Ethos Public Relations Manchester

East London co-operative wins Green Mark accreditation

by Ethos public relations

Account3, an East London co-operative offering a range of training, enterprise and development services, has proved its environmental credentials by gaining a Green Mark.

The not for personal profit women’s co-operative has been helping to eliminate barriers to the job market for women in the Bethnal Green area for the last 19 years and was eager to promote its environmental work.

And after signing up to Greener Together – the co-operative way, an initiative run by Co-operatives UK, the national trade body that campaigns for co-operation, it has been able to do just that.

Toni Meredew, Director at account3, said: “As a co-operative, we have a very ethical and environmental ethos at our heart and we had been looking at ways in which we could do our bit for the planet. But it wasn’t until we signed up to the Greener Together project that we really started to move our environmental work forward.

“As part of the Greener Together project, we pledged to gain the Green Mark, which helped us focus and gave us something to work towards,” Toni said. “And now, thanks to the help and support we’ve received through the project, we have won the Green Mark accreditation, which is just fantastic!”

Michelle Lockwood, Manager of the Greener Together project at Co-operatives UK, said: “The project was set up to help co-operatives, like account3, make a significant impact on climate change, and reduce their environmental impact in the three key areas of energy, waste and personal transport.

“We are delighted that the Greener Together project has helped account3 achieve its Green Mark accreditation.”

Part of the Greener Living Fund, sponsored by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), the project aims to help people to live in a more sustainable way, by focusing on the small actions every individual can take in their daily lives and enables member organisations of Co-operatives UK, the Confederation of Co-operative Housing (CCH) and the Plunkett Foundation to work with their members and customers in achieving greener behaviour.

To find out more about account3 visit www.account3.org.uk or call 0207 739 7720. To find out more about Greener Together, visit the website at www.greenertogether.coop. Or to learn more about the Green Mark visit www.greenmark.co.uk.

Posted at 24^th November 2010