Ethical Consumer magazine, Issue 122

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Apr 1, 2009 - Our Best Buys are Gorenje A++ models. (020 8247 39 80), ...... claims its laptops are more environmentally
£4.25

EC122 Jan/Feb 2010

www.ethicalconsumer.org

What’s in your washer?

find the most climate friendly washing machine

Buyers’ guides for a good start baby food & milk and child trust funds

Eco nomics. Save with Triodos and the planet profits too.

It takes a brave person to use the words ‘ethical’ and ‘banking’ in the same sentence nowadays. We’re not brave, just helping to realise a brave new world where ethically minded savers can get a decent return. We only finance projects that have a positive impact on the environment and society. Open a two, three or five year Fixed Rate Climate Change Bond with just £500. Apply today and do your bit to tackle climate change.

For savings that work hard for people and the planet

Call: 0500 008 720 Visit: www.triodos.co.uk

The world’s most ethical bank

Triodos Bank NV (incorporated under the laws of the Netherlands with limited liability, registered in England and Wales BR3012). Authorised by the Dutch Central Bank (DNB) and regulated by the Financial Services Authority (FSA) for the conduct of UK business. Registered office: Brunel House, 11 The Promenade, Bristol BS8 3NN.

contents

Promoting change by informing and empowering the consumer

ethical consumer magazine

who’s who editors Dan Welch, Rob Harrison sub-editing Dan Welch proofing Ruth Binns writers/researchers Katy Brown, Bryony Moore, Jane Turner, Dan Welch, Tim Hunt, Jo Southall, Leonie Nimmo, Rob Harrison contributors Simon Birch, Giles Simon, Shaun Fensom, Mike Boyle, John Paul Flintoff, Neil Boorman, Yasmin Hosny design and layout Adele Armistead (moonloft.com), Jane Turner, Marcus Graham cover Polyp cartoons Sarah Guthrie, Marc Roberts, Andy Vine, Richard Liptrot ad sales Simon Birch subscriptions Elizabeth Chater enquiries Leonie Nimmo, Tim Hunt press enquiries Dan Welch research & screening Rob Harrison consultancy Rob Harrison internet/web Michael Wignall marketing Jane Turner

january/february, 2010

buyer's guides 6 washing machines 14 baby food and milk 24 child trust funds

Cleaner by degrees

corporate watch 20 Chiquita blood and bananas

p6

comment and analysis 28 greenwash can marketing be a force for good?

Thanks also to: Will Hodson, Luke Yates

29 boycotts Pro-hunt lobby boycott Lush

30 food greenest supermarkets, palm oil scorecard... All material correct one month before cover date and © Ethical Consumer Research Association Ltd.  Not-for-profit organisations may normally reproduce without charge any of the material appearing in Ethical Consumer, providing that all such material is credited and providing that written permission has been sought prior to publication. No part of this publication may be produced by commercial organisations without written permission from Ethical Consumer Research Association Ltd.

32 good technology virtual consumer, greener guide to electronics

p20

buy nothing year, the British shopping experience

36 ethics on a shoestring home-made clothes

37 tar sands latest news on our campaign

38 money ethical & green funds, money news

39 public purse & thinker ethical procurement, market research on ethical consumption

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regulars

About the Advertisers ECRA checks out advertisers before accepting their ads and reserves the right to refuse any advert. Covered in previous buyers’ guides: Biona (112), Charity Bank (118), Community Foods (114), Co-operative Bank (118), ETA (109), Greenfibres (98), Green Stationery Company (96), Plamil (102), Vegetarian Shoes (98), Suma (117), Traidcraft (117), Triodos (118). Other advertisers: BUAV, Ethical Investment Co-op, Get Cycling, Green Shop, Manchester Futon Company, One Village, Organico, Practical Action, Shared Interest, Slade & Cooper, Soil Association.

let’s clean up fashion, trafficked labour

34 less is more

ISSN 0955 8608 Printed by RAP Spiderweb Ltd, c/o the Commercial Centre, Clowes Centre, Hollinwood, Oldham OL9 7LY. 0161 947 3700 Paper: The cover is printed on Cyclus 130gsm recycled and the inside pages on 80gsm Corona from 100% post-consumer waste. Ethical Consumer is a member of INK (independent news collective), an association of radical and alternative www.ink.uk.com publishers.

33 clothes

5 letters 42 ethical sceptic the environmental cost of the digital switchover

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Ethical Consumer Research Association Ltd Unit 21, 41 Old Birley Street, Manchester M15 5RF. Tel: 0161 226 2929 (12 noon-6pm). Fax: 0161 226 6277. Email: [email protected] for general enquiries or [email protected] for subscriptions.

editorial New Subscription Package at Ethical Consumer At Ethical Consumer we have recently taken a decision to only sell new subscriptions which combine all our print and online products together. There are three main reasons for this: • It’s simpler – for you and for us. • We are following a trend in publishing to cater for readers increasingly using online information sources. See the Reader’s Survey opposite. • We want the widest possible readership to have access to the most up-to-date and detailed information that we have, and to all the interactive online tools we have built. We would like to invite existing subscribers to upgrade to this new enhanced subscription if they wish, and more details appear on the centre pages. In the first issue of the magazine in 1989, we published all our research - the ‘stories behind the ratings’ - in full. These ‘companies sections’ grew to become longer than the magazine itself and in 1995 were floated off as a separate ‘Research Supplement’. By 2009, with campaigns and reporting around corporate behaviour growing exponentially, the companies section for just one buyers’ guide now averages around 40 pages.

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Thus the environmental cost of an electric shaver is almost entirely what it takes to manufacture and deliver it. I sometimes use a wind-up shaver for convenience, particularly when travelling. But I don’t fool myself that this helps the planet. From that point of view, it would be better for me to stay at home and shave using mains electricity.

fair, es – play es consol ts Toys & gam mental cos the environ – cutting s ver sha Razors &

Alan Slomson, by email

So we don’t have to be yetis to be ethical – good news! Tim Hunt’s article on shaving raised some interesting ideas but, for me, his In praise of mains electric conclusions don’t all add up. I shavers suggest that electric shavers win I doubt the claim [EC121, page hands down. Mine is going strong 24] that wind-up shavers “are at five years old and has had just likely to save significant amounts three foils so far – each about as of CO2 over their lifetime”. I shave much metal and plastic as a couple for rather less than 3 minutes each of disposable blades. Consuming day, that is, about 18 hours a year. 15W and at about three minutes a So, using a mains electricity shaver day, it uses a quarter of a unit a year, rated at 15 watts, I would use ie 3p of electricity – or the same as around 0.3 of a kilowatt hour (kW) boiling the kettle three times. Is the of electricity each year. Compare solar cell shaver really going to ever this with a 2kW electric heater pay back the environmental cost of which uses the same amount of making it’s solar cell? Does it work electricity in ten minutes. in a sunless British December? I

LETTERS

4 www.ethicalconsumer.org

JANUARY/FEBRUARY ‘10

For some time now we’ve been publishing buyers’ guides together with their companies sections online as Research Report PDFs (which were sold for £3 each). These Research Reports are fantastic pieces of journalism, and contain essential details for anyone seeking to seriously engage with companies on their behaviour. Free access to the full Research Report Archive is a key element of the new subscription offer. Longer term readers may also remember the YES and NO postcards we used to sell to help people communicate their views to companies about specific ethical issues. Although we don’t produce them any more, we now have interactive YES and NO emails on the ethiscore.org website which are another key element of the new subscription offer. Many of the other features are outlined in the centre pages. The migration of information to the web is a difficult process for print publishers everywhere to manage, though it is proving an excellent tool for campaigners. We hope we’ve got the combination right but, as ever, we welcome your comments and feedback. Rob Harrison

suspect that your ‘Best Buys’ are doomed to join the wind-up radio at the back of the cupboard. Wet shaving? Run hot tap until you can splash for face wet, then on with chemical gloop from aerosol can, run more hot to get sink full enough to rinse razor. Once more to rinse sink of v nasty bristley slime and again to wash face. Maybe new blade. I measured this at about 10 litres of hot water, plus wasted cold and some hot left in the pipes – that is about three and a half tons of hot water a year! Nuff said. John Reed, by email

In a lather

Power versus energy confusion Re the table on page 22 of the Sep/Oct issue [Electricity Monitors]. Please understand that energy units are kWh (kilowatthours) and power is in W (watts) or kW. (Upper and lower cases are intended to comply with S.I. units and standard convention.) You may think me to be some sort of patronising train spotter but actually I’m an ex-school teacher and understand that most of the intelligent public do not understand power and energy and with an energy unit of kWh, a confusion is likely. Simon Leach, by email

“Wet shaving also... necessitates shaving gels or creams that have an environmental impact” (EC 121 on Shavers). Really? Admittedly when I started shaving 40 years ago I followed the crowd and used shaving foam – but stopped when I discovered that lathering my face with soap was just as effective. I do not even know what a ‘shaving gel’ is. Simon Erskine, London

We welcome readers’ letters. Letters may be edited for reasons of space or clarity. If you do not want letters that you send to us to be published, please mark them ‘Not for publication’. Send letters to the address on the contents page or email them to: [email protected]

letters Our Ethical Supporters

So what did we learn?

Last year Ethical Consumer surveyed you, our readership, to get feedback on a range of issues from the new magazine layout to the campaign groups you support.

• 58% of our subscribers are male and 42% are female. This is interesting as it bucks the trend of other research which suggests the majority of ethical consumers are women.

Over 400 people responded – a big thank you to all of you who did. The information you provided is extremely useful to us in helping to take the organisation forward. We have used it to tweak the content of the magazine to what interests you most, as well as to attract new subscribers. Having gone through a process of changing the look and some of the content of the magazine it was important for us to get feedback on those changes. Your responses to our efforts to freshen up what we do have been positive - and suggested ways we can improve. Thanks for all the positive and useful feedback. It was clear from the survey results that an ever increasing number of our supporters are internet literate. We felt it was important to move with the times and reflect this. So we’re now offering existing subscribers an upgraded subscription – you’ll be able to access our premium website, www.ethiscore.org, an online version of the magazine, and download all the company research behind our buyers’ guides. See the centre pages for more details.



Number of members in s urvey

150

100

• The average subscriber is likely to be a member of two campaign groups (see the graph below). •

80% regularly use the internet and for a wide range of activities from research to shopping. The sites they are most likely to buy from are Natural Collection, Ethical Superstore and People Tree (very ethical).

• Most people considered human rights and factory farming as the most important issues in our ranking system. • 56% of our subscribers have been with us for over 5 years. (Thanks for your loyalty and we hope that you continue to enjoy the magazine.)

Respondents’ Campaign Group Membership

250

200

We have a fairly wide distribution in terms of the age of our readership. The largest group is the 45 to 54 age range. But overall our age profile is a bit younger than that of the average ethical consumer.

Thanks also for your comments. Here are two of our favourites:

F oE 203

Greenpeace 139

Amnesty 138

“Relevant, radical reading” Andrew, Nottingham (Andrew, we might have to use that as a new by-line!)

Oxfam 127

Traidcraft 88

50

Christian Aid 64

Action Aid 41

0 Campaign Group

LBL 40

BUAV 38

Animal Aid 39

Peta 35

“The shopping basket can be more powerful than the gun” Nancy, Cambridge

Finally, many thanks to Luke Yates for analysing the data for us.

Cantankerous Frank

by Marc Roberts / climatecartoons.org.uk

JANUARY/FEBRUARY ‘10

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LG’s F1402FDS5 model is the best environmental buy (see the Performance Table on page 11 for details) and is highly rated in the latest Which? survey. But LG (0844 847 5454) is virtually at the bottom of our Ethiscore rankings. See Company Profiles for some of the reasons why. 5

Cleaner by degrees Tim Hunt investigates the environmental performance of washing machines and finds that green machines don’t always mean clean companies.

Sustainability and drudgery Our Best Buys are Gorenje A++ models (020 8247 39 80), which come top of the Ethiscore rankings. Its W163113 model is also second best on environmental performance. 13.5

 www.ethicalconsumer.org

According to an article in the Vatican Newspaper L’Osservatore Romano, published on this year’s International Women’s Day, the washing machine has done more to liberate women in the twentieth century than the contraceptive pill. You could be forgiven for thinking ‘they would say that, wouldn’t they.’ One of the first electric washing machines, produced in New York in 1900, had the legend ‘SAVE WOMEN’S LIVES’ stamped into its metal frame. We wouldn’t want to endorse that as a tenet of contemporary feminism. But there’s no doubt washing machines have taken much of the drudgery out of ‘Wash Day’. Nine out of ten homes in the UK have washing machines. Many ethical consumers go without electronic goods due to their social and environmental impacts. But when we quizzed friends and contacts to find people whose green credentials saw them forgo modern laundry technology, it was noticeable that convenience trumped carbon footprint every time. One committed deep green, who

JANUARY/FEBRUARY ‘10

lives off-grid with his wife and three-yearold, pumps water by hand from a well and wouldn’t dream of wasting solar power on a fridge, admitted: “To be honest, I’m addicted to laundrettes.” We hear from two readers on page 9. So perhaps this is one mod con we should just be grateful for, and do our best to minimise its environmental impact. And that impact is not inconsiderable. Washing machines in the UK produce the same carbon dioxide emissions annually as about 2.5m cars, according to the Energy Saving Trust.1 Three-quarters of the energy consumption associated with fabric products comes not from their manufacture or distribution, but from laundering them after they are sold. 2 Fewer washing machines are being bought now than in the past, as it’s a market of increasingly reliable products, based on replacement. According to consumer research group Mintel we increasingly select washing machines on the basis of their energy efficiency and water consumption – nearly four out of ten consider energy efficiency as important when choosing a new model.

buyer’s guide

Gorenje A++ models Hotpoint A++ models Indesit A++ models CDA Baumatic Miele Candy Haier Hoover Smeg Fagor AEG Electrolux Maytag Tricity Bendix Whirlpool Zanussi Matsui Bush Beko Panasonic A++ models Samsung John Lewis LG A++ models Bosch A++ models Siemens A++ models

13.5 13 13 12 11.5 11.5 11 11 11 11 10.5 10 10 10 10 10 10 9.5 8.5 8 7.5 6 5.5 5 4.5 4.5

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The Product Sustainability marks are awarded for A++ models only in order to give ample differentiation between brands. This reflects the rapid pace of movement in the market and the technological advances that have seen the energy consumption for some models improve dramatically over recent years.

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Political Activity

Boycott Call

Genetic Engineering

Politics Arms & Military Supply

Irresponsible Marketing

Supply Chain Policy

Workers’ Rights

People

Human Rights

Animal Rights

Factory Farming

Animals

Animal Testing

Habitats & Resources

Pollution & Toxics

Climate Change

Nuclear Power

Environmental Reporting

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COMPANY GROUP Gorenje Group Fineldo SpA Fineldo SpA CDA Group Baumatic Ltd Miele and Cie. GMBH and Co Candy Elettrodomestici Haier Group Company Candy Elettrodomestici Smeg SpA Mondragon Co-operative Investor AB Investor AB Whirlpool Corp Investor AB Whirlpool Corp Investor AB DSG International Home Retail Group Koc Holding AS Panasonic Corporation Samsung John Lewis Partnership LG Group Robert Bosch/Siemens Robert Bosch/Siemens

USING THE TABLES Ethiscore: the higher the score, the better the company across the criticism categories.  bottom rating  middle rating See ‘Our Rating System’ page at www.ethicalconsumer.org for category definitions Positive ratings (+ve): Company Ethos:  full mark  half mark Product Sustainability: Maximum of five positive marks

top rating (no criticisms)

All the research behind these ratings is available together with a PDF of this report for free as part of our new upgraded subscription. See centre pages.

Unfortunately, as is often the case, fewer, less than one in five, indicate that they are prepared to pay a premium price for energy efficiency. 3

Energy and water consumption It’s easy to see why consumers are concerned about energy and water usage when bills have risen steadily over the years. Washing machines on average account for 22% of household water usage and 6% of domestic electricity consumption. Front-loading washing machines are much more water efficient than top loading models, using 25% to 40% less water and saving the

average home as much as 7,000 gallons of water per year.4 Heating the water is the most energy-intensive part of the process, using 85-90% of total energy. None of the brands in this report produced ‘hot fill’ models. In the past, we recommended washing machines that filled from the domestic hot water system, rather than heating electrically in the machine, as more efficient. However, the efficiency of the best modern machines, and lower wash temperatures, have probably trumped the gains of older ‘hot fill’ models. And don’t attach your hot water system to a modern ‘cold fill’ machine, as this can cause all sorts of problems.

JANUARY/FEBRUARY ‘10

www.ethiscore.org 

WASHING MACHINES

New Technologies Clean beads from Leeds Washing machines are getting continually more efficient, with many using about half as much water as they did 10 years ago. Now scientists at the University of Leeds have developed a new technology that uses 90% less water than conventional machines and 30% less energy. Instead of cleaning clothes using water, thousands of tiny, reusable nylon polymer beads attract and absorb dirt under humid conditions. The developers say only a small amount of water and detergent is needed to dampen the clothes, loosen stains and create the water vapour that allows the beads to work. After the cycle is finished, the beads fall through a mesh in the machine’s drum and can be re-used up to a hundred times. According to the developers if old washing machines were replaced with this type of model it could have the environmental impact of taking two million cars off the road.

Recycled water Sanyo’s new ‘Aqua’ domestic washer, not yet available in the UK, has two notable features. Firstly, it uses an ‘Aqualoop’ that allows it to recycle water for use in future washes. Secondly, it has a dry cleaning feature that uses ozone to disinfect and deodorize clothes without the need for much water. The ozone is injected into the drum where it decomposes bacteria before returning to the atmosphere. However this process tends to use more detergent.

Break it down Soap is just a way of making water wetter. Breaking water into H+ and OH- ions has the same effect. That’s how the Haier Wash2O washing machine works, meaning no detergent is needed. Currently the Haier Wash2O is only available in France.

respond to our request for information, but www.nanotechproject.org list the Samsung C1235A. There are two main problems with nano silver technology. Firstly, the manufacturing process is highly energy intensive and secondly, and more importantly, the effects of nanotechnology on human health and the wider environment have yet to be fully investigated and quantified. When used in washing machines nano particles enter the water system along with waste water from each wash. According to a report commissioned by Friends of the Earth (FoE) Australia, who are campaigning for a moratorium on nanotech: “As a powerful bactericide, silver nano particles threaten bacteria-dependent processes that underpin ecosystem function. Beneficial bacteria are of vital importance to soil, plant and animal health.” 24 In Sweden, after complaints from the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency, the Swedish Water and Waste Water Association and the Stockholm Water Authority, Samsung briefly withdrew its nano silver model, but it is now back on the market. A loophole in the Swedish Environmental Code means that legislation does not cover material built into products. As the nano silver is structurally incorporated into the Samsung machines it fell outside of the legislation. The Swedish authorities are concerned that the nano silver will cause damage to water organisms and result in high public costs resulting from the need to remove the silver nano particles from effluent sludge.24 In the US several consumer watchdogs have petitioned the Environmental Protection Agency to ban the use of nano silver in consumer goods, including washing machines. They cite the harm to aquatic life and the potential for nano silver to prevent the growth of beneficial bacteria in water treatment plants.25

A small controversy In EC119 we reported on the continuing controversy over nanotechnology in consumer products. There are now washing machines on the market that use nanotechnology to disinfect clothing and kill odour-causing bacteria. According to www. nanotechproject.org, which has a searchable database of products containing nanotech, both Samsung and LG use nano silver in some of their washing machine models. LG confirmed to us models containing nano silver are the F1443KDS, F1403TDS, F1409TDS, F122TDS. Samsung did not

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FoE Australia and FoE Germany have both called for Samsung’s nano silver appliance range, including washing machines, to be recalled until, “publicly available, peerreviewed studies can demonstrate its safety for the environment and human health”.24 In the UK DEFRA’s Advisory Committee on Hazardous Substances is working on a report on nano silver due to be published shortly.

Out with the old? The British Retail Consortium (BRC) have suggested a scrappage scheme should be introduced, similar to the controversial car scrappage scheme, whereby you would receive cash towards a new machine when you scrap your old one. They have also suggested removing VAT from the most efficient white goods. According to the BRC that would cut carbon dioxide emissions by at least 1.3m tonnes a year by 2020, at an annual cost of £507m in lost VAT receipts.16 Independent ‘life cycle analysis’ appears to agree with this. Research suggests that running a washing machine over its lifespan uses many times more energy than that used in the manufacture or disposal stage. This would lead to the conclusion that on the whole it is better to get a new efficient machine rather than continuing to use an older model with high energy and water consumption.35 If buying new, retailers may recycle your old machine, otherwise contact your local council or see www.recyclenow.com. And if it still works why not give your old machine a new home rather than scrapping it. If you don’t know anyone who wants it contact your local Freecycle group. Most UK Freecycle groups now operate under www.ilovefreegle.org.

buyer’s guide Many go without electronic goods due to their social and environmental impacts but it’s hard to find anyone who doesn’t use a washing machine or laundrette. Ethical Consumer asked two eco-conscious families why this is one mod con it’s hard to do without.

Wash at 30o Energy efficient technology doesn’t guarantee energy saving. If I run my new machine twice as much as my old one, or spend the money I’ve saved on energy bills on a weekend flight to Europe we’re back to square one. The headline advice on cutting the energy use of washing machines is to wash clothes at 30° instead of higher temperatures. This idea has been pushed by everyone from the Energy Saving Trust to Procter & Gamble. Retail giants Marks & Spencers and Asda have even changed the washing instructions on their clothes to reflect this. Research by Intertek for Ariel (a brand of Procter & Gamble) claims that by turning dials to 30° we can reduce the energy used when doing our laundry by nearly half (41%). Turning down from 40° to 30° saves about 0.2 kWh per load. But before trying 30° washes you need to check your washing machine. Most washing machines will have a 30° wash programme but it’s not suitable for washing cottons. This is because these programmes were designed before 30° wash detergents when only delicate laundry needed such a cool wash. As such, the wash action is too gentle, and the spin is too slow for cottons. Researchers in Korea found that lowtemperature cycles in washing machines don’t get rid of some of the most common causes of allergies, such as pollen. In 30° or 40° washes only 6% of house dust mites were killed compared with 100% at 60°. Other allergens remained at higher concentrations on lower wash temperatures. The Korean research questioned detergent manufacturers claims that their products worked just as well at lower temperatures. However they also found that rinsing fabrics three or four times in cold water after washing at 30° produced results comparable with a much hotter wash.33 For more tips on washing at 30° see Links.

I didn’t have my own washing machine until I was 36. In my early 20s I used a council-run laundrette on the estate where I lived. It was an old-fashioned affair filled with huge steam rollers and presses. It wasn’t an unpleasant social experience. Most people would hang about there waiting for their washing, it was a place where people chatted and caught up. Unfortunately that closed down when they knocked down the estate. With no other local laundrette and no money to buy a washing machine I washed all my clothes in the bath using a sink plunger to agitate them. So did many of my friends. Later, I came across a spin dryer which made the process somewhat easier. Later I moved into a housing co-op. Unfortunately, the housing co-op didn’t have a public laundrette either – when we were setting up the co-op we talked about having one but couldn’t afford it in the end. At some point a neighbour got a washing machine so several of us shared it. What was the need to have one in each house? But the access wasn’t as open as the public laundrette. It felt awkward and intrusive to put in washing or pick it up when the neighbour was at home. Then I had a baby. The washing grew from just my stuff to the baby’s as well. Too much to do in the bath and too much to bother the neighbour with. My parents bought me a washing machine and I’ve still got the same one 10 years later. I certainly don’t miss the bath and having a washing machine in your house is ultra convenient. But a beautiful laundrette close by would be convenient too.

