Retailers move to put carbon footprint labels on products
There are plenty of so-called green products on the market, from natural phosphate-free dish soaps to bleach-free coffee filters, but promoting the low-carbon nature of retail products in Canada has yet to take hold.
Has the time finally arrived?
“It’s a really interesting question,” Andrew Pelletier, vice-president of sustainability at Walmart Canada, told Corporate Knights. “So far, we’re not really seeing a big movement from people going out and spending more on products that are sustainable.”
But, around the world, consumers have more information to work with. U.K. grocery giant Tesco already puts carbon labels on more than 500 products — from milk to toilet paper.
The most popular label so far in Europe comes through a non-profit outfit called Carbon Trust. So far, the U.K.-based organization has signed up 90 brands covering 5,000 different products.
The carbon footprinting approach has its doubters, however: “Carbon numbers on food labels really don’t work,” says Mike Berners-Lee, a U.K.-based expert on and author of the new book How Bad Are Bananas? The Carbon Footprint of Everything.
“Over 95 per cent of consumers have no idea whatever as to what an 800-gram footprint means — they have no sense of scale.”
A basic system of a few labels that can be slapped on products and describe in simple terms the climate-friendly characteristics of the supply chain behind it makes more sense, he says.
In Canada, some companies are flirting with this simpler approach. This summer, Kraft Canada will begin printing the logo of green energy Bullfrog Power on packages of Dad’s oatmeal cookies, which will be made using renewable electricity and green natural gas services purchased from Bullfrog.
But should individual companies, let alone individual countries, be marketing their own low-carbon labels — especially, as in the case with Bullfrog, when they double as a corporate brand?
Would low-carbon labelling influence you? Is there a risk that too many labels will enter the market and consumers will become confused or disinterested?
By Gordon Powers, MSN Money
* Follow Gordon on Twitter here.
Posted by: Dr. Lind | Jun 16, 2021 2:57:08 PM
In the 33 years working in my profession in energy and developing energy efficient processes, I have never encountered such BS. This recent "green" hype is so bogus, I am "green" with nausea.The only truth in the above article is the statement most people have no idea of what all this means. What is worse are those who think they do. The average person cannot distinguish between the self-proclaimed experts and the real ones. Companies are taking advantage of this and greenwashing their products.
Posted by: jerry hollinger | Jun 21, 2021 3:52:28 PM
Is it because people are just feeling to go Grreen now or because of price comparing? Walmart markets its products appear cheaper by size not power and the general public is responding with, "wow!" A great example is, I went shopping for solar panels and a power inverter to do the right thing and go green. When I arrived at Walmart I stared at this huge solar panel for only $199.99. I told my wife, "I have to get this baby cause look at the size." I should have known that she was going to say, "shop around first." Well to make a long story short, glad that I listened for a change because I learned something too! It does not matter the size of a solar panel because it is the output power that counts. Now let me save you a weeks research, traveling store to store and 8 phone calls. Just visit www.sunsiblesolar.com and buy any green product there. In this case I saved $6.00 per watt x 100 watts of solar power!
Posted by: SP | Jun 24, 2021 6:52:30 PM
Save the carbon labels but require all products sold in Canada to be produced and delivered in a standard keeping with Canadian clean air/water & safety regulations. That way companies couldn't offshore their pollution and unsafe working conditions to Mexico/China. It is pathetic that most Canadians and Americans are happy to see their jobs sent overseas and the products accompany the airborne pollution make the return trip. China builds something like 1 coal powered generating station a week if memory serves. I'm sure that you reusing your plastic bag totally offsets that pollution.