carbon neutral.

It doesn’t stop there.  Sky are also committed to helping their customers live more sustainably.  They are doing this by using the medium of TV by increasing the number of environmental programmes they show.  Sky engineers also gave customers energy efficient light bulbs when they installed various Sky products.

You can also download Sky’s Rough Guide to Saving Energy and Reducing Your Carbon Footprint which shows you how to go carbon neutral and save money.  There are more ways in which the company is helping the environment which you can find by visiting their website.

It’s good to see a company like Sky using their medium of TV and advertising to do something positive for the environment.  It’s even better that they are setting a good example by being completely carbon neutral and still striving to do more.  This makes me feel a lot better now when I sit down to watch TV using Sky Plus.  Not only is Sky Plus (in my opinion) one of the best inventions it is also guilt free now I know Sky is carbon neutral.  The fact you can also get broadband from Sky and do online shopping, therefore reducing your personal carbon footprint is even better.

 

If you want to sign up to Sky in an effort to reduce your carbon footprint and get Sky Digital TV, Broadband, Phone for £26, order online!

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BT Going Green

June 23, 2008 · Filed under Carbon Dioxide emissions, Companies going green, carbon footprint, reduce carbon footprint · Tagged , , , , , , ,

BT (British Telecom) is the largest provider of internet and phone lines in the UK.  In 1990 the company made a pledge to optimise environmental management.

Since 1966 BT has reduced its carbon footprint by 58% which is pretty amazing.  Their new target is to achieve an 80% reduction in CO2 production by 2020.  Even better they are to propose a new model to encourage global businesses to follow suit.  Good on BT.

 

Now I have to admit that I have found customer service at BT slightly wanting but knowing how committed they are to the environment makes it worthwhile.

Other green initiatives the company have are cutting down on paper bills.  If you elect to have your bill online you save £1.25 a month and The Woodland Trust will plant a sapling in a British woodland creation site on your behalf.

 

BT are also looking to their suppliers to reduce carbon emissions.  They are encouraging suppliers to promote sustainability and reduce impact on the environment.

BT has 18 million customers in 170 countries and therefore they are in a position to make a real difference to the environment.  The company has produced a range of energy efficient phones and by July 2008 more than 90% of their phone range will be energy efficient.  Cost to the customer?  Zero.

For businesses BT has produced a guide to help companies see how they can go green by reducing energy consumption and carbon footprints.

Well done BT- keep up the good work.

If you want to change your phone or broadband or indeed both follow this link BT Total Broadband – click here to order now

 
                                               

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Results of Best Green Companies

May 20, 2008 · Filed under Carbon Dioxide emissions, Companies going green, carbon footprint · Tagged , , , , ,

As promised here are the results of the Sunday Times Best Green Companies. The results took into account corporate policies and practices and improvements in environmental performances.  There was also an employee questionnaire that looked at how much employees were involved in decision making and what their attitude was to green issues.  This is interesting because the more involved staff are the more likely they are going to comply and even take ideas home with them.  All in all this has to be good for the environment.

So here is the list:

  • J C Atkinson and Son (Manufacturing)
  • Carillion (Construction)
  • Co-operative Financial Services (Financial Services)
  • Pureprint Group (Printing and Publishing)
  • Skanska UK (Construction)
  • HBOS (Financial Services)
  • Loughborough Student’s Union (Education)
  • Saint-Gobain Glass UK (Manufacturing)
  • MCM Architecture (Architects)
  • The National Magazine Company (Media)
It’s great to see such a range in companies, both in size and area they serve.  More information including a break down into small, mid and big companies can be found by visiting www.timesonline.co.uk/bestgreencompanies
The companies above are also based all over the country so the initiative to go green isn’t just restricted to big cities but is nationwide.  Interestingly there is even a Student’s Union in the top ten!  This means that universities are joining the fight to help the environment.  Hopefully this means that graduates will take this ethos with them when they join companies and may even take green issues into consideration when choosing who to work for.
All in all the Best Green Companies is great for the environment and shows just how much green issues are in the spotlight.  Long may it continue.