Richard, Devon Since I left home I’ve never had my own washing machine, I’ve pretty much always used a laundrette. Now I live in quite a remote area and it’s seven miles to the closest one. I take the washing there once a week on my way into work. Before our son was born I took it a lot less often. Landmatters, the permaculture project where I live is busy putting the basic infrastructure in place and we are off grid. Washing stuff by hand would take up so much time – even just fetching the water would be really time consuming – and this would be detrimental to the development of the project as it means less time doing other things. We are wary of spending all our time on basic survival, we really want to progress the project. At the moment we are building a bath house, complete with showers and a laundry. This will allow us to do some hand washing but it will be properly plumbed in so we won’t have to be fetching water. At some point we hope to get a bicycle-powered washing machine but this is a while off at the moment. We have done some hand washing in the past. When our son was young I used to hand wash his nappies using a mangle (only ones soiled with pee, not number 2). I set the mangle up in the veg patch and used the diluted pee as a fertiliser.

image © Margojh | Dreamstime.com

image © Photobunny... | Dreamstime.com

Jane, Manchester

JANUARY/FEBRUARY ‘10

www.ethiscore.org 

WASHING MACHINES

Labelling

Energy Saving Recommended

EU Energy Label Since 1996, all new washing machines have displayed an EU Energy Label which shows, on a scale of A-C for each of three areas: energy efficiency, wash performance and spin efficiency (not to be confused with tumble drying). Energy efficiency is most important when it comes to the environment. Better spin efficiency means drier clothes at the end of the cycle. Manufacturers voluntarily phased out class D to G models several years ago. Today 98% of washing machines are A rated, meaning they use no more than 0.18 kWh energy per kilo of washing (kWh/kg). Most A rated machines use under 0.17kWh/kg, an improvement even since our last report on washing machines in 2007, when the majority were 0.19kWh/kg. The EU will ban B and C rated machines from 2010 and from 2013 only models rated A+ or above will be approved for sale.19 The A+ and A++ labels have been introduced by manufacturers to differentiate between A rated models. A+ rating means models use 0.17 kWh/kg or less, A++ 0.15 kWh/kg or under. LG claims the lowest energy usage of any model at 0.13 kWh/kg. Water efficiency is not taken into consideration in the EU Energy Label. We’ve worked it out for the models on our Performance Table. This varies from 5.7 litres/ kg for the best performers on the market to 11+ litres/kg for poor performers. For models not covered on our table you can work it out by dividing the water use per cycle by the load size, to give a measurement of litres per kg of load (both these figures are given in most product specifications). However you can’t tell how much better one A+ or A++ rated machine is from another just by looking at the label. Our Performance Table goes some way to rectifying that by providing more detail. The Energy Label also doesn’t take the quality of the product into account – how often it might need repairing or how long it’s likely to last before you need to buy a replacement. Which? magazine offers the best guide, rating the Miele W3740 and Miele W562 Prestige Plus 6 models as the best overall models – both scoring 74%. The LG F1402FDS5 - top of the environmental Performance Table – gets a Which? rating of 71%. The Gorenje models that appear on our table are not covered by the Which? report, but those that are receive comparatively low scores – 53% and 58%.

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Developed by the Energy Saving Trust, in conjunction with industry and the UK government, the Energy Saving Recommended (ESR) logo appears on a wide range of products including washing machines. It’s only given to those models that rate A or above for energy efficiency, wash performance and spin efficiency. Washing machines from the following brands in this report carry the label: AEG, Bosch, CDA Group, John Lewis, LG , Panasonic, Samsung, Siemens, Smeg and Zanussi.The ESR on-line database lists products meeting its criteria (see Links).

EU Eco-label While some existing washing machines may be up to the standards necessary to carry the EU Eco-label, or Flower symbol, none are currently certified. The EU Eco-label verifies low environmental impacts throughout the product’s life cycle, from manufacturing to disposal, as well as high standards of performance.

Company Profiles LG and Samsung LG may top the environmental performance table but it’s third from bottom on the ethiscore table. LG, along with Samsung, have featured in three recent reports. 1) Labour rights abuses in the Philippines LG and Samsung were both mentioned in Dutch NGO SOMO’s recent report into labour conditions in the computer parts supply chain in the Philippines “Configuring Labour Rights”. 28 The report found that since 2006 some aspects of working conditions had become worse, largely due to the growth of subcontracting labour through agencies. Workers were found to be worse off in terms of wages and benefits, freedom to organise and working hours. The report also said that the economic crisis and rising unemployment might have a further negative effect on wages and organising unions. In the peak season overtime was high and workers regularly worked seven days per week, sometimes 12 hours a day. This was worst in the controversial Export Processing Zones, where unions and strike action is often banned.

JANUARY/FEBRUARY ‘10

Performance and Cost Table The table opposite shows the top two models from each brand. The table is ordered from best to worst for Kg CO2 per year, or climate change impact, for the better model of each brand. ‘Kg CO2 per year’ is not part of the EU Energy Label. The ‘Energy kWh/kg’ column provides more detail than the EU Energy Label, while the ‘Water litres/kg’ helps show the most water efficient models. And the cost per year gives you an idea of the impact on your bills. The Retail Price is an average based on the three cheapest available prices we could find. All the information is taken from www.sust-it.net unless stated otherwise. LG Electronics’ eco-friendly steam technology puts its A++ at the top of the table for green performance. It works by injecting steam directly into the washer to heat detergent to its ideal cleaning temperature much faster, this slashes washing times and the amount of water needed. The machine also has a ‘refresh cycle’ which uses steam alone, leaving clothes looking freshly ironed in 20 minutes, according to the manufacturers.

2) Human rights in the DRC The two companies were also mentioned in a 2008 report by Danish multinational monitors DanWatch, into the link between mobile phone components and mining in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).29 The mining industry in the DRC is widely linked to corruption and human and workers’ rights abuses. The report uncovered a supply chain linking LG and Samsung (as well as Motorola and Nokia) to a Belgian cobalt trading company operating in the war-torn DRC province of Katanga. In 2005 it was estimated that more than 75% of all minerals leaving Katanga were illegally exported. Mining contracts in the DRC have been criticised for lacking transparency and failing to provide the Congolese people with economic benefits. Child labour was also reportedly used in the Katanga mining industry – with many children working as both diggers and porters. Working conditions in the industry are often very dangerous - even deadly and miners rarely earn a decent living wage. There have also been violent crackdowns

buyer’s guide Energy Use kWh/kg

Water litres / kg

Kg CO2 per year

Cost per year

Retail Price

LG F1402FDS5 A++

0.13

LG WM15220FD A++

0.15

5.7

94.26

£26.87

£588.99

6.5

102.74

£29.29

£337.30

Gorenje WI63113 A++

0.15

7

103.01

£29.37

£503.96

Gorenje WA65205 A+

0.17

6.5

120.18

£34.26

£744.99

Panasonic NA-16VX1W A++

0.15

6.3

105.03

£29.95

£522.33

Panasonic NA-16VG1 A++

0.15

6.3

105.03

£29.95

£513.32

Bosch WAS28469 A++

0.15

7

106.04

£30.23

£486.95

Bosch WLX24162 A+

0.17

8.8

119.39

£34.04

£423.56

Siemens WM14S383 A++

0.15

7

106.04

£30.23

£505.00

Siemens WXLI4240 A+

0.16

7.6

116.14

£33.11

NA

Indesit WIB101 A++

0.15

9.6

109.25

£31.15

215.57

Indesit IWME12 A

0.18

11.6

119.53

£34.08

414.48

Hotpoint WT965 A++

0.15

8.5

110.08

£31.38

£353.95

Hotpoint AQGD169S A+

0.16

8.75

112.22

£32.00

£466.66

Zanussi ZWF1237W A+

0.16

8.1

112.22

£32.00

£409.00

Zanussi ZWF16070S A+

0.17

9

120.18

£34.26

£275.00

Samsung WF-J125N A+

0.16

8.6

115.13

£32.82

NA

Samsung WF-B145N

0.19

9

134.31

£38.30

£269.00

Baumatic BFWE1470W A+

0.16

7

116.14

£33.11

£462.33

Baumatic BTWM6 A+

0.17

8.2

120.18

£34.26

£450.00

Electrolux EWT12420W top loader A+

0.17

8.3

119.53

£34.08

£500.21

Electrolux EWN13570W A+

0.17

9

120.18

£34.26

£334.74

AEG L88810 A+

0.17

6.5

120.18

£34.26

£609.33

AEG L74810 A+

0.17

7.5

120.18

£34.26

NA

Smeg WM63141 A+

0.17

6.5

120.18

£34.26

NA

Smeg WM62121

0.19

7.5

134.31

£38.30

£293.19

Hoover HNL7126 A+

0.17

7.5

120.18

£34.26

£253.00

Hoover VHD9163ZD A+

0.17

7.5

120.18

£34.26

£313.02

Miele Paramount A+

0.17

7.8

120.18

£34.26

NA

Miele W3923 WPS A+

0.17

7.8

120.18

£34.26

NA

Tricity Bendix AW1401 A

0.17

9.8

120.18

£34.26

NA

Tricity Bendix AW1201 A

0.17

9.8

120.18

£34.26

£229.97

Candy GO 167 Grando A

0.17

9.1

120.18

£34.26

NA

Candy AQ1000 B

0.19

12.2

133.30

£38.01

NA

Beko WMA665 A

0.17

8.16

120.18

£34.26

NA

Beko WM8127 A

0.17

7.4

120.18

£34.26

NA

Whirlpool AWO/D5706/S A

0.17

8.2

120.18

£34.26

£334.50

Whirlpool AWOE8748 A

0.17

8

120.18

£34.26

£309.70

Maytag MAF9501AES B

0.19

9

134.31

£38.30

NA

Maytag MAF9601AEW B

0.19

9

134.31

£38.30

NA

HAIER HW-C1270TVEME-U

NA

NA

NA

NA

£230.00

Fagor FU7814 A+

NA

NA

NA

NA

£550.00

Model

John Lewis JLWM1200

NA

NA

NA

NA

£299.00

*CDA 1230 A

0.17

8.16

NA

NA

£349.60

*Bush WM-1260TVE B

0.18

9

NA

NA

£212.99

NA = figures not available * = information not from sust-it but from company websites

JANUARY/FEBRUARY ‘10

www.ethiscore.org 11

WASHING MACHINES on protests by small-scale miners and effected communities. According to SOMO cobalt mining in Katanga threatens local people’s basic rights to health, water and development and has led to a range of serious environmental hazards.

US-based project ENOUGH is running a campaign to email the 21 largest electronics companies, including LG and Samsung, to urge them to sign a Conflict Minerals Pledge and commit to ensuring that their products will be conflict free. ENOUGH say that companies that use minerals from the DRC in their products have an obligation to ensure that they are not helping finance armed groups or contributing to human rights abuses along the supply chain. ENOUGH call for companies to: • trace the supply chain for all tin, tantalum, tungsten, or gold in their products to verify their mines of origin; and • conduct independently verifiable supply chain audits to document the routes taken, intermediaries involved, and transactions made from mine of origin to final product. For more information see www.enoughproject.org

Investor AB which owns the Electrolux, AEG, Zanussi and Tricity Bendix brands, also owns Saab Aerospace, which has developed technology for military aircraft. Another subsidiary Saab Bofors Dynamics AB makes guided weapons and supplies the military with ‘electronic warfare’ systems, surveillance, sighting and fire control systems, undersea defence systems, airborne electronic and mechanical equipment. John Lewis comes fourth from the bottom of the table, despite many positive ethical policies. For example, it gets a Company Ethos mark because it is a co-op and workers get a share of the profits. Retailers usually score poorly overall because of their retail activities. The ratings work best when comparing companies in the same market so bare in mind we’re not comparing like-with-like here. For instance the company loses marks for Waitrose not having a policy on GM animal feed, a question not relevant to the other companies rated here. Miele is not involved in armaments manufacture but picks up a minor mark

in the Arms & Military Supply category for being listed in a US Department of Defence document listing all contracts over $25,000 for 2007. The Bosch and Siemens brands of domestic appliances are owned jointly by the two German companies, Robert Bosch GmbH and Siemens. ����������������������������� Both were listed ���������� in Jane’s ������� International Defence Directory 2007 as suppliers to the arms industry. There is a boycott of Siemens called for its involvement in selling telecoms equipment to Iran that could be used for surveillance.36

Links • Which? www.which.co.uk/reviews/washing-machines/ page/washing-machine-efficiency/ • Energy Saving Trust www.energysavingtrust.org.uk/Compare-andbuy-products/Home-appliances/WashingMachines • Sust It www.sust-it.net • Guide to washing at 30°C www.whitegoodshelp.co.uk/wordpress/ washing-at-30-degrees

3) Greenpeace Guide to Greener Electronics The Guide ranks the 18 top manufacturers of electronic consumer goods according to their policies on toxic chemicals, recycling and climate change. In the latest version LG plummets down the ranking from 4th place to 11th.This is due to backtracking on its commitment to have all its products free of PVC and BFRs by the end of 2010. Samsung holds its position in 2nd place with a slightly reduced score due to failing to extend its take-back programme to nonOECD countries. Samsung scores relatively well on all the other criteria. Beko is owned by Koc Holdings which manufactures vehicles for the ‘defence’ industry. Fagor gets a Company Ethos mark as it is part of the Mondragon workers cooperative.

Workers in a Congolese mine image from http://images.lightstalkers.org/images/255385/05FE8223_large.jpg

References 1 www.saveyour20percent.com. 4/11/09 2 www.greenyour.com/home/appliances/washing-machine 28/10/09 3 Mintel market report. Washing Machines 2008 4 www.greenyour.com/home/ appliances/washing-machine 5/11/09 6 www.greenerchoices.org/globalwarmingsavecarbon.cfm 5/11/09 7 www.greenyour.com/home/appliances/washing-machine 27/10/09 8 www.guardian. co.uk/environment/2007/aug/05/ethicalliving.lifeandhealth1 6/11/09 10 2nd CECED Unilateral Commitment on reducing energy consumption of domestic washing machines (2002-2008) - European Committee of Household Appliance Manufacturers (CECED), 2005 11 www.endsreport.com/index.cfm?action=report.article&articleID=20659&q=washing%20machine&boolean _mode=all 6/11/09 16 www.endsreport.com 6/11/09 17 www.energysavingtrust.org.uk/corporate/Corporate-and-media-site/Media-centre/Energy-saving-statistics-and-facts/Washing-machinestumble-dryers-dishwashers 6/11/09 18 Indicative Sustainable Product Performance Standards for Washing Machines & Tumble Dryers Commercial Buyers’ Guide 2007 19 www.endsreport. com/index.cfm?action=report.article&articleID=20659&q=washing%20machine&boolean_mode=all 6/11/09 20 http://actonco2.direct.gov.uk/actonco2/home/campaigns/save-water/actions/choosewater-efficient-dishwashers-or-washing-machines-.html 6/11/09 24 Nano silver – a threat to soil, water and human health? Prepared by Dr Rye Senjen, Friends of the Earth Australia, March 2007 25 www.greenyour.com/home/appliances/washing-machine 27/10/09 26 www.endsreport.com/index.cfm?action=report.article&articleID=21357&q=washing%20machine&boolean_mode=all 6/11/09 28 SOMO report “Configuring Labour Rights: Labour Conditions in the Production of Computer Parts in the Philippines” 29 Danwatch, “Bad Connections: How your mobile phone is linked to abuse, fraud and unfair mining practices in DRC” 30 www.supergreenme.com/go-green-environment-eco:The-Environmentally-Friendly-Way-to-Wash-Your-Clothes 11/11/009 31 www. whitegoodshelp.co.uk/wordpress/washing-at-30-degrees/ 10/11/09 32 www.prnewswire.co.uk/cgi/news/release?id=178766 11/11/09 33 http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/6669551.stm 11/11/09 35 www.ami.ac.uk/courses/topics/0109_lct/ 11/11/09 36 Wall Street Journal 25th June 2009

12 www.ethicalconsumer.org

JANUARY/FEBRUARY ‘10

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BABY FOOD AND MILK

S T BU

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16 Best Buys for baby food are So Baby because they’re all organic and manufacture in the UK using local ingredients. Their products are only available by mail order (01829 772 555). Also Best Buys are Peter Rabbit (020 7590 4640), Ella’s Kitchen (01491 629 120) and Plum Baby (0845 389 0061), which are widely available. 15.5

14

Milk and Money Bryony Moore takes a close look at the companies trusted to provide nourishment for babies and toddlers, while Yasmin Hosny uncovers the truth about baby milk marketing in the UK.

T

he breastfeeding versus bottlefeeding debate is not one which Ethical Consumer would like to pass judgement on, depending as it does on parents’ differing lifestyles and situations. On the other hand, we’re more than happy to delve into the dark story of the commodification of baby nutrition.

Baby Milk

14

For infant formula, Babynat is our Best Buy (contact Organico, their UK supplier on: 01189 238 760). HiPP (0845 050 1351) is best of the more widely available brands. However, neither of these are suitable for infants with lactose intolerance. Babynat produce a goats’ milk suitable from 12 months +. The next best non-dairy is Heinz Nurture soya.

6.5

Baby milk, or formula, is a complicated business. Infant nutrition is such an important thing and babies require a complex blend of nutrients. Which is probably why there are relatively few manufacturers out there. It’s also a very sensitive issue. Mothers often feel guilty when they are unable to breastfeed, feeling pressure from friends, family or health professionals. At the same time, through the use of heavy marketing, big baby milk companies coerce mothers into believing that formula is better for their baby than breastmilk, causing problems both in the global South and here in the UK, as Yasmin Hosny discusses on page 16.

The Baby Milk Marketing Code The International Code of Marketing of Breast Milk Substitutes is a set of recommendations to regulate the marketing of breastmilk substitutes, feeding bottles and teats. It was developed in 1981 by the general assembly of the World Health Organization (WHO) in response to the realisation that poor infant feeding practices were negatively affecting the growth, health and development of children and were a major cause of mortality in infants and young children. Poor infant feeding practices are a serious obstacle to social and economic development. Mothers, particularly in areas where literacy is poor, can be led to believe that formula is better for their babies than breastmilk. Added to that are problems with access to clean water to make up the formula, the ability to read the dilution advice on the pack and the high cost of the product. Cost often results in mothers on low incomes being forced to dilute it far more than is recommended in order to make it affordable. Prior to the Code

Home made baby food – pureed veggies frozen into ice cubes.

12.5 image © Wendy Copley, www.flickr.com

4

14 www.ethicalconsumer.org

JANUARY/FEBRUARY ‘10

buyer’s guide

BABY FOOD So Baby [O,V] Peter Rabbit [O] So Baby [O] Ella’s Kitchen [O] Plum Baby [O,V] Ella’s Kitchen [O,Vg] Plum Baby [O] Babynat [O] Truuuly Scrumptious [O,Vg]

Truuuly Scrumptious [O] Organix [O,V] Organix [O] Hipp Organic [O,Vg] Hipp Organic [O] Bebivita [V] Bebivita Cow & Gate [V] Cow & Gate Heinz [V] Heinz Boots Baby Organic [O] Nestlé Cerelac BABY FORMULA Babynat [O] HiPP Organic [O] Aptamil Cow & Gate Heinz Nurture soya [V] Heinz Nurture SMA Wysoy soya [V] SMA

USING THE TABLES

16 15.5 15.5 14 14 13.5 13.5 12.5 10.5 10 9.5 9 7 6.5 6 5.5 4.5 4 3.5 3 2 0 12.5 6.5 4 4 4 3 0.5 0

e

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H H

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H H h h H H

H H H H H H H H H H H H

H H h h H H

H H H H H H H

H H H H H H

H H H H H H H H H H H H

h h h h h h H H h h H H H H H H H H H H

h h h h h h H H H H H H

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e e

Product Sustainability

Company Ethos

+ve

Anti-Social Finance

Political Activity

Boycott Call

Genetic Engineering

Politics Arms & Military Supply

Irresponsible Marketing

Supply Chain Policy

Workers’ Rights

People

Human Rights

Animal Rights

Factory Farming

Animal Testing

Animals

Habitats & Resources

Pollution & Toxics

Climate Change

Nuclear Power

BRAND

Environmental Reporting

Ethiscore (out of 20)

Environment

COMPANY GROUP So Baby Ltd PR Organics Ltd So Baby Ltd Ella’s Kitchen (Brands) Ltd Plum Baby Ltd Ella’s Kitchen (Brands) Ltd Plum Baby Ltd Vitagermine SAS Kealth Foods Ltd Kealth Foods Ltd Hero Hero HiPP GMBH & Co Vertrieb HiPP GMBH & Co Vertrieb HiPP GMBH & Co Vertrieb HiPP GMBH & Co Vertrieb Groupe Danone Groupe Danone HJ Heinz Co HJ Heinz Co KKR & Co L.P. Nestlé SA

1.5 1.5 1

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H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H

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1

1 1.5 1 1.5

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1.5 1 0.5 0.5 0.5

0.5

1

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1

1 0.5

Vitagermine SAS HiPP GMBH & Co Vertrieb Groupe Danone Groupe Danone HJ Heinz Co HJ Heinz Co Wyeth, Pfizer Inc Wyeth, Pfizer Inc

[O] = Organic [V] = Vegetarian [Vg] = Vegan

Ethiscore: the higher the score, the better the company across the criticism categories.  bottom rating  middle rating See ‘Our Rating System’ page at www.ethicalconsumer.org for category definitions Positive ratings (+ve): Company Ethos:  full mark  half mark Product Sustainability: Maximum of five positive marks

top rating (no criticisms)

All the research behind these ratings is available together with a PDF of this report for free as part of our new upgraded subscription. See centre pages.

being brought in, a boycott had been called of Nestlé by Infant Formula Action Coalition (INFACT).1 The boycott spread worldwide and is still running to this day due to the company’s aggressive marketing techniques. Campaign groups say the boycott was called against Nestlé, rather than the many other baby milk manufacturers violating the Code, because it was found to be responsible for more violations of the World Health Assembly

marketing requirements for baby foods than any other company.2 The company doesn’t currently offer a British brand breastmilk substitute, however, you may find their imported Cerelac baby milk brand in world food stores in the UK. Since it is not enforceable by law, companies have been regularly violating the Code since it was put in place, resulting in serious problems with infant health. According to

the 2007 International Baby Food Action Network (IBFAN) report “Breaking the Rules, Stretching the Rules,” guilty parties in our table were Wyeth, HiPP and Danone. But IBFAN update this report regularly and all except the top five companies in the table have violated the Code at some point since 1991, thus receiving negative marks in our Irresponsible Marketing category.

JANUARY/FEBRUARY ‘10

www.ethiscore.org 15

BABY FOOD AND MILK Yasmin Hosny looks at baby milk marketing in the UK Yasmin is a Public Health Nutritionist and independent research consultant currently working in the area of infant and young child feeding. “Despite the UK Government’s apparent commitment to the Code in the international arena, the UK is not exactly leading by example in having one of the lowest breastfeeding rates in Europe and a formula milk industry worth £329 million a year.1 In 2006-7 our Government allocated £729,011 to promote breastfeeding.10 In the same year for every £1 spent by the Government to promote breastfeeding, over £10 was spent by leading manufacturers to promote baby milk and foods.11 It is no wonder the Government cannot compete with such commercial investment, and only exposes the vulnerability of breastmilk because it is not a commodity. It is perfect for purpose, free, and has no carbon footprint. More encouragingly, in 2008 the Government committed to investing £6 million to promote breastfeeding in those areas with the lowest rates or greatest capacity to improve.12 However, with the Code in existence and countries such as Norway providing exemplary models, it begs the question - how did we get to this point, with marketing campaigns diminishing public health initiatives, and profits being put before health? In terms of UK law, current legislation stems from an EU Directive and is not as strict as the Code. Critical loopholes are being fully exploited by manufacturers, enabling practices which would otherwise violate the Code. UK law was introduced in a manner which still legally permits promotion of infant formula via the advertisement of so-called ‘follow-on milks’ (created to evade the Code), and permits manufacturers to push other products and materials that share the same brand name and logo as their infant formula. The fundamental flaws of current legislation are evident by the UK’s poor breastfeeding rates, booming infant formula industry, and the fact that 60% of pregnant women and mothers claim to have seen or heard infant formula adverts.13 Concerns of campaigners are confirmed by research which shows that advertising led to 36% believing that infant formula was as good, or better, than breast milk.13 This is evidence of just how powerful the commercial sector is, and the important role legislation can play in equalising investment and enforcing the Code. Since 1997 and convened by Baby Milk Action, health professional and mother-support organisations in the UK have worked together as the Baby Feeding Law Group (BFLG) to bring UK and European legislation into line with the Code. One of the most pressing issues for BFLG has been the recent publication of a draft report into the effectiveness of UK legislation. The report was carried out by the Government’s Independent Review Panel,14 but is considered by BFLG to be an appalling whitewash and worrying marginalisation of the true public health issue at hand. The BFLG is therefore calling on the Minister for Public Health to demand the report address the critical issue of how marketing undermines breastfeeding or otherwise reject it as a waste of public money. Another recent concern has been the European Food Safety Authority’s approval of Mead Johnson’s health claim “DHA15 contributes to the visual development of infants” to be put on their follow-on formulas. DHA is an omega 3 fatty acid. The BFLG has called on the European Commission to not permit the claim, highlighting conflicts of interest. The BFLG position is clear that such health and nutrition claims on foods for infants and young children will always be misleading and inappropriate; there is no ‘health advantage’ in using any product over breastfeeding, which cannot compete in the market in the same way. The Code is designed to protect all children, whether breast or formula-fed, and is very clear that responsibility lies with NGOs, health professionals and governments to monitor compliance. Given the current review of UK legislation taking place, we are in an opportune moment for reform. Strengthening UK law to close the loopholes would ensure the letter and intent of the Code are upheld, and empower Trading Standards to enforce the law and hold manufacturers accountable for illegal marketing activities. When you consider that it has been estimated to cost parents £650 a year to feed a child with formula milk,16 each formula-fed baby is a very lucrative business prospect. We therefore need to support the Government in protecting breastfeeding. Effective implementation, monitoring and enforcement of the Code will ultimately lead to effective protection for all children, and put health rightly before profits.”

