Photo: Subway Please Don't Send Your Toys By Air

Subway, the franchised sandwich retailer with the slogan, "Subway, Eat Fresh, Live Green", has come to my attention. Really is there a need to air freight "toys" from Hong Kong (HKG) to the London Heathrow (LHR), via Paris (CDG)? Surely they would be more environmentally sound if they were sent via sea, or not manufactured at all. This isn't the only items that Subway send via air either.

Information from Traxon Europe (Air France Cargo Freight Status Information Service)

Pieces: 1

Airline: AFR
Weight: 2818 K
from: HKG
to: LHR
1 piece(s) 2818 K booked on flight AF6799/01OCT from HKG to CDG
Scheduled Time of Flight-Departure : 07:50
Scheduled Time of Flight-Arrival : 16:45
1 piece(s) 2818 K booked on flight AF932D/02OCT from CDG to LHR
1 piece(s) 2818 K received from shipper in HKG on 01 OCT at 06:08
1 piece(s) 2818 K departed on flight AF6799/01OCT from HKG to CDG
Actual Time of Flight-Departure : 08:06
Actual Time of Flight-Arrival : 16:54
1 piece(s) 2818 K departed on flight AF396D/01OCT from CDG to LHR
1 piece(s) 2818 K arrived in LHR from flight AF396D
Scheduled arrival : 02 OCT
Goods checked in at : 12:02
1 piece(s) 2818 K delivered on 03 OCT at 22:27 in LHR

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2008 Fleet Hero Awards

Tonight will see the London Transport Museum host the third annual Fleet Hero Awards, organised by the Energy Saving Trust in association with the Department for Transport, and in partnership with Fleet News, Guardian and The Observer.

The awards ceremony looks to recognise the achievements by organisations large and small in reducing their energy consumption and carbon emission in business travel, through a variety of categories;

• Best Large Fleet
  Addison Lee
  Amey
  Ocado
  
  
• Best Medium Fleet
  Centre Parcs
  James McNaughton Group
  London Borough of Islington
  
  
• Best Small Fleet
  Commercial Group
  Green Tomato Cars
  The Royal Parks
  
  
• Grey Fleet Champion
  Arval
  Inchcape Fleet Solutions
  VT Education and Skills
  
  
• Business Mileage Champion
  Addison Lee
  Environment Agency
  Oldham Metropolitan Borough Council
  
  
• Leadership Award
  Commercial Group
  Government Car & Despatch Agency
  Green Tomato Cars
  Northern Lincolnshire and Goole Hospitals NHS Trust
  
  
• Industry Supplier Award
  Arval
  BMW
  Masternaut Three X
  
  
• Smarter Driving Award
  Arval
  Gateshead Council
  Government Car & Despatch Agency
  
  
• Innovation Award
  Centre Parcs
  GreenRoad Technologies
  Modec

Previous winners include BSkyB, Saninsburys Online and London Borough of Islington.

There is a real message to all the glitz and glamour, whether you manage a fleet of over 500 vehicles, or have a small fleet of 10 or 20 cars or vans, the Energy Saving Trust can help turn your transport operations green.

With funding from the Department for Transport, the Energy Saving Trust provides public and private organisations of all sizes with free, expert and tailored advice to help reduce running costs, cut carbon emissions and enhance corporate social responsibility.

If your organisation has a fleet of 50 or more cars and vans under 3.5 tonnes you are eligible for a Green Fleet Review - an independent, environmental review of fleet operations providing a comprehensive report on the following:

• Fleet carbon footprint
• Vehicle allocation policy
• Fuel economy
• Mileage reimbursement policy
• Driver education
• Mileage reduction strategies
• Best practice grey fleet (business mileage in private vehicles) principles
• Latest health and safety and duty of care issues

Since 2004 over 300 organisations from every industry sector have benefited from this service.

In all cases decreasing environmental impact of your fleet equates directly to cost saving. Your potential savings depend upon your fleet size, the type and size of vehicles you operate and the number of miles travelled.

To find out how much you can potentially save, access the Energy Saving Trust's online Green Fleet calculator.

I'm still awaiting my invite to tonight's proceedings in the post, how could they possibly have failed to send me an invite. Tonight's event however is highlighting how business can and are willing to implement change to reduce their impact on the enviroment and save on costs concurrently. Every penny saved on fuel is a penny more in profit.


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HSBC Data Centre Rated 'Excellent' by BRE

HSBC has achieved the UK's first 'Excellent' rating for design and procurement of its new North London Data Centre under the Building Research Establishment's BREEAM Certification.

