The National Market Traders Federation (NMTF) has launched a quest to find the greenest market.
The How Green is Your Market competition follows the high profile Making Markets Matter campaign.
Joe Harrison, chief executive of the NMTF, last week told the National Association of Market Authorities’ (NABMA) conference that this could be an ideal way of getting markets into the public eye.
He said: “We are not trying to preach to the industry - the environment is important, but a lot of businesses are making capital out of becoming greener, so it’s the best of both worlds.
“But uptake on the competition has so far been disappointing,” he admitted.
The deadline for entries is at the end of this month.
At the same event, markets were strongly advised to put together an environmental policy to plan and implement much-needed responses to environmental pressures.
Colin Walstenholme, markets general manager at the City of Bradford Metropolitan District Council, said the key to making wholesale and retail markets greener is for them to monitor and analyse their operations in an ongoing process. He warned that market authorities have to consider and respond to at least 24 pieces of legislation before they can be considered as green.
Walstenholme said: “Consumer attitudes are changing and they are becoming more pro-environment in their everyday behaviour. They are now looking for more local and seasonal food, and they are more concerned about packaging. This is where markets have a real role to play…
“We cannot carry on business as usual. Local authorities need to show leadership and adapt rapidly to the new order.”
Bradford markets are set to recycle 400 tonnes of cardboard this year, generating £24,000, as well as 120t of wet waste, 15t of shrink wrap plastic and 5t of plastic fruit boxes. The green initiatives undertaken by the council have been recognised by both DEFRA and the Institute of Environmental Management and Assessment.
Walstenholme stressed that monitoring the situation was key. He said: “Markets have to look for opportunities to develop practices to cut costs and help the environment. Do you know how much waste your market generates? How much is sent to landfill that could be recycled? How are your chemicals stored and disposed of?
“If you don’t measure it, you can’t manage it.”