For more information see Links. Save the Children are currently campaigning on this issue too – to get involved visit www.savethechildren.org.uk/en/2576.htm or call 020 7012 6400.

16 www.ethicalconsumer.org

JANUARY/FEBRUARY ‘10

image © Goldenkb | Dreamstime.com

buyer’s guide Palm oil Several of the companies we’ve covered in this buyer’s guide have received negative scores in the Habitats & Resourses and Climate Change categories. This is because they either use unsustainably sourced palm oil or have no policy stating that they don’t. With certified sustainably sourced palm oil now on the market (see page 30), there is no excuse for companies using this most destructive of crops. Both baby milk and food may contain palm oil – it is often simply called ‘vegetable oil’ on ingredients labels.

GM

Baby Food By far the best scoring companies on the table are those whose baby food is organic and contains the least ingredients. At over two quid for a tiny tub of mushed-up frozen organic carrot, parents are certainly paying to guarantee they’re feeding their baby the healthiest option available. But the ones making a killing at babies’ expense are the companies who will add just about anything to their baby food, including massive amounts of salt, sugar and artificial flavourings, not to mention trans-fats. Total sugar content is restricted for babies’ puddings, desserts and drinks. For cerealbased baby food however, different rules apply. Only sugar added during manufacture is restricted – not the total amount. So baby foods containing natural sugars as well as added ones can have a really high sugar content. See ‘Links’ for Which? research on the sugar content of baby foods. And NGO the Food Commission in the UK found that HiPP Organic biscuits had more sugar in them (21%) than a doughnut (19%) even though they were labelled ‘sugar reduced’.4 Food campaign group Sustain has warned that parents are unwittingly feeding their babies and young children products worse than junk food. In an audit of more than 100 products marked for infants and children it was found that a Heinz Farley’s Original Rusk biscuit contains more sugar than a dark chocolate digestive. Toddler’s Own mini cheese biscuits, also by Heinz, have more saturated fat per 100g than a cheese burger – admittedly in servings that contain only 1.8g saturated fat each. Cow & Gate reacted to the audit by announcing that it would discontinue its Baby Balance biscuits after Sustain revealed they contained trans-fats, which are linked to coronary heart disease.5

Hero, Danone, Heinz and John Wyeth (owned by Pfizer) receive negative marks in the Genetic Engineering column because they don’t have policies excluding the use of GM ingredients in their products while operating in a sector where the use of GM is common. It should be noted that EU law states that any GM ingredients in food products should be labelled as such, and we are not aware of any baby food on sale in the UK carrying this label.

Animal testing The larger baby milk companies often also make other medical products. This will be of concern to animal lovers as these companies are usually testing at least some of their products on animals.

studied 261 scientific publications on BPA. It reported: “some concern for effects on the brain, behavior, and prostate gland in fetuses, infants, and children at current human exposures to bisphenol A,” but “neglible concerns” over exposure in pregnant women or reproductive effects at consumer levels of exposure. This directly contradicts a recent assessment by the US Food and Drug Administration that the chemical is safe at current levels of exposure.7 However, big companies using the chemical are campaigning hard to convince governments that it’s harmless. In May this year, according to the Washington Post, industry executives met “to devise a public relations and lobbying strategy to block government bans” of BPA, with $500,000 on the table for PR budget “to defend their industry”. Canada has banned BPA in baby bottles, but the US Food and Drug Administration “has deemed it safe largely because of two studies, both funded by a chemical industry trade group,” said the Post. At the meeting, industry executives described their ‘holy grail’ spokesperson as a “pregnant young mother who would be willing to speak around the country about the benefits of BPA”. Industry representatives also suggested “using fear tactics” – like asking, “do you want to have access to baby food anymore?” – and framing the opposition to BPA bans as “giving control back to consumers”.

Food miles Due to limited space we’ve only covered nationally available brands in this guide. However, there are several regional food companies producing mail order organic baby food. Some of them only deliver locally and in so doing are helping reduce unneccesary food miles. The ones we found all have websites and you can order online or by phone.

Packing a punch

DIY

For parents who want only the best for their baby, an obvious choice is organic baby food with the absolute minimum of ingredients. But what about the packaging this organic baby food comes in? Campaigners are currently working hard to ban the use of packaging chemical Bisphenol A (BPA) which is in the epoxy resins that line most food and soft-drink cans and is also used to make the hard plastic called polycarbonate for food containers, and often, baby bottles.6 Independent research has linked BPA to heart disease and diabetes in humans, and a wide range of diseases in lab animals. Last year the US National Toxicology Program

The most obvious way to avoid all the pitfalls of the baby food and milk manufacturing industry is to DIY it – breastfeed and make your own baby food at home. This method cuts out all the middle men – food miles, cheap labour, possibly harmful packaging, not to mention worrying ingredients. It isn’t always an option for the modern family, but if you choose to do so there are plenty of resources available. Find recipes and more information online at: • www.ecofriendlykids.co.uk • www.ehow.co.uk • www.babyworld.co.uk

JANUARY/FEBRUARY ‘10

www.ethiscore.org 17

BABY FOOD AND MILK

Price comparison Price per 200g

Truuuly Scrumptious*

£6.02

So Baby

£2.50

Peter Rabbit Organics

£2.14

Plum Baby

£2.14

Babynat

£1.91

Ella’s Kitchen

£1.70

Nestlé Cerelac

£1.68

Organix

£1.45

Cow & Gate

£0.88

Heinz Mum’s Own

£0.74

HiPP

£0.71

Boots Baby Organic

£0.69

Bebivita

£0.58

Heinz

£0.49

BABY FORMULA

SMA is made by John Wyeth & Brother, a UK subsidiary of Wyeth, which was sued last year after a turnaround in a case in which a woman in the US got breast cancer after taking the company’s hormonereplacement therapy drug Premarin. A month previously Wyeth Pharmaceuticals was found not liable, but the woman appealed, saying that the jury received improper instructions and that a federal judge allowed improper expert testimony for the company while disallowing her expert testimony. In March 2008, the drug company was held liable to the tune of $19.3 million.9 Wyeth’s HRT drug is also the subject of a boycott call by PETA, who are opposed to the treatment of the pregnant mares used to produce Premarin (whose name was derived from ‘pregnant mares’ urine’).

Price per 900g

Babynat

£15.59

SMA Wysoy (v)

£10.07

Aptamil

£8.18

Heinz

£7.91

SMA

£7.50

Cow & Gate Infasoy (v)

£7.36

Cow & Gate

£7.29

HiPP

£6.24

*only sold by the case

For this price comparison we have compared vegetarian varieties of baby food and first stage baby formula.

Links • BUAV www.buav.org • Baby Milk Action www.babymilkaction.org • Baby Feeding Law Group www.babyfeedinglawgroup.org.uk • IBFAN www.ibfan.org • Save the Children campaign www.savethechildren.org.uk/en/2576. htm • Which? www.which.co.uk/advice/babyfood/sugar-content/index.jsp • Sustain www.sustainweb.org

image © Ptlee | Dreamstime.com

BABY FOOD

Company Profiles

The animals are confined to stalls with rubber urine-collection bags strapped to their groins, unable to turn around or lie down comfortably for up to six months. According to PETA, when their worn-out bodies could no longer produce the amount of oestrogen needed, they were slaughtered. As for their foals – males were fattened and sold for slaughter in Asian food markets, females not slaughtered replaced their mothers on the production lines.10 Wyeth was taken over earlier this year by pharmaceuticals giant Pfizer who recently agreed to pay $2.3bn (£1.4bn) in the largest healthcare fraud settlement in US history after it was found to have illegally promoted drugs for uses which had not been approved by medical regulators.12 Danone13 and its subsidiary company Milupa14 both receive Ethical Consumer’s worst rating in the animal testing category for having no policies while operating in the medical products sector where animal experimentation is commonplace. The company also receives a negative score for the animal tests conducted by subsidiary Yakult to see the effect of bacteriafermented soy milk on the skin of mice.15 Hero, owner of Organix Brands, also owns several non-organic food companies across the world. It, along with the following four other companies, picks up marks under Human Rights for operating in oppressive regimes: HiPP,19 Groupe Danone,20 HJ Heinz21 and Wyeth.18

References

‘Baby Milk Marketing in the UK’ references, page 16:

1 www.ibfan.org/site2005/Pages/article.php?art_id=34&iui=1 2 www.babymilkaction. org/pages/boycott.html 3 www.which.co.uk/advice/baby-food/sugar-content/index.jsp 4 ‘Breaking the Rules, Stretching the Rules’, IBFAN, 2007 5 Sustain: Some baby foods worse than junk food The Times 04/05/09 6 www.prwatch.org/node/7843 7 www.ens-newswire. com/ens/sep2008/2008-09-03-093.asp 8 ‘Strategy Being Devised To Protect Use of BPA’ www.washingtonpost.com, 31/05/09 9 www.menopauseonline.com: Wyeth suffers a reverse in Little Rock breast cancer case, 15/10/09) 10 Email from PETA representative 19/10/09 11 www.business-humanrights.org ‘Wyeth drug tests fall foul of watchdog’ 15/10/09) 12 http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/8234533.stm 13 www.danone.com 12/10/09 14 www. milupa.com 12/10/09 15 www.scconline.org:11/10/05 16 www.business-humanrights. org ‘Danone-Argentina: Closed down due to contamination’ 13/10/09 17 Corporate Watch 22, Feb-March 2005 18 www.hero-group.ch 21/09/09 19 www.hipp.de 8/10/09) 20 www. hoovers.com:Groupe danone company factsheet 12/10/09 21 HJ Heinz Company Corporate Communications:Heinz Corporate Profile 26/10/09).

1 Department of Health, Infant Feeding Survey 2005, preliminary results released in May 2006 2 Mintel Premier Summary Report, Mintel International Group Limited, November 2005 3 Save the Children UK, Media Briefing, 2007 4 Save the Children UK, Media Briefing, 2007 5 The money is being invested towards ensuring that all relevant hospital and community settings adopt the principles of the UNICEF Baby Friendly Initiative (www.babyfriendly.org. uk) 6 NCT/UNICEF Follow-on Milk Advertising Survey, research by MORI for UNICEF and the NCT, 2005 7 Independent Review of the Controls on Infant Formula and Follow-on Formula 8 Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) is an omega-3 fatty acid 9 Save the Children UK, ‘Code watch’ research, 2006, unpublished 10 Save the Children UK, Media Briefing, 2007 11 Save the Children UK, Media Briefing, 2007 12 The money is being invested towards ensuring that all relevant hospital and community settings adopt the principles of the UNICEF Baby Friendly Initiative (www.babyfriendly.org.uk) 13 NCT/UNICEF Follow-on Milk Advertising Survey, research by MORI for UNICEF and the NCT, 2005 14 Independent Review of the Controls on Infant Formula and Follow-on Formula 15 Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) is an omega-3 fatty acid 16 Save the Children UK, ‘Code watch’ research, 2006, unpublished.

18 www.ethicalconsumer.org

JANUARY/FEBRUARY ‘10

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corporate watch

CHIQUITA BRANDS INTERNATIONAL

One Hundred Years of Servitude: The Bloody Business of Bananas in Latin America In the wake of the latest military coup in Honduras, the original ‘Banana Republic,’ Leonie Nimmo investigates the shocking history of Chiquita Brands International.

T

he phrase ‘Banana Republic’ describes a country heavily dependent on one type of plantation agriculture, controlled by a servile dictatorship and corrupt elite, in thrall to shady foreign powers with an iron grip over its economy. It was originally applied to Honduras, a country which has for the last hundred years been dominated by Chiquita Brands International Inc, formerly the United Fruit Company. In the 1920s the company controlled almost a quarter of the country’s arable land.1 In June this year the democratically elected President of Honduras, Manuel Zelaya, was forced into exile at gunpoint, leaving a coup regime in his place. He was not a politician of radical left leanings but a ‘moderate reformist’. Nevertheless, the reforms he implemented, such as raising the minimum wage, had some serious opposition, not least from Chiquita Brands International. According to activist John Perkins during his recent visit to Central America: “everyone I talked with there was convinced that the military coup...had been engineered by two US companies, with CIA support.” He goes on to discuss the role of Chiquita and Dole Foods in Honduras.2 Other commentators are less willing to make such bold assertions, but questions are being asked about links between the coup backers, Chiquita, and certain individuals close to the Obama administration.1 Gabriel García Márquez’s ‘One Hundred Years of Solitude’ describes the gradual ruin of a Latin American society at the mercy of the banana men. We trace one hundred years of the company’s interventions in Latin America.

Honduras, 1912 Samuel Zemurray, later to become president of United Fruit, was an American banana plantation owner in Honduras. Unhappy with the US-Honduran agreement governing customs tax at that time, he decided to take matters into his own hands. He contacted a former president of the country, Manuel Bonilla, and enlisted the help of two mercenaries, who brought with them rifles, ammunition and a machine gun, in those days a rare and powerful weapon. They attacked Honduras and overthrew the government in

20 www.ethicalconsumer.org

six weeks. Following the election of Bonilla as president, Zemurray was awarded a large tract of land by the new Honduran Congress, which also waived his obligation to pay taxes for the next 25 years.3 Zemurray once famously remarked: “In Honduras, a mule costs more than a member of parliament.”1

Colombia, 1929 United Fruit’s formula for success in Latin America was based on clearing forests, creating huge plantations, employing local people at below-poverty wages and colluding with local governments to seriously repress any attempts by workers to organise. In 1928 mass strikes by workers on United Fruit plantations in Colombia were violently crushed. On 6th December, the Colombian military opened fire on strikers, their families and supporters. The United Fruit Company themselves estimated the number of people killed to exceed a thousand.4

Guatemala, 1954 – 1996 According to the United Fruit Historical Society,3 in 1954 Zemurray had an important role in “engineering the overthrow” of the democratically elected President of Guatemala, Jacobo Arbenz. Arbenz began his presidency by implementing an agrarian reform programme which would have seen unused land owned by the company being compulsorily purchased by the state. From the US, Zemurray is said to have launched a campaign painting Arbenz as a dangerous communist, and eventually to have persuaded the CIA to sponsor a military coup against him. Rebels used United Fruit boats to transport troops and ammunition. Then CIA Director Allen W. Dulles was himself a former president of United Fruit,5 had financial connections with the company, and his brother, John Dulles, was the main shareholder. This event was to trigger 30 years of civil war in Guatemala during which hundreds of thousands of people were killed or displaced. The indigenous Mayan population was disproportionally affected by the violence: 80% of those displaced were indigenous.6 Burial is an important part of Mayan culture and to this day mass graves – including mass graves of children – are still being exhumed.

JANUARY/FEBRUARY ‘10

Cuba, 1961 United Fruit’s business was not solely in bananas; it also owned what was, at times, the world’s largest private navy.4 In 1961 the company lent its ships to Cuban exiles backed by the CIA who tried to overthrow Fidel Castro at the Bay of Pigs.1

Honduras, 1972: ‘Bananagate’ In perhaps the most revealing recent article about Chiquita in Latin America, Nikolas Kozloff points out that Honduran dictator General Oswaldo López Arellano was helped into power by United Fruit (by then renamed United Brands). He was forced to stand down in the wake of the ‘bananagate’ scandal: United Brands was accused by a US federal jury of bribing Arellano with $1.25m, with a promise of a further $1.25m in return for a reduction in fruit export taxes. During the scandal, United Brand’s President apparently committed suicide by throwing himself from a New York skyscraper.1

Honduras, 1981 – 1985 The Honduran capital Tegucigalpa became “one of the largest nerve centres of the CIA in Latin America”,1 under US Ambassador John Negroponte, who played a significant role in overthrowing the Sandinista regime in Nicaragua. Negroponte has been criticised by human rights groups for: “ignoring human rights abuses committed by Honduran death squads which were funded and partially trained by the Central Intelligence Agency”.1

Colombia, 1997 – 2004 In 2007 representatives for United Fruit’s successor, Chiquita Brands International, admitted to a US court the company had made payments to Colombian paramilitary forces that were designated a terrorist organisation by the US and the EU. Prosecutors alleged that payments totalling $1.7m were made between 1997 and 2004.7 An out-of-court settlement of $25 million was agreed. None of those that approved the payments went to jail.

Guatemala, 2008 The Annual Survey of Violations of Trade Union Rights reported an escalation of violence against trade unionists in Guatemala in 2008, with trade unionists and their families “becoming the targets of murder, intimidation, harassment, firearm attacks, assaults and abuse”.8 On 2nd March, a founding member of a banana workers union, Miguel Enríquez, was shot dead. He worked at a plantation that supplied Chiquita, and, prior to his death, is said to have been “forced to resign from the union under strong pressure and threats from the company”.8

Honduras, 2009 A century after Samuel Zemurray renegotiated his company’s tax position with a machine gun, democratically elected President Manuel Zelaya was deposed in what the Los Angeles Times described it as “a classic Latin American coup”.9 According to Kozloff, “While there’s no evidence linking Chiquita to the recent coup in Honduras, there’s enough of a confluence of suspicious characters and political heavyweights here to warrant further investigation.”1 Some of these characters lurk in the story told above. Former US Ambassador to Honduras John Negroponte is now Vice Chairman at Covington and Burling, a legal firm that has received $70,000 in lobbying fees from Chiquita in the last three years. A former partner in the firm, Eric Holder, defended Chiquita in the Colombian payments to terrorists case. He is the current US Attorney General and was a senior legal advisor in the Obama campaign.1 The coup regime, euphemistically labelled the ‘interim government’ by the BBC, justified seizing power by claiming Zelaya was attempting to extend his presidency unconstitutionally. In reality Zelaya had merely planned a referendum on potentially changing the constitution; a constitution many Hondurans regard as enshrining the power of the oligarchy. He had also advocated

raising the minimum wage by 60%, a policy unsurprisingly criticised by Chiquita. And there’s a bigger picture here. Some commentators suggest the minimum wage increase would have knock-on effects on wages in the region – and a message has been sent to other left-leaning Latin American presidents. At the time of writing, November 2009, Zelaya is under siege in the Brazilian Embassy, having sneaked back into Honduras in September. Since then, the coup regime has done its best to crush the opposition. Amnesty International has denounced police violence, mass arrests of demonstrators and intimidation of human rights groups. In a letter to Obama on the 14th November, Zelaya described the casualties as follows: “3,500 people detained in a hundred days, more than 600 people wounded and injured in the hospitals, more than one hundred assassinations and an unknown number of people subjected to torture committed against citizens who dare to oppose and express their ideas of liberty and justice in peaceful demonstrations.” 10 Media criticism inside Honduras has been silenced. Hopes that a US-backed power sharing deal would create a path out of the current deadlock have been crushed: the coup regime has refused to reinstate Zelaya or to have any of his supporters in cabinet. And the US has stated that it will recognise forthcoming election results, whether Zelaya and allies participate or

not. As one source puts it: “Those responsible for the care and transport of the ballots and the ballot boxes will be the same armed forces who carried out and continue to maintain the coup d’etat.”11

Manchester, UK: November 2009 Down the road in ASDA the price of bananas is at an all time low, part of a vicious supermarket price war. In October a Guardian article reported that they were selling for 38p per kilo in ASDA and 35p per kilo in Tesco.12 That’s less than half the cost than in early 2008 when I spent a few months working on a fruit and veg van in Manchester. I realised then how much bananas sustain our cities, and also the effectiveness of the supermarkets’ banana price war. The van was a funded project and our mark ups were minimal, but we couldn’t compete with the supermarket price of bananas. People would walk onto the van, look at the cost of bananas and walk straight off again without bothering to look at the prices of other products. ASDA says it’s paying for the price slashing from its own margins, not passing the cuts down the supply chain. But what about the long-term effects? Following the last banana price war in 2002 wages dropped by 30-50% in some plantations.12 And as the history of United Fruits shows us, not all banana wars are fought between supermarkets.

References: 1 ‘Chiquita in Latin America’, Nikolas Kozloff, July 09. www.counterpunch.org/kozloff07172009.html [viewed 06/11/09] 2 ‘Honduras: Military Coup Engineered By Two US Companies?’, John Perkins, 7th August 2009. Available from www.globalresearch.ca [viewed 06/11/09] 3 Available from www.unitedfruit.org/zemurray.htm [viewed 06/11/09] 4 ‘Jungle Capitalists: A story of globalisation, greed and revolution’, P.Chapman, 2007, Canaongate Books 5 www.historycommons.org/timeline.jsp?timeline=guatemala [viewed 06/11/09] 6 Interview with a former human rights worker in Guatamala, Manchester, 6th November 2009 7 ‘Chiquita admits paying fighters’, 14th March 2007, available from http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/6452455.stm [viewed 06/11/09] 8 Available from http://survey09.ituc-csi.org/survey.php?IDContinent=2&IDCountry=GTM&Lang=EN [viewed 06/11/09] 9 ‘The high-powered hidden support for Honduras’ coup ‘, 23rd July 2009, Los Angeles Times 10 Available from http://www.hondurasthisweek.com/national/1668-manuel-zelayas-letter-to-president-obama viewed 24/11/09 11 ‘Day 128, November 2, 2009 from Oscar’, available from http://quotha.net/node/533 [viewed 06/11/09] 12 www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2009/oct/12/bananas-supermarkets-asda-price-war

JANUARY/FEBRUARY ‘10

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“As a secondary school teacher I run citizenship classes. I find the magazine is a really good tool for teaching – it gives students a really good insight into the stories behind the things that they buy.” Jane, Surrey “I campaign on environmental issues around my town. A lot of what I do revolves around talking to people about companies and the way that they impact on the environment and people. The Research Reports help me to find stories and make them relevant to people’s lives.” Patrick, Manchester “I’ve got to admit, I love shopping for clothes. But after reading the clothes report there are a few shops I avoid now! I might not always make the ‘best’ choices but ethiscore helps me understand the ones I do make.” Charlotte, London

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razors & shavers

been a contributor to carbon emissions which had a damaging effect on the environment. (ref: 3)

razors & shavers

been a contributor to carbon emissions which had a damaging effect on the environment. (ref: 3)

