From Sir David Attenborough, to Greta Thunberg and even HRH Prince Charles, there are an increasingly growing number of voices speaking out and telling us how vital it is that we need to do our bit to help save the planet, before we do too much damage to the fragile eco-system in which we live.
The topic of saving the environment is not a new one, but in recent years it has seen a huge surge in support as people become more aware of the impact that our actions are having on the planet.
The carbon footprint is something that has also been mentioned in greater detail. The dictionary defines a carbon footprint as “the total amount of greenhouse gas emissions that are caused by an event, organisation, individual, product or service, expressed as the carbon dioxide equivalent.
The greater the carbon footprint, the more harm is caused to the environment by the goods or service in question.
Carbon footprints for food
As far back as 2007, the idea of adding details about a product’s carbon footprint to food packaging has been mooted. Tesco decided to boldly go where no other company was going and began to put information about carbon footprints on all their products, a move that was followed by a few other companies at the time; namely Innocent, Boots and PepsiCo.
Their hope was that many more companies would follow suit and add details to their packaging in much the same way as they were already adding full ingredient lists, details of allergens and nutrition details. The Carbon Trust had high hopes that this move from Tesco would pave the way for a world where everything that consumers were able to purchase would provide shoppers with carbon footprint information to inform their shopping choices.
Sadly, after 4 years and having only managed to carbon footprint several hundred products Tesco gave up the project. They were closely followed by several other companies all claiming the process was too time-consuming and costly. The fact that relatively few brands joined the initiative simply did not lend enough weight to the idea.
Now, nearly a decade on, the idea of adding carbon footprints to packing and making this important consideration a much more viable piece of information for consumers who are looking to be more environmentally conscious in their buying decisions has resurfaced.
Why is this a good idea?
As previously mentioned, a growing number of individuals are becoming more aware of the impact that we have on the environment around us. With this heightened awareness comes the knowledge that some of the things that we can do, no matter how small, could help to reduce that impact in order to leave a better planet for future generations to enjoy. Looking at the carbon footprint of the items that we can purchase would offer a simple and very easy way in which people could do their bit.
If a consumer was faced with two choices for the same item, both similarly priced but one with a much greater carbon footprint, then buying the one with a smaller carbon footprint would allow them to help the environment. This may force manufacturers to look at the carbon footprint of their product and see what measures they could put in place in order to reduce it. These little ripples have the potential to create a lasting effect with consumer pressure as the driving change within the manufacturing industry, meaning that everyone could do their bit for the environment.
Want To Learn More?
Here at Trakrap, we’re committed to helping companies reduce their packaging, and as such, their carbon footprint. Why not take a look at how we could help your company offer a better choice for consumers in terms of the carbon footprint of the products they buy? Get in touch today to find out more.