Sustainability was a key driver in the design and equipment procurement process and has been worked into the whole life cycle of the project. The building is due for completion in the first half of 2009 and will be the first of three new HSBC data centres in the UK which will all be designed with the same sustainability principles.

Over the next few years, HSBC has committed to spending some US$40 million to improve the environmental performance of its office buildings around the world. The funds form part of a US$90 million, five year, global environmental efficiency programme to reduce the Group's broader impact on the environment. HSBC has made a commitment that all new data centre builds within its global operations will be designed according to local environmentally accredited standards such as BREEAM and LEED.

Digital Realty Trust was appointed Developer and CHt Data Solutions - part of the Laing O'Rourke Group - as their delivery partner, for the new data centre due to go live in mid 2009. The centre is expected to achieve substantial reductions in annual energy and carbon dioxide emissions, resulting in substantial cost savings to the business.


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Marine Current Turbines Voted in Top Ten Clean Tech

Bristol based tidal energy company Marine Current Turbines is celebrating being voted in the “top 10” of Europe’s top clean technology companies in The Guardian/Library House “Clean Tech 100 Survey”.

Marine Current Turbines (MCT) was ranked 5th overall by a team of prominent business analysts and venture capitalists who were tasked with identifying Europe’s most innovative clean tech firms. Although a number of wave and tidal energy companies made it to the top 100, MCT was the highest placed in its sector.

This comes in recognition of MCT’s pioneering work as a first mover in the marine renewables sector, and endorses the company’s position as the leading developer in tidal stream technology after installing the world’s first commercial sized tidal stream turbine, the 1.2MW SeaGen, earlier this year in Northern Ireland’s Strangford Lough.

“We are all very pleased at being voted into Europe’s clean tech top 5. The recognition is very welcome during a year in which we have deployed SeaGen. We are focused on making tidal energy a commercial reality which is exciting for us, our investors as well as governments and the major utilities. We are now completing the commissioning on SeaGen, as well as moving ahead with our plans to develop the world’s first utility scale tidal farm off Anglesey in the Skerries.”
Peter Fraenkel, Technical Director, Marine Current Turbines

MCT’s Skerries project is a joint initiative with npower renewables to develop a 10.5MW tidal farm using seven upgraded SeaGen systems off the coast of Anglesey, north Wales. It is planned that the tidal farm will be commissioned around 2011/2012. The company is also investigating the potential for tidal energy schemes in other parts of the UK, and in North America.

The Guardian/Library House survey was published on September 18th. The Guardian/Library House CleanTech 100 highlights a group of the most promising private companies in Europe focusing on clean technology, with companies selected on the basis of their potential for future growth and beneficial environmental impact. An initial list of 200 was selected from the Library House’s CleanTech Intelligence database of private clean tech companies, using various indicators such as each company's capital history, positive news stories, and size of management team, plus an analyst selection to make sure companies were credible. Expert advisory board members were then invited to nominate further companies to ensure the net was thrown widely enough. The advisory panel consisted of some of Europe's most experienced investors in the growing area of clean technology - a mix of venture capitalists, investment analysts and technology lawyers.

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Tesco Ireland Opening First Eco Store Next Month

Tesco Ireland will be opening its first environmental store ("eco store") in Tramore next month. When completed the 30,000 sq ft retail outlet will use 45% less energy than a supermarket of a similar size. Setting a new benchmark for green technology and construction in retail in Ireland, Tesco Tramore will save 420 tonnes of CO2, a 30% annual saving. It's all part of a number of steps that Tesco is taking to reduce the environmental impact of its business operations.

Features of the eco store include;

• Timber frame shop floor instead of traditional steel
• Enhanced insulation to minimize heat loss
• Trigeneration Combined Heat and Power Plant producing the majority of all central heating and hot water for the store whilst also contributing to the electricity generation
• Double glazing sections in the roof to maximise natural light
• Photovoltaic roof cells that generate electricity for use instore
• Roof-top rainwater collection for use in toilets
• Cold air recycling system which takes cold air from chilled areas to warmer areas - reducing the need for air conditioning
• CO2 based refrigeration replacing the more traditional HFC refrigerants.
• Energy-saving LED lighting in all fridges with below shelving lips in dairy and milk cabinets to reduce cool air loss
• Bakery ovens that are 50% more efficient than similar installations
• Photocell lights in loading areas which are triggered by low external light
• Light movement sensors to ensure lights in offices and other staff areas are only on when this space is in use
• The building as designed will receive an A1 Building Energy Rating (BER) the highest energy efficient rating

Tesco Ireland is taking a number of practical steps to reduce its environmental impact and to help consumers make informed greener choices based on good science. The company is measuring the carbon footprint of 30 Tesco own brand products, measuring the overall CO2 emissions throughout their life cycle.

