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I was driving on the M1 highway on Friday evening, and so passed Melrose Arch, which almost blinded me. That centre (with its new Woolies wing, and extended parking lots – yet more building to follow) is so extensively lit up with what looked like fluorescent bulbs, that I almost got a tan as I drove by at 7pm (and at 100km an hour, that’s got to be bright!). And it got me wondering: how is Melrose Arch powering all those bulbs? And are they energy savers? Is Melrose Arch using say, solar power, to run these, and light up the highway so? Or is Melrose Arch single-handedly upping SA’s Carbon Footprint tenfold, with what looks like a blatant disregard for the global trends towards green?
Their website (www.melrosearch.com) claims them to be ‘a destination in sync with the 21st century’. There is nothing less-21st century than the gratuitous exploitation of natural resources, and I would like to hear from them, what they are doing to become a more socially and environmentally-responsible brand. What is government doing about it: are there rules in place, to govern this? Are there tax benefits, for example, for organisations that have proved they are Green compliant? Or at the very least, some sort of certificate, for companies that try to make an effort?
As yet, there seems to be very little benefit to going green, in material terms, and until Government and the private sector step in and make some noise around this, we cannot expect the likes of Melrose Arch to behave properly. On the other hand, Melrose Arch really missed one helluva great branding and marketing opportunity, by being so un-green. They could have done something really fab around ‘green’ shopping (with slogans like, Melrose Arch paints the town green, or something equally cute). But instead, they are burning the retinas of every motorist that drives the M1 between 6pm and dawn.
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