Green Business
Should businesses be ‘green’?
YES says Renee Elliot, founder of Planet Organic, Britain’s first eco-friendly supermarket
"Businesses, because they have so much power, should be ‘green’ and environmentally responsible in as many ways as possible - energy efficient, recycling, waste disposal.
But being green is more than that - they should be ethical in the way they treat their workers and their clients, and be kind to the land. When we opened in 1995, we wanted to use recycled stationery but it was too expensive to justify the cost. So we concentrated on recycling our cardboard, which we pay for, but which we use in huge volume. You have to look at what you’d like to do and then see what the costs are. But there’s no excuse. You can always start with something and increase your contribution over time.
I set up Planet Organic because I saw this concept of eating totally organically on the East Coast of America. I figured it would keep me happy because I love food! I live, eat, breathe, drink, sleep Planet Organic - so this is my life. There is no separation between how I am and what I do at work versus at home. My life is dedicated to healthy eating and sustainable agriculture whether I’m at work or it’s my day off. I think that it’s easier for people to switch to a healthier and ethical lifestyle nowadays. It’s very easy to go organic.
All of the major supermarkets are providing organic foods now. If everyone bought a few organic things each time they shopped, it would completely change the food market in the UK. If people thought about the impact that the choices they make in the supermarket have on their health and the environment, they might think twice about what they put in their trolley. Every person can make a small difference with some simple decisions. It doesn’t have to be a huge burden - it can be easy and tasty to be ‘green’."
NO says Duncan Sandy, proprietor of The Soup Kitchen, Stafford, a small restaurant
"I run a small restaurant in the centre of Stafford. In the business we try to be as environmentally aware as we can. We recycle the oil from our fryers - a man picks it up each week - we use free-range eggs and recycle our bottles.
However, being totally ‘green’ is impossible for a restaurant like The Soup Kitchen. Our menus are the same all year round - that’s the way our customers like it. If we were to switch to an organic menu I think we’d have difficulty finding reliable and consistent suppliers that could offer us the same products throughout the year, as foods change from season to season. The food we buy needs to have an adequate shelf life so that it lasts over a period of time so as to avoid any wastage. Organic products don’t have much of a shelf life so we’d waste food that we just can’t afford to.
The main reason for not being organic is cost. My restaurant is one of many in a small area and we attract regular customers by offering low prices. I just don’t think we could increase sales if we offered an organic menu as our customers are attracted by cheap prices. If I were to switch to an organic menu I would have to charge more as the supplies would cost more. I would lose customers, as they would just go down the street to the cheaper restaurant. At this moment, unless organic produce comes down in price, it just wouldn’t be economically viable for my business to go totally ‘green’."
Viewers responses
From Gaynor Witchard, studying for the OU course ’An Introduction to Social Sciences’
"While I agree with Renee Ellliot that businesses should be green, it’s not just a case of everyone buying something organic. My studies have begun to show me that market forces totally rely on only those customers who can afford to pay the price asked. Although there can be scope to reduce prices for producers to remain in profit, a state of equilibrium is not always possible. Having said this, if the markets rely on us as customers, then it would follow that they should listen to our concerns. But not everyone can participate in certain markets for reasons of cost, therefore, poorer consumers’ views are not taken into consideration, even though they may be more environmentally conscious than richer people. The debate is quite complex and unless we, as human beings, become more environmentally friendly our children will reap the consequences."
YES says Renee Elliot, founder of Planet Organic, Britain’s first eco-friendly supermarket
"Businesses, because they have so much power, should be ‘green’ and environmentally responsible in as many ways as possible - energy efficient, recycling, waste disposal.
But being green is more than that - they should be ethical in the way they treat their workers and their clients, and be kind to the land. When we opened in 1995, we wanted to use recycled stationery but it was too expensive to justify the cost. So we concentrated on recycling our cardboard, which we pay for, but which we use in huge volume. You have to look at what you’d like to do and then see what the costs are. But there’s no excuse. You can always start with something and increase your contribution over time.
I set up Planet Organic because I saw this concept of eating totally organically on the East Coast of America. I figured it would keep me happy because I love food! I live, eat, breathe, drink, sleep Planet Organic - so this is my life. There is no separation between how I am and what I do at work versus at home. My life is dedicated to healthy eating and sustainable agriculture whether I’m at work or it’s my day off. I think that it’s easier for people to switch to a healthier and ethical lifestyle nowadays. It’s very easy to go organic.
All of the major supermarkets are providing organic foods now. If everyone bought a few organic things each time they shopped, it would completely change the food market in the UK. If people thought about the impact that the choices they make in the supermarket have on their health and the environment, they might think twice about what they put in their trolley. Every person can make a small difference with some simple decisions. It doesn’t have to be a huge burden - it can be easy and tasty to be ‘green’."
NO says Duncan Sandy, proprietor of The Soup Kitchen, Stafford, a small restaurant
"I run a small restaurant in the centre of Stafford. In the business we try to be as environmentally aware as we can. We recycle the oil from our fryers - a man picks it up each week - we use free-range eggs and recycle our bottles.
However, being totally ‘green’ is impossible for a restaurant like The Soup Kitchen. Our menus are the same all year round - that’s the way our customers like it. If we were to switch to an organic menu I think we’d have difficulty finding reliable and consistent suppliers that could offer us the same products throughout the year, as foods change from season to season. The food we buy needs to have an adequate shelf life so that it lasts over a period of time so as to avoid any wastage. Organic products don’t have much of a shelf life so we’d waste food that we just can’t afford to.
The main reason for not being organic is cost. My restaurant is one of many in a small area and we attract regular customers by offering low prices. I just don’t think we could increase sales if we offered an organic menu as our customers are attracted by cheap prices. If I were to switch to an organic menu I would have to charge more as the supplies would cost more. I would lose customers, as they would just go down the street to the cheaper restaurant. At this moment, unless organic produce comes down in price, it just wouldn’t be economically viable for my business to go totally ‘green’."
Viewers responses
From Gaynor Witchard, studying for the OU course ’An Introduction to Social Sciences’
"While I agree with Renee Ellliot that businesses should be green, it’s not just a case of everyone buying something organic. My studies have begun to show me that market forces totally rely on only those customers who can afford to pay the price asked. Although there can be scope to reduce prices for producers to remain in profit, a state of equilibrium is not always possible. Having said this, if the markets rely on us as customers, then it would follow that they should listen to our concerns. But not everyone can participate in certain markets for reasons of cost, therefore, poorer consumers’ views are not taken into consideration, even though they may be more environmentally conscious than richer people. The debate is quite complex and unless we, as human beings, become more environmentally friendly our children will reap the consequences."
Bookmark with:
Please wait while loading. You must have JavaScript enabled to view star ratings.
Comments
Please wait while loading. You must have JavaScript enabled to view comments.
![Living in the Arctic [photo: Nathan Gallagher]](http://www.open2.net/open2static/source/file/root/63/38/260491/house_iceberg_prog.jpg "Photo: Nathan Gallagher")
