BEST PRACTICE DATABASE

Click on a category on the right to read a summary of the case studies in that area

Greener Products

One of the greatest impacts that retailers have on the environment is through the products they offer their customers. Shoppers around the world are increasingly concerned about the environmental impacts of the products they choose. And many astute retailers are heeding the growing desire for greener products and filling a niche that is quickly becoming mainstream.

Customers rely on retailers to research the products they sell and to provide transparent, relevant information about the lifecycle of a product. Green product labels can inform buyers about some of their environmental benefits and/or drawbacks.

Breadth of Practice

Green product labels are best guided by quantifiable, easily verifiable standards. Many major retailers have developed their own line of green products according to their own standards. The Greening Retail Best Practices database contains eight case studies of retailers who have done that. Other retailers use third-party certification and labelling programs. These standards help retailers find products that have been evaluated against a number of relevant criteria. Retailers want to be sure that what they endorse as 'green' lives up to its advertising in order to avoid what some call the 'greenwashing' of their products.

Another way to screen products is to eliminate ones that are the worst offenders; for example, the most inefficient products, or products that contain harmful materials. Retailers vary in the number of green products they offer. The Greening Retail Best Practices database contains examples of five companies who offer a limited range of green products, while two companies have gone all out to specialize in green products. Because greening product lines requires cooperation, some companies have formed partnerships for this purpose: three examples of this are provided here.

The following table summarizes the types of practices found in the Greening Retail best practice database that pertain to green products and includes the number of companies for which this practice is described in the database.

Apply Standards for Own-Brand Green Products

Green product labels are best guided by quantifiable, easily verifiable standards. Many major retailers have developed their own line of green products according to their own standards. The following are just a few examples of retailers who have developed their own environmental labels:

• Ahold has developed a structural, step-by-step approach to improve the social and environmental performance of their corporate brand coffees using an adaptation of the EUREPGAP standard called the Utz Kapeh, or "Responsible Coffee" standards.
• Sainsbury's Supermarkets has the largest number of suppliers of own-brand products for resale in the Group. It has developed Guidelines called 'Raising the Standard' and issued them to all own-brand suppliers, after piloting them with a number of suppliers.
• Wal-Mart Stores Inc said has launched its own private label of compact fluorescent lightbulbs and is now selling the "Great Value" energy efficient bulbs in more than 3,000 stores.
• Co-op advertises their "green" products by informing their customer, and also by appealing to their emotions. And it works! Every year the sales of the "green" product ranges keep rising.
• Grand & Toy offers recycled, recyclable and responsibly-manufactured national brands, and also has their own custom brand of environmentally friendly products under the GREEN OFFICETM label.
• Loblaw Cos. Ltd..has developed their PC® Green™ Environmentally Friendly Products™ based on the latest technology and the most scientific information.
• lululemon established oqoqo, a sister brand that specializes in natural, organic and sustainable fabrics.
• Unveiled in January 2007 at the Outdoor Retailer trade show in Utah, the Green Index™ rating helped Timberland win the Backpacker Editor's Choice Green Award for innovation in green product development. Industry-wide interest seems to be developing for creating a common "eco label" for products.
• Otto's "The »Eco-Tex« project - ecological textiles for the mass market is a project that proved the possibility of inexpensive yet environmentally friendly textiles.

Use Third-party Certification

Third-party certification gives products extra credibility. Numerous retailers are opting for merchandise with labels developed outside of their organization. The retailers below have used two widely-recognized certifications: MSC-certified and FSC-certified products.

• M&S's commitment to sustainable fishing has been recognised by Marine Conservation Society, Greenpeace and Seafood Choices Alliance. All M&S fish is MSC-certified or sourced from fisheries recognised as well-managed but not yet certified - for example, all cod is Icelandic - and avoids 'at risk' fish: skates/rays and rockfish were de-listed in 2005.
• Crate and Barrel has released a green sofa called the Lockaport, and a matching chair. "For upholstery, this is our first venture into" sustainability, says Heather Turner, product manager assistant with Crate and Barrel in Northbrook, noting that the retailer "hopes to develop more." The frames for the sofa and chair are made from hardwood that's certified by the Sustainable Forestry Initiative and the Forest Stewardship Council.
• One of B&Q's initial steps was to use only FSC certified wood in B&Q kitchens - B&Q is also the UK's largest seller of kitchens, and it has now announced that 100 per cent of the wood it uses in this element of the business is already FSC certified.
• Grand & Toy, Canada's leading provider of business solutions is adding Boise Cascade Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified office paper grades to its already certified collection

Eliminate Some of the Most Undesirable Products

Some retailers are screening products that have been identified as having significant deleterious effects on the environment. For example, coral has long been used in fine jewellery. But for six years Tiffany has refused to use this precious material in their collections until they are convinced that coral harvesting is sustainable and does not threaten marine ecosystems. Moreover, Tiffany's Foundation supports research and community-led work focused on halting the destruction of coral reefs that results from overfishing, shore development and the effects of global warming.

