Companies carrying the label will need to have completed a rigorous carbon analysis of their product supply chains following an agreed methodology, commit to reducing the carbon level of their product over the next two years, and sign up to a “reduce it or lose it” clause, whereby if they fail to meet the goal they will have the label withdrawn.
The label and the experimental methodology behind it have been developed by the Carbon Trust during the past 18 months
The first product on shelves with the new logo will be Walkers' Cheese and Onion crisps - the company's best-selling flavour, appearing in major supermarkets and independent retailers from mid-April. Walkers says part of its pledge will see it continue to reduce its energy and water use, per kilo by 3% and 5% respectively, year-on-year. Calculations undertaken for it by the Carbon Trust suggest packaging production accounts for 15% of its carbon footprint
Boots, meanwhile, will introduce POS material with the label to accompany the launch of Botanics and Ingredients range shampoos with a reduced carbon footprint and provide material to consumers about how they can reduce their personal carbon footprints. Innocent will display the label for all smoothie recipes on its website, starting with its mango and passion fruit variety.
Neil Campbell, Walkers ceo, says: “Walkers Crisps has already reduced its energy use per pack by a third since 2000, working in conjunction with the Carbon Trust and we are committed to reducing the carbon footprint of our products even further. We hope this label will empower people to make more informed choices about the product they buy.”
“Working with the Carbon Trust has enabled Boots to measure and subsequently reduce the carbon footprint of everyday products such as shampoo by as much as 20%,” says Andrew Jenkins, sustainable development manager, Boots the Chemists. “With Boots as the most trusted brand in the UK, providing this information and advice to customers on reducing personal carbon footprints will raise public awareness about the part we can all play in combating climate change and protecting the environment.”
The Carbon trust says its research shows 66% of consumers want to know the carbon footprint of the products they buy.
Packets of Walkers' Cheese and Onion crisps with the new carbon reduction label shown bottom right Walkers
