Want to be a greener shopper? Visit your local supermarket for help

According to a report [pdf] published by the National Consumer Council last October, “supermarkets have a key role to play in helping us do our bit for the environment” – clearly the case considering how much of our food shopping comes from one of the big-four UK supermarkets – Asda, Sainsbury’s, Tesco and Morrisons. The report, based on a survey of supermarkets carried out in March 2007, goes beyond the big four to assess the environmental actions of eight food stores – using “a range of consumer focused environmental indicators” which address 4 areas:

• Food transport: reducing the impact of food transport on climate change
• Waste: action to reduce, reuse and recycle
• Nature: supporting sustainable sourcing
• Sustainable farming: including support of organics and recuding pesticide use

The supermarkets covered are Waitrose, Marks & Spencer, Sainsbury’s, Asda, Co-op, Tesco, Morrisons, and Somerfield – and that is also the order in which the report rates their green records from best to worst, as shown in the diagram to the right (source: NCC report).

In summarizing the report, the NCC write that:

“All the supermarkets in our survey have significant potential to improve consumer-facing ‘green’ credentials”

This probably isn’t surprising to those who regularly search their local supermarket for any hint of green awareness. From the summary again:

“We were particularly disappointed by the low level of engagement with customers on green issues that we found in store and through our helpline surveys. This includes scant information about, or promotion of, greener choices (such as seasonal produce or sustainable fish) or green behaviour (such as recycling, or reducing carrier bag use). As few of us understand how our everyday choices impact on the environment, this is a lost opportunity to engage the public, and to support behaviour change towards sustainable consumption” (NCC Report Executive Summary).

There are more detailed breakdowns of the eight retailers’ performances in each of the four areas listed above in the report, and for anyone trying to make difficult choices between various local supermarkets on a ‘green’ basis, or anyone interested in knowing what these supermarkets have promised on green issues, this report makes for interesting and accessible reading. Of course, we are left to wonder for ourselves whether the easiest ‘green’ option might be to simply try to avoid supermarkets. But if we find ourselves using supermarkets, go armed with knowledge about their current performance, what they have promised, and what they could realistically be doing, and if they’re not doing, ask why not.