+-----------------------------------------------------------------------+
| +------------------------------------------------------------------+  |
| | **Pollution eating plants help create UK\'s greenest outlet**    |  |
| |                                                                  |  |
| | Pollution eating plants and the latest green technologies have   |  |
| | been introduced at a new look outlet in the centre of            |  |
| | Manchester. The Co-operative Bank\'s newly refurbished           |  |
| | Manchester branch - which also houses Travelcare and The         |  |
| | Co-operative Insurance Society (CIS) - is now arguably the       |  |
| | greenest office in the UK.\                                      |  |
| | \                                                                |  |
| | The bank has placed special pollution eating plants around the   |  |
| | branch which, based on NASA research, have been shown to         |  |
| | significantly improve indoor air quality. The plants\' leaves    |  |
| | and roots, and the bacteria that live in and around them, take   |  |
| | in airborne pollutants and assimilate them, producing harmless   |  |
| | by-products. Examples of pollution eating plants at The          |  |
| | Co-operative Bank include:                                       |  |
| |                                                                  |  |
| | -   The Areca palm (*Chrysalidocarpus lutescens*), which has     |  |
| |     been shown to be particularly adept at removing toluene and  |  |
| |     xylene from the indoor environment. These chemicals are      |  |
| |     released from everyday products such as adhesives, computer  |  |
| |     screens, floor coverings and photocopiers. Toulene and       |  |
| |     Xylene can affect the nervous system, causing trouble        |  |
| |     concentrating and headaches.                                 |  |
| |                                                                  |  |
| | -   The Rubber plant (*Ficus robusta*), which is particularly    |  |
| |     adept at removing formaldehyde from the air. Indoor sources  |  |
| |     of formaldehyde include floor coverings, particleboards and  |  |
| |     upholstery. Formaldehyde is a probable human carcinogen, and |  |
| |     high exposure may lead to skin allergies and asthma like     |  |
| |     allergies.                                                   |  |
| |                                                                  |  |
| | -   Peace Lilies (*Spathiphyllum sp.*), which are a good all     |  |
| |     rounder, removing acetone, benzene, ammonia and bio          |  |
| |     effluents, amongst other things, from the air. Benzene has   |  |
| |     been shown to irritate the skin and eyes, and is a known     |  |
| |     carcinogen.                                                  |  |
| |                                                                  |  |
| | The electricity for the building is purchased from wind farms    |  |
| | and so comes from a 100 per cent renewable source. The new look  |  |
| | branch also uses high recycled content light reflecting ceiling  |  |
| | tiles, designed to reduce lighting costs; energy efficient light |  |
| | bulbs and low energy flat panel computer monitors.\              |  |
| | \                                                                |  |
| | The very latest air conditioning and fire control systems have   |  |
| | also been installed, which use natural substances instead of the |  |
| | likes of HFCs and HCFCs, which can have global warming           |  |
| | potentials more than a thousand times higher. Branch furniture   |  |
| | and cash desks are sourced from sustainable managed forests, as  |  |
| | certified by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC). Natural       |  |
| | paints and plasterboards, made from recycled material, have also |  |
| | been used.\                                                      |  |
| | \                                                                |  |
| | To complete the picture customers will be encouraged to recycle  |  |
| | holiday brochures in a specially provided bin and Fair Trade tea |  |
| | and coffee will be provided while people wait to be served.\     |  |
| | \                                                                |  |
| | \"Most people assume that office based businesses have little or |  |
| | no environmental impact, whilst this may be true individually,   |  |
| | collectively the service industry consumes more electricity than |  |
| | the manufacturing sector.\"\                                     |  |
| | \                                                                |  |
| | Paul Monaghan, Head of Sustainable Development at the bank said  |  |
| | \"The Bank has stuck its head above the parapet in saying this   |  |
| | is possibly the greenest refurbishment in the UK, but nothing    |  |
| | would please us more than others rising to the challenge and     |  |
| | stealing this mantle\".\                                         |  |
| | \                                                                |  |
| | **Additional Information**\                                      |  |
| | The Environmental Protection Agency cites indoor air pollution   |  |
| | as one of the top five public health threats in America, and the |  |
| | main culprit in the 60 percent rise in asthma over the last      |  |
| | decade.\                                                         |  |
| | \                                                                |  |
| | As well as absorbing pollutants, plants increase the humidity of |  |
| | their immediate surroundings. Low relative-humidity levels,      |  |
| | exacerbated by heating systems and air conditioning, irritate    |  |
| | sensitive membranes in the nose, increasing susceptibility to    |  |
| | assaults by airborne chemicals, viruses and allergens. Frequent  |  |
| | colds during winter are often caused by low relative humidity.\  |  |
| | \                                                                |  |
| | [Follow this link to download further details of our Green       |  |
| | Branch in PDF                                                    |  |
| | format.](http://www.co-opera                                     |  |
| | tivebank.co.uk/partnership2002/downloads/greenrefurbishment.pdf) |  |
| +------------------------------------------------------------------+  |
+-----------------------------------------------------------------------+
|   ----                                                                |
| --------------------------------------------------------------------- |
|   [Continue to:                                                       |
|   Pa                                                                  |
| per](http://www.co-operativebank.co.uk/partnership2002/pr/paper.html) |
|                                                                       |
|   ----                                                                |
| --------------------------------------------------------------------- |
+-----------------------------------------------------------------------+

<http://www.co-operativebank.co.uk/partnership2002/pr/green_branch.html>

The Co-operative Bank p.l.c., (990937) P.O. Box 101, 1 Balloon Street,
Manchester, M60 4EP. The Co-operative Bank is a UK Bank and its products
are only available to UK, Channel Islands & Isle of Man residents and
British expatriates overseas (subject to any restrictions laid down by
English law).