what you can do now

Little things can make a big difference...

Want to change the world without changing your lifestyle? Here are four simple ways of changing your shopping habits to help make a big difference.

Look out for the Fairtrade logo. Fairtrade ensures that producers in developing countries get a better deal for their produce. The additional premium they receive can be used to improve their working and living conditions, and for community projects such as providing clean drinking water.

Did you know that we were the first major retailer to champion Fairtrade? In fact, we’ve been offering Fairtrade products since 1994. All our own-brand sugar, tea, coffee, hot chocolate, block chocolate and cotton wool is now Fairtrade, and we have the widest range of Fairtrade wines available.

Buying previously used products or re-using things you already own reduces the amount of waste that goes into landfill. Don’t forget to recycle the things you use too, like paper, glass and plastic bottles.

We’re passionate about waste reduction here at The Co-operative Group:

• In 2008, we reduced our packaging by 5,000 tonnes – and remain one of the few retailers who have been able to show an overall reduction
• Our Fairtrade cotton shopping bag was a supermarket first when we introduced it and reduces the need for plastic carrier bags
• Our head office waste paper is turned into the own-brand kitchen and toilet roll that we sell in our food stores.

If you want to make sure the household and cosmetic products you buy haven’t been tested on animals, look for products carrying the British Union for the Abolition of Vivisection (BUAV) logo. You can also ensure the foods you buy guarantee a higher standard of animal welfare, by choosing products that show The Co-operative Group’s own Elmwood standard or the RSPCA’s Freedom Food standard.

Our concern for animal welfare touches so much of what we do, from food and toiletries to financial services:

• All of our own-brand toiletries and household cleaning products are accredited to the Humane Cosmetics and Humane Household Products Standard respectively
• Between 1992 and 2009 The Co-operative Bank refused over £211 million of loans to businesses that conflicted with customers’ concerns for animal welfare
• Our food stores only sell eggs that are free range or organic
• In 2008 the RSPCA awarded us the first ever Lifetime Achievement Award for our commitment to animal welfare.

There is a wide range of energy-efficient products available that use less energy and have less impact on the environment. To take just one example, energy-efficient light bulbs last 12 times longer than standard ones, and each one can save you up to £10 a year in energy costs.

You’ll find energy-efficient light bulbs in most of our stores, plus The Co-operative Online Shop stocks a variety of different energy-saving products to help you can do your bit.

As you would expect, we’re always looking for ways to be energy-efficient ourselves. During 2007, 99% of The Co-operative Group’s electricity came from good quality, renewable (or green) sources, such as wind and water power.

Linda Ward is a member from Newtown, play the short video below to hear about how she has been inspired by The Co-operative Group to actively recycle and conserve energy at home in order to help change the world.