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Can green cars be sexy?

May 15, 2008 · Filed under CO2 emissions, Companies going green, carbon footprint, reduce carbon footprint · Tagged , , , , ,

This is the question that the Eden Project is trying to answer at it’s Sexy Green Car show on the 23rd-31st May.  I had a look at the site and to be honest I wasn’t finding the cars all that sexy, but then again I’m not the worlds biggest car fan!

The list of cars ranged from Citroen, Ford, Fiat, Honda and surprisingly Lotus!  The Lotus was the one that caught my eye as you don’t expect a sports car to be green.  So what exactly are it’s green credentials?

The Lotus Exige 270E Tri-fuel runs on a mixture of gasoline, bioethanol and methanol.  The company is hoping to introduce the use of sustainable synthetic alcohols as fuels within 15-20 years.  It’s maximum speed is 158mph which is pretty fast.  The all important CO2 output is 100g/km running on E85 bioethanol or zero emissions on sustainable synthetic methanol.  This is less than the Citroen C1 which has emissions of 109g/km.  Well done Lotus!

So what does the car look like?  Well as you can see it doesn’t look any different from a regular Lotus.

Lotus Exige 270E Tri-fuel

  If you like your cars checkout the Eden Project’s Sexy Green Cars website  www.sgcs.edenproject.com
Let us know what you think about these sexy green cars.  We’ll also be taking a look at how you drive to reduce your carbon emissions whilst out and about on the roads.  Let’s face it with petrol prices going through the roof we could all do with advice on how to save on petrol consumption.

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The end of bottled water in restaurants?

May 15, 2008 · Filed under CO2 emissions, Companies going green, carbon footprint, reduce carbon footprint · Tagged , , ,

We all know that drinking bottled water increases our carbon footprint.  Anyone who wants to try and become carbon neutral should drink tap water but what can we do when we go to restaurants or other public places?

Thankfully Greencare H2O are here to bring an ethical and green solution that is also stylish.  The company produce watercooling and filtering systems to turn average tap water into a tasty drink.  The interesting point about this company is that once the restaurant has it’s water it can put it into a branded bottle which they can then charge the customer for or give it away free.

Greencare H2O have seen their profits rocket over the last year which is great news for the environment.  It also shows that restaurants and other public places are taking environmental issues seriously and trying to reduce their carbon footprints.  Manchester United have got involved and installed the Greencare h2o system.  Trendy restaurant WaterHouse in Shoreditch, London have also installed the system and ask for a £1 donation of you have the water.

So there we have it.  Yet more good news that industries are making an effort to reduce their carbon footprint.

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Greener Business

May 13, 2008 · Filed under CO2 emissions, Companies going green, carbon footprint, reduce carbon footprint · Tagged , , , ,

Next week the Sunday Times will reveal it’s Best Green Companies.  We’ll be bringing you information about the top companies after they have published their results.  For the moment we’ll look at what it takes to have been included in the short listings.  The team here at Ethical and Green are really pleased that a national newspaper like the Sunday Times is dedicating time and space to green issues.  They are also showing that big companies are taking green issues seriously.

Firstly a businesses environmental management policies, environmental training and internal consultation, energy consumption, waste products and recycling were assessed.  Scores from this section accounted for 70% of the final ranking.

Secondly an employee survey was sent out to get their perspective on how their company was doing.  Responses counted for 30% of the final score.  The survey was a rating scale ranging from ’strongly agree’ to ’strongly disagree’ and included statements such as ‘my boss encourages me to think about energy saving‘ and ‘my workplace is too warm when the weather is cold.’  The survey was devised in conjunction with Bureau Veritas, an international firm of environmental consultants and Munro Global, a data analysis company.

Unfortunately only 88 companies registered for the competition as some where unable to provide the data required.  Also the company did not look at the greenest businesses in the country but how committed a company and it’s employees are to making a difference with the environment. If it were solely a list of the greenest companies, the top would be those focussing on renewable energy and so on therefore making the results somewhat unfair.

