Save your money, but don’t treat me like an idiot

There is nothing wrong with saving money, especially in times of recession. What annoys me is the environmental excuses some companies use to avoid admitting it. The standard one used by hotels to save money in the laundry goes along the lines: “reuse your towel and save the planet”.

Last month was Sky Mag’s turn to call its readers brainless. “Sky is committed to helping the environment in any way we can.” Well, you should try harder and change the magazine’s plastic wrapper for a paper one. “That’s why we are giving you a two month- issue.” Come on, don’t make me laugh! Everybody knows that it is a cost cutting exercise.

It is a fact: recycling policies can eventually reduce the bill and help to save the planet. Great, everybody is happy! However, it is quite unusual to hear of companies that sacrifice their profits in the name of the environment - and only for the sake of it, not for their public image. I know we live in a capitalist world and businesses are meant to make money. Somebody may argue that what really matters is the result rather than the reason. Fine, but sometimes the companies’ marketing gurus forget that there is intelligent life outside of their offices.

Perhaps, this is why small companies seem to be more honest. The Queen’s Arms of Brighton recently adopted a series of energy-saving actions, reported on the “Go Green, Save Money” section of The Publican online. Pubs need to show an eco-friendly Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) or may be fined up to £5,000. The industry’s paper summarises very well the reasons to go green: “Did you know that by implementing green initiatives in your pub, you could save money – and, in some cases, even make more money?”

Although this is not a perfect world, we still can believe some companies genuinely care about the environment, can't we? Especially with green laws and public opinion getting tougher on them.