We at Spunky.co.uk have always believed in positive business that effects more than just our bank balance. We have put together a policy of business changes that we have put into place to kick us up the arse and make us walk the walk...
1 Energy:
- To switch of all unused electrical appliances and unplug all unused transformers at night
- We use energy from Ecotricity's New Energy Plus tariff which is 100% from renewable sources.
- To replace all lightbulbs with low energy ones. Its amazing how many different types of energy efficient bulbs are now available from Ikea and Screwfix.
2 Recycling:
- Office Waste:
In our office and warehouse we pay for the recycling of all our paper, cardboard, plastic bottles, plastic bags, cans and glass. - Plastic Packaging:
Having met with an advisor to the government and discussed the problem of plastic bags in the fashion sector, we have decided not to use biodegradable bags as they are only of benefit if the end user composts them. If they simply bin them then they go into landfill and emit methane which is worse than CO2 in terms of Global Warming (see composting below).Our policy is to use 100% polyethylene plastic bags and to encourage our customers to recycle them.
We've ditched our plastic envelopes and introduced a 100% recycled and 100% recyclable paper envelope for sending you out your T-shirt orders. So now you can place your order safe in the knowledge that you won't be filling up your local landfill site!
- Foodwaste:
We compost all our organic waste and tea bags! Composting is one of the most enviromentally important things you can do. About a third of the waste sent to landfill in the UK is biodegradable organic matter. When composted these materials will be broken down aerobically. In a landfill site, this waste will be broken down anaerobically and produce methane. Methane is a very damaging greenhouse gas - it has over 20 times as much 'global warming potential' as carbon dioxide.
3 Transport:
- We only use sea and road freight to import our products NOT air. In terms of CO2 per tonne air freight is 100 times worse than sea freight!
- We walk and cycle to work and operate an employee bike funding scheme.
- On the rare occasion we have to take a flight for business we offset it with
4 Finance:
- For our business accounts we bank with Triodos, the UK's most actively ethical bank. Triodos Bank only lends money to organisations and businesses pursuing positive social, environmental and cultural goals. They actively qualify the people they work with.
- We personally bank with Smile who are part of the Co-operative Bank. They have a strict ethical policy and do work to help the environment.
5 Purchasing:
- We only buy Fairtrade certified tea, coffee and sugar.
- We only buy low enviromental cleaning products. Ideally from Oxfam as then they get the profit.
- We only buy recycled paper (including our web order invoice paper)
- We only buy recycled bin bags
- We only buy recycled bog roll
- We only buy Fairtrade certified chocolate!
- All our flyers are now printed on recycled card
6 Manufacturing:
- Since the begining of 2008 ALL our garments have been made from 100% Organic cotton
- Our T-shirts are made in Tirupur in India and made from GOTS certified cotton:
- Our Hoods are made in Tirupur in India and made from Soil Association certified cotton:
- We visit the factories we use to make our Tshirts, sweatshirts, hoodies and dresses to make sure they are up to our high standards. James went over to India in January 09 to do an unannounced factory check. They are government regulated to comply with the ISO standards.
- We refrain from using terms like 'Fairly Traded' or 'Ethically Traded' as they are often branded around. We want to go the whole hog and hope to start using Fairtrade registered factories in the future but we have found that we have been unable to reach the minimum quantities required to manufacture our products with them, so far...
This is an ongoing policy and we welcome all comments and advice we can get in making Spunky.co.uk greener.
Get in touch greenspunk@spunky.co.uk