Join the co-operative’s revolution!
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As you know, I’m a fan of The Co-operative. They have some great ethical policies ranging from human rights to the environment, plus they stock a good range of organic and fairtrade food.
With regards to the 3 Rs and a zero waste strategy, the organisation was the first retailer to run a successful packaging waste minimisation project with WRAP, they sell ‘naked cucumbers’ which save eight tonnes of shrink wrap per annum, and their IT equipment is reused, by donating it to charities.
The Co-operative Group is owned by its consumers rather than shareholders and every year The Co-operative supports thousands of initiatives, helping people to change the world. They also send me some juicy vouchers before Christmas to reward me for my membership 😉
They’ve recently launched a TV commercial which tells how the Rochdale Pioneers, who established the first successful co-operative in 1844, started a revolution which is still going strong. Now, in 2011, you have a chance to Join the revolution as well!
The hunt is on for the best revolutions up and down the country. All you have to do is submit your initiative and the most popular revolution from each region will receive £5,000.
Revolutions are split into 4 categories:
Combating climate change
Benefiting the community
Tacking global poverty
Inspiring young people
One initiative is linked to a story we shared at the beginning of the year about Seeds for Food. Seeds for food can turn your every day discarded seeds into healthy and nutritious food for families in Malawi.
If they are awarded £5,000 it will enable the project to begin construction of an Education Centre and also provide seeds, tools and resources for the children of Malawi.
Closer to home, a cycle workshop in Oxford, who currently sell recycled bicycles, is expanding to offer cycle training.
Their aim is to make cycling accessible for anyone in Oxford through hosting cycle skills events and tailored maintenance programmes. They also hold workshops in community centres and work with schools and organisations like the Youth Offending Service.
For fans of facebook and to get involved yourself, why not ‘like’ the Co-operatives facebook page? This week on their wall you can find out why Chief Executive Peter Marks thinks rival supermarkets are playing catch-up in the ethics game and you can follow an interesting discussion raised by one fan about Freegans who were thrown out of the area by security guards when trying to ‘recycle’ food…
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I remember learning about the co-op from history lessons at school, all those years ago. I remember the reason it was started in the first place so it seems that not much has changed since then.I wish we had a co-op here, then I could buy a cucumber.