No palm oil policy (July 2009) A search was made Sustainab of the Walmart website (www.walmartstores. le forestry oil policy (July 2009) com) onNo 8thpalm July 2009. No policy on palm oil could be found. Wal-Mart policy didthe search was mademarks of Walmart website (www.walmartstores. WalmartAreceived negative climate change, impact on notfor (2008) for Sustaina respond the company’ ble toon endangered species and habitat destruction, which were all a request forestry com) on The 8th July 2009. No policy palm oilresults could be found. Wal-Mar s policy company’ byaECRA policy tmarks on did of unsustainable palm oil production. Palm oilthe is used in vast impact s website Walmartin received negative for climate change, on not (2008) for Novembe sustainabl in Ocober ASDA respond the contacted (www.wa company r(ref: 2008, e sourcing array ofendangered consumer products. 4) Global to a request species and habitat destruction, which were all results 2008 meat. 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However, noASDA date washow givenwww.asd nor anyand toAdsa be found. aspects, The website had no a copyright of 2008 thepesticides ASDA date notand the industry’ tch and in then.company’s as such, it received environmental there was mention ofdate pesticides andandcompany stated that thisCompassi supply orwas to ensure intowasproducts, aremeasures fiveagainst had noto a. other , questionn itself failed was implemen is against and not effective also not any additional ononate furtheralternativ research the company was undertaking that diamonds section text appeared beoccur current. mention of the issue of information s minimal “although aire sent policy more a negative markbranded in this category. (ref: 3) es.” sold other agricultural impacts to that as aNo result of producing animal endorsed year taken in to animal of any household Shopping on tedchemicals. However rolling to system most companie to preventin combat disclose company testing i.e. through in the jewellery its needs identify other harmful ECRA did not consider this to thefor business being dependent, at company the time of writing, on customer goods the company, therefore the was not deemed cosmetics products Guide. of self to bewebsite relevant Water pollution andrule fine (2004) testing it 2008 conflict g the its auditing and notrade and did not done longer regulatio s made the ,company their addition toiletries,to aIn diamonds informati fixed associatio demonstrate anyposted realcompanie commitment the reduction of chemicals car use, could beunderstanding found. Although section covered several state how policy to have a reasonable of thethe main environmental products fuel conflict.”byand industry trade by in blood rating n, these According to an article on Sustainable Business (www. Naturewa cut-off the . It on. ASDA medicines ns. (ref: it was leaders did on animals. notand tch and pesticides in the company’s products, asLow... such,date itDropped received swas impacts of its business. The company was ECRA’s middle sustainablebusiness.com) environmental aspects, there was nogiven mention of pesticides andfor animal Adsa 13) itselfnot a member which supply or fivefromhad and other measures to ensure diamonds, and titled ‘Wal-Mart: Every Day and testing Compass ASDA were also Factory company any additiona no policy that diamonds policy. ionateof Norwegia received not rating for agricultural environmentalimpacts reporting. 1) as a result of producing actively aWal-Mart negativesold mark in this (ref: 3) to other that(ref: occur had been accused indifference evidence According endorsed taken failed to househol (ref:category. farming branded on its of any ECRA’s n pension SaleImpact,’ 7) Shopping to Earth l to issue company to combat disclose its auditing of factory d products goods for the company, the company was not deemed worst cosmetic Guide. that pesticides and fertilisers were escaping into waterways fromin the Poor independent rating ontherefore CSR in supermarkets magazine 71jewellery Water pollution and fine (2004)s, testing (Novembtradefund (2006) 2008 conflict website According In addition farmed Wal-Mart made their products toiletries , Norway er 2006) diamonds associatio to have a2006) reasonable understanding of the main environmental and gardening products stored unprotected inonitsSustainable car parks., ItBusiness was (November turkey by companie to According rating to an article posted (www. ‘Superma theStores from Standard’ had announce of Indonesia . medicine systemati ns. (ref: it was not (2006) for animal onthe Dropped animals. rkets finedpublished $3.1 million in 2004 by UStitled Environmental Protection Ethical Performance November reported thatgiven AsdaECRA’s received s which impacts of its business. The2006 company was middle a memberIt 13) & sustainablebusiness.com) ‘Wal-Mart: Every Days Low... ’s Down in 2006, andc violations its Governm d that Farm Animal testing ASDA from ent were15) by the Factory over policy. for Clean water Acthad violations. (ref: 6) of a poor rating as a ‘D’) in areporting. report by the National Consumer of humanNorwegi received Pension it was dropping rating for(rated environmental (ref: 1) Compassi 90% farmed.Agency Impact,’ Wal-Mart been Welfare accused indifference toactively evidence Accordin (ref: 7)- Raising farmin g to issue of the Fund ECRA’s rights an pension on in World InSale to Worker turkeys Council supermarkets’rating progresson onCSR corporate responsibility.also The addition, of factory and labour forfund gsold “serious, worst that pesticides and fertilisers were escaping into waterways from Earth magazine 71 (Novemb Pooronindependent in supermarkets the majority Accordin by ASDA Farming the Workers’ s’ Rights (2006) farmed Wal-Mar rating covered supermarkets progress on CSR factors including: intensivel , Norway errights”. ygardening reared. 2006) (ref: products stored unprotected inTrust its car parks. It rights was g toResources (November 2006) were Factory Standard of turkey t & ‘Superma ducks (ref: According had announce of Indonesia commitment to stocking seasonal food and organics, sustainable Habitats systemati (2006) intensivel abuses Stores from farmedfined sold 10) rkets ’ published According y $3.1 million in 2004 by the US Environmental Protection Ethical Performance November 2006 reported that Asda received by ASDA to a15) Banglade its Governm & Farm ’s Down into2006,chicken story datedcinviolation d that it sourcing policies and attempts at cutting waste. (ref: 2) were website (www.bus (2006) by the Animal (ref: ‘Superma s of sh (October ent Pension theConsumer over 90% was dropping Agency Clean water Act2004) violations. a poor rating (rated as a ‘D’) in a report by the National Standard’ Compass Welfare6) buying farmed.say Voters no rkets tofor Wal-Mart (March inessweek9 October 2008human Fund school Worke rights 2008) the turkeys ion in Trust in The published &ofFarm Climate - Raising In addition, CouncilChange on supermarkets’ progress on corporate responsibility. on .com), uniforms and labour for “serious, condition World The reported that voters from Inglewood in Los Angeles alsoEcologist Animal 2006, Wal-Mart the BusinessW sold rs’were intensive Farming the the majority that intensivel s Policy on covered stockingsupermarkets local produceprogress (Octoberon2008) over 90% by the Compassi Rights by ASDA Welfare rights”. rating CSR factors including: factory had voted in March 2003 not to let build awere store inSweatFre theirTrust at aWorkers lyofreared. made under had been accusedeek yFactory - Raising (ref: farmed. onWal-Mart maximum the&chickens e Communi Wal-Mart did not respond to a request made ECRA in October Habitats Resources inofWorld ducksWal-Mart intensive Banglade (ref: Accordin ’inrights commitment to stocking seasonal foodbyand organics, sustainable in Bangor, extreme The report abuses farmed neighbourhood. According to the Ecologist, wanted to of sold 10) stocking Farming ties, ly sh. Accordin sold by by the of floor sweatchop in Banglad 2008 for details on its and policy towardsatstocking to anti-swea who conductedgan The a story stated sourcing policies attempts cutting locally waste. produced (ref: 2) space, report esh ASDA build thegguideline store onchicken a piece of land the size of nearly 20ASDA football were website (2006) dated that ASDA (www.bu tshop9activist maximum the Standard were to factory. which to ‘Superma of 38kg food. ECRA searched the company’s website (www.walmartstores. interview (October Octobercame from report Voters say toneed Wal-Mart (March 2004) yetexceeded seeno the for an environmental impact finish study the Thebuying sinesswee rkets had set birdofpitches, s with stated 34kg bird-per-m group ’didn’t school 2008) 2008based chickens published & Farm Climate Change per-metre com) in November 2008 and found a page entitled ‘Locally Grown Trust thereported Wal-Mart over a61 to k.com), that on to 39 uniforms governme condition in 2006, stand The Ecologist that voters from Inglewood in public hearings. The Ecologist said locals voted perLos they 90 workers wereorbred Animal -squared by Wal-Mar the Business for Angeles ’s orders justlocally etre-squar the Compass that were intensive to Products’, stated that Wal-Mart noted that buying nt guidelines s at a under worked Policy which on stocking local produce (October 2008) over Welfarewere 6 weeks. from up tomade Week t had been grow 90% cent against thequickly project. (ref: 227) not factory voted in March 2003 to let build a storehours inSweatFre their as punishme frequently lyhad 19 under of - Raising tight CIWF ofedthe and ionWal-Mart farmed. floor grown producedid wasnot “a hot marketplace trend”.made However, no figures maximum e Commun Wal-Mart respond to a request by ECRA in suffered October a Allegedly inofWorld they shifts space. argue Banglade hour so According chickens nt for indeadlines insubject they reached extreme accused of The neighbourhood. to the Ecologist, Wal-Mart wanted to Bangor, that Broiler Announcement of sustainable fishing policy (2006) ; stocking arrivng According were to Farming ities, report , some workers who their bones stated slaughter verbal sold by which were given the percentage of towards Wal-Mart’s sales locally accounted of floor painful 2008 forfor details on its policy stocking produced madereport sweatcho late to sh. The abuse andan anti-swea the factory. guideline conducte ASDA to CIWF, build thecrippling store on a could piece land the of nearly was20 football space, According toand the March 2006 issue of ENDS Report, Wal-Mart p were ‘fast-grow that ASDA earned for food. by local produce. ECRA downloaded a document with insize $24 tshopand maximum kickings work; were even which of 38kgnot keep ECRA searched the also company’s website (www.walmartstores. The report the majority as little d interview per to less activist came from than the lameness finish yetexceeded didn’t the need foraan environmental impact study had that it wassee implementing policy on or hadsourcing pace birdofpitches, ing’ announced as $20 s beatings. the com) title “Wal-Mart makes commitment toAnimal buy locally 34kg bird-perthe country’sstated chickens set month. strains. of per-metre in November 2008national and found a page entitled ‘Locally Grown the governm Lawsuit each with over 90 group based a61 to to(ref: a result. 16) Wal-Mar (ref: of sustainable fish. Thechickens company wasassaid tosaid have claimed that stand public hearings. The Ecologist locals voted 39 per wereorbred legal that theyper -squared Rights grown produce”, but again, this contained no figures for sales and workers month, 10) over metre-squ sold worked just ent guideline Products’, which stated that Wal-Mart notedSea that buying locally According Bangladefor hours t’s ordersminimum by American 6 weeks. Shepherd to ASDA within three five years all fish inared North stores would were grow cent to against thequickly project. (ref: 227) as punishmeunder tight wage ofup to 19 hour from frequentl set grown no targets to increase of local produce. didand not of s of a to anAllegedly According Boycott CIWF news produce was “asales hot marketplace trend”.ECRA However, no figures article sh working deadlines they y subject shifts space. argue so they floor be sourced in line withthat Marine Stewardship Council guidelines, website nt for (5Announcement condition suffered to the consider that this constituted a real commitment to encouraging March Broiler of sustainable fishing apolicy (2006)New dated accessed ; were 16th August reached arrivng Accordin to , some Sea Shepherd their lawsuit were given for the percentage of Wal-Mart’s saleson accounted 2004) ASDA s (2006) made Nation, and that UKpainful subsidiary would be following suit after bones workers verbal late to abuse and g to had which sales of locally produced products, and as a result company was even forthe According toand the crippling March 2006could issue ofslaughter ENDS Report, Wal-Mart nation.itte 2006 CIWF, were12th Fund work; Conserva a aboycott on Banglades earned March for by local produce. ECRA also downloaded document with in bybeen taken out $24 per being named worst supermarket thisinarea notinkeep and thecountry’s California less than faq.com, the as little kickings or 2004, the received a negative mark in this category. It hadthemselve been noted by tion of ‘fast-grow majority lameness Wal-Mart had month.by the withainternatio that it was implementing policy on sourcing pace the announcement ing’ announced beatings. the country’s hi against in August as $20 the title “Wal-Mart makes toAnima locally Greenpeace. The waswebsite, said to cover frozen andLawsuit society Society strains. of chickens s -buy (ref: Internatio asin ofthetheir stores environmental campaigners thatnational the issuecommitment of ‘food Wal-Mart chainmiles’ asupplier 16) nal labour had been 2006 each per month, (ref: result. of sustainable fish. company was said to have claimed that untilfish called 37% Rights grown produce”, again,from this contained no figures for saleslfresh and 10) over , for allegednal Labour legal wild-caught noThe mention wassold made operations theybut minimum Sea shares standards distance travelled by abut product supplier todolphin consumer -Seiyu had calling Accordin Banglad byof had Shepher have ASDA factories Ltd, inthree within five years all fish in North American stores would either non-compRights the wage of and its eshown set no targets to increase sales of local produce.meat. ECRA did notor outside the USA and to UK. (ref: 228) g to an d convinced divested that chosen tonews in Banglade Japanese Accordin Boycott working 2 article liance It said sh. The Code ofcondition line withsupermark Marine Stewardship Counciluse guidelines, website labour US g to the be sourced (5it March dated toinstop consider that this constituted a real commitment to the encouraging alien tort that organisati Conduct rights 16th August New a lawsuit hearing selling Sea Shepherd recently accessed 2004) whale US on lawNation, campaign that UK subsidiary ASDAetwould be following suit after on was 2006 s (2006) Environm for the nation.itt haders sales of locally produced products, and as a result company 12th and forthe said toon the been taken and Gender in Banglade suit on Conserva a aboycott inquire hired March ental named researche being sh. supermarket inFund thisin area Banglade theefaq.com Californi (ref:by17) could if they Investigat notout 2004, the country’s received a negative mark in this category. It had been by tion worst grounds ofr Wal-Mar discrimin 3 themselv beby with internatio to call soldnoted Society guarantee the According the Internatio , in August shi ionannouncement whale Greenpeace. The was said to cover frozen society es -ofthe ation and a against Wal-Mar 202 Agency t stores website, environmental campaigners that the issue of ‘food d a fairnal or Seiyu chainmiles’ their to informatio dolphin nal labour in supplierlawsuits had hadmention huffington until retail called 37%meat, been Labour 2006 t, for fresh wild-caught fishoutlets but no was made of operations shares distance travelled by a product from supplier todolphin consumer -Seiyu had Ltd, calling n on factories(Marchstandards post.com) andinof they had have chosen 2009) and alleged non-com Rights to oppose to either the 202 the in Banglade meat. or convince , dated the Huffingto outside the USA and UK.stores (ref: 228) Japanese its own a class 2 toMarch 23 n Post sh. anddivested use US It said action Code of pliance d it to 2 million that labour website The organisat lawsuit. 2009, alienWal-Mart that the stop sellingsupermar Conduct rights (www. ket female hearingemployee Thecampaign recently US Environm lawsuit tort lawwas ion was whale the suit involved ers couldfor trying and Gender in Banglade s who inquire hired a researche ental Investiga on the said to sh.claimed Betty (ref: 17) if they not Dukes grounds discrimin 3 be guarantee the company sold whale r to call Accordin tion ation Agency d a fair had or dolphin 202 Seiyu had huffingto g to informati lawsuits

ASDA

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meat, and retail outlets to of the 202 stores

on on the (March 2009) to oppose npost.com), dated 23 Huffington a class and 2 million Post website March action (www. female lawsuit. The 2009, Wal-Mar lawsuit employee involved t was trying s who Betty Dukes claimed the company had

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CHILD TRUST FUNDS

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For cash CTFs most credit unions would be a Best Buy, although do check who provides your local union with banking and their stakeholder CTF when comparing with building societies on the table. Credit unions’ great social benefit is to tackle financial exclusion and to liberate communities from loan sharks. Best Buys for cash CTFs also go to Ipswich, Yorkshire, Leeds and Skipton Building Societies (all of which are also Which? best buys) and Methodist Chapel Aid, for its overarching ethical investment policy. 13

13.5

13.5

13 12

For share CTFs Best Buy is Foresters Friendly Society (FSS), which has strict screening of its ethical fund. For those able to afford it and prepared to take the risk, a self-select share CTF offers the possibility of choosing ethical companies to invest in, though neither provider has ethical credentials in themselves. 11

Best Buy for stakeholder CTFs is the 8.5 Ethical Baby Bond, from Children’s Mutual and Co-operative Investments, one of our Ethical Investment Best Buys (EC111).

24 www.ethicalconsumer.org

Child Trust Funds Dan Welch investigates the ethical options for investing in children’s futures.

S

ince the Child Trust Fund (CTF) scheme was launched by the Government in 2005 £2 billion has been invested in CTFs for 4.6 million children. Around a quarter of accounts are topped up after the initial government grant, by parents, grandparents, family and friends – on average by £289 in the last year. Few parents would want the money invested for their children’s futures to be invested in companies that were busy undermining the social and environment sustainability on which that future depends. If you’re contributing to a family member or friend’s CTF it might be a good opportunity to introduce the parents to the idea of ethical investment. The initial choice, after all, is likely to have been made when changing nappies and grabbing some sleep were rather more pressing than reading up on ethical investment criteria.

Child Trust Funds - the Facts Children born since 1 September 2002 are eligible to a £250 CTF voucher (£500 where household income is less than £16,040 for 2009/10). If parents don’t open an account one year after issue of the voucher the Inland Revenue automatically opens a ‘stakeholder account’ for the child. You can change provider or account at any time. A further voucher for £250 (or £500) is issued on the child’s seventh birthday. Accounts can be topped up by friends and family to a maximum of £1,200 a year. Once paid in, however, funds can’t be withdrawn – they are paid out to the child on their 18th birthday. CTFs have the same tax rules as ISAs. Cash accounts are tax-free, funds in the sharebased accounts (including stakeholders) are liable for income tax at 10% on any dividends received. There is no liability to capital gains tax, and CTFs are exempt from the ‘£100 rule’ applied to most other types of children’s JANUARY/FEBRUARY ‘10

savings and investments, where interest is taxed. ‘Distributors’ work with providers to provide access to CTF services. They include banks and building societies, the Post Office and even ASDA and Boots.

There are three types of CTF: • Cash – Essentially a tax free saving account (although you can’t make withdrawals). Many building societies and credit unions offer cash CTFs. They avoid ethical dilemmas about what the CTF is invested in, leaving the ethics of the provider the only issue. • Stakeholder - All CTF providers are required by law to provide stakeholder trusts, which must invest in stocks and shares. Many do this through a third-party provider, in which case you may want to consider the ethics of the provider of the stakeholder fund. For example, a stakeholder CTF taken out with Earl Shilton BS is actually invested in one of Legal & General’s funds (ethiscore 4). We flag up who provides which stakeholder CTFs in Company Profiles. Stakeholder CTFs have to meet certain conditions regarding the type and spread of investments allowed, in order to moderate the fund’s exposure to risk. Like any sensible investment plan it is ‘lifestyled’ – in year 13 it’s gradually transferred to less risky investments like bonds or cash. It is intended to take advantage of the presumed higher yields of shares whilst reducing exposure to the volatility of the stock market as the fund nears maturity. Most stakeholder CTFs charge the maximum annual management charge allowed, of 1.5%. • Shares – These accounts offer the usual potential rewards, and risks, of investing in the stock market. Share CTFs offer investment in one or more investment funds. Where

buyer’s guide

credit unions Ipswich BS Yorkshire BS Healthy Inv Ethical Leeds BS Skipton BS Methodist Chapel Aid FFS Ethical Children’s Mutual Earl Shilton BS Nationwide F&C Ethical Baby Bond Family Inv Ethical engage Mutual Britannia Family Investments

15 13.5 13.5 13 13 13 12 11 10.5 10 10 9.5 8.5 8 7.5 7 7

Product Sustainability

Company Ethos

+ve

Anti-Social Finance

Political Activity

Boycott Call

Genetic Engineering

Politics Arms & Military Supply

Irresponsible Marketing

Supply Chain Policy

Workers’ Rights

People

Human Rights

Animal Rights

Factory Farming

Animals

Animal Testing

Habitats & Resources

Pollution & Toxics

Climate Change

Nuclear Power

Environmental Reporting

BRAND

Ethiscore (out of 20)

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COMPANY GROUP n/a Ipswich BS Yorkshire BS Rechabite Friendly Soc Ltd Leeds BS Skipton BS Methodist Chapel Aid Foresters Friendly Soc Tunbridge Wells Friendly Soc Earl Shilton BS Nationwide BS Friends Provident, F&C Co-op Group/Children’s Mutual Family Assurance Friendly Soc Homeowners Friendly Soc Co-operative Group Family Assurance Friendly Soc

USING THE TABLES Ethiscore: the higher the score, the better the company across the criticism categories.  bottom rating  middle rating See ‘Our Rating System’ page at www.ethicalconsumer.org for category definitions Positive ratings (+ve): Company Ethos:  full mark  half mark Product Sustainability: Maximum of five positive marks

top rating (no criticisms)

All the research behind these ratings is available together with a PDF of this report for free as part of our new upgraded subscription. See centre pages.

What’s on the table? At the last count there were 71 Child Trust Funds (CTFs) providers in the UK, from credit unions and friendly societies to Tesco Finance and Royal Bank of Scotland. Many of the providers have previously been reviewed in either our report on ethical investment funds (EC111 - available free at www.ethicalconsumer.org) or our recent reports on banks and building societies in EC118 (available online free with our subscription upgrade, see centre pages). For the table of this report we’ve selected the five CTF’s listed as ‘Ethical’ on the official UK list of providers, previous Ethical Consumer Best Buys for other financial products, and those currently rated best buy for financial performance by Which? (all of which happen to be building societies). several funds are on offer you can switch from one to another, and often can invest in more than one (although you may be charged for this). With share CTFs, your primary ethical concern is likely to be the companies that the fund actually invest in. ‘Fund fact sheets’ list top ten holdings – they’re not comfortable

How we’ve rated the providers We rate financial institutions not only on their own actions, but on their investment relationships. Where an institution has an investment relationship with a company that has a worst rating in any of our categories, the investing institution receives a middle rating in that category. For example, Foresters Friendly Society (FFS) invests in one of Legal & General’s funds. So because Legal & General has bottom rating for AntiSocial Finance, we have given FFS a middle rating in that category. An exception to this rule is where a financial institution has demonstrated best practice in engagement on an issue. So, although the investment arm of the F&C has investments in Shell it does not receive a Climate Change mark, because

it engages actively on carbon disclosure and other climate change issues. For this report, the organisations on the table have been rated as having an ‘investment relationship’ with the provider of their stakeholder CTF. In reality this relationship may be arms length. Methodist, for example, state they do not benefit financially from HSBC, who provide their stakeholder CTF.5 This has been done to provide differentiation, as organisations can choose more or less ethical providers for this service. We have not however rated the provision of financial services other than stakeholder CTFs in this way within this report. CTFs with ethical criteria get a Product Sustainability mark. Co-ops and not-forprofits get a full Company Ethos mark, mutuals a half mark.

reading for an ethical investor. You can find most fund factsheets on www.trustnet.com – alternatively ask the provider for one. ‘Self select’ share CTFs allow you to select almost any fund you like and buy shares directly too, all within the CTF wrapper, making ethical options possible. Independent

financial advisors strongly advise against direct share ownership to all but wealthy individuals because of the potential risks. Selftrade (0845 0700720), part of the Société Générale Group, offers an online self select option. Reyker Securities’ (020 7499 9097) 4thekids CTF is also self select.

JANUARY/FEBRUARY ‘10

www.ethiscore.org 25

CHILD TRUST FUNDS The Conservative party recently announced plans to abolish new CTFs (and top ups at 7) for families earning over £16,000 a year. The tax status of existing CTFs under a Tory government remains unclear.

Credit Unions Thirty one credit unions offer CTFs, both cash and stakeholder. Credit unions are not-forprofit financial co-operatives, owned and run by their members, with the main purpose of providing affordable loans to their members. Money held in credit unions is guaranteed by the FSA, just as if it were in a bank. Eligibility for membership may be determined by where you live, your employer, or belonging to a church or union. Some areas of the country, including Bristol, Glasgow, Hull, Leicester, Hampshire and much of Wales, are served better than others (see Links). A ‘generic’ credit union could score 15 on our table. Credit unions do bank their money – usually with the Co-operative or Unity Bank (a specialist bank for the third sector) – so check where your money will be kept before signing up. In addition, check which stakeholder CTF provider the credit union uses (see page 25 for how we’ve scored the relation to stakeholder providers on the table).

provide mutual aid as members “walked through the forests of life”. FFS is unusual for a ‘friendly’ in having a network of 230 branches. It picks up negative marks because of investments with a Legal & General unit trust. FSS’ Ethical share CTF has the strictest ethical criteria of any of the ethical funds reviewed in this report. Criteria include: Animal Testing; Gambling; Health & Safety Convictions; Oppressive Regimes; Intensive Farming; Military; Nuclear Power; Pornography; Tobacco; Sustainable Timber; Water Pollution.1 Full details are available on the website. The Tunbridge Wells Equitable Friendly Society, long a specialist in savings for children, worked with the Government on developing the CTF scheme, re-launching as The Children’s Mutual in 2003. It was awarded Best Child Trust Fund Provider of the Year for the third consecutive year in 2008 by Moneyfacts. It offers four options: stakeholder; a Shariah stakeholder fund; Baby Bond Choice – a share CTF that allows you to pick from a range of fund providers; and the stakeholder Ethical Baby Bond. This ethical option is in association with Co-operative Investments and invests in the CIS UK FTSE4Good Tracker Trust. The Cooperative Investments was a Best Buy in our 2008 Ethical Investments report (EC111), for integrating ethical criteria into its general investment process and best practice in enagagement and transparency. On the table the scores of both Children’s Mutual and Co-op are combined for this product – thus the middle rating for Environmental Reporting despite Co-op’s best rating in this category. Family Investments with over a million

Company Profiles The five smaller building societies on the table all offer cash CTFs that can be managed by branch or post, Yorskshire and Earl Shilton also by phone. Their stakeholder CTFs are provided as follows: Yorkshire by engage Mutual Assurance; Chorley by Scottish Friendly Assurance; Earl Shilton by Legal & General; Skipton by Family Investments. Anti-Social Finance marks in this group are for provision of ‘off shore’ accounts. Ancient Order of Foresters Friendly Society (FFS) was founded in Rochdale in 1834 to

26 www.ethicalconsumer.org

The FTSE4Good Index screens out companies involved in the production of tobacco, nuclear and other “whole weapons systems” and nuclear power stations, as well as meeting standards on environmental sustainability, stakeholder relations, human rights, supply chain labour standards and bribery. However, with companies such as Rio Tinto and Shell in the Index, funds investing in it may not provide tight enough ethical criteria for all readers.2 accounts, is the most popular CTF provider. The Ethical Stakeholder CTF is initially invested in the mutual’s Ethical Trust, a tracker fund invested in the FTSE4Good UK 50 Total Return Index. Methodist Chapel Aid Ltd offers a cash CTF. It does not invest in companies “substantially involved” in tobacco, gambling, alcohol, the arms trade, oppressive regimes, pornography, intensive

JANUARY/FEBRUARY ‘10

farming, human rights abuse, non-medial animal testing or “harmful ecological impact.”4 It picks up its negative scores from HSBC. Britannia recently merged The Co-operative Financial Services. The Co-op Group, because it also a retailer, picks up negative scores for issues such as factory farming which do not apply to any of the other providers on the table. Our ethiscores work best when we are comparing like with like, so here the Co-op’s score may appear ‘artifically’ low. F&C shares CTF offers a range of investment fund options, but not, unfortunately its ethical funds. F&C was awarded a Best Buy in our Ethical Investment report. Healthy Investment’s share CTF invests in the society’s Ethical Fund, managed by Sarasin & Partners, and seeks returns from a mix of shares, bonds and commercial property. The fund “does not knowingly invest directly in alcohol, tobacco or arms companies”.3 This rather limited screening is unlikely to satisfy many of today’s ethical investors. The Society, formerly restricted to teetotallers, now also accepts ‘moderate drinkers’.