Since announcing its Strategy for the Environment and Carbon Reduction last year Tesco Ireland has been investing and trialling new technologies throughout its store network, and as a result has developed a more sustainable blueprint for its new buildings. This includes an extensive energy management programme with energy managers appointed locally to all stores. The company commissioned its first Combined Heat and Power unit at Tesco Nutgrove store last year, saving 25% in energy costs. A bio diesel mix has been introduced to the distribution truck fleet along with double deck trailers which will save on road miles.

Pictured is the 50,000sq ft Tesco in Wick, in the north of Scotland. It was designed to be the most environmentally-friendly of its kind in the UK, and it is expected to have a 50 percent smaller carbon footprint than similar sized traditionally built stores. Not only is the building envelope designed to have minimum impact on the environment but construction methods were also as low-carbon as possible, while road freight was replaced with shipping to reduce both emissions and road congestion.

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30kW Hydro Electricity Site Reduces CO2 by 100t a Year

A new chapter in Northern Ireland’s search for a sustainable future has been opened with the completion of a hydroelectric scheme in Ballycastle.

Local farmer John McCambridge has re-energised a 100 year-old hydro system on his land, installing a new cross flow turbine, the first of its kind in the area. The turbine has been built on the Carey River near the Cushendall Road in Ballycastle.

The project was funded by Interreg IIIA through the Special EU Programmes Body, Northern Ireland Electricity’s Smart Programme and by Mr McCambridge himself. Producing around 200,000 units of renewable electricity every year, the new 30kW hydro generating system will reduce the amount of CO2 emitted into the local atmosphere by up to 100 tonnes each year.

"It has been great to develop this site from the old turbine, which was no longer performing to its full potential. We have replaced it with a modern turbine, which enables us to maximise the hydro power available to us. This allows us as a business to reduce our carbon emissions on the local environment and in turn also reduces our energy costs. We will also be installing a wood chip boiler for domestic purposes, it will be fuelled by willow coppice, which at presently is growing on our farm, thus allowing us to reduce our carbon footprint further. I believe renewable energy will be a vital part of our farming business now and for future generations to come."
Eoin McCambridge, Manager, Hyrdo Electricity Scheme

The existing plant had been in operation for over 100 years, up until 2003. The 30kW German manufactured turbine was installed last year, and Eoin has used the existing weir to drive the new, more efficient turbine and generate electricity. The bulk of the electricity generated will be used in a newly constructed drying facility for willow chips, and the rest will be used on the farm.

“There is enormous potential in Northern Ireland for hydro generated electricity and this project will benefit the local community through the reduction of CO2. There is a number of existing, out of use hydro generating systems in Northern Ireland and many of these could be easily put back into operation. Hydro technology not only has high levels of operational reliability, it also is low maintenance and low in operating costs. NIE is keen to encourage more landowners to invest in hydro projects, which will add to Northern Ireland’s clean, renewable electricity capacity. Any electricity generated, which is not used onsite, can be exported back to the grid and be purchased by NIE Energy.”
Claire Carson, NIE Energy

Picture: Generic 30kW Hydro System

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Milk Sludge Fertilising Willow

Dale Farm’s environmentally aware staff have come up with a novel solution for reducing the company’s carbon footprint – using sludge from the waste water treatment plant at Dunman to grow willows.

Traditionally the sludge, which is a normal by-product of dairy processing, has been spread on farmland – where it acts as a valuable fertiliser. However, the Nitrates Directive has effectively reduced the amount of land that can be treated this way and other outlets had to be examined. After reviewing a range of possible options, it was decided that applying the sludge to Short Rotation Coppice Willow for producing renewable energy biomass, was an environmentally friendly solution that was also cost effective.

The scheme, which is operated in partnership with Rural Generation Ltd, began on a trial basis in June. It uses bespoke machinery that injects the sludge below the surface of the ground in a willow plantation in the Cookstown area, relatively close to the Dunman factory.

A permit had to be attained from the Environment and Heritage Service to allow the sludge to be used this way. The effluent has to be treated using a belt press, which increases the solid content to approximately 12% – which results in fewer transport movements and thus reduces the fuel and labour required.

Willow production is a renewable and sustainable energy crop that is harvested and used to produce either heat or electricity. Harvesting is usually on a two yearly rotation when the willow is cut and chipped, and some local Councils are currently using willow as an alternative energy source for heating e.g. swimming pools.

Willow production does not contribute to global warming – the only carbon dioxide released upon burning is that which was fixed from the air whilst the willow was growing, making it “carbon neutral” unlike other fuels such as coal and oil.

