Replies to Please Close the Door

Holland & Barret

Being the UK’s leading health food store we have been committed to ‘green’ for many years now. Holland & Barrett 'Plan-It Green' environmental policy extends from care and responsibility in the community, to climate change and reducing waste. Throughout our history we have supported the manufacture and supply of the products we sell, in ways which help to protect the world's natural resources and habitats.

Our commitment is not only to our ‘local’ environment, but we endeavour to minimise the implications of our operations to the global community. We aim to reduce our carbon emissions and, if they cannot be eliminated, invest in carbon offsetting programmes to achieve carbon neutral status. We have invested in our own recycling centre based at our main distribution depot, which processes 95% of all our recyclable waste. By 2012, we aim to make all our consumer packaging on our own label packaging recyclable and our carrier bags biodegradable.

We still have a way to go, to minimalise our carbon footprint,but we have made significant improvements over a number of years. The retail sector is competitive and open door strategies are used by many retailers large and small to encourage customer footfall into store,a key driver of the business, helping us remain competitive and maintain employment for approx. 3500 employees across the UK. We are continually looking at ways in which to improve our green credentials, and will look into the specific issue you have raised, again.

Thorntons

All our stores have air-conditioning fitted to ensure that a cool temperature is maintained throughout. This is to ensure that our products are kept at their best before purchase. However, I would like to assure you that the Store Managers do have the authority to close external doors in extreme weather conditions.

Our Store Managers and Area Business Managers work hard to provide an environment where it is a pleasure to both work and shop. I have also passed your comments onto our Retail and Shop Development departments for future reference.

Picture: Tesco Commited to Saving their 20%

If there was an advert for Tesco showing support to the Energy Saving Trust's campaign, it might look at little like this. This is my local tesco minus a "C" as it has suffered an electrical fault. On another note tesco have launched a Green Gift Guide on their Environment section on tesco.com.

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

Picture: UN Bali Conference Protest

Indonesian police watch an anti-pollution protest outside the 2007 UN climate change conference on the island of Bali.