We've researched and collated all kinds of useful information to create our easy reference Info Sheets.
Find out what you need to know and where to go to get it. The topics are wide ranging and cover: carpets, eco-holidays, paint, money, travel, cosmetics, finance, energy and so much more...
You can download as many info sheets as you need, (pdf below) or pop into our Surrey Street office, say hello and pick up a paper copy.
We update them as and when new information becomes available. If you notice that some information is out of date, missing, or have news to share with us, please get in touch.
Click on the image and right click to save the PDF (Note: File sizes are between 1 and 2 MB so it could take a while)
Carpets & Flooring
Everyone loves the sensation of a fluffy woolly carpet, but what are the environmental costs of that luxurious rug? Among the issues we can count are: the use of child labour; poor working conditions for those employed in manufacture; and environmental and health concerns in the production process.
Clothing & Footwear
With the growth of cheap stores such as Primark, we’re buying more clothes and shoes than ever before. The changing nature of fashion makes it ultimately unsustainable and until the day that it becomes unfashionable to be fashionable, we need to make some smart clothes choices.
Cycling, Public Transport & Aviation
Eagle-eyed traffic wardens, rising petrol costs and perpetual traffic jams. If these aren’t reasons enough to use more public transport and bicycles for short journeys, keep in mind the environmental benefits! For the wider world (and your sanity to boot) many short trips are best accomplished by leaving the car at home.
Decorating
Interior decorating can make our homes nicer places to live in. However, many paints and other DIY products are derived from non-degradable petrochemicals, contain toxins and the production process lack energy efficiency.
Energy in the Home
We use electricity for so many tasks every day that it is easy to take it for granted. However, it is important to consider where our energy comes from and what impact it has on our local environment. In the UK, the largest contributor to carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions are the power stations that burn fossil fuels to generate electricity.
Food
Living in a city as compact as Brighton & Hove leaves little room for growing our own veggies, so many of us shop for food. The best and easiest way to be an ethical food shopper is to buy local and favour produce that is local, seasonal and organic.
Holidays
Does the idea of mountain climbing and cycling for a holiday leave you chomping at the bit, or filled with despair? Would you rather lounge in the sun all day, or take in the sights and sounds of an ancient city for the weekend? There are a million different holidays for a million different tastes.
Household Cleaning
Planning a Spring clean? Here’s some information to show you that ‘hygienically’ clean doesn’t always mean healthily clean. Not only do the toxic and problematic chemicals contained in cleaning products pollute our waterways, they also significantly contribute to indoor air pollution which is directly linked to the increase in asthma cases.
Money & Financial Services
Knowing the financial nuts and bolts of high-street banks may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but wouldn’t it be nice to understand where the money from the hole-in-the-wall is from? To explain this, and help you make an informed decision about how your hard earned pennies are used, here's a simple summary of what’s going on beneath the dotted lines and black (often red!) ink.
Motor Vehicles
Although the environmental utopia of free & efficient mass transit for all may be an ultimate aim, for many the daily grind involves the necessity of ‘conventional’ transport – cars, motorbikes, lorries. Clothes and food are often delivered by lorries; school-children arrive by bus or family car; millions of us travel to work in private cars. See how you can make a green car choice.
Toiletries & Cosmetics
Brush - gargle - rinse - floss. Wash - exfoliate - moisturise. We know how, but what about ‘where’? The ingredients of ubiquitous toiletries such as toothpaste and soap are often the subject of debate. Brighton's own Body Shop founder Anita Roddick is certainly one of the better known advocates of ethical beauty, but there's plenty more to choose from.
Water
Water, water, everywhere, but not a drop to drink. Water scarcity is a major concern on the global agenda. British hose-pipe bans will be well known by most, profound effects of water shortages in sub-Saharan Africa by many more.
Wood Products
Forests are the world’s lungs, filtering out carbon dioxide (CO2) from the atmosphere. Deforestation is occurring at an alarming rate, destroying natural habitats and accounting for up to 25% of global CO2 emissions. Only 20% of the world’s ancient forests are left.