Читать книгу The Organic Garden - Allan Shepherd - Страница 20

Organised standards are almost always the best way to ensure that products are ethically up to scratch. However, there are some exceptions. Many local suppliers in my area have not been through the certification process, but because I know them and what materials they use and how they grow and harvest their materials and plants, I know I am getting an environmentally sound product. Mail-order catalogues and websites do not always brand products with a logo but use words such as 100 per cent recycled or made with organic materials. If you’re not sure, ask the supplier which standards they meet and decide on face value whether you want to buy the product – with or without the logo.

Wherever possible in this book I’ve tried to make suggestions for new products to save you the trouble of doing all the research, but products and companies change all the time so please use the information I have provided as a guide rather than an absolute recommendation. Also I am one writer working alone. If you have any doubts concerning a product or a company then you should refer to those organisations whose job it is to monitor standards and provide information (see above).

When you’re looking for a supplier, use these questions to know if they really are what they say they are. Ask them where do their products come from? What is their policy on recycling? What are they doing to reduce CO2 emissions? There are plenty of great ethical companies now who share your values. It takes time to find good suppliers but often the rewards are much greater than the effort. I get an enormous buzz from discovering a new company selling a new range of well-thought-out products.