Links • Your entitlements, ‘what to ask providers,’ full list of distributors and providers, account chooser tool: www.childtrustfund.gov.uk. Or call the CTF helpline between 8am and 8pm every day: 0845 302 1470. • Compare cash CTF interest rates: www.which.co.uk/reviews/child-trust-funds www.moneyfacts.co.uk. • For more information about whether share or stakeholder funds are the right choice for you www.investmentuk.org/FactSheets/ CTF/default.asp. • Find credit union CTF providers: www.abcul.org. Tel. 0161 832 3694 • Association of Friendly Societies www.afs.org.uk • Ethical Consumer’s report on ethical investment can be found at www.ethicalconsumer.org. • Directories of ethical independent financial advisors www.ethicalinvestment.org, www.neiw.org and www.investability.org. • Directories of ethical funds www.eiris.org and www.eurosif.org. • One stop shop for green and ethical finance www.yourethicalmoney.org. References 1 www.forestersfriendlysociety.co.uk viewed 23/11/09 2 www.citywire.co.uk/adviser/fund-and-fund-managerperformance/-/unit-trusts/uk-all-companies/fund-factsheet. aspx?FundID=24824&CitywireClassSchemeID=1&Citywi reClassID=9 3 Rechabite Firendly Society Limited Report and accounts 2008 4 www.methodistchapel.co.uk viewed 23/11/09 5 telephone call with representative 25/11/09.

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GREENWASH Green Marketing Dan Welch talks to John Grant, a marketing guru who wants to use “green marketing” as a Trojan horse, smuggling ethics and green lifestyles into the citadel of consumer society. John Grant was co-founder of St Luke’s, a socially aware London ad agency that had Body Shop on its books and operated as an ‘employee shareholder democracy’. Since leaving St. Luke’s in 1999 John has worked as a consultant on marketing and sustainability for both businesses and NGOs. His ‘The New Marketing Manifesto’ was in Amazon’s Top Ten Business Books of 1999. More recently, he wrote ‘The Green Marketing Manifesto’ (2007). A lifelong vegetarian, he’s also the man who convinced Unilever to launch the Vegetable Oxo Cube. We caught up with John to find out how “green” and “marketing” could fit together. EC: Can “green marketing” really drive positive change? JG: What marketing can do to drive positive behaviour change is two things. One – engage and educate. Help people wake up to the reality of the risks and opportunities ahead; inspire, reframe, adjust ‘the world in our worldview’. The general finding from marketing over the last 15 years is that such shifts are achieved not by mass media propaganda (ads with polar bears in) but through engagement; examples range from Twitter to Transition Towns. Two - create new markets for the common good...a lot of my interest and hope at the moment is directed towards local, organic, seasonal veg - farming done right...This is something that consumer choice could tip. Green consumerism I am a bit dubious about. We live a very pampered wasteful lifestyle in the developed world and buying things in eco chic materials as ethical treats strikes me as potentially supporting that status quo. EC: Is greenwash dead? JG: No it’s alive and well. Greenwash in my view - quite a strict definition - is making environmental claims in advertising and PR that your product, service or company are greener than others. Generally I think it’s a bad idea. It’s not credible, it’s not that compelling as marketing and it also backfires when someone challenges it. I’d rather see companies put their money into green innovation and education. Develop a new market – like local, organic, seasonal cafés – and educate your customers to prefer it. EC: You’re on record as saying “We can’t leave ‘green’ to the old greens any more”. What do you mean by that? JG: Did I say that?...I’m turning into more of an ‘old green’ myself as years go by! I think what I may have meant to say is that the ‘green’ lifestyle clique and its extensions into communications can be preachy and exclusive; the language, dress sense, cultural codes, tone of voice. What we need is a new common sense. And a clique or tribe (unintentionally) excluding people who aren’t like them, can work against that. The challenge is to make doing the green thing normal. So it wont even look “green”, just normal. That’s the journey green stuff has to go on. And is already. Look at the advance of cycling. Or grow your own vegetables. Last year for the first time since the war more

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image © Monamakela | Dreamstime.com

vegetable seeds were sold in this country than flower seeds. It’s what the permaculturalists have been arguing for since the 1970s but it is happening now in middle England in a very ‘normal’ sort of way. EC: How do you think the recession is effecting the business appetite for sustainability? JG: Many ethical markets are buoyant. Businesses seem just as interested in sustainability as a few years ago, perhaps even more so... I do believe that the really big companies are quite genuinely committed by now. They can no more ignore it than they could (wisely) ignore the internet 15 years ago. EC: Should Ethical Consumer spend as much time congratulating multinationals, when they make positive changes, as criticising them? JG: Generally I think joycotting is the first option rather than boycotting these days; for instance like Greenpeace’s ‘Green My Apple’ campaign. I still think there is a place for activism because it gets multinationals attention...[it] got some of the big companies rethinking in the 1990s. The trouble with activism can be that it brands the opposition as ‘fringe’ extremists and allows the public sympathy to side with the ‘normal’ business people who are just trying to do their jobs? Whereas done right, as in Hugh’s Chicken Run, the public indignation sides with the poor chickens and against the abusive nature of industrial farming.

Hugh’s Chicken Run image source: www.channel4.com

EC: If you had one piece of advice for budding green entrepreneurs, what would it be? JG: Spend a lot of time on finding and redefining the problem. Focusing on the problem gets you out of the faddish trap many fall into of ‘flavour of the month’ start-ups. True, investors quite like these trends. But all the really successful start-ups in history were more in the spirit of William Blake’s “I must invent a system or be enslav’d by another man’s”. A longer version go this interview will appear on www.ethicalconsumer.org.

BOYCOTTS Lush attacked for defending wildlife Last month pioneering ethical company Lush launched the Fabulous Mrs Fox bubble bar to raise money for the Hunt Sabs Association (HSA). The bar features a ‘blood-red fox pawprint’ design and contains citronella, a scent chosen because hunt sabs use it to disguise foxes scent and send hounds off the trail. In reaction pro-hunting magazine Horse and Hound launched a boycott campaign against the company. Hilary Jones, Lush’s Ethics Director, tells Ethical Consumer why they chose to support the HSA and gives her account of the ensuing campaign against the company. “The Hunt Saboteurs Association (HSA) are a group who have steadfastly stuck with the issue of hunting and are out in the field come rain or shine bearing witness to the goings on, and, where possible coming between the hounds and the fox. They are doing their best to protect our wildlife, often putting themselves at risk in the process. So being able to lend them a small helping hand in this way seemed like the least we could do. We have campaigned on many issues over the years on issues that have been judged by some as controversial - but we have never encountered this kind of hostility. We are a little surprised and rather saddened that some from the hunting community feel the need to defend their ‘pastime’ in such an aggressive way. Our Chelmsford shop had a man come in and sweep the whole display of the Fabulous Mrs Fox bubble bars onto the floor and walk out. He came back the next day and did the same thing again, but this time he said that he would be back every day to do it until we stopped selling it. On day three when he arrived the manager recognised him and stood between him and the display and told him to leave the shop. He started shouting and arguing. She told him that if he didn’t leave immediately that she would call the police. At this point there was a couple being served at the till, and the gentleman stepped forward and said “You don’t have to - we are already here” and pulled out his warrant card. Turns out he was off duty and shopping with his wife. He made the guy leave - and since then he’s not returned. In Taunton we held a ‘meet the Hunt Sabs’ event for the coming Saturday, with people from HSA coming to the shop to talk to customers. They received a call saying that if the event went ahead ‘there will be trouble’. They did go ahead with the event, and there was no disturbance. But perhaps only because the shop manager pointed out to the person that the shop phone had caller ID and the caller had failed to restrict their number from view. There were other instances. Our Maidstone shop had ‘F*ck You’ scratched into the glass and a kebab smeared across the window - as a vegetarian company, I don’t need to tell you which we found the most offensive. The Taunton shop was open late, hosting a child’s birthday party, when they received a call from someone saying they were watching them and they had better ‘watch their backs’. They also had Keep Hunting stickers stuck outside the shop. While the Plymouth shop had Countryside Alliance stickers super-glued to the window. But we can’t allow ourselves to give in to bullying. An unlawful

minority chose to make us the target of their hate campaigns - but they can’t change the difference between what is right and what is wrong. Hunting with hounds is cruel and has no place in a modern society and that is why we chose to highlight it. We will always try to speak up about the things that we think are wrong. Others don’t have to agree with us or share our views, but they are our shops and we will use them to speak up for those without a voice whenever we see fit. We are proud to be associated with the Hunt Saboteurs Association and hope that one day they will no longer be needed and can retire to peace and obscurity because hunting has become a thing of the past.” ‘Fabulous Mrs Fox’ bubble bars are in Lush stores now. During controversial boycotts it is common for those opposing the campaign to set up a ‘buycott’ to support the targetted company. This might be a good idea here.

JANUARY/FEBRUARY ‘10

www.ethiscore.org 29

FOOD & HEALTH Victory for Greenpeace Amazon cattle campaign

RSPO

It only began in June but Greenpeace’s ‘Slaughtering the Amazon’ campaign against clearing the Amazon rainforest for cattle ranching has been a huge success. Last issue, we reported that only one Amazonian beef exporter, JBS, had failed to commit to a ban on the purchase of cattle from newly deforested land in the Amazon. Princes, which uses beef supplied from JBS, became the focus of the Greenpeace campaign. Now, all four of the world’s largest beef and leather companies - Marfrig, Bertin, Minerva and JBS - have signed up to the ban, at a ceremony in the Brazilian city of Sao Paulo in October. Princes has joined the likes of Clarks, Adidas and Nike by announcing its determination to cancel contracts with suppliers unless their products are guaranteed to be free from Amazon destruction. It was by pressuring and working with these shoe and food companies that Greenpeace got the big cattle companies round the table. The tens of thousands of supporters who wrote, phoned, and demonstrated played a major part in making that happen. The cattle companies are committing to “zero deforestation in their supply chains”, which, according to Greenpeace, is a really tangible and permanent commitment to take. More info from Greenpeace at www.greenpeace.org.uk or phone 020 7865 8100.

League table of greenest supermarkets Some UK supermarkets are greening up their act but others are lagging well behind, according to the latest survey by Consumer Focus (formerly the National Consumer Council). The new report, ‘Green to the Core’ rates the UK’s top nine supermarkets on how well they inform consumers about sustainability issues and help them to make more sustainable choices. Consumer Focus found that the gap between the best and worst performing supermarkets has got wider since its first survey in 2006. Sainsbury’s and M&S made the biggest leap by achieving the first ever overall “A” (excellent) score. They were followed by Waitrose, which retained a “B” grade. Other supermarkets such as Morrisons showed improvement over the course of the surveys; Tesco showed no progress since 2007 and Asda moved down the ratings. The discounters Aldi and Lidl, surveyed for the first time, were the only two supermarkets to have closed doors on all freezers, thereby helping to conserve energy. The Co-op was found to be selling the highest proportion of fairly traded products among its own brand products. The supermarket chains were ranked on sustainability measures such as: their offerings of UK in-season fruit and vegetables; organics; higher welfare meat and eggs; sustainably sourced fish; and how much they encourage recycling. The survey looked not just at availability in the store but also at how clearly these products were displayed and promoted to consumers.

Read the full report and all the recommendations at www.consumerfocus.org.uk/.

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Palm oil scorecard Palm oil is used in a bewildering variety of products – from ice cream to shampoo. And its production is having devastating consequences for the rainforests, and their inhabitants, in South East Asia and South America. Certified sustainable palm oil (CSPO) has been available to manufacturers since last year. But in May this year WWF reported that only 1% of the CSPO available had been bought, despite the promises of some of the big players and threatening the viability of the whole scheme. WWF have now produced a Palm Oil Buyers’ Scorecard to name and shame them into action. A handful of companies are showing real progress, but the majority are failing to buy CSPO and support the scheme. WWF’s Scorecard assessed the 59 biggest European retailers and manufacturers that buy and use palm oil. Nearly half of the European companies assessed are UK-based – and their performance varied considerably: • Seven UK companies scored above 20 points, showing they have the right policies in place, are monitoring their purchases of palm oil and starting to make good on their commitments. All are also members of the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO), which runs the certification scheme. These were (highest rating first): Sainsbury’s, Marks & Spencer, Youngs/Findus, Unilever, Cadbury, Body Shop, ASDA. • The majority scored between five and 20 points. Those at the top end of this scale are showing encouraging signs, yet 12 of the 17 companies scored under 50%, showing they are not consistently addressing the issue. • Associated British Foods was the only UK company to score zero. ABS is the owner of Primark, Patak’s, Jacksons of Picadilly, Twinings and Ovaltine (among others). Companies scoring zero are either showing no action on palm oil or declined to respond to requests for information. These companies really need to up their game. Over the last year, over one million tonnes of CSPO has been produced. Things have improved dramatically since May, with just over 250,000 tonnes – around 22.5% of the year’s supply - sold to date. And the RSPO has reported that sales in October were up to 46% of the month’s supply of CSPO. See the full scorecard at www.wwf.org.uk/ or phone 01483 426444.

FOOD & HEALTH Hungry Snail Food Co-operative Giles Simon of Co-operatives UK talks to a co-operative in Wakefield that is changing the eating habits of the local community.

Body Shop palm oil supplier evicts Colombian families Daabon, the Colombian company that supplies The Body Shop with 90% of its organic palm oil, is part of a consortium which called for the eviction of 123 families from land they’ve farmed for 15 years, to make way for a plantation.1 Following a court order in July riot police drove the families from their homes, reportedly destroying their houses and burning their farms. According to the NGO Christian Peacemaker Teams (CPT) the farmers had worked the land since 1993 and had applied for the right to own it in 2006. Under Colombian law, ownership can be granted to farmers who have occupied abandoned land for more than three years. The consortium bought the land from the title holder, an uncle of cocaine baron Pablo Escobar. According to Banessa Estrada, solicitor for the displaced families, “It was an illegal eviction because they did not take into account the claim of the land made by the peasants.” The controversy is a huge embarrassment for the Body Shop, which has campaigned for social and environmental standards in the palm oil supply chain. Last year the Body Shop told Ethical Consumer how the Daabon deal would demonstrate that there was a market for sustainable palm oil. Daabon have never had any previous land conflicts, according to the Body Shop. The Body Shop told Ethical Consumer that Daabon has now commissioned a third-party, ProForest, to conduct an independent assessment. “We take any such issues very seriously and continue to keep this dispute under close review,” said Jan Buckingham, Director of Values for the Body Shop. “ProForest is a respected organization, has international experience of land and human rights issues, and is wellknown for its ethical commitments. The Body Shop has been involved in advising on the terms of references for the Proforest assessment. [Once that is complete] we will then actively undertake our own review based upon the conclusions of their assessment.”

Local surveys found that people knew the healthy fresh food message but often thought it was too heavy, too expensive, went off too quickly, or was only available in distant supermarkets. Hungry Snail Food Co-operative was set up to address this – it buys high quality fruit and vegetables wholesale and then takes them to the people. Henry Fisher, one of the co-operative’s members, explains: “The food co-operative was initially set up in 2005 by Wakefield Primary Care Trust. It was a co-operative in name only – they liked the idea of a food cooperative, but it was really just a voluntary group heavily supported by the PCT and reliant on grant funding. I was recruited in 2008 to turn it into a sustainable community enterprise.” Henry concentrated on selling more stock in more places and developing a delivery service. He gave it a distinctive name and transformed it into a worker co-operative – which is owned and controlled by its employees and volunteers, with much better managment systems. “One of the great things,” he says, “is that after years of offering free services to the community – who are often wary of ‘free’ things – now we’re selling stuff and everyone wants to come and talk to us. Conversations that often start with ‘I don’t eat vegetables’ end up with, ‘Oh go on, I’ll give it a try’.” Along with Jackie, another paid employee member, and around eight volunteers, Henry put a lot of time into slowly building the Hungry Snail co-operative. It now distributes through 12 outlets – five schools, two community centres, two community cafes, two children’s centres, and one extra care home for the elderly, all based in some of the most deprived areas of the Wakefield district. In just over a year, weekly sales have increased 16-fold, and deliveries now account for 60% of sales. Becky Broadbent, manager of one outlet, a children’s centre, says: “We’re lucky to have Hungry Snail in our area. Their produce is fresh and high quality, but equally as important has been their very friendly approach and deliveries.” There’s no doubt that developing the Hungry Snail is hard work for Henry, Jackie and the volunteers. And the co-op benefits from the help of the local community. All this good will and the co-op’s gradual growth makes Henry confident about the future. The co-op is hoping to get a new contract with the local authority and there are plans to recruit an apprentice. Maybe it’s in the name, but working slowly and steadily to grow the cooperative and get the commitment of the local community seems to be working well for the Hungry Snail. Find out more: www.hungrysnail.org.uk, www.cooperatives-uk.coop

Urgent Action – Send a proforma letter to Daabon at www.cpt.org/work/colombia 1 The Observer, 13/09/09

Montezuma GM Free In EC121Montezuma got a half mark under the GM category because they did not provide us with information about their dairy supply chain policy. Subsequently, they’ve told us that all the milk used in their chocolate is organic, therefore GM free. They no longer get a GM mark and now score 15 for their organic products and 14.5 for non-organic.

JANUARY/FEBRUARY ‘10

www.ethiscore.org 31

GOOD TECHNOLOGY Innovation and ethics in a high-tech world

Jumping out of windows This column generally avoids use of the first person. But I want to write about a deeply personal matter, a life changing decision that I have taken, and it is difficult to avoid the word “I”. My move took months of planning. I have abandoned the habits of many years. It has changed the way I work and how others view me. It has provoked a reaction among friends and colleagues. Some have chastised me – even accused me of going over to “the other side”. Others have congratulated me on my conversion, treating me like the prodigal son. My decision was to abandon Microsoft Windows and buy a Mac. No small move for someone who has used Windows for over 20 years. It has cost me dearly, not just for the expensive Mac, but because of all the habits I need to unlearn. I would like to think however that I am able to keep it in some perspective. It is, after all, just an operating system. For many though, the struggle between these two systems seems to mean much more than that, particularly for the Apple partisans. At first it was a tribal divide. Macs were for “arty” people and PCs were for boring business types. This was alluded to in the Apple marketing campaign “I’m a Mac” and “I’m a PC” (which Microsoft then tried to play back to its advantage). But there has also been a political undertone. Apple has been portrayed as David to Microsoft’s Goliath. Microsoft is the corporate bully forcing users to struggle with difficult, ugly software. Apple is the rebel, liberating users with elegant, friendly software. In recent years this characterization has become less and less credible. For a start, for all its shortcomings, Windows is a more open system. You can’t use the Mac OSX operating system without paying Apple for a Mac. Microsoft may have abused its dominant market position in the past, but Apple makes the most out of the fact that its customers depend on it for both hardware and software – a situation that has been replicated on the iPhone and iPod. Apple claims its laptops are more environmentally friendly than other manufacturers. But its Ethiscore in the Ethical Consumer report on laptops (now 7.5) was lower than mainstream PC manufacturers like Dell (9).

Perhaps most damaging to the notion of Apple as some sort of “ethical” choice is the momentum gathering behind Ubuntu – a version of the Linux operating system that is easy to install and use. Ubuntu takes its name from the African philosophy that emphasizes openness and harmony. The Ubuntu project was started by South African entrepreneur (and space tourist) Mark Shuttleworth who wanted a cheap – indeed free – alternative to Windows. Ubuntu is for anyone, but it has important implications in the developing world where the cost of Windows far exceeds the cost of second-hand hardware. So if there is an ethical choice of operating system for ordinary users, you could say it is Ubuntu. As with other forms of Linux (the operating system used on most of the world’s web servers) Ubuntu is ‘open source’: the software is developed cooperatively, is free to use, and any improvements must be made available to everyone. Like the Mac, Ubuntu also has a passionate, committed fan base. Following on the heels of new releases from Apple (Snow Leopard) and Microsoft (Windows 7), there is now a new version of Ubuntu (9.10 or Karmic Koala – yes, really) that could attract more users to make the leap and dump Windows. So, you might ask, why did I choose a Mac? Well, as Mac fanatics have been arguing for years, it really does make it feel like the computer is there as a helper rather than an enemy. Well, most of the time.

Shaun Fensom was a founder member of Poptel, a pioneering internet service provider that operated as a workers’ co-op from 1986-2002. Poptel provided the ANC with its first email address and hosted some of the first trade union websites. Shaun is now a consultant and chair of Manchester Digital.

Green points for Hewlett Packard and Apple in latest electronics guide Apple and Hewlett Packard recently got green points in the latest edition of Greenpeace’s Guide to Greener Electronics. HP released a toxic-free notebook while Apple released details of their greenhouse gas emissions. But the big points go to activist consumers for proving once again that public pressure creates positive change. HP made a commitment in 2007 to have all PC products toxic-free in 2009, but went soft on that earlier this year. So Greenpeace painted a protest on Hewlett-Packard’s roof saying that HP stood for ‘Hazardous Products’, and organised a phone-in protest using William Shatner. Hewlett-Packard got their green point by putting a personal computer on the market (HP ProBook 5310m notebook) that is virtually free of PVC

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and brominated flame retardants (BFRs). Only the power supply unit and cable still contain these hazardous substances. Apple are still ahead on removing toxic components, having eliminated PVC and BFRs from its entire product line almost a year ago. This is partly as a result of Greenpeace’s ‘Green my Apple’ campaign which brought consumer pressure to bear from people who loved their Macs, but really wished they came in green. See the full Guide to Greener Electronics with its rating of 18 electronics companies at www.greenpeace.org. uk/toxics.

CLOTHES Let’s clean up fashion For over a decade, consumers, workers and campaigners have been calling on fashion brands to make sure the workers who produce the clothes they sell are paid a living wage. Since 2006 Labour Behind the Label and War on Want have been producing the Clean Up Fashion reports revealing who is – and isn’t – doing what to ensure that garment workers are paid a living wage. Let’s Clean up Fashion 2009 surveys the current state of pay for those that make clothes for the UK high street. Many of the biggest brands have publicly accepted that garment workers’ wages need to increase. But no company is yet paying workers a living wage. Most projects have ignored the fundamental issues of freedom of association, price and distribution of profit, and have focused instead on making factories or workers more ‘productive’. But wages aren’t low because of poor productivity – rather, it’s global competition that results in a race to the bottom. The majority of workers in the global fashion industry rarely earn more than two dollars a day – in an industry worth over £36 billion a year in the UK alone. Many have to work excessive hours just to get this meagre amount and have no possibility to earn the wages needed to properly feed, clothe, house and educate their families. In October this year a new and exciting initiative, the Asian Floor Wage, was launched. This is an Asia-wide campaign with global resonance, which rejects the idea that governments, unions and workers in different countries should be forced to choose between unemployment or exploitation. Instead, trade unions, NGOs and activists from six garment producing countries have come together to negotiate and agree a way to calculate a figure for a ‘floor wage’ – a minimum amount below which no worker, regardless of nationality, gender or workplace, should be paid.

Stop trafficked and exploited labour In every industrialised country on average 113 000 people work in conditions of forced labour. In the UK over half a million irregular migrants are believed to work in exploitative conditions. That’s the conclusion of the International Organization for Migration (IOM). The IOM has launched a new campaign – Buy Responsibly – calling on concerned citizens to tell businesses that there’s no place for exploited and trafficked labour in their supply chains.

