Use Less Stuff report helps consumers make sustainable choices To help consumers make more informed decisions about products and packages, the Use Less Stuff (ULS) report, released on 1 April, has created a programme that allows companies to feature the ULS logo on their packages if they can prove that: the product or packaging reduces waste or energy consumption by at least 20% when compared to previous versions or similar products; and related marketing claims meet Federal Trade. Commission guidelines for environmental statements. According to ULS report editor Bob Lilienfeld, “By setting strict standards, and using sound scientific data to evaluate claims, we can help consumers in their desire to purchase more sustainable products.” ULS will charge participants only for the certification work they do and will donate 10% of the proceeds to environmental groups that share their belief in using sound science to make decisions regarding environmental issues. Contact: Use Less Stuff www.use-less-stuff.com
EU gives green light to wider eco-label The European Parliament on 2 April officially endorsed a first-reading agreement on extending the EU’s eco-label scheme – EU flower – to new products, including processed food. The label has been awarded to over 3,000 products including detergents, paper and shoes. The EU assembly backed the Commission’s July 2008 proposal to revise the voluntary eco-label scheme with an overwhelming majority (633 votes in favour, 18 against). The revised legislation aims to widen the number of products covered by the scheme and reduce costs by cutting administrative red tape. Under its eco-label scheme, the Commission sets individual criteria for each product group before awarding the Community flower label. Contact: European Parliament www.europarl.europa.eu
Galaxy makes a total switch to sustainable chocolate On 9 April Mars announced that by the end of next year all Galaxy milk chocolate will carry a Rainforest Alliance Certified seal in the UK and Ireland. This will apply to the production of over 160 million chocolate bars. The scheme will help thousands of farmers ensure their farms meet the social and environmental standards required by the certification process. The agreement is just one aspect of a larger global commitment by Mars to certify its entire cocoa supply by 2020 as sustainably sourced. Contact: Rainforest Alliance www.rainforest-alliance.org Mars : www.mars.com
Domino Sugar pilots carbon-neutral label Domino Foods announced on 9 April that it is launching a line of sugar that is certified by CarbonFund as CarbonFree. The CarbonFree label indicates that the production and delivery of Domino Sugar’s new specially marked packages result in zero carbon emissions making Domino the only company to provide carbon neutral sugar products. Domino’s sugar manufacturing is powered by the firm’s own renewable energy facility,
which uses sugar cane fibre and recycled urban wood waste to generate clean energy. The facility also provides electricity for tens of thousands of homes. Contact: Domino Foods, Inc www.dominosugar.com
MillerCoors unveils new corporate responsibility logo MillerCoors unveiled a new corporate identity and logo on 1 April that promotes the brand as a responsible corporate citizen. “Great Beer, Great Responsibility” will be displayed on packaging, point-of-sale materials and advertising. The company says that the new identity encompasses its five responsibility focus areas: alcohol responsibility, environmental sustainability, community investment, volunteerism, and ethics and transparency. “Great Beer, Great Responsibility” will appear in advertisements starting this spring and will be on packaging later this year. Contact: MillerCoors www.millercoors.com
Traditional Medicinals wins business achievement award On 21 April, Traditional Medicinals, an organic medicinal tea company with 35 years of environmental stewardship, social responsibility and cultural preservation, announced that it has become the top selling Fair Trade Certified™ tea company, as well the top selling Certified Organic tea company in the United States, according to data from SPINS/Nielsen. Consistent with these milestones, Traditional Medicinals has been named a winner of the 2008 Nutrition Business Journal Business Achievement Award for Environment and Sustainability. The annual award recognises the most innovative, forward-thinking companies, products and initiatives in the nutrition industry. Contact: Traditional Medicinals www.traditionalmedicinals.com
Comment
Consumers these days are bombarded with information to help them make the ‘right’ choice when it comes to buying products. Whether they are looking for the healthy, the eco-friendly or the socially responsible option, there is now a host of product labels to help them make a decision.
One of the latest additions to the ‘ethical labelling’ market is the ‘Use Less Stuff’ (ULS) environment logo which assesses whether a product or packaging has reduced waste or energy consumption. It joins existing labels such as Fairtrade, the EU’s eco-label ‘EU flower’and CarbonNeutral to name a few.
There is now rising concern that consumers are suffering from information overload. Rather than helping them to make informed choices, there is a danger that numerous different types of product labels are causing confusion and ultimately having little impact on purchasing decisions.
Added to this, the tough economic conditions mean that for many consumers cost is currently king.
Done well, product labelling has the potential for significant positive benefits for both consumers and the companies who produce them. A clear, credible and simple system can provide valuable information to address growing consumer concerns about issues such as climate change, waste and recycling, and fair pricing for farmers and producers in the supply chain.
For companies, ethical labelling is often part of a wider sustainability strategy which can help to differentiate the brand and boost sales. Moreover, the process attaining an ethical label can strengthen internal risk management systems and highlight further risks and opportunities.
Getting ethical labelling right is not an easy task. However the act of labelling, even with all its flaws, gives public prominence to many important issues facing society, and ultimately gives consumers more choice.
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