The use of sludge as a soil conditioner and source of nitrogen on willow plantations is a good example of an environmentally sustainable, low carbon route for recycling an organic waste stream. It is well established in Europe and N America, but is still relatively new in N Ireland and Dale Farm is the first local company to investigate this opportunity.

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Get EnviroWise About Water!

A scheme which proposes to help businesses save up to 30 per cent on their water and effluent bills is issuing a final call for participants to sign up.

The Rippleeffect, a water conservation project from Envirowise, offers businesses structured information and support to reduce the amount of water used.

Simple measures such as ensuring showers and taps do not leak, installing water efficient toilets and rainwater harvesting, could help firms make significant water savings even as the cost of water is set to rise by 22 per cent between 2010 and 2015.

"While cost-savings may be a key driver for water conservation, companies that do so demonstrate to customers that they are adopting best environmental practice. This in itself offers a competitive advantage."
Mary Leonard, Director, Envirowise

Saving water also helps save energy and emissions as the utilities use energy, often generated by fossil fuel burning to get water to residential and commercial taps.

Companies have until September 10th to sign up for the project.

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Subway Reduce Their Carbon Footprint by Another Little Bit

Doctors Associates International, owners of Subway, they have over 29,546 franchised units in 87 countries and are keen to promote environmental issues, and through their current slogan "Subway, Eat Fresh, Live Green".

This campaign part of Subway's corporate social responsibility program that is currently under development. You can find some of the exceptionally impressive carbon reduction measures already implemented in our Fast Food with a Conscience.

One new measure implemented by Subway is an increase in content of napkins per case by 17%, without an increase in pack size, up to 5850 napkins from 5000. The idea is 17% less space in storage, trucks, containers, saving CO2 in transport, storage and packaging. Saving about 661 cubic inches per pack. Packs will start arriving to stores later this month. Subway napkins already save approximately 60,500,000 gallons of water and an additional 147,000 trees annually because they are made from 100% recycled fiber processed chlorine free.

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Diageo Invests £65m in Renewable Energy

Plans for a pioneering bioenergy facility at Scotland’s largest distillery, Cameronbridge in Fife, were announced by Diageo this week. Following two years of rigorous research, Diageo - which makes leading global brands including Johnnie Walker, Tanqueray and Smirnoff - has signed a formal partnership agreement with energy management company, Dalkia, to create the new facility.

Costing approximately £65 million, the planned state-of-the-art facility will generate major environmental benefits and is set to place Scotland at the forefront of green technology on the world stage.

The facility will for the first time integrate sustainable technologies – including anaerobic digestion and biomass conversion – on a commercial scale. It will be the largest single investment in renewable technology by a non-utility company in the UK and is set to reduce annual CO2 emissions at the site by approximately 56,000 tonnes (equivalent to taking 44,000 family cars off the road).

The proposed facility, which is subject to planning approval, will recover 98% of thermal steam and 80% of electrical power at the distillery. It is an example of Diageo’s commitment to the environment and the use of energy efficiency programmes to reduce energy and water consumption. Dalkia will construct the facility over the next two years and it will then transfer to Diageo under a finance lease, while continuing to be managed by Dalkia.

“This will be a showcase bioenergy facility which harnesses a variety of green technologies in a project of an unprecedented scale. It is without question the right way forward in terms of environmental benefits and secures the long-term sustainability of our operation, moving the site away from reliance on fossil fuels"
Bryan Donaghey, Managing Director, Diageo Scotland.

The bioenergy facility will generate renewable energy from ‘spent wash’ – a mixture of wheat, malted barley, yeast and water - produced during distillation. The spent wash is separated into liquid and dried solids. The liquid is then converted, via anaerobic digestion, into biogas and the dried solids form a biomass fuel source.

Around 90,000 tonnes of co-products, which would have required transport off-site by road, will be turned into bioenergy in the form of electricity and steam for use at the distillery. The facility will also recover almost a third of the site’s water requirements.

"SEPA welcomes the use by industry of efficient, sustainable energy sources. We are very supportive of new and developing technologies that can help protect Scotland's environment and make a meaningful contribution to tackling climate change. Diageo is to be commended for its investment in bioenergy.”
Campbell Gemmell, CEO of the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA)

"This pioneering scheme demonstrates the effective use of bioenergy and highlights our shared commitment to efficient sustainable energy for industry. It will deliver real environmental benefits.”
Frédéric Pelège, CEO of Dalkia plc

The bioenergy project is in addition to a £100 million programme of investment currently being undertaken by Diageo in Scotland. This includes a new distillery at Roseisle in Morayshire which will also feature cutting edge sustainable technology, together with a £40 million expansion at Cameronbridge Distillery due for completion in spring 2010.