Here’s how the high street brands break down in this year’s Let’s Clean Up Fashion report:

Up until now, global counter-trafficking efforts have mainly focused on the issue of trafficking of women and girls for sexual exploitation. But the IOM argues that trafficking for labour exploitation of both sexes and all ages has increased in the last five years. This has largely involved men and boys trafficked to work in the agricultural, construction, fishing and domestic service sectors. As the IOM figures show, this is not a problem confined to poorer countries. Some sectors of the European economy, such as construction and agriculture, depend on irregular cheap labour for growth and profits. “A lot of people are trafficked to Europe and we feel very strongly that the root cause of trafficking is not poverty, it’s not gender inequalities, it’s not conflict,” says Richard Danziger, head of IOM’s Global Counter Trafficking Programme. “The bottom line is demand, that we as consumers want cheap products.” Concrete steps can be taken to address the problem. They include: regulating the informal sector in destination countries to ensure workers are brought under the protection of labour laws; making business and employers legally responsible for human trafficking and migrant exploitation in their supply chain; encouraging the creation of ethical employer associations adhering to codes of conduct guaranteeing the rights of migrants and workers and providing more legal channels for migration. And just as essential, says IOM Director William Swing, “Consumers who are increasingly demanding fair trade have the power to end labour exploitation by buying responsibly and getting business to rethink how it operates.”

Nothing to say

Alexon, BHS, Ethel Austin, House of Fraser, Peacock Group

To take action go to www.buyresponsibly.org.

No work to speak of

Asda/George, Clarks, Debenhams, French Connection, John Lewis, Laura Ashley, Levi Strauss & Co, Matalan, River Island, Sainsbury’s

One cheer

Mention of work on living wages, but unconvincing so far: Arcadia Group, Aurora Fashions, Burberry, Tesco

Two cheers

Work to increase wages, but not enough yet: Gap, Marks & Spencer (M&S), Monsoon Accessorize, New Look, Next, Primark

Read the full report at www.labourbehindthelabel.org/. You can email the 15 worst companies (‘nothing to say’ and ‘no work to speak of’) from War on Want’s website. Their ‘Love Fashion Hate Sweatshops’ campaign also calls for British Government action to stop fashion retailers exploiting workers around the world. Be part of the campaign by signing the petition at http://lovefashionhatesweatshops.org.

Recycled sportswear Designed by two ex-athletes who wanted a little more from the sports clothing they wear, Yew Clothing’s selection of jackets and performance tops are made from 100% recycled consumer waste. This means that the fabric used to create them is produced from reprocessed plastics like drinks bottles or food containers. They cost between £25 and £55. All Yew Clothing products are available at www.yewclothing.com. JANUARY/FEBRUARY ‘10

www.ethiscore.org 33

LESS IS MORE

Anti-consumerism comment and campaigning

Buy Nothing Year – Final thoughts... In the last of his dispatches, Mark Boyle reflects on what he’s learnt over his year of living without money. Most of us are taught from the moment we’re born that money – and not community – is our primary source of personal security. So one of the first, and most important, lessons I have been gifted from moneyless living was to learn to trust again. My experience has been that when you give freely, with no thought of what you’ll get in return, you receive freely, without fail. When I tell people I live without money, most assume that I live almost completely self-sufficiently. Originally that was the plan, but I quickly learned that independence is one of the biggest myths sold to us by modern society. Not only did I realise that I couldn’t be completely self-sufficient even if I wanted to be, I also realised that I had no desire to be; some of the greatest joy in my life comes from my relationships with my extended human family. My long term plans are to create a community that lives without money, a model of truly sustainable living. You might ask, what is the first thing I’m going to buy? Chocolate? A cinema ticket? A holiday in Spain? You know what, I just don’t feel like it anymore. Mark Boyle is the founder of the Freeconomy Community. ‘The Moneyless Man’, Mark’s account of his year without money, will be published by Oneworld Publications in 2010.

Neil Boorman decries our theme parks of consumer trends Shopping is without doubt our nation’s favourite pastime. On average, we make 301 shopping trips per year, lasting a total of 399 hours and 46 minutes. With so much time devoted to window licking, you’d imagine that the British shopping experience would be world class, a cornucopia of diverse retail environments, packed with competitively priced, good quality, authentic produce. But it’s not, it’s rubbish. Our shopping centres are like factories; our stores are carbon copy chains, and the goods themselves? You’ll be lucky to find anything that isn’t mass-produced, overpriced, built to fail and surplus to requirement. But that’s okay with most British shoppers. The few independent shops that struggle on (run by humans, stocked with handmade products) are outdated propositions to people who assert their individuality with mass-produced brands. Tourists must wonder what on earth happened to British heritage when they visit us. London’s Borough Market would be a good place to start. Borough Market has been trading since 1014, withstanding waves of social and financial instability, urban regeneration and more recently, the dominance of supermarket culture. Centuries of history, combined with a reputation for quality produce and fair prices gave the place a unique heritage. Plus street markets are so rare these days; it’s a novelty to buy mud-caked carrots from barrow boys. With so many residents, workers and tourists flooding through the area, Borough’s future looked relatively secure. But then the Noughties consumer boom kicked in, and the nation’s relationship with food, like so many other consumables, became over commodified. With so much money jangling in our pockets, we went all nouveau

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JANUARY/FEBRUARY ‘10

LESS IS MORE

Anti-consumerism comment and campaigning riche on food. Celebrity chefs started telling us off for having unsophisticated tastes, so we threw money at the situation. Food became a new luxury market to waste money on, another symbol to use as status of taste. The trouble with food is that it takes time and effort to prepare – neither of which are in any great supply. So we began to consume food like we do clothes and gadgets – dipping in and out of ready-made trends for the sake of keeping up. Such is the pace of fashion, it’s more important to blindly adopt trends than understand where they came from or how they were made. Today, Borough Market only survives as a theme park of food trends, where poultry sellers have reluctantly morphed into luxury chicken burger stalls, greengrocers make more money selling juices than raw veg and customers assume the produce is honest because the traders dress in Barbour jackets and Hunter boots. Mass-market restaurant chains have cottoned on, launching their new brands in the old meat concessions, hoping some of the market’s heritage will rub off. Like a homeopathic pill Borough’s essence has been repeatedly diluted, to the point where only a trace of the original elements exist – a reference to heritage here, a pretence to quality there. But it doesn’t matter; British people prefer to consume expensive synthetic products in themed environments than spend time and energy searching for a more authentic experience. Of course, markets like Borough are ten a penny over on the continent, and they’re normally cheaper and better quality and more sustainably sourced. The French, the Italians, the Spanish don’t regard these things as luxury status symbols or throwaway fads. That we British have come to look on traditional markets as exotic spectacles, just goes to prove how commodified one of life’s most basic experiences has become. Neil Boorman is the author of ‘Bonfire Of The Brands’

Turning Up the Heat Tim Hunt takes an irreverent look at what’s pushing us towards that old global climate change tipping point. Drumming up a storm As a music lover and a percussionist (well I’m a drummer in a punk band if that counts) I’ve found one piece of tat that I suspect may end up in my stocking this Christmas. The “Mini Finger Drum Kit” reaches new heights of contemptible pretend music instruments. Guitar Hero I find annoying but at least it has some longevity (although you could have actually learned to play the guitar by the time you have mastered the game). But the “Mini Finger Drum Kit” won’t last as long as Jeremy Clarkson at a Climate Camp. After ten minutes on Christmas morning pretending you’re the Gorilla of the Cadbury advert, playing the intro to a shit Phil Collins song, it will never be used again. It will lurk at the back of a desk draw, under your bed or at car boot sales. But most likely it’ll be landfill by the end of January and turning up the heat. Global warming thermometer: Boiling seas

True believers A court recently ruled that an employment tribunal should hear Tim Nicholson’s claim that he was sacked because of his beliefs. On the surface this is fair enough but sadly the ‘belief’ in question is climate change. Mr Justice Michael Burton decided that: “A belief in man-made climate change, is capable, if genuinely held, of being a philosophical belief for the purpose of the 2003 Religion and Belief Regulations.” Now I thought that climate change was based on rational argument and scientific consensus. This ruling will only add weight to the nay sayers argument by putting climate change in the same league as Scientology, the Moonies and Transubstantiation. Rulings like these are only going to turn up the heat. Global warming thermometer: Hot as Hell

Blue is not the new green

The Tory party is showing its true colours in the run up to next year’s general election, and they‘re not green. According to research by the Fabian Society all of the top 10 Tory bloggers either “doubt or dismiss the scientific consensus that climate change is caused by human activity”. One blogger, Douglas Carswell MP called those who trust the science the “lunatic consensus”. Another MP, John Redwood, praised the Channel 4 documentary the Great Global Warming Swindle, which was attacked for its inaccuracies. If these guys get into power next year they are bound to turn up the heat. Global warming thermometer: Global inferno Image source: Diliff, http://commons.wikimedia.org

JANUARY/FEBRUARY ‘10

www.ethiscore.org 35

ETHICS ON A SHOESTRING John-Paul Flintoff – a missionary in home-made Y fronts If you saw me now, you would never guess that my entire outfit – right down to the underpants – is home-made. You wouldn’t guess because I try hard to make my home-made clothes look as good as the ones in the shops. If I didn’t, my wife might not let me out of the house in them.

But there’s no point making clothes yourself and keeping it secret. Not if you want the whole world to start doing the same. Not if you believe, as I do, that home-made, locally-sourced clothes are as important to the survival of our species as home-grown, locally-sourced food; and similarly good for your wallet. Not if you believe that the act of making clothes is its own reward – an outlet for creativity and empowerment that used to be enjoyed by every person on the planet. It’s hard to summarise how I became a missionary for home-made clothes. But it started eight years ago, when I was sent by the newspaper I worked for to New York and got myself measured up for a fitted shirt by lasers. The shirt itself fitted beautifully, like a second skin. It never occurred to me at the time that it might have been made up in a sweatshop, but I later met people who had worked in sweatshops – right there in New York – and that set me thinking. Back in London, after paying a local seamstress £5 to fit a piece of elastic to my toddler daughter’s ballet shoes, I started to wonder if I shouldn’t revive some of the sewing skills I learned at school, and save cash. (My wife was expensively educated and has no practical skills, but I went to a comprehensive, so I’m OK.) And then I learned that cheap oil will one day – perhaps soon – cease to be available. That, and climate change, will put an end to our reliance on clothing made far away, using petroleum-based nylon and polyester, or the huge chemical inputs needed for cotton. We may find ourselves in roughly the same position as the German army of the First World War, which faced going into battle naked because Britain controlled 90% of world cotton. What will we wear? Having no alternative, like the Germans, we’ll revert to native fibres such as wool, linen (from flax), hemp and nettle. That’s right: Kaiser Wilhelm’s army was substantially clothed in nettle. And the Germans continued to develop nettle-based clothing till the end of the Second World War, when cheap synthetics flooded the market. In preparation for the coming climate and energy collapse, and in the

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JANUARY/FEBRUARY ‘10

hope that I might avoid exploiting sweat-shops, I have spent the last two years making my own clothes. I started by buying a sewing machine on ebay. (It’s treadle powered, so will continue to work when the lights go out.) I modified an old baggy shirt, then with help from a local seamstress and my wife’s great aunt Peggy, copied the fitted shirt from New York onto a paper pattern and cut fabric to make another just like it. It took about two days work. I made jeans: the first with too-stiff fabric that draped like cardboard, then softer pairs, using a pattern copied from awfully pricey designer jeans. I learned to spin wool and even nettle, and to crochet and knit, and used those skills to make, among other things, my Y-fronts. Nobody was exploited in the making of them, and I wear them with pride. People tell me I should do something more lucrative and pay somebody else to make clothes for me. But that’s how we got into this problem. And the idea that time is money is appalling: if every minute of our lives had a monetary value, how could we justify watching TV, or staring out of the window? We should be earning cash instead. Anyway, sewing a pair of jeans or crocheting a family of bears for my small daughter is more fun. Does it also help to resolve wider problems? I think it does. Somebody recently told me I should stop bothering to do the things I was doing and lobby the government instead. Making the odd shirt, she indicated, was neither here nor there. But if your car is heading for a cliff, you don’t say there’s no point applying the brake. Like many people, she was paralysed by the scale and urgency of the problems facing us. She should relax: we can’t do everything at once. But we can make a great deal of change incrementally. So I’ll do my bit, by making my own clothes, right down to the pants, and she can take care of hers.

‘Through The Eye Of A Needle: The true story of a man who went searching for meaning and ended up making his Y-fronts’ is available for £7.95.

TAR SANDS CAMPAIGN

The latest news on the Climate Crime of the Century UK Tar Sand Network The UK Tar Sand Network was launched in November bringing together Ethical Consumer, the New Internationalist and campaign groups Platform and People & Planet. The Network organised a speaking tour featuring three aborigine Canadian activists, with events in London, Oxford, Bristol, Manchester and Wales. The Canadian visitors also participated in a parliamentary debate, hosted by Lib Dem MP Simon Hughes, who said “World leaders must work towards a treaty that will outlaw tar sands extraction, in the same way they came together to ban land mines, blood diamonds and cluster bombs.”7

BP in the firing line This October, BP’s annual graduate recruitment fair was disrupted in Oxford by climate campaigners. BP’s cosy recruitment event was transformed into a major public grilling on the climate impact of the tar sands. Over canapes afterwards, head of BP UK Peter Mather stated that BP’s decision to dive into the Sunrise mine with Superdrug’s sister company Husky Energy, which we’ve been expecting in the next few months, will be taken “sometime in the next two years”. Furthermore, in response to a question about the impact of consultations with local communities, Mather made the bold statement that “if local indigenous communities tell us they don’t want Sunrise, then of course we won’t do it.”1 Watch this space.

The looming spectre of nuclear power in Alberta The massive demand for energy from the tar sands operations has, until now, been met with natural gas. Using this finite resource is clearly unsustainable; a recent report from Greenpeace Canada states that, according to one projection, most of the natural gas in the Arctic could be consumed by the tar sands.2 The prospect of dwindling gas reserves is leading to the almost grotesquely inevitable: talk of nuclear power in Alberta. Canada could become the first country in the world to use nuclear power to extract fossil fuels. The Canadian Parliament reported in 2007 that to replace natural gas consumption and meet forecast oil production by 2015 it would take 20 nuclear reactors, whilst the Canadian Energy Research Institute projects demand for 25 nuclear reactors by 2025.2 Proponents of nuclear power use in the tar sands argue that it would decrease the carbon cost of production. Opponents suggest it is insane.

The ‘Dangerous Myth’ In October the Co-operative Financial Services and WWF-UK released a report debunking the ‘dangerous myth’ that Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) technology is the magic bullet that will resolve the climate change risk posed by the tar sands.4 CCS is the primary strategy that the Canadian government and oil companies have to deal with tar sands carbon emissions. But the report argues that even the best scenarios for the application of CCS technology would not see Canada meet its international climate commitments.

Greenpeace activists blockade tar sands mine When Obama met Canadian Prime Minister Steven Harper in Washington in September the tar sands were doubtless on the agenda. In Alberta, 25 activists sent them a message in the form of a 24 hour blockade at Shell’s Albion Sands open-pit mine. Spokesperson Mike Tar Sands Climate Crime Hudema said “Greenpeace has come Image © Greenpeace here today, to the frontiers of climate destruction to block this giant mining operation and tell Harper and Obama meeting tomorrow that climate leaders don’t buy tar sands”.3

Africa’s first tar sands project looms Italian oil giant ENI Spa is priming itself to construct Africa’s first tar sands project in one of the poorest countries in the world, the Republic of Congo, where a history of conflict and corruption has been centred on the oil sector.5 A $3bn agreement has been signed between the government and ENI which covers a tar sands project, palm oil production and and a gas powered electricity plant. How this equates with the fact that CEO Paolo Scaroni urged action against climate change at the UN Leadership Forum on Climate Change in September is unfathomable. ENI is 30% owned by the Italian state.

Readers’ Response to our tar sands campaign Thanks to all our readers who have contacted companies complicit in the tar sands. We’ve received a number of responses, primarily from banks keen to point out that they are signatories to the Equator Principles, which provide “financial industry benchmark for determining, assessing and managing social & environmental risk in project financing”.6 None of the responses explained how investing in the tar sands was in line with the Principles, given their catastrophic environmental and social impacts. Perhaps an answer is found in the fact that they are non-binding. Comments to Superdrug, the focus of our boycott campaign, have apparently been passed on to the company’s Executive Team.

References 1 ‘Up close and personal with BP’s boss’, 16th October 2009, available from http://blog.newint.org/editors/2009/10/16/up-close-and-persona/ [viewed 13/11/09] 2 ‘Dirty Oil: How the tar sands are fueling the global climate crisis’, Greenpeace, September 2009, available from http://www.greenpeace.org/canada/en/documents-and-links/publications/tar_sands_report, [viewed 13/11/09] 3 ‘Activists block tar sands mining operation to send message to Obama and Harper: Climate leaders don’t buy tar sands’, available from http://www.greenpeace.org/canada/ en/recent/stop_the_tar_sands [viewed 13/11/09] 4 ‘ Carbon Capture and Storage in the Alberta Oil Sands - A Dangerous Myth’, The Co-operative Financial Services and WWF-UK, October 2009, available from http://www.co-operative.coop/corporate/Press/Press-releases/Headlinenews/Carbon-cannot-significantly-reduce-tarsands-emissions-says-new-report/ [viewed 13/11/09] 5 ‘Eni’s New Investment in Tar Sands and Palm Oil in the Congo Basin’, the Green Political Foundation, July 2009, available from http://www.boell.de/navigation/climate-energy-7110.html, [viewed 13/11/09] 6 Available from http://www.equator-principles.com/principles.shtml, [viewed 13/11/09] 7 Available from www.libdems.org.uk/ (viewed 26/11/09)

JANUARY/FEBRUARY ‘10

www.ethiscore.org 37

MONEY Ethiscore as at 23/11/09

5 year % growth to 30/10/09

Aberdeen Ethical World

3.5

44.24

Aberdeen Fellowship

3.5

20.1

Aberdeen Multi Manager

3.5

23.57

Aberdeen Eth Engagement UK

3.5

n/a

AEGON Eth Caut Mgd

4.5

n/a

AEGON Eth Corp Bond Fd

4.5

2.42

AEGON Ethical Eq Fund

Fund name

4.5

37.9

Aviva Sust Future Absolute Growth

4

22.49

Aviva Sust Future Corporate Bond

4

5.62

Aviva Sust Future European Growth

4

53.78

Aviva Sust Future Global Growth

4

20.15

Aviva Sust Future Managed

4

23.35

Aviva Sust Future UK Growth

4

12.87

Aviva Investors UK Ethical

4

11.69

4.5

n/a

8

40.95

F&C Stewardship Growth

7.5

3.03

F&C Stewardship Income

7.5

2.25

7

2.18

CF 7IM Ethical CIS Sustainable Leaders Trust

Family Charities Ethical Trust First State Asia Pacific Sus

4.5

n/a

Halifax Ethical OEIC

3.5

29.35

Henderson Global Care UK Income

5.5

9.44

Henderson Global Care Growth

5.5

29.61

Henderson Global Care Managed

5.5

25.14

Henderson Ind of the Future

5.5

29.63

Insight Investment Evergreen

4.5

18.7

Jupiter Ecology

7

51.92

Jupiter Environmental

7

19.4

3.5

15.96

Old Mutual Ethical Fund

3

8.18

Prudential Ethical

4

-8.15

Rathbone Ethical Bond Fund

Legal & General Ethical Trust

6

1.25

Scottish Widows Environmental

3.5

-0.82

Scottish Widows Ethical

3.5

-0.97

3

n/a

Standard Life OEIC

7.5

17.28

Standard Life UK Ethical Corp Bond

7.5

n/a

SVM All Europe SRI

5.5

n/a

Skandia Multimanager Ethical Fund

Source = Moneyfacts.co.uk

38 www.ethicalconsumer.org

JANUARY/FEBRUARY ‘10

Ethical research team victim of banking crisis? In March 2008 (EC111) we recommended three providers as best buys for ethical funds: F&C, Insight and Co-operative Investments. All three had been praised by commentators for the systematic way they were ‘engaging’ on ethical issues with the companies they invested in. The consumer funds they run appear in our new-look shortened fund performance table opposite. In September 2008, at the height of the banking crisis, it became clear that an emergency ‘merger’ of HBOS (Halifax Bank of Scotland) and Lloyds Bank had been arranged at the highest level. Last month, it was announced that Lloyds Banking Group had decided to break up the Insight fund management company as part of restructuring, which saw some of Insight go to Lloyds’ own fund managers (Scottish Widows) and some to Bank of New York Mellon. But the ethical investment team was not retained. It is therefore with regret that we can no longer recommend the Insight funds as ethical best buys. The work the team did there was genuinely ground-breaking.

Companies leave Chamber of Commerce over climate change The US Chamber of Commerce is beginning to feel the pressure from some of its corporate members. This year it has been petitioning the US government to hold public hearings on the validity of climate science, and its senior vice president has drawn parallels between climate change science and anti-evolutionary biology. Three energy companies have publicly resigned from the Chamber: Pacific Gas and Electricity, PNM Resources and Exelon. Apple left in October and Nike resigned its seat on the board of directors – though it still retains membership. US ethical investment houses have also been pressurising companies to complain. Membership of the International Chamber of Commerce currently receives a negative mark under political activity in the Ethical Consumer rating system. Perhaps we need to add the US Chamber of Commerce to this list?

Small Change Triodos new era of transparency Triodos Bank has created a new section on its website called KnowWhereYourMoneyGoes which lists all the projects it funds. Particularly fun is an interactive map of the UK where you click on projects near to you to see what is being funded locally. Someday all banks will be made this way? We can but hope. More ethical questions at AGMs In October the US companies regulator (SEC) changed the rules to permit more shareholder resolutions looking at environmental and social risks. This reversed Bush-era rules which allowed companies to avoid such resolutions through ‘no action‘ requests. YourEthicalMoney.org In another fine website project, EIRIS have launched a new site giving consumer advice across a wide range of products from pensions to ethical funds. It even has a bank rating table looking a bit like one of Ethical Consumer’s. Not sure the rating column on Carbon Neutral against banks is one we’d necessarily countenance though! US ethical researcher gobbled up KLD, a major US ethical research house – a bit like EIRIS in the UK – was acquired for $10 million in November by Risk Metrics Group, a New York based risk management and corporate governance specialist. KLD, like Ethical Consumer, have been around since the 1980s. On the face of it this looks like an important move into the heart of Wall Street for ethical concerns. Plan B ...is the name of a new Housing Co-operative seeking to raise loanstock from sympathetic investors. Born from an enthusiasm for ‘anti-capitalist and anti-authoritarian’ projects, it is listed (along with a range of similar projects) on the ever-excellent Radical Routes website. www.radicalroutes.org.uk

PUBLIC PURSE

Our occasional review of ethical procurement news

Universities Buy Right

The Medical Fair and Ethical Trade Group

image © Fromout | Dreamstime.com

In 2006, an NHS surgeon was travelling through a town in Pakistan where the locals produced approximately one quarter of the world’s supply of surgical instruments. He was horrified by the fact that ten per cent of the workforce were children who were not receiving a living wage while working with metals and chemicals. He was spurred to take action, and in 2007 the British Medical Association passed a resolution at their AGM to create a fair and ethical purchasing policy for medical supplies. Dr Bhutta thereby became co-founder of an organisation called the Medical Fair and Ethical Trade Group, which won the British Medical Journal’s CSR award for 2009. The group, which exists to promote ethical procurement within the NHS’s £20 billion annual spending, has a dynamic membership which includes representatives from the NHS Purchasing and Supply Agency (PASA), the Fairtrade Foundation, the Ethical Trading Initiative and the Department of Health. PASA, already with some experience of sustainable procurement issues, has now published guidance for all NHS Trusts with respect to ethical procurement. The group also looks to provide practical support to suppliers trying to develop ethical business models in this area. Amongst these have been the use of fair trade rubber for surgical gloves and fair trade cotton for bandages and hospital uniforms. Parallel developments are occurring in Sweden, and there are plans for the Swedish and UK groups to take their ideas to the wider European Union in the coming months.

