Environment News
Supermarket trials carbon labels
Consumers concerned with the health of the environment may begin to turn to a special label on various food and home items to tell them critical information on the item's carbon footprint.
Supermaket chain Tesco has announced that a range of its own-brand products will carry labels showing the size of the goods' carbon footprints.
Tesco said it would label 20 items, including light bulbs and potatoes, during a two-year trial of the scheme, which is operated by the Carbon Trust.
Shoppers will be able to see how much carbon is emitted over the life of a product - from manufacture to disposal.
The store said it was introducing the labels in response to consumer demand.
"Customers tell us that it is very important to them," said David North, Tesco's community and government director.
"What they have said is that they want us to help them tackle climate change."
He added that information on products' environmental credentials was one of the key areas where shoppers wanted more information from retailers.
Initially, 20 products from four categories - detergents, orange juice, potatoes and light bulbs - will carry labels displaying the items' carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions.
The Carbon Trust's scheme, launched in March 2007, is being developed in partnership with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) and the British Standards Institute.
In order for products to carry the carbon reduction label, companies have to undertake a comprehensive carbon audit of the supply chains, and commit to further CO2 reductions over a two-year period.
Source: news.bbc.co.uk
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Comments (11)
What a great idea! I hope that other countries start doing similar labelling, as soon as possible.
I think the information on the labels is bound to make some consumers uncomfortable, just as they probably were when nutritional information labels were instituted, but I think it is an important issues that of which we should all be made more aware.
I'd like to see if the carbon footprint ratings also encourage supermarkets to source their products locally in future.
Only if consumers really do change their purchasing habits based on the information on the carbon labels.
Diana Geneviève, it's going to be a gradual process for consumers to transition into having carbon footprint labelling on purchased items, but it's a vital next step. We need to know what impact our buying behaviour has, in some measurable way, in order to make better choices about what we buy, where products originate, and to incentivize manufacturers to reduce their impact. It's a collaborative effort; and I hope we're all up to the challenge.
Thank you for adding the fantastic video clip to the story!
Diana Geneviève, I like this story. It's good stuff. Good old Tesco. I used to shop there all the time when I lived in the UK!
This is interesting ~ If I grow my own food in my back yard and cook it with wood from my place, then what is my carbon footprint?
Next to nil! :)
The whole idea of "carbon footprints" is very fashionable right now, but it's a fairly basic concept: eat and buy locally. This is true sustainablity.
One of the key words that will be used by me in my writings is "Think Local" to survive. My way of living is changing and I have to adjust my life style to fit into taking small steps in the right direction - Seed.
Locavore. :)