Promises, promises…

I know it’s not done to go on about how many emails you receive - we all have our crosses to bear and I’m not saying my return to the office after a long weekend is likely to be any worse than yours. But I have noticed a meteoric rise in the number of press releases that plop into my inbox from Companies Doing Something Green.
And yet, when I read them closely, it generally emerges that said company is not doing pioneering pea-green thing, not quite yet, but planning to. In other words, it’s a promise. So, I make a mental note to follow up in a few months’ time - providing my scribbles and post-it notes are still around. Until it occurred to me that if I put the promise up on the blog, not only do I have a reminder of who has promised what but I can call upon you, dear readers, to tell me if any of the ‘green actions’ are happening near you.

To kick off Promise of the Week, here are a few:

Like traffic lanes reserved for vehicles carrying several people, Waitrose confirmed a green tills initiative in September that allows customers who do not require a plastic bag to use a separate checkout. Fantastic idea, I’m all for it, but I’ve yet to be taken aside and given special treatment because I’m carrying my new Plastic Aint My Bag.

Gordon Brown has promised that all new dwellings in Britain will be zero carbon by 2016 - if you're wondering what that means click here - and that there will be free insulation and discounts on low-energy light bulbs and efficient appliances. While this is a long time to wait to be able to say “but please, Mr Prime Minister, you promised us…”, what I’m hoping to see here is any signs that progress is being made.

Sainsbury's announced a ban on palm oil from unsustainable sources in its own-brand food last week. It says that this will be done by next May. The total phase-out (in all products that it sells) will follow, and by July, it intends to label the use of palm oil in all foods. Good call, Sainsbury’s, so far so good. But, remember, Eco Worrier is watching you...

Comments

[Brien Comerford]

Let's hope and even pray that promises to curtail pollution and global warming, and to save endagered species, will finally ACTUALIZE !!

[Brien Comerford]

REVISION: Save endangered species !

[Camilla France-Hayhurst]

Waitrose is clearly putting its promises into practice near me! I always have my lovely jute Turnham Green bags with me so waltz straight through the short queue dedicated only for people who don't need plastic bags.

[Chet]

This is a GREAT idea! I hope to see more. The PR of going green is exploding right now. I'm glad its at least in the PR world's orbit, but so far there is a lot of talk.

[ClandonMan]

Good idea Anna. We'll keep an eye on these promises.

[cindy]

I am refusing to have children to help save the planet .. I have also convinced several other "green" friends to make the same pledge.. If only the rest of the "In name only GREEN" people out there would do the same we could save the planet. I am tired of people who only talk about being GREEN yet are not willing to make this sacrifice for our world... So many fake Greens out there are too selfish and destroying the planet with their children....

[Camilla France-Hayhurst]

Correction: I went my local Waitrose today and asked whether they still have the green tills and sadly it seems that it was only a two week promotion for buying their heavy-duty plastic bags and they no longer have the green tills - what a shame!

[John Gregory Flinn]

"Plastic aint my bag" is ambiguous and could also mean you don't use credit cards.
Which may well be an even greener policy pursuit in an indirect way. Your spending on mere consumption can be controlled.

I would'nt hold your breath on such PR missives. Any promise will end up at the expense of something else.