B&Q is to stop selling non-energy-efficient light bulbs within three years. One of their initial steps is to phase out Patio Heaters - B&Q is apparently the largest seller of patio heaters in the United Kingdom. But, given the fact that the smallest 4.5kW table top patio heater emits as much CO2 in two hours as the average individual electricity consumption for a whole day, the company is committing not restocking them once its seasonal stock for 2008 runs out.

Finally, Sears said it's working to phase out polyvinyl chloride, or PVC, in its packaging and merchandise.

Offer Range of Eco-Products

Retailers often develop a suite of products with special environmentally-friendly features.

• Monoprix is working on a new concept: a city store where the whole building is in balance with the environment. The range of "green" products is bigger then in other stores.
• In September, 2007, M&S launched a comprehensive range of easy to use eco-products to make greener living part of the daily routine.
• Timberland's The Mountain sneaker is part of their Greenscapes Collection?a technical, casual footwear and apparel collection which utilizes earth-conscious materials and construction methods without sacrificing the style and function demanded by the outdoor consumer.
• Waldeck's 3,500-square-foot retail store is filled with recycled, biodegradable, reusable, energy-efficient, non-toxic products.
• Office Depot had 136 per cent growth in average post-consumer recycled content in cut-sheet paper sold and used in U.S. and Canada between 2003 and 2005. (4.5 per cent to 10.6 per cent)
• The Gap is exploring the use of organic cotton for some product offerings. For example, in February 2007, select Gap stores introduced Men's T-shirts and tanks made with 100 per cent organic cotton.

Specialize in Eco-Friendly Products

For the customer who intentionally seeks out greener merchandise, an increasing number of stores are specializing in that area. For example, the Greater Goods store is part of a growing niche of eco-friendly consumer goods stores. They're making a slow, quiet entry into the local retail field, staring down some heady competition in national big-box players that are greening up their own aisles in hopes of hooking the same carbon-conscious shoppers.

For retailers like The Isku Furniture Company, green is integrated into the majority of their products. They strive to achieve maximum eco-efficiency by using home-grown birch as their principal raw material.

Owner of the store, 'ecoexistence', Kym Klopp, checked out the competition before opening her store: "They focus on stationery and pens, things you don't really need. We sell things you actually need. We have a gift element but I really wanted it to be stuff you could use every day, the essentials." The store is divided to focus on different rooms of the house - bedroom, kitchen, bathroom, nursery and pets - to help customers gradually incorporate green living into their home and lifestyle.

Form Partnerships

It's difficult for a retailer to go-it-alone in greening their products. Boots, for instance, has close relationships with a number of NGOs working in fields relevant to their business - for example, the environmental impact of chemicals used in manufacturing. In close collaboration with partners from the academic world, they're exploring the potential of new sustainable feedstocks. Wal-Mart is creating networks of innovation made up of suppliers, associates, and non-governmental organizations. They are working on sustainable packaging, cotton, wood, fish, produce, electronics, and the elimination of substances of concern in all merchandise.

This synopsis was compiled from case studies in the Greening Retail Best Practice Database. Sources for the information in the case studies are cited in the database.

This database contains links to case studies of environmental best practice from retailers around the world. You can search this database by the name of the company only, or you can find case studies that match one or several specific criteria, such as the type of retailer, the type of best practice, the company's country of origin, and/or project return on investment.

Simply select your search criteria in the spaces provided and hit the "search" button to come up with a list of the kinds of case studies you're looking for.

Please note that we cannot include all the practices of every retailer; therefore, the non-inclusion of a company, or of a certain area of practice for a company, does not mean that they do not presently have progressive environmental initiatives in these areas.

If you would like to submit a case study to be added to the database, please contact greeningretail@trca.on.ca.