Diageo, and partner Dalkia, have been working closely with local and national stakeholders, as well as consulting widely with representatives of the local community, to ensure the full potential of the project is realised.

Cameronbridge currently employs around 100 people and the new bioenergy facility is expected to create up to 20 additional jobs.

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"Cool UN" Initative Starts

Under the new initative the UN's New York headquarters will get hotter in an attempt to make the world cooler. For all of August the UN building's thermostats will rise from their usual chilly 72 degrees Fahrenheit (22 degrees Centigrade) up to 77 degrees (25 degrees Centigrade).

The main UN premises in Bangkok, which houses over a dozen of the Organization's entities, joined the Secretariat today in rolling out the “Cool UN” scheme.

“Cool UN” is just one of several schemes United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) is involved in to slash energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions. Since 2002, it has cut back electricity consumption by 16 per cent yearly by replacing old and inefficient appliances such as power transformers, elevators, air conditioners, lights and pumps.

ESCAP's service also has pilot solar panels and wind turbines, and water usage has been reduced by 30 per cent every year through new higher-efficiency water closets and using recycled water for the main gardens.

It is expected the programme will reduce CO2 emissions by 300 tonnes and $100,000 this month, with annual savings of 3000 tonnes and $1m, the initative will be implemented all year round.

M&S Make Bras Which are Comfortable on the Conscience

Official Images of the newly opened building may follow soon.

In partnership with supplier, MAS, Marks & Spencer is opened its first ‘eco- factory’ in May 2008. Based at Thulhiriya in central Sri Lanka, the bra manufacturing site is designed to be carbon neutral.

The primary power source for the factory will be green energy from the national grid, supplemented by on-site solar panels. These will supply 10% of the energy.

Every aspect of the building has been designed to minimise its environmental impact. Even the building materials – mainly ‘eco-bricks’ - have low embodied energy. Overall, it will use around 40% less electricity than a standard, similar scale factory.

Planting greenery on and around the site (including the factory’s roof) will create a cooler micro-climate. In addition, the bio-diversity will enhance and revitalise local flora and fauna.

Rainwater harvesting and low-flow fixtures will reduce water usage in the factory by around 50%. Nearly all waste will be separated and sorted for recycling, with anaerobic digestion being processed to produce bio-gas for the kitchens.

For the workers, the natural lighting, views and fresh airflows will provide a comfortable, positive environment. There’s a holistic medical centre on site, too, with provisions to care for the 1300 personnel expected to be working there by 2010.

This groundbreaking development is a logical move on from the success of M&S first eco-stores in Bournemouth and Pollok. Many of the best practices implemented there translated on a larger scale for the factory. Even during the construction stages, Plan A was in consideration – the work was carried out in an environmentally-friendly way, with waste being recycled wherever possible.

The factory is aiming to achieve the highest status in ‘green building’ certification by LEED, a widely accepted international scheme run by the US Green Building Council.

MAS in Sri Lanka will be manufacturing bras exclusively for M&S in a factory that’s aiming to be as green as the surrounding countryside.

Britain's Top 50 Eco-Friendly Companies

The Sunday Times today will publish their first annual "Green List", showcasing Britain's best eco-friendly companies. The Sunday Times Best Green Companies Awards is a project designed to encourage, acknowledge and publicise businesses and other organisations, which are striving to improve their environmental performance. The 50 companies listed in the report are all pioneers - enterprising, enlightened and fizzling with new ideas.

Richard Caseby, Managing Editor, The Sunday Times introduces the new annual feature;

We launched this venture to reflect the changing mood in the business world. Today it is not enough simply to make a profit for shareholders. Companies have a wider responsibility to ensure that they minimise the environmental impact of what they do. Consumers, clients and peers expect it.

They vary from Greencare H2O, a business employing just 50 people distributing watercoolers, to the banking giant HBOS, which has a staff of 74,000. All have a common sense of purpose about their corporate social responsibility.

Our Best Green Companies venture is unique. There may be plenty of environmental awards but this is the first that has both a robust methodology to measure environmental performance and a survey of each company’s staff to find out whether the green sheen is more than skin-deep.

Although 88 organisations registered for the competition, a number fell by the wayside. So be it. When we launched Best Companies to Work For eight years ago there was similar hesitation at the idea of asking staff what they thought of management and then publishing the results in a newspaper. It is Britain’s biggest national survey of employee satisfaction today.

I have no doubt that hundreds of firms will read our first report and will be clamouring for a place on our Green List 2009.

I am grateful to our research partners Bureau Veritas and Munro Global for their hard work in co-producing our survey, and I thank our sponsors Eon and Bank of Scotland Corporate for recognising the value of this venture.

