Energy
At Green Ore we consider the whole picture and realise that it would be counterproductive to take such care over our ingredients and packaging if we didn't look at the fuels providing the energy to operate.
One of the first things we did was to switch to a completely renewable energy provider. We also prepare most of our preserves, jams & cakes on our reclaimed Rayburn oven, affectionately known as Genghis, who* is fuelled on recycled wood briquettes, garden firewood, ethically harvested logs - all of which are carbon neutral, and some coal. In return he rewards us with heating, hot water and hours of fun, especially when he won't light (*yes we do mean 'who', Genghis has a definite personality and makes his presence known).
We are also looking into biofuel to run our vehicle on, and solar water heating for the summer months. We use offcuts of soap, and used greaseproof paper that line our soap moulds to light the Rayburn. Energy efficiency was also one of the factors in our decision to make cold processed soap over hot. We do accept that it is almost impossible to avoid dirty fuels but feel that anything is better than nothing, so we do what we can.
