Criteria for the Guide

We have tried to be as inclusive as possible.

Organisations and services that support green choices have been included, but we have tried to avoid what we would term 'greenwash' - situations were a business has only taken superficial steps, perhaps to put a green tinge to an otherwise environmentally unfriendly operation. We review each submission on a case by case basis.

For shops are key criteria are:

1. Local – independent, not part of a large chain

2. Low impact – low food miles (might mean UK rather than abroad), green policies (energy, recycling)

3. Sustainable Sourcing – organic, sustainable forestry, etc

4. Recycle / Reuse – Charity shops & Secondhand Shops, as well as re-usable, or low packaging, and shops that themselves facilitate recycling

5. Ethical – Fairtrade, co-operatively owned

To be included normally at least two of the headline criteria must be satisfied.