M&S - a sustainable future with Plan A

The big push to get eco-friendly and Fairtrade goods out of the specialist market and onto the High Street had another nudge last week, as Marks and Spencer's CEO Mark Bolland outlined the chain's commitment to it's environmental approach.
Plan A, the umbrella term for M&S's green initiatives, has already been a big success, and it's an approach that M&S want to build on. Bolland says:

"...we see Plan A as more about engagement with the consumers, we want to make it a more emotional and tangible concept so that consumers really do buy into the whole sustainability issue.”

Plan A contributed £70million to M&S profits in 2010-11, nearly a third up on last year. Customers are buying more and more goods made from recycled, FSC-certified and Fairtrade materials. Over a million of them bought products that related in a direct charity donation, from ranges like the Fashion Target T-shirt for Breakthrough Breast cancer.
M&S has also confirmed that 25% of their cotton will be coming from sustainable sources by 2015, going up to 50% by 2020.
For a big hitter on the High Street to take ethical fashion and Fairtrade so seriously, and for their customers to embrace the end products so wholeheartedly, shows that big business is starting to see the benefits to a more sustainable, eco-friendly approach. And that has to be good news for all of us.

Keeping An Eye On The Big Society

With all the hoopla, furore and general whoop-te-doo surrounding the Murdochs, Sky and a newspaper industry that's looking more like a badly run spy network everyday, it's important to keep your eyes open for the other news announcements. The ones that get sneaked out while everyone's looking somewhere else. Even if they're not bad news, you have to wonder why the story has to come out at that moment.

The latest example of this has been David Cameron's renewal of the Big Society pledge. This is the coalition's attempt to bring public services up to speed by allowing volunteer, charity and business interests to compete for their provision. Competition is, after all, a good thing, leading to more choice and value for money.

Well, yes and no. I agree wholeheartedly that the volunteer and charity sector is vital to the well-being of the country. I'm completely behind the notion that communities should help each other out, that local knowledge trumps diktats from a remote central office. And I also believe that we can see when there is a need for community action, and are able to quickly unite to solve problems. We Brits are also a charitable bunch - look at what we do every year for Comic Relief, for urgent DEC fundraising efforts in places like the Sudan. Frankly, we already get The Big Society.

The thing is, I'm not sure that Cameron and the coalition government do. Savage cuts to council funding have already started to bite the very groups on which this new strategy is supposed to depend. Across the country, these groups are scaling back services or are forced to close just at the point when they are being asked to take on a more frontline role.

And that's the thing that worries me most. Charities and volunteer groups should enhance and complement, not replace existing local services. When councils decide to displace, for example, trained professional librarians with a squad of volunteers, there's clearly no understanding that it's a complex and labour-intensive job. It's not simply shelf-stacking, and you can't pick it up in an afternoon. Worse, what is supposed to happen in deprived areas where people simply can't afford the time to help out?

I'm not alone in thinking this either. Oxfam's trading director David McCullough has already spoken out on the issue after the charity was approached by other councils for advice on using volunteers. He says:

"A vibrant, engaged community starts from an investment in infrastructure and skills, which can then be supplemented with a willing volunteer base. Cutting jobs for trained staff and hoping to fill the space with volunteers will not deliver a stable, long-term solution."

I think that while there is nothing wrong in principle with The Big Society idea, there are big problems in the way it's being implemented and managed. And I also can't help but agree with critics who suspect at a time when local councils are having to cut budgets by 27% over four years, placing responsibility on local residents is just cover for cutting council services. When the budgets for the groups who are supposed to take up the slack are being cut as well, you have to wonder who's in charge, and what they think they're playing at.

A Walk In The Park for Ian and Ali

We're a charitable bunch at Pier 32, and believe in showing our support for the right causes. Even if it does mean a little more effort than usual.

One of our customers, the young person's charity Envision, is holding a sponsored walk event this Saturday 16th July, and our Business Development Director Ian will be taking part. The route is a gentle 20 mile stroll from Hampton Court Bridge to Battersea Park. Ian is bringing along Pier 32 mascot and future head of the company Ali, who will no doubt be helping his dad over the finish line. As Ian is also the Pier 32 Voice Of Twitter, expect lots of updates on the state of his blisters.

You can support Envision, and help Ian and Ali on their way at their JustGiving page. And please do keep an eye on Pier 32's new charities section, highlighting events and news from our charitable customers.

The Ethical Directory

You can find Pier32 listed on more and more worthwhile ecolistings sites these days. The latest, we are happy and proud to announce, is The Ethical Directory, part of The Offset Warehouse.

They are the the first UK online retailer to bring together all the elements needed to create ethical clothing and interiors. Bringing together a wide range of eco-friendly and fairtrade fabrics, haberdashery, garments and resources, The Offset Warehouse are dedicated to making it easy to be responsible and fashionable.

Of course, that's always been the motivating factor for Pier 32, so it's great to be recognised and promoted by an initiative that shares so many of our core values. You can find our page of the Directory here. While you're at it, why not see what else The Offset Warehouse have to offer?

Vivienne Westwood Goes Ethical

Vivienne Westwood, doyenne of high fashion, has recently launched a collection of bags and accessories as part of the Ethical Fashion Programme. This initiative has helped over 7000 women in Nairobi, Kenya to start to make a life for themselves. The income they get allows them to send their kids to school and helps to pay medical bills. This is a great project, helping to raise the standard of living in one of the world's poorest countries. Needless to say, the bags are also made from recycled materials to high specifications. 