You can catch the full list in today's edition of the Sunday Times, or online at the Times Online Environment Section.

Fast Food with a Conscience?

With our lives becoming so deluged with work, socialising, sleeping and eating. Sometimes convenience food is a must to squeeze the most out of your 24 hours a day. So can you eat fast food and not kill 23 people, destroy 2 trees, and waste 30000 litres of water on the other side of the world through global warming, not to mention slave and child labour?

McDonalds and other leading players have long been relentlessly criticised in the media day in, day out ranging from where they source their meat to how it is sold.

I work in the hospitality industry as a manager and it does perturb me the disregard for the environment by many fast food giants. Although they are wising up to "green-washing" and moving towards a greener future, as it not only makes them look good, it also saves them money.

Examples of such positive green ideas exist in worldwide submarine sandwich chain SUBWAY;

• First SUBWAY® Eco-Store opened November 9, 2007 in Kissimmee, FL
• SUBWAY® Napkin saves approximately 60,500,000 gallons of water and an additional 147,000 trees annually because they are made from 100% recycled fiber processed chlorine free.
• All liquid cleaners used in SUBWAY® restaurants are non-corrosive, readily biodegradable, and are manufactured without the use of phosphates and ammonia
• Distribution Efforts were made to strategically relocate several redistribution centers next to vendor manufacturing facilities, eliminating the need to transport product from long distances. So far, the move saves an estimated 1,660,079 gallons of fuel per year and eliminates 10,491 truck loads annually.

More information on Greenwashing by SUBWAY can be found at their Green Living section.

Beyond locally grown meat and produce, eco-fast food must look to their entire operation to create a sustainable business model, from recycled packaging, biodegradable cleaning products, and renewable energy to pizza delivered with electric or hybrid powered vehicles.

The Massachusetts-based non-profit Green Restaurant Association has helped restaurants interested in greening their operations by setting guidelines and defining the exact 11—step process required for “certification” as a green restaurant.

Those steps are:

1. Energy Efficiency and Conservation
2. Water Efficiency and Conservation
3. Recycling and Composting
4. Sustainable Food
5. Pollution Prevention
6. Recycled, Tree-Free, Biodegradable and Organic Products
7. Chlorine-Free Paper Products
8. Non-Toxic Cleaning and Chemical Products
9. Green Power
10. Green Building and Construction
11. Education

But are there really any options for ethical, green, eco friendly fast food without a conscience? According to Ode magazine there is some almost heavenly low CO2 fast food restaurants out there, they look at a few in their must read article by Mary Desmond Pinkowish from the April 2008 edition.

Unfortunately this is all stateside eco fast food (with the exception of Pret A Manger), what about in the UK?

No eco fast food joints that I am aware of, please let me know if you know of any, so I can visit for a bite to eat and look at your credentials. But there are some environmentally aware restaurants out there, in London at least (provided by SugarVine).

The leading light so far has to be Acorn House, situated, of all carbon-crazy places, in King’s Cross, which surely must speak volumes about the good intentions of the planners so far. Co-founded by the Shoreditch Trust and the Terence Higgins Trust, this is a combination of restaurant, chef’s school and ecological powerhouse. To sum up the concept as succinctly as possible, the idea is to take 10 budding chefs from the community (à la Jamie) and train them alongside a full time team in the restaurant. But it doesn’t stop there: the restaurant building itself is constructed entirely from recycled and/or organic material; the water is purified on site to save packaging and air miles; all the waste is recycled; the electricity is completely green; and if supplies do come from foreign shores, they are shipped by boat, not by air.

All this would be in vain, however, if the food wasn’t up to scratch. Luckily it seems to be heading in an eclectic, but definitely tempting, direction. They open from breakfast through to dinner, ‘to reflect modern London life’, and, in another brilliant stroke of genius, the size of the portions vary, to minimise food wastage, so if you’re starving, but your mate’s barely peckish, you can mix and match to your stomach’s content. The food ranges slightly in culinary influence, from roast shoulder of mutton with rosemary and quince; buffalo mozzarella with fennel, chilli and olives; fried (wild) salmon with barley broth; and even pheasant and pomegranate salad. The prices range from £8 to £14 per plate, which seems unbelievably reasonable, but is evidently the case. And it’s not all hemp chairs and rope floors either: the interior is just a cool, neutral, modern space that retains a distinctly grown-up, and not at all worthy, air.

