Hemp hats off to Patagonia today - an email from its PR man tells me that the outdoor outfitter is on the front cover of Fortune mag's green issue. The company might be a bit dowdy sometimes - I'd personally prefer to clad myself in Howies for ethical outdoorsy clothes - but its eco credentials are impeccable, from its use of organic cotton to its recent fleece recycling scheme and yesterday's annoucement of Bluesign membership.
Pity the poor supermarket folk who have to ask 'got a Nectar card, love?' I used to be one (a till tart, that is, not a loyalty card). Anyhow, my circuitous introduction is to celebrate the fact that John Bird's fabulous Wedge card has gone on sale today. It's basically a loyalty card for small and indie businesses. At the London Bicycle Company you can get 2 bikes for 1 on a day's hire, while Goldsboro Books in the West End will do you 10 per cent off any purchases. A lot of the hundreds of offers are TBC, but if you live in London there's certainly plenty to make the card's £20 asking price worthwhile. Good old Bird, eh? First giving hope to the homeless, now saving high streets from Clone Town Britain: a pretty impressive record. [via Guardian]
Can't walk out of your office at lunch without getting 'chugged' by bib-sporting folks? Flash the new American Express RED credit card - my modern alternative to mumbling about having a direct debit with Oxfam. Once you've got the card, Amex donates one per cent of everything you splurge to Global Fund, a charity campaigning to end AIDs, tubercolosis and malaria. Is this really new though?
