Cornerstone Housing Co-operative
Ethical Purchasing policy
This is a statement of good practice for Cornerstone
purchasing. We aim to follow it wherever possible but it is not
a set of rules. To find out the best ethical buys or other information
the Ethical Consumer magazine and ethical purchasing wallet are
kept in the meeting room
Reduce - return - reuse - recycle
Issue:
The consumer society is unsustainable and encourages
people to buy goods that they don't actually need or want. The
basis of an ethical purchasing policy must be to reduce inputs
by buying less and reduce the outputs by wasting less.
Action:
Reduce consumption by avoiding unnecessary purchases
and disposeable goods. Return egg boxes and milk bottles. Reuse
goods and packaging. Recycle anything else and buy recycled goods
Fair Trade
Issue:
Many commodities e.g. Tea, are grown in third world
countries as cash crops. Workers are subjected to poor and often
unsafe working conditions and paid very low wages. Multinationals
take most of the profits. Fairly traded goods ensure that producers
and workers are paid a fair price for their produce and labour.
Action:
We buy fairly traded tea, coffee, sugar, cocoa and
chocolate (available from many shops including Beano, Shared Earth,
Traidcraft, Oxfam and lembas )
Food Miles
Issue:
Many foods that we buy are imported from countries
thousands of miles away. E.g. Kenyan green beans. The transport
costs are offset by the low prices paid to producers, which again
raises issues of fair trading. A major concern is the environmental
impact of transporting food long distances by air, causing pollution
and wasting non-renewable resources.
Action:
We buy food that has been produced as close to home
as possible e.g. English rather than Spanish onions. We try to
avoid buying exotic or out of season vegetables that can only
be bought from overseas countries.
Healthy foods
Issue:
Most food is produced using vast quantities of fertilisers,
pesticides and herbicides. The manufacture, transport and use
of these causes air, land and water pollution. The type of farming
that has evolved around using artificial inputs reduces species
diversity and speeds up soil erosion. Residues found in food are
a major cause for concern. Organic food is produced safely and
sustainably, using methods such as crop rotation to maintain the
fertility of the soil and reduce the need for inputs. Processed
foods often contain high levels of fat, salt and sugar, as well
as additives.
Action:
We buy organic food when it costs up to 50% more
than non-organic food. We aim to grow more of our own vegetables.
We aim to buy less processed foods, and make our own from organic
ingredients.
Animal rights
Issue:
All meat, dairy and poultry products (unless labelled
as free-range or organic) are part of the factory farming system,
which is inherently cruel and denies animals a decent quality
of life. Toiletries, household cleaners etc. are tested on animals
unless the goods are marked cruelty-free.
Action:
We are all vegetarian and do not consume any meat,
fish or foods containing animal ingredients (e.g. animal fat,
gelatine, rennet) in the houses. Some of us are vegan and we respect
this when cooking communally. We only buy organic, free-range
eggs. We aim to reduce our reliance on dairy products in our diets.
We buy toiletries and cleaners from companies that have an ethical
policy and do not test on animals.
Packaging
Issue:
Many goods are unnecessarily packed in several layers
of plastic, paper, cardboard etc. These are often bound together
and are not recycleable.
Action:
We buy loose goods and avoid packaging, especially
where it is not reusable. Glass and paper/cardboard are preferable
to plastics and metal. Buying in bulk reduces the amount of packaging
per unit volume. We reuse carrier bags for shopping and refuse
plastic bags where possible.
Chemicals
Issue:
All Chemicals such as toiletries and household cleaners
cause pollution during the manufacturing process and by passing
into the water systems via drains and landfill sites after use.
Action:
We buy fully biodegradable cleaning products and
avoid nasty chemicals such as chlorinated bleach
DIY products
Issue:
There is a vast DIY industry intent on selling us
products that we don't really need.
Action:
We aim to reuse existing or reclaimed materials such
as timber and bricks. We use second hand paint from the Repaint
scheme organised by SWAP or buy environmentally sound paint if
this isn't possible. We try and source products from ethical suppliers.
We avoid waste by looking after tools and brushes
Local VS Global
Issue:
National and multi-national companies increasingly
dominate the high street. They are able to charge lower prices
due to buying in bulk, squeezing smaller suppliers out of business.
Only a very small percent of money spent in these stores goes
back into the local economy. Multi-national companies are often
involved in dodgy activities all over te world.
Action:
We shop locally if possible and buy locally produced
goods. We support locally owned business (especially if they have
an ethical policy) and workers co-ops
LETS (Local exchange trading system)
Issue:
LETS empower people by enabling them to trade goods
and services outside the formal economy. This reduces reliance
on money and helps to build up links within the community.
Action:
Cornerstone is a member of Leeds Lets and aims to
use the services of other members
