At the risk of channelling Al Murray’s Pub Landlord, the great British boozer is brilliantly ethical in some respects. In fact, the New Economics Foundation says your local is one of the top places in which to spend money on the high street if you want it to stay local. And now, in an effort to make watering holes ethical powerhouses, the Greener Retailing Publicans Guide has just launched. The report, which also identifies ways in which pubs, restaurants and bars can become more profitable, goes strong on tackling food waste, which costs UK pubs £357m a year. It reckons they easily waste at least £1,000 each year in spilled pints, too.
This matters not just because it’s waste, but because a lot of water and energy is required to convert one gallon of water into one gallon of beer, whisky or wine. Brands are looking to do something to address these environmental pressures. Heineken recently opened the world’s first “major zero-carbon brewery” in Austria, and everyone from whisky makers to cideries is trying to curtail their demand for clean water.
With the growing of ingredients making up 39% of the embedded carbon in a can of European beer, powdered alcohol – to which you just add water – is big news. The makers of Palcohol (yes, really, it’s called that) claim it’s the key to slashing emissions.
Getting drunk is, on the whole, not very reponsible. A 2007 University of Surrey report bravely tries to quantify the overall environmental impact of our booze consumption, and suggests it accounts for 1.5% of all UK greenhouse gas emissions. By dropping our alcohol consumption to levels from the 1970s, it estimates emissions could plummet to just 0.9% of the current UK total.
Of course, the non-alcoholic drinks industry has work to do on its footprint, too. But let’s face it, the teetotal remain the eco warriors here. Raise a (mindful) glass in their direction.
The big picture: a hive of activity
The Hive art installation at Kew Gardens is a paean to our principal pollinator: out of the 100 crop species that provide 90% of food globally, 70 are pollinated by bees. Immersing yourself in the 17m high, 40-tonne artwork will leave you in no doubt that without these insects we’re nothing. Designed by Wolfgang Buttress, its interior provides a soundscape in the key of C - the key that bees hum in (kew.org).
Well dressed: A Black and White Story (Abaws)
The ethical wardrobe has long been crying out for sophisticated streetwear, so the launch of a second collection from A Black and White Story (Abaws) is great timing. Abaws was set up by two escapees from the London business world, Anoo Rehncy and Bip Ahuja – Rehncy confesses to doodling designs while on the phone to hedge funders before taking the plunge and swapping her job in the City for a career in fashion.
As the name suggests, the outward focus of Abaws is on monochrome, with luxe sweats and T-shirts (including the Queen Bee sweatshirt famously sported by Beyoncé on Instagram) their stand-out pieces.
But behind the scenes the focus is ethical manufacture. It’s minimalism on all levels. “We express this through everything we live, breathe and wear,” they say. Now you can, too.
Email Lucy at lucy.siegle@observer.co.uk or follow her on Twitter @lucysiegle