Of course, not everyone is quite there yet, but one of the easier options if you’re trying to save the planet is to go local. In the case of Konstam at the Prince Albert again also, curiously, in King’s Cross, Oliver Rowe, chef patron and late of Moro, couldn’t have stayed more local -- all his ingredients, including most beers and wine, are sourced from within the M25, which, whether you can believe it or not, is true. Not only does this cut down on transport costs and packaging, but ensures that he only gets seasonal produce. Even the oil used in cooking and with the bread is rapeseed rather than olive oil, which is dedication to the cause. The ingredients are used in a modern British way, so think Norbury Blue cheese with honeycomb, a luscious combination; Waltham Abbey chicken with sage and onion sauce; or even nettle pierogi (one assumes that sometimes necessity, and a slight shortage occasionally, is the mother of invention). The restaurant itself is very patriotically British Racing Green, with low lighting and delicate chandeliers used to great effect. No doubt the television series has helped bookings enormously, but the atmosphere is buzzy and welcoming, and again, there is no leftover taste of worthiness.

Taking the Notting Hillbillies by storm, Bumpkin has become a one-stop shop for all-day deli and restaurant fun. Opened by the team behind Cocoon, despite the name, it’s not so much Yorkshire farmer as Trinny-and-Susannah-styled rural peasant, but it’s none the worse for that. Set over three floors, the ground floor is styled as a country brasserie and deli, featuring simple grills such as Gloucester Old Spot pork chop and very hearty pies, including cow pie, fast becoming notorious; the first floor is a more refined version of the same food (with concomitant price rise); and a top floor for private dining. The eco edge comes from their ingredient sourcing: the meat comes from the highly-regarded Frank Godfrey in Highbury, who in turn only sources traceable, organic, well-brought-up produce; the fruit and veg hail from Secrett’s in Surrey, every chef’s favourite veg supplier, completely pesticide and nasty-free. The ales are decidedly British, the cider is organic, and the fish is line caught or sustainable, which is a lot better than others are professing to do, and everything else is Fairtrade where appropriate. All of this may sound fairly standard by now, but it’s still not across the board, so to find that more and more restaurants are proudly stating their affiliations can only be a good thing, and make it easier to eat in an eco-friendly and sustainable fashion.

Of course, vegetarians are always going to have it that bit easier when it comes to ethical sourcing, as there’s none of that pesky meat to worry about. Vitaorganic Café in the Aveda shop in Marylebone has to be one of the most detoxifying experiences there is. The food is billed as organic, live and ‘enzymatic’ (which must be good, right?). They use no refined foodstuffs, and they use modern and ancient holistic principles to ‘cook’ their food. So, no temperatures above 100°C, no microwaves, no aluminium, or deep frying, so that everything is in its pure and natural state as far as is possible. According to Vitaorganic, they focus on UN – ultimate nutrition, ie raw foods; and ON – optimum nutrition, which means food cooked at a low temperature to prevent as much vitamin loss as possible. Not only is there all of this planet-loving energy-saving, but it’s all gluten and wheat free. The dishes on offer run along the lines of orange and sweet potato dhal, or green vegetable and sprouted buckwheat soup, which are not only delicious but filling and inexpensive to boot. Unsurprisingly, the owner is a practising Buddhist.

It’s impossible to have an eco-friendly list without mentioning the first and foremost runner in the eco-friendly stakes. The Duke of Cambridge in Islington remains one of the best and most ethically run gastropubs in the country, let alone London. It was way ahead of its time when it opened in 1998, pioneering seasonal, organic British food, using local sourcing, careful monitoring of food miles, buying direct from the farmers, and even now the beers are still brewed locally and the wines and spirits are organic where viable. The coffee is Fairtrade, and water is purified on the premises, and they have even installed wind and solar generated energy, along with strict recycling procedures and adherence to sustainable fish buying policies (which are so strict, they have been working with the Marine Conservation Society to make these rules more widespread). This has been a steady, ongoing development project over the last eight years, and it just goes to show that anyone can change their habits for the good, and still wow the diners (Won 2nd best bar in the UK 2006, as voted by Observer Food Monthly). The food remains rustic and true to its pub origins, with whole baked Camembert served with crudités and croutons or braised chuck beef with sweet potato mash.

Video: Fight to Green Business

Greening business is an essential task to reduce waste. According to our friends at Lets Green this City in San Francisco each office employee wastes 770g of high grade paper, which could otherwise be recycled, every day.

The number of people in employment for the three months to November 2007 was 29.36 million in the UK. If we also wasted 770g each per day, we would as a nation be wasting 22 600 tonnes of paper a day, or about 385 000 trees a day.

Paper can easily be recycled and offers a high revenue payment per tonne recycled, if your business is yet to start recyling waste paper, this simple change could reduce costs and increase revenue.

