trulyresponsible.org

For a few years now I’ve been impressed by the quality of many open source software products. The developers are proud of what they have created and lay it all bare for everyone to inspect and potentially improve. Some of the best software I’ve come across is Open Source.

I feel I’ve said this before somewhere… I am sure that there are many physical products that could be better by being “Open Source Products”. Nothing hidden, everything open for all to inspect, right through the supply chain.

With only a very few exceptions everything we buy is closed source. It’s nigh on impossible at the moment to find out much about the stuff we buy - especially if we buy it from a big well known brand. Trust us, we’re brand X and make the best stuff in the world. Until fairly recently this was true of software. The past few years have seen a boom in Open Source Software. Will the next few see a boom in Open Source Products? I hope so.

Well it’s over a week now since I asked Boden where the wool comes from in the suit I want to buy and I’ve still not heard anything. How hard can it be?

I’m off to London tomorrow for a business meeting, in my old M&S suit which really is on it’s last legs. I need a new one, if I have a bit of spare time while I’m there I may have a browse on the high street. Not something I do much of these days - so I’ll ask some questions in the shop to the folks selling the stuff and see what happens. I wonder if the folks down Saville Row know more than the folks in the “high street”. That will be interesting. Does extra cost bring extra information?

Looking at the stats for the site last night I notice that most of the people who I ask questions of do come and have a peep at what I am saying about them - thats good. One or two of them look back regularly (thanks guys - you know who you are) and one recently questioned company has had a peep almost everyday since I asked them a question.

After reading back some old responses to questions I’ve asked I feel that there is something happening. It may be small, but I get the feeling there is change.

A few years ago when I first started asking questions of organisations that I buy things from, most would give me a very stiff response as if I had no right to know. Now the responses seem more open.

I wonder if this has changed in response to increased consumer requests for information, or an enlightened view that this information belongs to the product after all…

No matter which, I get the feeling that there is power in the consumer domain, like there never used to be. It’s no longer enough to just say your product is probably the best - you have to prove it is. Some companies are ahead of others in this. The consumer has become wary of the flash marketing hard sell, and is waking up to oil running out, global warming and learning that having more comes at a cost to something else.

I suspect that small companies have a huge advantage over the big in the area. Will this cause a change in the shape of the companies we buy from?

I’ve just read an interesting piece on Sustainable vs Re-cycled paper.

Apparently it’s better to buy paper produced from pulp from sustainable sources than it is to buy recycled paper. Studies have shown that the life cycle analysis impacts from recycled paper are higher due to the extra bleaching required over and above that needed for virgin wood pulp. There are more nasty by products too for re-cycled paper.

So does your paper supplier know this? Let’s ask a few office supplies companies and see what responses we get.

I’ve been astounded by the number of people who link to this blog already, and according to my stats 44.6% of the visitors add the blog to their Favourites list. I find that truly amazing if it’s true!

Thanks folks. Spread the word, ask the questions.

If you have ideas on products that should be investigated, please let me know. Please ask your own questions too, I’d love to see the results. I find this whole thing fascinating.

I’ve been asking questions for a few years now.

I have a bit of a dilemma. There are many questions I asked some time ago, under various different names as I didn’t feel so confident asking questions under my own name using my work email address. I would like to publish these, but feel I shouldn’t do so as it would be unfair on the companies I asked. What do you think?

Please let me know via the comments on this post.

You may recall that Philips responded to me re disposing of batteries to tell me that they were unaware of any laws regarding battery disposal. I did a bit of digging around on the internet and found a document which looked like it was an EU proposal to introduce law in this area. I forwarded it to Philips who have now written back to thank me.

For full details of the response please follow this link:

http://www.trulyresponsible.org/waste/swindon-borough-council-disposing-of-aa-batteries/manufacturers/philips/

Unfortunately Uniross have so far failed to even acknowlege my enquiry, and I’ve been unable to get any sort of electronic communication into Duracell.

I’ve had another response from Next today.

It would seem they have had some problems with their customer services, with delays experienced in getting back to customers.

If companies were geared up to answer the sort of questions I am asking, this sort of information would be available via their websites instantly… Come on guys - sort it out!

Two companies that already make this information available are ROMP - I keep on plugging them and Organic Essentials. Others such as Made-By and People Tree are telling the world a lot, with Made-By in particular working on doing much more.

If you would like access to more information about the stuff you buy, just ask the companies simple questions. I’m sure that if enough of us do, then it will become much easier for us all.

For the thread of emails between me and Next follow this link:

http://www.trulyresponsible.org/clothing/next-leather-belt/

Over the years I’ve accumualted quite a few items of clothing from Boden (http://www.boden.co.uk). It’s not cheap, but seems to last well which has been a major driver for me in continuing to buy stuff from them.

It struck me that I really have little idea about what supply chains lie behind the company which my family have spent several hundreds of pounds with over recent years.

I’m in the market for a new suit at the moment, so am starting to look around at what is available and have decided I am only going to buy when I am satisfied that I know all it is possible to know about the product I am going to buy. The first place I have turned to is Boden, but I’m going to see who the competition is in the same sort of price bracket and will ask them the same questions.

Lets see what happens.

To see the Boden questions follow this link:

http://www.trulyresponsible.org/clothing/boden-wool-travel-suit/

Having tried surfing a few times, I’ve come to learn that getting onto the wave and actually riding it takes time.

I suddenly feel that what I’ve been doing over the past few years has been positioning my self in the water to ride a wave of something new.

Some of that is articulated here http://rightsideup.blogs.com/my_weblog/2006/02/personcentric_s.html this article mentions something I’ve been doing with our customers, and provides a link to what Marks and Spencer are up to.

Some of the highlights of the M&S survey are:-

* 87% said retailers have a responsibility to ensure that products they sell are manufactured in a fair and humane way.
* 52% said they are more concerned by issues relating to ethical sourcing e.g. working conditions in factories, than they were 5 years ago.
* 31% said they had decided not to buy an item of clothing because they felt concerned about where it had come from or under what conditions it had been made.
* 78% said they would like to know more about the way clothes are made e.g. the conditions in the factories where they come from and the use of chemicals in their manufacture.

All this makes sense to me. It feels like the wave is coming. Bring it on.