It will be very interesting to see which companies have made it on to the list.  We’ll also be looking at innovative ways companies are going green and of there are any tips we can take into our households.  It will also be interesting to see the impact this list will have on businesses not included or who did not enter the competition.  Will more companies apply for next year?  Will the environment and climate change come higher up on companies agenda as a result of such publicity?  Only time will tell….

So, stop by next week for the analysis of The Sunday Times Best Green Companies.

 

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Black cabs to go green

April 27, 2008 · Filed under CO2 emissions, Carbon Dioxide emissions, Companies going green, carbon footprint, reduce carbon footprint · Tagged , , , , , ,

If you were to ask your average UK citizen which word they associate with black most would say cab.  There are around 20,000 licensed black cabs on London roads with the first engine powered cab being introduced on 1903.  However, the black cab is set to have a makeover and become green by 2009.  Fear not though- this is not a physical colour change, more a change in environmental credentials.

The traditional black cab is made by Manganese Bronze who are teaming up with the specialist electric car designers Tanfield.  Black cabs already have good green credentials such as lasting 20 years and having a higher mileage rate of diesel engines compared to petrol.  However, by introducing an electric version (and therefore zero emissions) of the TX4 their carbon footprint will be drastically cut.

The new green cab will be able to run for at least 100 miles on one charge.  It is estimated by the Licenced Taxi Drivers Association that the average cabbie runs up around 120 and 150 miles a day.  So the electric car may just last a whole day.  How easy it will be to re-charge the cab is still to be seen.  According to the makers the battery takes six hours to charge from flat with a fast charge of 25% in one hour.  Better not forget to plug the cab in at night then……..

It’s not just the environment who will benefit from the introduction of the new cabs.  By running on electricity the cab will have running costs of just 4p per mile compared to 9.3p on diesel.  The downside is that the new car will cost more than the standard version which currently stands at around £37000.

If the launch is successful Manganese Bronze have plans to try the same in China through a joint venture with Shanghai LTI.  So there we have it.  Another company going green and helping reduce CO2 emissions in London.

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BBC tackles ethical fashion with Thread magazine

April 21, 2008 · Filed under CO2 emissions, Companies going green, Fairtrade, carbon footprint, ethical fashion, reduce carbon footprint · Tagged , , , , , ,

The latest company to jump onto the green bandwagon is the BBC.  The BBC are targeting the niche of ethical fashion.  Recently ethical fashion has become a hot term amongst fashion designers and those who consider themselves to be trendy.

These days it’s not enough to wear the right clothes- the clothes have to be ethical and green.  Stella Macartney has launched an ethical fashion range and the pages of Cosmopolitan and the like are full of ethical fashion tips.

The magazine Thread, launched by the BBC commissioned research that found that 31% of people between 16-30 years old wanted to buy more ethical fashion.  They found that as yet people are unsure where to turn to find what’s hot and what’s not.

This puts pressure on fashion retailers to provide information about how their clothes have been produced and where the materials come from.  At the top of the list of what people are most concerned about was the working conditions of the people making the clothes.  This was followed by organic labelling, the use of chemicals, how to recycle the clothes and the energy used in producing them.  

Soon then we could see how large an items carbon footprint is!  Will this put companies off having their clothes made on the other side of the world?  Only time will tell….

We’ll bring you more about ethical fashion telling you where are the best places to buy clothes and more about how they are produced.  We’ll look at the best and worst retailers of ethical fashion and see if it’s affordable.

Good luck to the BBC and Thread.  We hope that they’ll be able to bring more people to ethical fashion and wider ethical issues.

Whilst writing these posts it seems that we are going full circle.  Hundreds of years ago each country was responsible for growing it’s own food and making its own products, be these clothes or toys.  These days most things we use seem to be made in a foreign country.  If we do go full circle and only use the resources on our small island this will have an effect on the economy.  As yet we don’t know if this is good or bad but it will help the environment.

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