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Feng Shui Store Green And Ethical Policy

Why have a ‘green policy’?

Feng Shui Store is not just simply jumping on the green bandwagon to win ‘brownie points’ or because it is cool to be green, we have had a green and ethical policy in place for over eleven years. Here at the Feng Shui Store we are committed to doing our part for the environment because we believe that whatever you put out into the universe comes back to you good and bad and we have had this ethos for many years we have introduced some new “Good Karma reduced packaging” on many of our products as we believe it will be giving a better energy (qi) for our products.

By re-using the majority of packaging from our supplier deliveries, we minimise our waste management costs. By implementing and expanding our remote consultations, we reduce wear and tear on our vehicles, reduce fuel costs and reduce the time we spend getting to and from our clients enabling us to also charge a much lesser fee.

As one of the oldest Feng Shui companies in the world with over 88.000 clients and packages being sent out to every corner of the world every day, we always aim to keep our carbon footprint to a bare minimum. We do this by purchasing recycled packaging materials such as bubble wrap, sellotape, eco-friendly packing chips, cardboard and envelopes as much as possible.

We also try when possible to ensure that all of our suppliers are fairly local so that we can reduce carbon emissions when having our goods delivered. The majority of packaging that our suppliers use when delivering our goods is recycled by us and if we have no use for it we will recycle it through the local authorities. Obviously with the type of products we sell most of them come from the Far East so it is hard to source some of our products locally although we have had many products designed and made in the UK over the years.

We are very lucky to have our business situated within a five minute drive away from our local recycling centre so all of the products and packaging that are no longer of use to us are taken down there and disposed of in the proper areas so that they can all be recycled and reused in another form.

At the Feng Shui Store, we realise that every time you forget to turn the lights off, leave a computer running, forget to unplug a device or even leave a tap dripping you waste electricity and water. We have installed remote controlled power saving devices into all our equipment to ensure that all of our electrical products are shut off when not in use. We also use solar panel technology on our outside lighting.

We try to cut our travel to a minimum as we know that trains, flights and car journeys play a big part in pollution which is we have introduced our online consultation package which involves no travelling to cut right back on our carbon footprint. As I do the most miles I use a diesel car again reducing carbon footprint.

Wherever possible, all reusable materials are recycled; newspapers, junk mail and processed documentation are shredded and used as packaging material for our customer’s orders.

We also recycle the packaging that we receive in the deliveries from our suppliers since this material would be wasted otherwise.

Green commitment

Our Green codes of practice on waste and environment protection focus on:

  • Reducing waste
  • Reusing materials at every opportunity
  • Aligning ourselves with green suppliers & partners
  • Minimising the amount of printed materials & direct mail we use
  • Recycling
  • Encouraging our staff to be responsible, corporate green citizens
  • Utilising energies and water sparingly
  • Avoid use of bleach or other toxic chemicals in drains or sinks.
  • Considering environmental impacts in our purchasing
  • Endeavouring to work with partner organisations that share our green values
  • Utilising public transport wherever possible and its impacts on the environment
  • We recycle our old computers, mobile phones and printer cartridges
  • Use mugs / glasses for tea/coffee/drinks rather than disposable cups

It is our intention to operate our business in an as environmentally friendly way as we possibly can.

Ethical policy…

Our ethical policy is based on the standards adopted by the UN through the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, ILO Conventions and the laws of the universe.

The standards we apply are as follows:

  • The law is applied.
  • Employment is freely chosen.
  • Working conditions are always kept safe.
  • Child labour is eliminated.
  • Working hours are not excessive.
  • Discrimination of any kind will not be tolerated.
  • No harsh or inhumane treatment is allowed.

We expect all of our suppliers to appreciate and comply with our strict policy and we reserve the right not to do business with companies where there is evidence that violations of the policy take place. In particular we will not bring companies onto our supplier list where there is evidence of underage workers; bonded or forced prison labour or any other unethical aspect of business that does not fit into our strict company ethos.

Can you help?

Of course! Everyone can do their bit to be green. Any of the above steps can be taken to improve the environment. If the Feng Shui Store provides you with goods, try to re-use the packaging. If this is not possible, then dispose of it using local recycling facilities instead of simply placing it in your refuse bin.

Take a look at how you leave your computer after you finish using it. Do you simply close the laptop lid or maybe just walk away from the computer in the study. Both will leave the computer in standby mode. Though less power is used than when it is in use, this still wastes energy. Switch the laptop off completely, or shut down the desktop computer and turn off the monitor. Not only will this save money on energy bills, but it will prolong the life of your computer(s). How’s that for an easy way to save money and help the environment?

It may also be possible to reduce your energy usage still further. If you have a wireless keyboard and/or mouse, try replacing the batteries with rechargeable ones. Some wireless mice now come with charging docks. If this applies to you, try to remember to replace the mouse in the charging dock when you are finished. This will increase the usage time between charges and may prolong the life of the mouse too.

Many offices and households now have wireless broadband. These services are provided via a router, which transmits the signal wirelessly throughout the building. When closing the office or before going to bed at night, switch the router off. This will reduce energy costs and prolong the life of the router. Regularly powering off the router can also improve the overall broadband speed and quality. Most connection issues are resolved by restarting the router. Switching off the router at night may save the cost and time of a call to your provider’s technical support.

Another great form of recycling is to donate your old computer or electric equipment to someone who may not be able to afford new equipment, or may simply not need a fast, new super-duper computer. Freecycle is an excellent UK site for offering your old equipment to a good home.

Further help and resources

Check out the links in the Related links section of this page. The Energy Saving Trust site includes a wealth of information about saving energy, reducing costs and even generating your own energy! The Recycle Guide contains loads of useful hints and tips about recycling in general, including computers. Recycle.co.uk and Freecycle are two great sites to find a new home for your old computer equipment.

If you feel you have something to contribute to this section, or have a relevant service that you would like to tell people about, please get in touch with us via our Contact us page.

Michael Hanna

December 2008

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One Response to Feng Shui Store Green And Ethical Policy

  1. Stuart Miles says:

    Good policy

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