Joshua's Ethical Policy
Since we started trading in 1987 we have always taken issues about sustainability and responsibility very seriously. In fact it was a big reason for starting the business in the first place. We don’t just follow every flight of fashion in terms of jumping on bandwagons but we try to look carefully at the things we do and their effect on the environment, our employees, customers and the local community.
Recycling
We strive to recycle as many materials as possible, from kitchen waste, to glass and cardboard. 
We recycle all of the cardboard that arrives from our suppliers in two ways: one way is by reusing the cardboard boxes for online orders as well as in-store customer purchases. All of the packaging used in your online order will come from recycled material. The other way is by shredding the cardboard and adding it our compost system, along with our kitchen waste. In collaboration with Otter Rotters we are part of the “Compost Doctor” project. The overall aim of the project is to recycle and compost as much of the business’s waste as possible, a task that is carried out on the premises. (Follow this link to find out more about Otter Rotters and the “Compost Doctor” project.) Given time the cardboard and food waste decompose together to create a natural fertiliser, which we then use on our vegetable patches. On these vegetable patches we are growing lettuces, which willll later be sold in the shop.
We are currently trying to reduce the number of plastic bags used in our store. As well as offering our customers wooden, plastic and cardboard boxes to reuse, we sell our own long lasting, biodegradable bags. We also offer brown paper bags for fruit and vegetables. Many of our customers now bring in their own carriers, but we are still seeking to find ways to dispose of plastic bags altogether. To find out more visit our Carrier bag waste page.
The Store
In order to reduce our impact on the environmental we try to use as little energy in our store as possible:
- We use largely natural lighting so that no electricity is wasted during the day.
- Heating is only used to heat the building during the daytime in winter, making our heating bills not much bigger than that of a single household. Also, any sunlight during the day is effectively trapped and used to help heat the shop.
- A heat pump at the top of kitchen is heated by the cooking, and the pump then preheats the water we use for the washing-up. This reduces the amount of energy we use for heating water.
All of the ground we have around the store has been looked after organically for many years. Occasionally we have had to apply small amounts of herbicide to the paths or car park, but otherwise no chemicals are used on our land.
Food Miles
We use couriers rather than our own fleet of vans because we want to keep our carbon output to a minimum. The courier vans will be travelling in your direction anyway and your order will only be adding to the van. You could compare your order travelling in a courier van to you travelling on public transport. By buying online you will not have to drive anywhere yourself, and therefore will not be adding any extra miles.
We buy local produce whenever possible because this substantially reduces the food miles. The fewer miles a product must travel from the producers to our store, the fewer carbon dioxide emissions are released. As a result of our endeavour to source as many local products as possible, in 2006 Joshua’s was named a Food Miles Hero. Find out more.
Sourcing Our Stock
We take our ethical policies into account when sourcing our stock. We want to supply products that are not only good for the environment, but good for people too. For that reason we stock a range of organic, fair trade and ethically produced items. We also sell a number gifts made from recycled materials and an array of biodynamic wines.
We try to take a sensible approach to sourcing our stock, considering all of the factors, and not being overly influenced by what might be the fashion of the moment.
Us and Our Local Area
We benefit from our local area and as a business we feel we have a responsibility to our community. Not only do we aim to sell as many local products as possible, we also try and support local events through advertising in our store. We regularly have local small businesses promoting their products at Joshua’s, as well as organisations, such as Devon Wildlife Trust, promoting their cause. We also employ local architects, electricians and carpenters. As an independent family run business we appreciate how much small businesses need our support.
Plans for the Future
Although we try our best to be ethically and environmentally friendly, we are aware that more can always be done. For that reason, we continually seek to improve our ethical standards. In the future we are hoping to install solar water heating in our store, as well as solar tubes in places where there is not enough natural light. Both of these projects will allow us to further reduce our energy use levels.
When we choose our stock we always try to buy products with minimum packaging. However, a certain amount is of packaging is unavoidable and, although we make an effort to reuse and recycle as much as possible, we cannot currently recycle it all. We are presently in negotiations with people who can take all of our plastics away for recycling, and hope to be able to confirm this soon.
Ethical Product of the Month
Every month we do a case study on one of our ethical suppliers. This month we have chosen Ecover, the suppliers of a household cleaning range. Read more about Ecover and their ethical policies.