We shouldn't be surprised at Vivienne's involvement in this kind of work. She's something of a green pioneer, urging people to buy fewer clothes, but to choose well when they do. That's an attitude that we at Pier32 heartily endorse. Our clothes are ethically produced and made to last. We're not making any plans to start rolling out Westwood-style crinolines and bustiers yet, but who knows what the future could bring? 

Pier 32 On Greenfinder

Shopping is tough. It can be hard work to find a safe way through the maze of suppliers and e-tailers, and tougher still if you want to take an ethical path.

Greenfinder can help guide you through that maze to find the right service for your needs. Like a green version of the Yellow Pages, they have listings for just about any eco-friendly product your little heart could desire. Whether you're looking for organic baby shampoo, fairtrade footwear or a way to make your garden that little bit greener, Greenfinder has got you covered.

We're pleased as punch to announce that Pier 32 are now listed in Greenfinder's Eco Office And Green Business Service listings. We're delighted to be in the directory, and we happen to think we're in very good company.

The Big Issue

This week saw another first for Pier32 - our debut appearance in The Big Issue magazine. The idea was first suggested to us by the delightful and charming Jenny Bryan who came to visit us at UK Aware earlier this year (another Pier32 debut event). As anyone who has seen the article will already know, we have an excellent relationship with The Big Issue Foundation and have supplied them consistently for over 5 years now. In fact, we had a quick check through our archives and discovered we did our first Big Issue job back in 2004. At the time of writing this entry, our Big Issue article and advertisement is still in the current issue available from your local vendor, the Big Issue week runs from Monday to Sunday. You can find us on page 34 (although we may not appear in all regional variations).

Now for an introduction. Rob Wickings - you can find him on Twitter as @Conojito - will be joining the Pier32 team and writing regular blog entries for us on a wide range of varying and relevant issues. Over to you, Rob...
 

Festival Volunteering - Guest Blog

Today's entry has been kindly provided by Hotbox Events and DC Site Services - two great customers of our ethical clothing range which they use as uniforms for their staff, stewards and volunteers...

The festival season is one of the highlights of the British summer and no other country provides such an eclectic mix of events. The festival industry is growing from strength to strength with new events arriving on the scene and established festivals increasing capacity. Large festivals need a lot of staff to keep the cogs turning and the growth in the industry is great news for event staff and volunteers.

If you've never been to a festival before - or even if you're a seasoned veteran - working or volunteering at a festival can add a whole new side to the experience. Our friends at PAAM have put together a comprehensive guide to working and volunteering at festivals. So, what's it all about?

Festival Volunteering.

If you choose to volunteer at a music festival you’ll typically work a lot less hours than the paid staff and you’ll also receive a host of other benefits. It’ll probably come as music to many festival goers’ ears that volunteers get to camp in a dedicated staff area with separate toilets and showers! Although you don’t get paid you’re free to enjoy the festival when not working a shift. Hotbox Events provides volunteers to festivals including Latitude, Reading, Leeds and Big Chill. In return for a ticket, staff camping and all the other benefits you’ll need to work three eight hour shifts. You can apply for festival volunteering positions with Hotbox Events.

Festival Staff (Paid Positions).

Working at Festivals with a company such as DC Site Services means you’ll earn money by working at some of the biggest music festivals in the UK. DC Site Services provide stewards and staff to the majority of music festivals in the UK including Glastonbury, Latitude, Reading, Leeds, T4 On The Beach, Green Man Festival, Electric Picnic and Proms in the Park. With such a large range of events on their calendar there is a real opportunity to work for pretty much the whole summer. Job roles include stewards, car park attendants, fire marshals and more. You can apply for festival stewarding and staff positions with DC Site Services.

Finally, if you're heading to a festival this summer check out PAAM's festival survival guide for some great tips on getting the most out of the season. Enjoy the summer!

A Brand New Website

In all its glory, the new Pier32 website is up and running for all to see. This is only the beginning though as many new features and products are still to come. A surprising amount of work goes into a website, especially one that has over 400 pages yet is still only in an initial launch stage! I won't babble on in techno-speak about 'slugs' and 'metatags', suffice to say that a lot of effort went into every little detail and we hope you like the end result (or at least, the beginning of the end result). I'm keeping this post deliberately brief because I still have several hundred pages of products to add and I must get back to it as soon as possible!

Getting Ready For The Season

In general terms, the promotional clothing industry has historically been more active from Easter until Autumn. This year, with the wedding holiday coming quickly after a late Easter, things are likely to get really busy in May, but many people are likely to be in for a bit of a shock as they start to receive quotations for this summer's events and promotions. Cotton prices have risen massively - around 60% within the last year - and that cost has to be passed on down the line from growers and manufacturers to decorators and, ultimately, customers.

Caused by devestating floods in Asia and then followed by unrest in Northern Africa the average garment price could be almost double that of last year. And polyester has been affected too as many producers search for alternatives to cotton, causing increased demand and therefore increased prices.

Another consequence of the lack of cotton (which on reflection seems rather obvious) has been a lack of garments - ranges and styles have either been dropped completely or produced in greatly reduced quantities as manufacturers try to second guess the demands of customers by concentrating their efforts into what they think will be wanted the most.

It's not all bad news though. Here at Pier32 we've been working closely with manufacturers and suppliers for decades and we have access to well over 50 brands offering hundreds of ranges and thousands of garment styles between them. Like so many other products at the moment, they may cost a bit more than last year, but we'll do our best to find the best offers for you.

Importantly though, we will not compromise on ethics, so you are safe in the knowledge that the clothing you buy from us has not been produced at the expense of others that may be in more vulnerable positions than we are here in the UK.