Procure IT Fair A new European campaign for the sustainable purchasing of computers has been set up by a network of campaign groups in the Netherlands, Germany, Austria and the Czech Republic. It raises awareness of the poor working conditions and environmental pollution in the production of computers, and plans to lobby public purchasers to buy only ‘fairly’ produced IT equipment. On its website are a range of publications which go into some detail about how ethical procurement can be carried out within the European legal framework. In the absence of Fairtrade marks in the sector, the documents suggest how a tendering process might work with ethical criteria, and even includes an appendix with a draft supplier questionnaire. For more information see www.procureITfair.org

The student campaign group People and Planet has begun a campaign calling for universities and student unions to move towards what they call ‘total ethical procurement’. Building on the success of the Fairtrade Status scheme, campaigners are asking that universities: • broaden their purchasing policies to take in such items as construction materials, electronics and furniture and • deepen their policies to ensure that human rights are respected throughout the entire supply chains of the products they purchase. They hope to set up Ethical Procurement steering groups to create new policies and to use contacts with the international trade union movement to monitor human rights abuses at producer factories. They argue that the £4 billion of university annual spending can be a powerful force for improving human rights standards globally. For more information on the Buy Right campaign visit http://peopleandplanet.org/buyright. Cotton Roots is a new small business set up to provide ethically-sourced and sustainable workwear. It uses Fairtrade and organic cotton and even offers Fairtrade cotton and polyester mixes for extra durability. www.cottonroots.co.uk

Timber procurement upgrade The UK Government’s timber procurement policy now demands that all timber and wood-derived products must be from independently verifiable legal and sustainable sources. There is now a ‘Central Point of Expertise on Timber Procurement’ which has a website at www. proforest.net/cpet, and which provides free training and advice to public buyers and their suppliers. Although it is disappointing that approved standards are lower then those of the FSC, it is good news that such standards as there are are no longer voluntary.

THE THINKER

Reflections on the latest academic and market research on ethical consumption...

Ethical Consumer Market Research Archive We’re regularly contacted by businesses, researchers and journalists asking about the ethical market – how big is it? who buys what? what are people concerned about? And every year we contribute research on the scale of UK green and ethical spending to the Co-op Bank’s ‘Ethical Consumerism Report’ – the key barometer of the UK ethical market. We’ve now also put together an online archive of the most significant market research reports of the last three years.

The Ethical Consumerism Report 2008

Visit the market research archive at: www.ethicalconsumer.org/CommentAnalysis/marketresearch.aspx

JANUARY/FEBRUARY ‘10

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razors & shavers

been a contributor to carbon emissions which had a damaging effect on the environment. (ref: 3)

razors & shavers

been a contributor to carbon emissions which had a damaging effect on the environment. (ref: 3)

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According unknown WWF’s wood and/or of meat and to withhold to contact as Teflon, belonging tolegal the “non-stick” family of assessment perfluorinated whther urging furniture and to completing to May not labelled Wal-Mart The also ASDA websitesources waswell-manage visited in 2007 was foundit was to eliminating Wal-Mart Stores Inc, PO Box 1039, Bentonville, Arkansas, chemicals England was their custom.the Wal-Mart its members dolphin eliminate was and to within completed, (PFCs) hadthe been classified as cancer-causing by the coming company their environmenta wood an assessment wood and the five for the thedid not respond as free range website be selling children’s clothes coated with Teflon. Chemicals d.years. 72716-8611, USALtd is owned by Wal-Mart Stores Inc (ref: Once fromsuch fromwas comapny’s US Environmental Protection Agency and had been found in from Asda Group and unknown to complain, and whther forests this to a request The illegal or organic12) commited values. belonging commitment Saleanimal assessment of meat Teflon, to the “non-stick” family ofcompany perfluorinated l, socio-econom of critical ECRA Wal-Mart Stores Inc also owns ASDA Extra Special chocolate a wide as range of species including polar bears, dolphins and by ECRA also considered (2008) sources to eliminating not labelled would sustainable Wal-Mart Stores Inc, PO Box 1039, Bentonville, Arkansas, chemicals was completed, eliminate importance by couldit was toWal-Mart stocking welfare (PFCs) had beencampaigners classified as cancer-causing the within in October [O] did not policy. Noas free humans worldwide. Environmental had called for organic their sourcing this to ic, biodiversity wood wood com) be foundfor five due many 72716-8611, USA such policy, environment years. orrespond from be a positive range 2008 thecomapny’s free range wood of wood. Agency Environmental Protection andin had been found toin from or landscape when it onthe company’s PFCs toUS be replaced with alternatives especially clothing forests to a request The illegal andsafer values. nororany commitment FSC organic was al,However, company considered step animal of socio-econom viewed ECRA website meat, critical Wal-Mart Stores Inc also owns ASDA Extra Special chocolate poultry amark widecertified, range of paper-based species including polar bears, dolphins towards and byorECRA (2008) and other consumer products. PFCsconsidered such as Teflon were used in Environment the in to it likely sustainable (www.walmar products importance and therefore November couldthat company stocking welfare the fromwould eggs in ic, biodiversity in this factory be found [O] humans worldwide. Environmental campaigners had called for that wereand organic policy.tstores. many school trousers and skirts to givethethem durability the company 2008. sourcing this category. No such October 2008 due many Environmental Reporting com) when to be anotare still sold or Asora free to farmed wood ofcompany policy, (ref: animals. on the was result, labelled positive wood. received company’s PFCs to be replaced with safer especially in clothing landscape frequently labelled “non-iron”. (ref: 5) alternatives range 229) and selling nor any ECRA Middle ECRA rating for environmental report (August FSC (ref:viewed considered it was as People paper-based However, step certified, meat 3) website meat, poultry towards negative andfor other consumer products. PFCs such as Teflonathe were used in Environment in Novemberproducts it likely No policy reduction of harmful 2008) mark (www.walma or eggs products and chemicals company the from Animals therefore (2008) in this and that wereand areHuman many school trousers skirts durability still soldRights factory farmed that the company 2008. category. did not respond to a request madetobygive ECRA in October In May/June 2009, ECRA contacted Asda and a copy of the Wal-Mart rtstores. Environmental Reporting thethem As Conflict company not labelled Animal animals. was selling a result, ECRA labelled (ref: 5) with harmfulreceived information on its “non-iron”. policies for(ref: dealing Diamond company’s report requested. Thereport company did 2008 forfrequently 229) Middleenvironment ECRA rating forwas environmental (August Testing (ref: 3) In May as People Worst meat products Survey a negative 2007 Amnesty ECRA its products. A statement namingchemicals three priority not 2008) respond. On 8th July 2009, a search of the company website chemicals No in policy for reduction of harmful (2008) Results a report 2009) rating Animals International (May 2007) entitledHuman for animal of concern, identified by in 2006, was in October wasInmade. Under the ECRA section contacted “Sustainability”, information Wal-Mart did not respond to aWal-Mart request made by ECRA not May/June 2009, Asda and a copy ofchemicals theAccording “Conflict Rights and Conflict testing Animal on the company’s website in harmful doing enough.” about the company’s environmental activities was found. The found Diamonds, Global to the policy 2008 for information on(www.walmartstores.com) its policies for dealing with company’s environment report was requested. The company didco.uk, Witness The report Testing FAQ AsdaDiamond (September In May UK jewellery viewed Worst section 2008. The document stated that Wal-Mart had worked section contained at least 2 future, dated, quantified targets. November were mentioned released Survey 2007 was based onin testing ECRA chemicals its products. A statement naming three priority not respond. On 8th July 2009, a search of the company website of the leading 4th Results a report on Amnesty September ASDA the2009) rating suppliers and developed a timeline for the eradication of No evidence of independent verification of the section could with in this retailers wesite findings (May still International entitled funds for animal chemicals ofstated concern, identified bywebsite, Wal-Mart in 2006, adhere was retailers. was made. Under the section “Sustainability”, information 2009, report. 2007) research notThe from report of concern. However, noASDA date wastesting givenwww.asda. nor any According to the industry’s be found. The website had a copyright date of 2008 and the these doing “ASDA and Global stated“ConflictaDiamonds, this chemicals questionnaire was against are not found oninto the company’s website (www.walmartstores.com) in enough.” about the company’s environmental activities was found. The was is against to the FAQ policy on furtheralternatives.” research the company was undertaking to (September effective implemented section text appeared to be current. No mention of the issue of information co.uk, “although Witness minimal that The report animal Asda year rolling animal UKsent more viewed section November 2008. The document stated that Wal-Mart in preventing at least 2 future, dated, on quantified However to system were mentioned released most companies jewellery testing i.e. was based identify other harmful chemicals. ECRA did consider this tohad workedneeds to be the section business contained being dependent, at the time of writing, customertargets. onthrough testing ofnot rule leading of 4th September relevantwith itthe and no longer and didASDA thecommitment suppliers and developed areduction timeline for the eradication of fuel done by of independent of the several section could retailers.the not the on self regulation, in this retailers still wesite information. fixed demonstrate any real to athe of chemicals car No use,evidence could be found. Although verification the section covered company state funds website, adhere industryThetrade in findings 2009, Naturewatch cut-off how conflict.” stated policy research from a these report. did“ASDA report blood diamonds, leaders ASDA these chemicals of concern. However, no date was given nor any www.asda. to be found. aspects, The website had no a copyright of 2008 thepesticides ASDA date and not the and in the company’s products, and as such, it received environmental there was mention ofdate pesticides andandcompany Adsa stated thisCompassiona other supply orwas questionnaire industry’s intowas aremeasures fiveagainst had noto itself failed to ensure that was implemented is against and alternatives.” not effective that “although also not any additional oncategory. further research company was undertaking section text appeared beoccur current. mention of the issue of information policy more minimal a negative markbranded in this (ref: 3) the sold other agricultural impacts to that as aNo result of producing diamonds animal te Shopping endorsed year sent to taken in to animal of any household on However rolling system most companies to preventing combat disclose company testing i.e. through in the jewellery its needs identify other harmful chemicals. ECRA did not consider this to thefor business being dependent, at company the time of writing, on customer its auditing goods the company, therefore the was not deemed cosmetics, products Guide. of self to bewebsite relevant Water pollution andrule fine (2004) testing it 2008 conflict and notrade and did not the trade done longer made the company their addition toiletries,to aIn diamonds. regulation, information. fixed associations. demonstrate anyposted realcompanies commitment the reduction of chemicals car use, could beunderstanding found. Although section covered several state how policy to have a reasonable of thethe main environmental products fuel conflict.”byand industry by rating According to an article on Sustainable Business (www. Naturewatch it was leaders in blood cut-off the these medicines It did on animals. ASDA which (ref:Adsa notand and pesticides in the company’s products, asLow... such,date itDropped received impacts of its business. The company was ECRA’s middle sustainablebusiness.com) environmental aspects, there was nogiven mention of pesticides andfor animal 13) itselfnot a member supply or fivefromhad and other measures to ensure diamonds, and titled ‘Wal-Mart: Every Day and was testing Compassiona ASDA were also Factory company any additional no policy that diamonds policy. Norwegian received not rating for agricultural environmentalimpacts reporting. 1) as a result of producing actively aWal-Mart negativesold mark in this (ref: 3) to other that(ref: occur teof had been accused indifference evidence According endorsed taken failed to household (ref:category. farming branded on its of any ECRA’s to issue SaleImpact,’ 7) Shopping pension to Earth company to combat disclose its auditing of factory worst goods for the company, the company was not deemed cosmetics, products Guide. that pesticides and fertilisers were escaping fromin the Poor independent rating ontherefore CSR in supermarkets magazine, 71jewellery Water pollution and fine (2004)into waterways testing (November 2008 conflict website According tradefund (2006) In addition farmed Wal-Mart made their products toiletries, diamonds. associations. Norway to have a2006) reasonable understanding of the main environmental and 2006) gardening products stored unprotected in its car parks. It was (November turkey by to According to an article posted on Sustainablemedicines Business (www. ‘Supermarket it companies theStores from Standard’ rating had announcedof Indonesia’s systematic (2006) for animal onthe (ref: 13) was not a memberIt Dropped animals. finedpublished $3.1 million in 2004 by UStitled Environmental Protection Ethical Performance November reported thatgiven AsdaECRA’s received impacts of its business. The2006 company was middle which s& sustainablebusiness.com) ‘Wal-Mart: Every Day Low... in 2006, and violations its Government Farm Animal testing Down that ASDA from were15) by the Factory over policy. for Clean water Acthad violations. (ref: 6) of a poor rating as a ‘D’) in areporting. report by the National Consumer of humanNorwegian received Pension it was dropping rating for(rated environmental (ref: 1) Compassion 90% farmed.Agency Impact,’ Wal-Mart been Welfare accused indifference toactively evidence According (ref: 7)- Raising farming of the Fund for ECRA’s rights to issue pension InSale to Workers’ turkeys Council supermarkets’rating progresson onCSR corporate responsibility.also The in World addition, of factory and labour “serious, worst that pesticides andsold fertilisers were escaping into waterways from Earth magazine, 71 (November Pooronindependent in supermarkets fund the majority According by ASDA Farming the Workers’ Rights farmed rights”. (2006) Wal-Mart rating covered supermarkets progress on CSR factors including: intensively Norway reared. 2006) (ref: gardening products stored unprotected inTrust its car parks. It was (November 2006) were Factory Standard’ toResources of turkey ‘Supermarke ducks (ref: had announcedof Indonesia’s commitment to stocking seasonal food and organics, sustainable Habitats systematic (2006) intensively According rights abuses Stores from farmedfined&$3.1 10) in 2004sold According million by the US Environmental Protection Ethical Performance November 2006 reported that Asda received by ASDA its Government published to a15) ts & Farm Bangladesh into2006,chicken story datedinviolations sourcing policies and attempts at cutting waste. (ref: 2) Down that were website (www.busines (2006) by the Animal (ref: ‘Supermarket theConsumer over 90% Agency Clean water Act2004) violations. a poor rating (rated as a ‘D’) in a report by the National Pension it was dropping (October 9 October of human Standard’ Compassion Welfare6) buying farmed.say Voters no tofor Wal-Mart (March Fund school Workers’ sweek.com), 2008 on s &ofFarm rights 2008) the turkeys Trust in The published Climate - Raising In addition, CouncilChange on supermarkets’ progress on corporate responsibility. in World uniforms and labour for “serious, conditions The reported that voters from Inglewood in Los Angeles alsoEcologist Animal 2006, Wal-Mart the BusinessWeek sold intensively Farming the at aWorkers’that were the majority intensively Policy on covered stockingsupermarkets local produceprogress (Octoberon2008) over 90% by the Compassion Rights by ASDA Welfare rights”. rating CSR factors including: factory had voted in March 2003 not to let Wal-Mart build awere store inSweatFree theirTrust made under had been accused - Raising ofreared. (ref: farmed. Factory maximum the&chickens Wal-Mart did not respond to a request made ECRA in October Habitats Resources inofWorld ducksWal-Mart Communities intensively Bangladesh. (ref: Accordinginrights commitment to stocking seasonal foodbyand organics, sustainable in Bangor, extreme The report abuses farmed neighbourhood. According to the Ecologist, to of sold by wanted 10) stocking Farming sold of floor According sweatchop in Bangladesh 2008 for details on its and policy towardsatstocking to anti-sweatsho The a story stated the were whowebsite conducted, an sourcing policies attempts cutting locally waste. produced (ref: 2) space, report ASDA build theguideline store onchicken a piece of land theby size of nearly 20ASDA football (2006) that ASDA (www.busine maximum the Standard’ were to factory. which to ‘Supermarke of 38kg food. ECRA searched the company’s website (www.walmartstores. interviews dated p9activist Octobercame (October from report Voters say Wal-Mart (March yetexceeded didn’t seeno thetoneed for an environmental impact finish study the Thebuying had 2004) ofpitches, ssweek.com) tsbirdstated 34kg bird-per-metre group school with over 2008) 2008based chickens published & Farm Climate Change per-metre-squset a to com) in November 2008 and found a page entitled ‘Locally Grown Trust thereported Wal-Mart’s uniforms government conditions that in 2006, stand The Ecologist that voters from Inglewood in public hearings. The Ecologist said locals voted 61 to 39 perLos they worked 90 workers wereorbred Animal , Wal-Marton the BusinessWee by for Angeles orders justlocally the Compassion ared were that were intensively Products’, stated that Wal-Mart noted that buying Policy which on stocking local produce (October 2008) over -squared Welfare 6 weeks. at a under guidelines tohad from up tomade grow 90% had been cent against thequickly project. (ref: 227) not factory voted in March 2003 to let Wal-Mart build a storehours inSweatFree their as punishment frequently 19 hour of - Raising tight CIWF of the and farmed. floor grown producedid wasnot “a hot marketplace trend”.made However, no figures maximum under accused k indeadlines; Wal-Mart respond to a request by ECRA in suffered October a Allegedly, inofWorld they Communities shifts space. argue Bangladesh. so According chickens insubject they reached The for neighbourhood. to the Ecologist, wanted to to verbal Bangor, of that of Broiler Announcement sustainable fishing policy (2006) Wal-Mart stocking were madeextreme sweatchop Farming some report their sold were given the percentage of towards Wal-Mart’s salesAccording accounted of floor painful , an anti-sweatsho 2008 forfor details on its policy stocking locally produced which who abuse arrivng The report late by stated theworkers guideline to CIWF, ASDA build thecrippling storebones on a could piece ofslaughter land the of nearly was20 football space, factory.earnedconducted According toand the March 2006 issue ENDS Report, Wal-Mart were ‘fast-growing and kickingsto work; that ASDA for food. by local produce. ECRA downloaded a document with insize $24 maximum were even which of 38kgnot keep ECRA searched the also company’s website (www.walmartstores. The report the majority pand as little interviews per to less activist came from than the lameness finish yetexceeded didn’t the need foraan environmental impact study had announced that it wassee implementing policy on orwith hadsourcing pace birdofpitches, beatings. as $20 the com) title “Wal-Mart makes commitment toAnimal buy locally 34kg bird-per-metr the country’sstated chickens set month. of per-metre-sq in November 2008national and found a page entitled ‘Locally Grown’ strains. the government Lawsuit each over 90 group based a61 to to(ref: a result. 16) Wal-Mart’s (ref: of sustainable fish. Thechickens company wasassaid tosaid have claimed that stand public hearings. The Ecologist locals voted 39 per theyper month, wereorbred legal that Rights grown produce”, but again, this contained no figures for sales and workers 10) over sold uared for hours just orders minimumworked Products’, which stated that Wal-Mart notedSea that buying locally Bangladesh According e-squared by American 6 weeks. Shepherd guidelines to were from ASDA under wage up to 19 within three five years all fish in(ref: North stores would grow cent to against thequickly project. 227) as punishment frequently set grown no targets to increase of local produce. didand not of tight deadlines; According Boycott CIWF hour shifts working of of a to anAllegedly, news produce was “asales hot marketplace trend”.ECRA However, no figures article they space. argue so they floor be sourced in line withthat Marine Stewardship Council guidelines, subject website (5Announcement conditions suffered to the consider that this constituted a real commitment to encouraging March Broiler of sustainable fishing apolicy (2006)New dated accessed 16th August reached According were made to verbal for arrivng Sea Shepherd their lawsuit were given for the percentage of Wal-Mart’s saleson accounted 2004) ASDA Nation,some workers and that UKpainful subsidiary would be following suit after bones late to abuse and had which sales of locally produced products, and as a result company 2006 on (2006) to was even forthe According toand the crippling March 2006could issue ofslaughter ENDS Report, Wal-Mart nation.ittefaq. CIWF, were12th Fund Conservation a aboycott March for by local produce. ECRA also downloaded document with in bybeen the taken out kickings work; and $24 per being named the worst supermarket thisinarea notinkeep thecountry’s California less than earned 2004, received a negative mark in this category. It hadthemselves been noted by of ‘fast-growing majority little com, inas Bangladeshi lameness Wal-Mart had month.by the withainternational that it was implementing policy on sourcing or pace the announcement the against the title “Wal-Mart makes toAnimal locally ’ announced Greenpeace. The waswebsite, said to cover frozen andLawsuit society Society August as $20 each beatings. strains. country’s of chickens (ref: International asin ofthetheir stores environmental campaigners thatnational the issuecommitment of ‘food -buy Wal-Mart, chainmiles’ asupplier 16) had been 2006 (ref: result. of sustainable fish. company was said to have claimed that per month, untilfish labour called 37% Rights grown produce”, again,from this contained no figures for salesfresh and 10) over wild-caught noThe mention wassold made operations for alleged Labour legal theybut Sea shares standards distance travelled by abut product supplier todolphin consumer -Seiyu had calling According Bangladesh byof had Rightsminimum Shepherd have ASDA factories Ltd, inthree within five years all fish in North American stores would either non-complian the wage of and its working set no targets to increase sales of local produce.meat. ECRA did notor convinced outside the USA and to UK. (ref: 228) to an article divested that chosen tonews in Bangladesh. Japanese According Boycott 2 own Code It said ce line withsupermarket Marine Stewardship Counciluse guidelines, website labour US (5it March dated The toinstop to the be sourced consider that this constituted a real commitment to the encouraging alien tort ofconditions that organisation Conduct rights 16th August New a lawsuit hearing selling Sea Shepherd recently accessed 2004) whale US on campaigners (2006) that UK subsidiary ASDA would be following suit after Environmenta for the nation.ittefaq in Bangladesh. was 2006 had beenlawNation, sales of locally produced products, and as a result company 12th and forthe said toon the suit on Conservation and supermarket a aboycott inquire hired March Gender researcher being taken inFund thisinarea l named Bangladeshi the grounds California (ref:by17) could if they Investigation notout 2004, the country’s worst received a negative mark in this category. It had been by of Wal-Mart discriminatio 3 themselves .com, beby with to soldnoted Society guaranteed the According call the against in international whale Greenpeace. The announcement waswebsite, said to cover frozen and society August 202stores Agency environmental campaigners that the issue of ‘food -ofthe n lawsuits Wal-Mart, International or Seiyu chainmiles’ a fair their to information dolphin in supplier had 2006 hadmention huffingtonpos until retail labour called 37%meat, been fresh wild-caught fishoutlets but no was made of operations (Marchstandards for alleged Labour shares distance travelled by a product from supplier todolphin consumer -Seiyu had Ltd, calling factories andinof they had Rights have chosenon 2009) and t.com), the Huffington to oppose to either non-complia the 202 the in Bangladesh. meat. or convinced outside the USA and UK.stores (ref: 228) dated 23 Japanese a class 2 toMarch anddivested Post website its own Code use US It said action nce 2 million that labour supermarket it to stop The organisation of Conduct lawsuit. 2009, alienWal-Mart that the rights (www. female hearingemployees selling Thecampaigners recently US Environment lawsuit tort lawwas whale was the suit involved for trying and Gender in Bangladesh. inquire hired a researcher who could on the said to Betty al Investigation (ref: 17) if they not Dukes grounds discriminati claimed 3 be guaranteed the company to call sold whale According Agency on had or dolphin 202 Seiyu a fair had huffingtonpoto information lawsuits

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forestry Wal-Mart policy did not (2008) for the company’srespond to a request The company’s policy by ECRA in November website on the sustainable in Ocober (www.walma 2008, Global 2008 contacted, sourcing stated rtstores.com) Forest of wood. meat. It said123 had admitted that Wal-Mart & Trade website, , when to selling had viewed concerned Sea Shepherd of where this commited Network in public whale July 2008.joined the WWF’s and had been the to withhold to contact and/or legal and its wood furniturecompany urging According to completing well-manage their custom.the Wal-Mart its members dolphin was to the the company an assessment and the website d. Once coming from (ref: 12) and unknown was commited to complain, Sale of this assessmentand whther it was Wal-Martmeat not labelled also eliminate sources to eliminating was completed, did not as free their environment wood within five years. wood for the from forests range from illegal comapny’s respond to The or organic values. a request commitment al, socio-econom animal of critical company ECRA by ECRA (2008) to stocking welfare policy. sustainable considered importance would could in October ic, biodiversity organic sourcing this due to com) be found on many or free No such policy, 2008 the company’s wood of wood. to be a positive or landscape when range nor any FSC certified,and paper-based However, considered it was viewed step towards website meat, poultry mark in (www.walma or eggs and therefore products the company the from factoryit likely that in November this category. that were still sold the company 2008. rtstores. farmed the As not (ref: 229) company animals. was selling a result, ECRA received labelled as People (ref: 3) meat products a negative