Some Paper Facts (Source: GreenPrint)

• 1 ton of paper = 400 reams = 200,000 sheets
• 1 tree makes 16.67 reams of copy paper or 8,333 sheets
• Average cost of monochrome printed page .67 pence
• Average UK office worker prints 38 pages per day, which is at 232 working days per annum is 8,816
• Average of 29% of which is wasteful printing creates 2,556 pages per year of unnecessary paper waste
• For every user in your organisation, based on these findings, in printing terms alone generates 61.34 KG CO2 requiring 142 kWh of energy to be consumed to supply the paper
• Printer Ink is one of the most expensive liquids to purchase. To fill an Olympic sized swimming pool with ink would cost around £11.8 billion
• One ton of paper requires the use of 98 tons of various resources
• The Pulp and Paper industry is one of the more destructive and energy consuming industries in the modernised world
• One tonne of paper uses over 19,000 gallons of water
• In order for us to consume our fair share of the world's wood resources we would need to reduce our consumption by 73%.
• The UK is the fifth highest consumer of paper and board in the world.
• On average, each of us consumes 198 kg of paper and board per year.
• London offices churn out three and a quarter million tonnes of office and printing paper a year.
• The US conservation pressure group Conservatree has calculated that on average one ton of uncoated non-recycled printing and office paper uses 24 trees.
• Paper accounts for 42% of industrial forest use.

Reducing Commercial Refridgeration Costs

I mentioned before about becoming a green provocateur, and trying to suggest ways to companies to reduce their energy consumption, saving money and reducing CO2 emissions. Whilst I have yet to be proactive, I belive my first attempt failed stiffling my ambitions, as I received no reply.

I thought I would look closer to home for my second choice and thus emailed the directors of my medium sized employer, with about 140 employees. The issue at hand was commercial refridgeration, at each of the ten locations they operate, each store has about two to four commercial refridgeration units.

The solution to reducing the energy consumed across the group is a small wax cube measuring about 3 inches squared and simply mimics the food in your fridge, by hooking up the fridge or freezer thermostat. As the air temperature in the unit rapidly changes the food temperature does not drop as quickly. The wax cube allows the fridge to work less hard, more efficiently without compromising food quality or safety, by reducing the amount of cooling cycles. Typically saving about 16 to 33% of the energy required.

Savings on walk-in fridges and freezers could be as high as 1500 kWh per annum, which would translate to about £150 in savings and almost 750kg of CO2 reduced. My quick calculations suggest as a group we could save about 40 000 kWh per annum, £4000, and almost 20 tonnes of CO2, across our ten locations, I will also forward this on to our parent company which operates almost 1000 locations across the UK.

So what is this miracle wax cube with such potential, it is the eCube. Developed by Guy Lamstaes and colleagues and gained them a place on the Guardian's fifty people who could save the planet.

It has some strong support across the industry with testimonials from;

"We have carried out an independent trial with an eCube in one of our on-site kitchens, through the trial we made an energy saving of 17.78%. Based on these savings we will be rolling out the eCube across all of our sites. It is a simple idea that seems to be very effective in energy saving which will lead to a reduction in CO2 emissions."
Mike Wells, Head of Facilities, npower

If you are interested in having an eCube or two, you will be happy to realise they don't cost the earth at a mere £25 each, with a potential payback in two to four months, it's not a surprise how these are being implemented across the country.

The Wall of Open Doors

Wall of Shame


After ranting about companies keeping their doors open, and the waste generated by such practices, I promised I would go out on the streets and get some evidence of which companies were the big offenders. After some procrastination due to bad weather, I eventually went out on to the streets today (as I had to do something else for work anyway) to take some pictures of national companies that simply don't want to close their doors. Today was cold, wet, windy and miserable (it rained for 3 hours before I went out, and I was almost blown off my feet as I walked down the street, so you would like to think that UK retailers would be closing the doors to keep their staff and customers warm. If you thought this you would be wrong. Above is a montage of pictures with the offenders on the day. I will be out again some day in the next week at another location to take more pictures. I will email most of today's offenders asking what their company policy is on the issue. If I get any replies I will add them to the post.

On a positive note most small independent retailers kept their doors shut and some big names such as Orange and Boots also kept their doors closed.

If you would like to add to the montage please email your pics to support@howtosaveenergy.co.uk

List of Shame (Please Click on linked store to read their response to our queries);
Argos
Birthday's
The Body Shop
Bon Marche
Burton
The Carphone Warehouse
Clockwork Orange
French Connection
Game
Holland & Barrett
Mothercare (automated doors permanently open)
Next
O2
Oxfam
River Island
Thornton's
Top Shop
Vodafone
Waterstones
Woolworths (automated doors permanently open)

List of Fame;
Action Cancer
Boots
Cancer Research
Orange
The Post Office
Specsavers