Harriet Gasston, assistant manager at The Body Shop on Western Road
Shops and businesses are now trumpeting their eco-friendly
credentials as loudly as their latest discounts or loyalty schemes.
Sam Thomson took a tour of the city to find traders who are proud to be going green but aim to be even greener.
IN THE fight against climate
change, the plastic bag has become
public enemy number one.
Cities such as San Francisco have
banned them outright, while their use is
taxed in countries such as Ireland and
Italy
Here in Britain, Chancellor Alistair
Darling used his budget speech last
month to announce the Government
would legislate on plastic bags if supermarkets
and shops did not take steps
themselves to limit their use.
But in Brighton, such measures
should not be necessary, according to a
survey by Unique Brighton, the name
given to the city's business improvement
district (BID), a collection of about
350 independent shops, restaurants and
bars in the North Laine, North Street
and The Lanes.
It reported that more than 90% of
members use recycled or recyclable
bags, with many designing and selling
branded bags for shoppers to reuse.
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Unique Brighton members include
both national chains and independent
stores, with both sectors equally committed
to helping the environment.
The North Laine Traders Association
has produced its own cotton bags which
have proved popular with shoppers,
while Cath Kidston in East Street makes
its own bags from various fabrics such
as vegetable starch and hemp.
Jenny Riordan, senior sales assistant
at the homeware and fashion retailer,
said: "The company started by selling
vintage furniture and fabric so recycling
has always been important to us.
"We have been selling cotton bags
for years and now we make our own for
just £2.
"I think it's important for retailers to
cut down on the number of plastic bags
they use."
Nina Khaira, manager of cosmetics
and gift store Lavender Room in Bond
Street, said the shop would shortly be
producing its own eco-friendly bag.
She added: "Everyone seems to be
more aware of green issues and more
customers want to buy environmentally-
friendly goods. People are prepared
to pay a little more to do so."
According to Unique Brighton,
traders' efforts to go green extend
beyond the packaging they produce.
About two-thirds of retailers who
answered the survey said they had a
formal policy of working with ethical
suppliers.
Not surprisingly, one of these is The
Body Shop, which has been committed
to helping vulnerable communities
across the world since Anita Roddick
opened her first store in Brighton in 1976.
Harriet Gasston, assistant manager
at the Western Road outlet, said: "What
we do is not fair trade but is our own
version called Community Trade, which
has actually being going on longer.
"The difference is that we work with
marginalised communities all over the
world, not just the developing world."
Ms Gasston is pleased to see many
other retailers following The Body
Shop's example.
She said: "We were the pioneers. We
began making our own canvass bags
about 25 years ago.
"It is always interesting to see how
other businesses are catching up.
"We don't mind the competition
because it is the choice of the customers
and we know we provide ethical products
of the highest quality and a fantastic
service."
Although The Body Shop is a global
brand, which allows it to support hundreds
of good causes, independent shops
can become part of similar schemes on
a smaller scale.
Pure South in Meeting House Lane
sells handmade arts and crafts skilfully
created from old rubbish such as bottle
tops, telephone wires and plastic bags.
Owner Gavin Atherton sources all his
products from projects in South Africa,
where he first visited in 2000.
He said: "I fell in love with what I
found out there. Here in Britain we
would treat all this stuff as garbage so it
is fantastic to see it turned into a piece
of art."
During the years, Mr Atherton has
developed a strong relationship with his
suppliers.
He said: We buy from registered charities
and township co-operatives, and
everyone is paid a decent wage.
"We are in direct contact with the people
who make the items and know more than
90% of them personally."
Pure South sells exclusive items, which
means sourcing from ethical suppliers has
not affected his bottom line.
However, things are harder at clothing
retailer Ju-Ju, which is proud of stocking
goods which are not made in Far Eastern
sweatshops - but are more expensive as a
result.
Tim Price, co-owner of the Gloucester
Road store, said: "We are getting more and
more products in which are both green and
ethical. For example, one of our brands of
jeans offers a guarantee that the people
who make them are paid a decent wage.
"We are proud to say we are not selling
jeans for £5, which means no one is suffering
as a result of the manufacturing
process."
Soly Daneshmand, who runs Ju-Ju with
Mr Price, admitted the store can't compete
on price with high street chains such as
H&M and Primark. However, she believes
Brighton residents care enough to pay the
difference.
She said: "It is all well and good saving
a few pounds but what is the cost to the
people making the goods?"
In addition to plastic bags, another concerns
of environmentalists is the carbon
footprint left by businesses that import
goods from across the world, often using
highly-polluting aircraft.
This is of particular concern in the
supermarket sector, with fruit and vegetables
often flown in from as far away as
New Zealand.
The aim of Duncan Innes, owner of
Sussex In The City, is to buck this trend by
sourcing all his produce from no more than
50 miles away from his shop in Meeting
House Lane.
He said: "I was a fan of farmers' markets
but it was frustrating because they only
seemed to be open once a month.
"I wanted to satisfy customers as well as
help the local economy."
The shop has been successful on both
counts, with customers often queuing
out the door to get their hands on Sussex
fare.
Mr Innes now supplies hampers for the
Hilton Brighton Metropole Hotel to give to
their VIP guests. He added: "I would like to
offer more fresh produce but I don't want to
have any waste." Waste is a key issue for
traders. The Unique Brighton showed that
60% recycle almost all their waste while
those who do not blame a lack of facilities.
Currently, traders have to pay private
companies to sort and recycle waste.
As a result, Unique Brighton is hoping
to arrange for a company to collect waste
for the entire BID area. And although a deal
has not yet been finalised, these Brighton
traders could easily stake a claim as some
of the greenest in the country.
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