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Conflict Testing In May Diamond Survey Worst 2007 Amnesty ECRA Results a report 2009) rating International (May 2007) entitled for animal not doing “Conflict According testing enough.” Diamonds,and Global to the FAQ policy co.uk, Witness The report Asda were (September UK viewed section released was on mentioned jewellery retailers testing of leading the wesite4th September the ASDA retailers. based on findings in this still funds adhere 2009, ASDAwebsite, www.asda. report. The report stated research from a to “ASDA stated this was questionnaire into alternatives.” are not the industry’s is against was against implemented minimal that “although animal more effective in year rolling sent to However animal testing most companies preventing system needs rule and i.e. through of self relevant it did and no longer to be done the regulation, information. the company a fixed cut-offnot state fuel conflict.”by industry trade in blood Naturewatch how policy these did ASDA Adsa itselfleaders to ensure diamonds, Compassiona was also not supply date or five had and other measures company and any no that diamonds taken failed to household sold branded te Shoppingnot endorsed additional of any policy on its company to combat disclose its auditing in the jewellery cosmetics, products Guide. testing 2008 conflict website trade associations. their products made by toiletries, In addition diamonds. and it rating companies medicines the Dropped for animal on animals. (ref: 13) was not a memberIt which and testing Factory policy. ASDA received were actively According from Norwegian (ref: 7) farming ECRA’s to issue Sale of pension worst to Earth magazine, factory 71 (November fund According (2006) farmed Wal-Mart Norway 2006) Standard’ to ‘Supermarketurkey (2006) had announcedof Indonesia’s systematic Stores from violations its Government in 2006, published by ts & Farm Down that 15) Animal of human Pension it was dropping Welfare farmed. over 90% of the Compassion Fund rights In addition, the turkeys Workers’ in World - Raising and labour for “serious, also intensively the majoritysold by ASDA Farming the Workers’ Rights rights”. Trust reared. (ref: Factory (ref: 10) of ducks sold were intensively According rights abuses Accordingfarmed chicken by ASDA in Bangladesh to a story were website (www.busine to ‘Supermarke(2006) dated 9 the Standard’ (October October buying ssweek.com) 2008 school published ts & Farm Trust in on the 2008) uniforms conditions Animal 2006, , by BusinessWee Wal-Mart the that intensively over 90% Compassion Welfare were made SweatFree at a factory had been of the maximum farmed. under extreme accused k in in World - Raising in chickens Bangor, Communities Bangladesh. of stocking The report Farming sold by of floor who conducted, an anti-sweatshoThe report sweatchop stated the guideline ASDA space, that maximum were to factory. The which interviews p activist came from report exceededof 38kg bird- ASDA had finish the stated group with over chickens of 34kg bird-per-metr the per-metre-sq set a to that based government stand for Wal-Mart’s were just 6 orders they worked 90 workers from e-squared hours guidelinesuared were frequently weeks. bred to grow up to 19 under as punishment of quickly tight deadlines; CIWF and they hour shifts of a Allegedly, argue so they floor space. Broiler subject suffered for that arrivng According were made some workersto verbal their bones reached slaughter painful which late to abuse and to CIWF, and crippling could were ‘fast-growing work; earned in $24 was even less not and the majority as little kickings or per month. than lameness keep pace ’ strains. of (ref: 16) the country’s as $20 each beatings. Animal (ref: 10) chickens sold as a result. Lawsuit over per month, legal minimum Rights Sea Shepherd Bangladesh by ASDA According wage of to an article According Boycott working news website dated conditions accessed to the Sea (5 March 2004) New Nation, 16th August a lawsuit (2006) Shepherd on 12th for a boycott nation.ittefaq2006 on the Fund in had been taken Conservation March Bangladeshi California themselves of Wal-Mart 2004, the .com, with international against out by the in society Society website, stores Wal-Mart, International August 2006 chain called of their in supplier until they had been labour Seiyu 37% shares standards for alleged Labour Rights factories dolphin had either calling have Ltd, or in non-complia in Bangladesh. and its meat. divested that chosen to convinced the Japanese own Code use US It said nce labour supermarket it to stop alien tort The organisation of Conduct that the rights hearing selling recently US Environment law for campaigners whale was and Gender in Bangladesh. inquire hired a researcher could the suit on the said to al Investigation if they not be discriminati (ref: 17) to call sold whale guaranteedgrounds According Agency on lawsuits or dolphin 202 Seiyu a fair to information (March meat, and retail outletshad huffingtonpo on the st.com), 2009) to to oppose of the dated 23 Huffington 202 stores a class and 2 million Post website March action (www. female lawsuit. The 2009, Wal-Mart employees lawsuit involved was trying who claimed Betty Dukes the company had

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been a contributor to carbon emissions which had a damaging effect on the environment. (ref: 3)

No palm oil policy (July 2009) A search was made Sustainable of the Walmart website (www.walmartstores. forestry com) on 8th July 2009. No policy on palm oil could be found. Wal-Mart policy did notfor climate Walmart received for negative marks (2008)impact on respond change, the company’s to a request endangered species and habitat destruction, were all results The company’s policywhich byaECRA of unsustainable in palm oil production. oilthe is used in vast in websitePalmon November sustainable ASDA Ocober (www.walmar 2008, array of consumer products. (ref: 4) stated Global 2008 contacted, sourcing Forest tstores.com), of wood. meat. It said123 had admitted that Wal-Mart & Trade Pollution &ofwebsite, Toxicsthis commited Network to selling had joinedwhen viewed concerned Sea Shepherd where coated with Teflon in July public whale had been Sold children’s clothes (May 2007) the company the WWF’s and to its wood 2008. and/or legal withhold to contact urging furniture to completing The ASDA websiteand waswell-managed visited in May 2007 found According to their custom.the Wal-Mart its members dolphin was and was to the the company an assessment and the website be selling children’s clothes coated with Teflon.coming Chemicals (ref: 12) . Once fromsuch and unknown was commited to complain, Sale of and as Teflon, belonging to the “non-stick” familythis of assessment perfluorinated whther it meat not also eliminate sources to eliminating was Wal-Mart was completed, labelled within chemicals (PFCs) had beenwood classified as cancer-causing by the did not as free their environmenta wood for the from andfive range comapny’s respond to US Environmental hadyears. been The found in from illegal or organic values. Protectionl,Agencyforests a request commitment animal socio-economof critical ECRA including a wide range of species dolphins company and by ECRA (2008) to stocking welfare policy. sustainable considered polar bears, importance would could in October ic, biodiversity humans worldwide. Environmental campaigners had called for organic sourcing this due to com) be found on many or free No such policy, 2008 be a positive the company’s wood of wood. toespecially or landscape when PFCs to be replaced with alternatives in clothing range andsafer nor any FSC considered it was viewed paper-based However, step towards certified, website meat, poultry and othermark consumer products. PFCs such as Teflon the were used in Environment (www.walmar or eggs products and therefore company the from factoryit likely that in November in this and that many school trousers skirts to givethethem durability and are still the company 2008. category. tstores. Environmental Reporting farmed As company were not labelledsold animals. was selling a result, ECRA frequently labelled “non-iron”.(ref: (ref:229) 5) received Middle ECRA rating for environmental report (August (ref: 3) as People meat products a negative No policy for reduction of harmful chemicals (2008) 2008) Animals Human In May/June 2009, ECRA contacted Asda and a copy of the Wal-Mart did not respond to a request made by ECRA in October Conflict Rights Animal on its policies for dealing with harmful company’s environment report was requested. The company did 2008 for information Testing In May Diamond Survey Worst 2007 Amnesty its products. A statement naming three priority not respond. On 8th July 2009, a search of the company website chemicals inECRA Results a report 2009) rating International (May 2007) entitled for animal by Wal-Mart in 2006, was was made. Under the section “Sustainability”, information chemicals of concern, identified not doing “Conflict According testing in enough.” about the company’s environmental activities was found. The found on the company’s Diamonds,and Global to the FAQwebsite (www.walmartstores.com) policy co.uk, Witness The report Asda were (September UK viewed section 2008. The document stated that Wal-Mart had worked section contained at least 2 future, dated, quantified targets. November released was on 4th mentioned jewellery retailers testing of the ASDA leading September the wesite suppliers and developed a timeline for the eradication of No evidence of independent verification of the section could with retailers. based on findings in this still funds website, adhere 2009, date was report. The report stated However, researchof concern. from a givenwww.asda. nor any to be found. The website had a copyright date of 2008 and the these “ASDA noASDA stated that this chemicals questionnaire into was against are not the industry’s was implemented is againstwas on furtheralternatives.” research the company undertaking to effective section text appeared to be current. No mention of the issue of information “although minimal animal year rolling sent to animal more needs in preventing system However most companies testing i.e. through harmful chemicals. ECRA did not consider this to the business being dependent, at the time of writing, on customer identify to relevant otherrule it did and the the trade of self regulation, not state and no longer fuel be done by industry information. fixed demonstrate any real commitment reduction car use, could be found. Although the section covered several Naturewatch company to athe in blood cut-offof chemicals how policy conflict.” these did ASDA products, and pesticidesCompassiona in the company’s as such,date it received environmental aspects, there was no mention of pesticides and company Adsa itselfleaders to ensure diamonds, supply or five had and other measures was also notand and any additional no policy that diamonds a negativesold markbranded in this category. (ref: not 3) endorsed other agricultural impacts that occur as a result of producing household te Shopping taken failed to disclose on of any in the jewellery its company to combat goods for the company, therefore the company was not deemed testing cosmetics, productsand fine Guide. Water pollution (2004) 2008 conflict its auditing website trade associations. their products made by toiletries, In addition diamonds. to have a reasonable understanding of the main environmental rating and it According to an article posted on Sustainablemedicines Business (www. companies the for animal on animals. (ref: 13) was not a memberIt Dropped impacts of its business. The company was given ECRA’s middle sustainablebusiness.com) which titledASDA ‘Wal-Mart: Every Day Low... and testing from were Factory received rating for environmental reporting. (ref: 1) Wal-Mart hadpolicy. been accused toactively evidence According to Norwegian (ref: 7) of indifference farming ECRA’s SaleImpact,’ pension issue to of factory worst that pesticides and fertilisers were escaping into waterways from Earth magazine, 71 (November fund Poor independent rating on CSR in supermarkets According (2006) farmed Wal-Mart Norway 2006) gardening products turkey stored unprotected in its car parks. It was (November 2006) to ‘Supermarket Standard’ had announcedof Indonesia’s systematic Stores from (2006) finedpublished $3.1 million in 2004 by the US Environmental Protection Ethical Performance November 2006 reported that Asda received s & Farm violations its Government in 2006, Down that 15) by the Animal (ref: 6) over 90% for Clean water Act violations. a poor rating (rated as a ‘D’) in a report by the National Consumer of human Pension it was dropping Compassion Welfare farmed.Agency Fund rights In addition,of the turkeys Workers’ Council on supermarkets’ progress on corporate responsibility.also The in World - Raising and labour for “serious, the majoritysold by ASDA Farming the Workers’ Rights rights”. rating covered supermarkets progress on CSR factors including: intensively reared. Trust (ref: Factory & Resources (ref: 10) of ducks sold were intensively According rights abuses commitment to stocking seasonal food and organics, sustainable Habitats Accordingfarmed chicken by ASDA in Bangladesh to a story sourcing policies and attempts at cutting waste. (ref: 2) were website (www.busines to ‘Supermarket(2006) dated 9 the Standard’ (October October buying Voters say no to Wal-Mart school sweek.com), 2008 on s & Farm (March 2004) 2008) published Trust in Climate Change uniforms conditions The Ecologist reported that voters from Inglewood in Los Angeles the Animal 2006, intensively Policy on stocking local produce (October 2008) over 90% by the Compassion Welfare at a factory that were Wal-Mart had BusinessWeek had voted in March 2003 not to let Wal-Mart build a store inSweatFree their made been of the maximum farmed. Wal-Mart did not respond to a request made by ECRA in October in World - Raising in Communities in Bangladesh.under extreme accused chickens The report neighbourhood. According to thesold Ecologist, Wal-Mart to Bangor, of stocking Farming wanted of floor 2008 for details on its policy towards stocking locally produced who conducted, an anti-sweatshoThe report sweatchop stated the ASDA build theguideline store on a piece of land theby size of nearly 20 football space, maximum were to factory. The which of 38kg that ASDA food. ECRA searched the company’s website (www.walmartstores. interviews p activist came from report pitches, yetexceeded didn’t see the need for an environmental impact finish study the had birdstated group with over chickens per-metre-squset com) in November 2008 and found a page entitled ‘Locally Grown of 34kg bird-per-metrethe government that based to 39 stand public hearings. The Ecologist said locals voteda61 to per for Wal-Mart’s wereorbred justlocally orders they worked 90 workers from ared were Products’, which stated that Wal-Mart noted that buying hours -squared 6 weeks. cent to grow up to 19 under against thequickly project. (ref: of 227) guidelines as punishment frequently tight deadlines; CIWF hour shifts of a Allegedly, grown produce was “a hot marketplace trend”. However,and no figures they suffered argue so they floor space. Broiler subject that of sustainable fishing policy (2006) reached were made to verbal for arrivng some their were given for the percentage of Wal-Mart’s salesAccording accounted Announcement painful which bones late to was even workers earned abuse and According toand the crippling March 2006could issue ofslaughter ENDS Report, Wal-Mart were ‘fast-growing work; for by local produce. ECRA also downloaded a document withto CIWF, in $24 not keep and the majority as little kickings or per month. less than that it was lameness implementing a pace policy on sourcing the title “Wal-Mart makes national commitment toAnimal buy locally had’ announced strains. of chickens (ref: 16) the country’s as $20 each beatings. Lawsuitthat a result. (ref: of sustainable fish. wasassaid to have claimed per month, legal minimum Rights grown produce”, but again, this contained no figuresSea for sales and 10)The companysold over Bangladesh According by American Shepherd within three to five years all fish in North ASDA stores would wage of set no targets to increase sales of local produce. ECRA did not Boycott to an According working news in line with Marine Stewardship Council guidelines, website article dated (5 March conditions to the be sourced consider that this constituted a real commitment to encouraging accessed 16th August New a lawsuit Sea Shepherd 2004) ASDA would be following and that UK subsidiary suit after on had been Nation, nation.ittefaq. sales of locally produced products, and as a result company 2006 on (2006) forthe Conservation a boycott 12th being March the taken supermarket inFund thisinarea by California 2004, the country’s worst received a negative mark in this category. It hadthemselves been noted by of Wal-Martnamed com, in Bangladeshi with international against out by the the society Society was said to cover frozen and storesThe announcement environmental campaigners that the issue of ‘food -ofthetheirGreenpeace. Wal-Mart, International August 2006 chainmiles’ had been website, in supplier untilfish labour called 37%wild-caught Labour fresh no mention was made of operations for theybut shares distance travelled by a product from supplier todolphin consumer -Seiyu had Ltd, calling had Rights have chosenfactories in standards and alleged non-complian in the either meat. or convinced outside the USA and Japanese UK. (ref: 228)divested Bangladesh. its own 2 that labour to use US It said Code of ce supermarket it The to alien that the stop selling organisation Conduct rights tort law hearing recently US Environmenta campaigners whale for was and Gender in Bangladesh. inquire hired a researcher could the suit on the said to l Investigation if they not be discriminatio (ref: 17) 3 to call sold whale guaranteedgrounds According Agency n lawsuits or dolphin 202 Seiyu a fair to information (March meat, and retail outletshad huffingtonpos on the 2009) t.com), to to oppose of the dated 23 Huffington 202 stores a class and 2 million Post website March action (www. female lawsuit. The 2009, Wal-Mart employees lawsuit involved was trying who claimed Betty Dukes the company had Owned by Asda Group Ltd

Asda Group Ltd, Corporate Social Responsibility, Asda, ASDA House, Southbank, Great Wilson Street, Leeds, LS11 5AD, England Asda Group Ltd is owned by Wal-Mart Stores Inc

Wal-Mart Stores Inc, PO Box 1039, Bentonville, Arkansas, 72716-8611, USA

Wal-Mart Stores Inc also owns ASDA Extra Special chocolate [O]



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Groupe Danone

Ipswich Building Society� 

Draycott Avenue, London SW3 2NA

PO Box 547, Ipswich, Suffolk. IP3 9WZ

baby food and milk

Leeds Building Society� 

105 Albion Street, Leeds, West Yorkshire, LS1 5AS

Ella’s Kitchen� 

PO Box 2296, Reading, RG4 7WJ 15 Rue du Helder, Paris Cedex 09, 75 439, France

Hero

Niederlenzer Kirchweg 3, CH-5600, Lenzberg, Switzerland

Nationwide Building Society

Hipp GMBH and Co Vertrieb

Gorenje 

Tuition House, 27-37 St. George’s Road, London SW19 4EU

Fineldo

Corso Di Augusto 115, 47900 Rimini, Rimini, Italy

The CDA Group Ltd

Harby Road, Langar, Nottinghamshire NG13 9HY

Baumatic Ltd

6 Bennet Road, Reading, Berkshire, RG2 0QX

Miele Company Limited

Fairacres, Marcham Road, Abingdon OX14 1TW

Haier Europe Branch UK

First floor, The Mill, Abbey Business Park, Lower Eashing, Godalming, Surrey GU7 2QJ

Smeg UK

3 Milton Park, Abingdon, OX14 4RN

Mondragón Corporación Cooperativa

Paseo Jose Maria Arizmendiarrieta, 5, 20500 Mondragón, Guipúzcoa

600 Grant Street, 60th Floor, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, PA 15219, USA

The Bailey, Skipton, North Yorkshire, BD23 1DN

Unit 4, Hirwaun Industrial Estate, Hirwaun, Aberdare, CF44 9UP

Tunbridge Wells Equitable Friendly Society Limited

KKR & Co L.P.

9 West 57th Street, 42nd Floor, New York, NY 10019, USA

Brockbourne House, 77 Mount Ephraim, Tunbridge Wells, Kent TN4 8GN.

Nestlé SA� 

Avenue Nestlé 55, Vevey, Vaud 1800, Switzerland

Yorkshire Building Society� 

Pfizer Inc� 

235 East 42nd Street, New York, NY 10017-5755, USA

Plum Baby� 

209 Purley Way, Croydon, CR9 4RY

DSG International plc

Maylands Avenue, Hemel Hempstead, Herts HP2 7TG

Koc Holdings

Nakkastepe Azizbey Sok., Kuzguncuk, 34674 Istanbul, Turkey

Home Retail Group

489-499 Avebury Boulevard, Saxon Gate West, Central Milton Keynes MK9 2NW

Panasonic

Panasonic House, Willoughby Rd, Bracknell, RG12 8FP,

Samsung Electronics

Customer Care Centre, PO Box 17243, Edinburgh EH11 4YB

LG

LG House, 250 Bath Road, Slough, Berkshire, SL1 4DX

Robert Bosch/Siemens 

BSH Home Appliances Ltd, Grand Union House Old Wolverton Road, Milton Keynes, MK12 5 PT

Yorkshire House, Yorkshire Drive, Bradford, West Yorkshire, BD5 8LJ Your cut-out and keep guide to this Issue’s Best Buys.

Station Mill, Station Road, Alresford, Hampshire, SO24 9JQ

PR Organics Ltd� 

5 Kendrick Mews, London, SW7 3HG

So Baby Limited� 

Washing Machines

Harvest House, Drumlan Hall Farm, Newton Lane, Newton by Tattenhall, Chester CH3 9NE

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S T BU

Gorenje A++ models

Vitagermine SAS� 

Parc d’Activités du Courneau, Rue du Pré Meunier - Canéjan - CS 60003 - 33612 CESTAS Cedex – France

Baby Milk Babynat

child trust funds Ancient Order of Foresters Friendly Society� 

Hipp

Foresters House 29-33 Shirley Road, Southampton, SO15 3EW

Heinz Nurture Soya

Healthy Investment

Baby Food

2 The Old Courthouse, Tenterden Street Bury, Greater Manchester BL9 0AL

F&C Asset ManagementPLC

8th Floor,Exchange House, Primrose Street, London, EC2A 2NY

So Baby Peter Rabbit

Friends Provident Plc

Pixham End, Dorking, Surrey, RH4 1QA, UK

Ella’s Kitchen

Co-operative Group Ltd� 

PO Box 53, New Century House, Manchester, M60 4ES

Earl Shilton Building Society

Plum Baby

22 The Hollow, Earl Shilton, Leicester, LE9 7NB

child trust funds

Family Assurance Friendly Society Ltd� 

Cash - Ipswich, Yorkshire, Leeds,

Press contact, 16-17 West Street, Brighton, BN1 2RL

Skipton, Methodust Chapel Aid

Homeowners Friendly Society Limited

Hornbeam Park Avenue, Harrogate, HG2 8XE

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Whirlpool UK

2 The Old Courthouse, Tenterden Street, Bury, Greater Manchester BL9 0AL

Skipton Building Society� 

Kealth Foods Ltd

Investor AB

Arsenalsgatan 8C, SE-103 32 Stockholm, Sweden

Rechabite Friendly Society Limited

azine

Pentrebach, Merthyr Tydfil, Mid Glamorgan CF48 4TU

HJ Heinz Company

ag

Candy

Georg-Hipp-Strasse 7, Pfaffenhofen, Bayern, 85276, Germany

Nationwide House, Piper’s Way, Swindon, Wiltshire, SN38 1NW

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washing machines

Methodist Chapel Aid Ltd� 

1 Telford Terrace, Albermarle Road, York, YO241DQ

Y

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THE ETHICAL SCEPTIC

image © Alex Segre, www.flickr.com

The digital switchover is resulting in thousands of TVs being needlessly thrown away.

Trashed TVs It’s the future of TV but what’s the environmental impact of going digital asks Simon Birch

A

re you ready for the big switchover? In line with most other industrialised countries, the UK is now in the middle of converting the current analogue TV signal and replacing it with a new, cutting-edge digital signal. The consequence of the switchover is that every household will have to convert their existing cathode ray tube telly by either buying a cheap ‘set top’ digital box or buying a far more expensive digital telly. So far so good. The bad news though is that unbelievably – given the scale of the operation

– the environmental impact of the switchover has largely been overlooked. The Ethical Sceptic recently surveyed those regions that went digital during the summer and uncovered a shocking picture of waste. “During the switchover in Devon this summer we were inundated with abandoned TVs and we just couldn’t cope,” says Vic Cavell from the Devon Furniture Forum, a group that refurbishes unwanted furniture and electrical goods before selling them on at knock-down prices to low-income households.

42 www.ethicalconsumer.org

JANUARY/FEBRUARY ‘10

“The vast majority of the TVs that were handed in were in perfectly good working order and could have easily been converted to receiving the new digital signal by simply adding a digital set top box.” Vic Cavell’s experience this summer was confirmed by a spokesperson from Devon County Council: “Between April and September Devon County Council handled over 80,000 unwanted TVs, an increase of almost 100% on the same period last year.” A similar picture emerged in Cumbria which, like Devon and Cornwall, went digital this summer. Between April and September 50,000 TVs were handled by Cumbria Recycling, the social enterprise company that deals with unwanted TVs for Cumbria County Council. This represented an increase of almost 70% compared with the same period last year. And of these, over 60% - some 30,000 TVs - were capable of being converted to receive digital TV with the addition of a digital set top box.

So just what is the environmental impact of all these dumped TVs? To be honest nobody really knows as the research simply hasn’t been done. Nobody is suggesting though that these thousands of dumped TVs will simply end up in landfills, as a new EU law has banned this outdated method of waste disposal. Clearly what’s happening is that households are using the digital switchover as an opportunity to get rid of their old cathode ray tube TVs and upgrade to what they think is better, more up-todate technology in the form of digital TVs. The problem is that the production of all these new digital TVs uses finite resources and energy that directly contributes to climate change. The irony of course is that all

these resources, all the CO2 and pollution emitted in production, could have been prevented simply by people keeping hold of their existing telly and upgrading them with a £30 digital set top box. “The Government’s own research shows that using products for their full working lives could reduce UK greenhouse emissions by 800 million tonnes by 2050. And save households money,” says Julian Kirby from Friends Of the Earth. So could this waste have been prevented and have lessons been learned to stop the same thing happening when the majority of the UK goes digital over the course of the next two years? The Ethical Sceptic believes that Digital UK, the organisation responsible for the digital switchover, could have and should have done more to reduce the environmental impact of the switchover. Yes, Digital UK makes it clear, in the brochure that it has sent to every household, that existing TVs could be converted to receive digital TV just by buying a digital set top box. But nowhere is there anything to suggest that by doing this you can help the planet and save yourself a packet. Plus nowhere in the same brochure is there any indication that there are now 14 different low-energy set top boxes available in the High Street all of which have been endorsed by the Energy Saving Trust. In response Digital UK said that: “We make it clear that viewers do not need to buy a new television for switchover. While we are not currently planning to include additional information on environmental issues in our leaflets, it is something we regularly review.” Back in Devon Vic Cavell remains unconvinced: “Digital UK could have done more to encourage people to keep their existing TVs. Throwing them away is just a complete waste.” To find out more about lowenergy set-top-boxes visit the Energy Saving Trust website: www.energysavingtrust.org or call: 0800 512012.

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